Capacity isn’t always the main selling point when it comes to storage devices. Although having a huge headroom to keep all of your data is always nice, the speed at which you can access the files that you stored is also as important.
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When it comes to speed, NVMe, or Non-Volatile Memory Express drives are at the top of the heap. NVMe is a storage interface protocol designed specifically for solid-state drives (SSDs) to deliver high-speed data access and excellent storage performance. It stands out from previous protocols like SATA (Serial ATA) by utilizing the PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) interface, which translates into faster data transfer rates and reduced latency.
Let me take off my techie hat for a second and try to break this down a bit. NVMe is similar to a solid-state drive, or SSD, in that data is stored in a NAND flash memory instead of a physical disc which you’d typically find on a hard disk drive (HDD). As discussed in our HDD vs SSD post, this results in faster data transfer and makes SSDs more durable compared to HDDs because of the absence of moving parts inside the drive.
However, what pushes NVMe over the top has something to do with where it is connected to. As opposed to plugging it into a SATA port, like what we normally do with HDD and SSD drives, NVMe drives are either placed on a PCIe slot or connected to a special port called an M.2 slot. So instead of being bottlenecked by SATA, which is capped at 600MB/s, the PCIe interface allows NVMe drives to reach speeds of up to 3,500MB/s thanks to a more direct connection to the processor and memory.
Moreover, NVMe drives are built with parallelism in mind. This means they can handle multiple input/output (I/O) operations simultaneously, which further enhances their performance. Traditional HDDs and SATA SSDs are limited by their mechanical nature and can only handle one I/O operation at a time. In contrast, NVMe drives can execute multiple I/O operations concurrently, leading to a significant reduction in latency and increased overall responsiveness.
Another advantage of NVMe drives is their lower power consumption. Since they lack moving parts, NVMe drives consume less energy compared to traditional HDDs and SATA SSDs. This makes them ideal for portable devices such as laptops and tablets, as it results in extended battery life. Additionally, the absence of mechanical components also makes NVMe drives more durable and resistant to shock, vibrations, and other physical damage.
NVMe isn't just a technological upgrade; it's a leap forward in how we perceive and experience storage. As we bid farewell to the clunky, slow days of HDDs and even the faster but still constrained era of SATA SSDs, NVMe stands as the catalyst for a new era of computing–one where data moves at the speed of thought, and waiting becomes a relic of the past.
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