3.3 – Storage Devices: Storage Devices

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Questions and Answers

What feature allows hard drives to retain information even when powered off?

Non-volatility (correct)

Magnetic platters

Mechanical components

Random access

What is the primary function of the actuator arm within a hard drive?

To control the rotational speed

To repair data

To move back and forth to access data (correct)

To spin the platters

What does a higher rotational speed in a hard drive improve?

Read and write speed (correct)

Data accuracy

Durability of components

Non-volatility

What is the typical rotational speed for a low-end hard drive?

5400 RPM Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the data retrieval speed as the rotational speed of the platters increases?

It increases Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential disadvantage of hard drives due to their mechanical components?

Risk of mechanical failure Signup and view all the answers

Which component specifically locates, retrieves, and writes data on the spinning platters?

Read/write head Signup and view all the answers

How does rotational latency change with an increase in platter speed?

It lowers Signup and view all the answers

What component must be fastened to the motherboard after being slid into the M.2 interface?

SSD Signup and view all the answers

What is a key limitation of flash memory?

There is a finite limit to the number of write cycles. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a common example of flash memory?

Blu-ray Disc Signup and view all the answers

Why are flash drives not recommended for archival storage?

They can be easily lost or damaged. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main advantage of using optical drives for archival media?

They are capable of storing data indefinitely once written. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following types of flash memory is the smallest?

microSD card Signup and view all the answers

What technology do optical drives use to read data from discs?

Laser light Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to have backups of data stored on flash drives?

Flash drives are vulnerable to physical damage. Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant advantage of solid-state drives (SSDs) compared to traditional hard drives?

SSDs provide much faster performance. Signup and view all the answers

What does the acronym NVMe stand for?

Non-volatile Memory Express Signup and view all the answers

Which interface is specifically designed to work with SSDs providing higher throughput than SATA?

PCIe Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary limitation of using a SATA connection with an SSD?

SATA connection is designed for spinning hard drives. Signup and view all the answers

What physical size of drives is common in laptops?

2-and-1/2 inch drives Signup and view all the answers

Which M.2 interface type typically provides the highest throughput?

M key Signup and view all the answers

What does mSATA stand for?

mini-SATA Signup and view all the answers

What maximum throughput capability does SATA revision 3 offer?

600 megabytes per second Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a benefit of SSDs?

Louder operation Signup and view all the answers

Which condition must be verified before buying an M.2-based SSD for a motherboard?

The motherboard supports NVMe for maximum performance. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason for the evolution from SATA to NVMe?

To achieve higher data transfer rates and lower latency. Signup and view all the answers

What type of storage device is commonly found as M.2 drives in newer systems?

SSDs Signup and view all the answers

Why were mSATA drives developed?

To reduce the size of components in devices Signup and view all the answers

Which technology provides a more compact form factor than traditional SATA?

mSATA Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Hard Drives

Hard drives store information on spinning magnetic platters.
They are non-volatile; data persists even when powered off.
Access is random, unlike tape drives.
Mechanical components (spinning platters, actuator arms) limit speed.
Mechanical parts are prone to failure; hard drives are prone to failure.
Data is stored on spinning platters; platters rotate on a spindle.
Actuator arms control heads that move over the platters.
Heads precisely locate, retrieve, and write data.
Platter speed (RPM) affects data access speed.
Common low-end speed is 5,400 RPM, resulting in 5.5ms latency.
Faster speed (e.g., 15,000 RPM) reduces latency to 2ms.
Multiple platters and heads allow reading/writing from multiple places.
Common sizes: 3.5-inch, 2.5-inch, and M.2 (smaller).
Moving away from traditional mechanical hard drives toward SSDs.

Solid-State Drives (SSDs)

SSDs use non-volatile memory; data persists without power.
No moving parts, reducing failure risk and improving access speeds.
Faster performance than hard drives, with no rotational delays.
Interfaces (e.g., SATA) are crucial for performance.
SATA interfaces (e.g., SATA interface revision 3): throughput up to 600MB/s
SSDs can exceed these values.
New interface (NVMe) for high-speed SSDs.
NVMe is designed for SSD throughput and low latency.
Interfaces (e.g., mSATA, M.2) are used for smaller components.

M.2 Drives

M.2 interface is a smaller form factor than SATA.
Single connection to the motherboard; no external power needed.
Directly connects to the PCI Express bus for high throughput.
4 Gb/s throughput is possible with a 4 PCIe lane interface.
Different key types (B key, M key) for compatibility and interface design in M.2 connectors.
Verification of motherboard components' support for NVMe and M.2 key types is needed.
Simple installation: the SSD is inserted into the M.2 slot on the motherboard and fastened with a screw.

Flash Memory

Flash memory (EEPROM) is another non-volatile storage type.
Limited write cycles (read-only after reaching a threshold).
Not suitable for large-scale data archiving due to write limitations.
Common examples include USB flash drives, SD cards, microSD cards.

Optical Drives

Optical drives use lasers to read data on optical media (CD-ROMs, DVDs, Blu-rays).
Suitable for archival storage.
Optical drives are less common in modern systems.

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Description

This quiz covers the fundamental concepts of hard drives and solid-state drives (SSDs). Learn about how data is stored, the differences in technology, and the speed factors influencing data access. It also highlights the shift from traditional hard drives to modern SSDs.