SSD: High capacity

[mac-collector]

What is the highest capacity 2.5" SSD on the market today? It is annoying to constantly have to buy more 256 GB ones. I want one with 4+ TB. Is that only for the government and/or large corporations? Can I buy one?

Thanks.

 

[miles01110]

4+ TB SSDs? Not in the 2.5" form factor.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

There aren't even 4 TB 2.5" HDDs out there. The biggest SSD was a 1 TB SSD in the 3.5§ form factor, the biggest 2.5" SSD is around 640 GB. And why do you need 4 TB of SSD storage?

 

[GeekGuys]

Does it matter why the OP wants 4Tb of SSD? The answer is as stated, not yet. You could build an external array of 1Tb SSD drives and add more as required. 3.5" are cheaper than the 2.5" ones as well as higher capacity. Put them in a drobo and you can nix and match drive sizes as well.

 

[Capt Crunch]

Does it matter why the OP wants 4Tb of SSD? The answer is as stated, not yet. You could build an external array of 1Tb SSD drives and add more as required. 3.5" are cheaper than the 2.5" ones as well as higher capacity. Put them in a drobo and you can nix and match drive sizes as well.

Putting a bunch of SSDs in the notoriously slow drobo (coming from someone who loves his own) would be the biggest waste of money ever.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Does it matter why the OP wants 4Tb of SSD?

In a way it does, as there is the preconception, that using SSDs for storing entertainment video and audio makes those start faster, while in reality there is a difference of less than a second.
While SSDs are quite nice to have, for storing small or big files that only get opened once in a while is a bit overkill.
And with current prices 4 TB of SSD should cost north of 5000 USD.

 

[leman]

Just get two 6-bay Pegasus Thunderbolt RAID enclosures and pack them full of SSDs. Problem solved.

 

[mac-collector]

...And why do you need 4 TB of SSD storage?

I need to store all my Garageband loop soundtracks in lossless data compression at 100 Mbps with over 10 layers of backup. No. Although there is some performance difference between 'conventional' HDD and SSD, that is not why I require them. As you all know they (SSDs) have no moving parts and are therefore more reliable. That is why I choose them over the old format. I store some very sensitive data for a research group, the Department of Defence (not really, but it might come in handy) and my amateur archeological excusions. And I want them to fit nicely into my iMac so my desk will be clean.

So if they are not available to consumers, does anyone know where the government gets theirs?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

So if they are not available to consumers, does anyone know where the government gets theirs?

Where do you get the idea, the government has 4 TB SSDs?

 

[mac-collector]

Where do you get the idea, the government has 4 TB SSDs?

I have my sources, which will remain unnamed. They tell me that they do, and bigger ones as well. Since no one here knows that they do, I doubt they know where they get them from.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

I have my sources, which will remain unnamed. They tell me that they do, and bigger ones as well. Since no one here knows that they do, I doubt they know where they get them from.

Of course. Here we go again. Maybe ask those sources where to get 4 TB SSDs in a 3.5" or 2.5" form factor.

 

[mac-collector]

Of course. Here we go again. Maybe ask those sources where to get 4 TB SSDs in a 3.5" or 2.5" form factor.

Fine. My friend works on the Reaper and is developing another UAV, which I, obviously, know nothing about. He says they have ultra-high capacity SSD, I guess because they are light and reliable? They were sent to him, but he doesn't know by whom.

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And to the person -1'ing all my posts: I'm fine with that. I just don't understand why, at least give me a reason.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Fine. My friend works on the Reaper and is developing another UAV, which I, obviously, know nothing about. He says they have ultra-high capacity SSD, I guess because they are light and reliable? They were sent to him, but he doesn't know by whom.

I can understand, why a UAV might benefit from solid state storage, but they are probably customised and not in any desktop or notebook computer form factor, as they don't need to be that way. They are probably just big cards/enclosures with many, many flash chips on/in them, and the controller of course.

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And to the person -1'ing all my posts: I'm fine with that. I just don't understand why, at least give me a reason.

Don't waste your time with that, I have similar down votes (though not in this thread, strange), when giving appropriate answers, most often when the answer is a repeated one and/or links to something, that will answer a question. It is just the followers of Facebook finally able to "NOT" like something. That is the nature of the internet, anonymous votes.

 

[mac-collector]

I see. Does anyone want to speculate on when these (by today's standards) high-capacity will show up on the market, with respect to current development?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

I see. Does anyone want to speculate on when these (by today's standards) high-capacity will show up on the market, with respect to current development?

1 TB SSDs should come this or next year, in a 2.5" form factor.
2 TB SSDs should follow in 2014, and 4 TB SSD should come in 2016 or 2017.

 

[mac-collector]

Sigh. Anyone have a time-machine?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Sigh. Anyone have a time-machine?

You can do what you want with current technology, and SSDs can fail too, just because they don't have any moving parts, they can't fail.

I have one 500 GB HDD for my photographs (digital and analog) libraries and editing documents, one 500 GB HDD with my personal video footage in an editing friendly format.
Both 500 GB HDDs get backed up to one 1 TB HDD via CarbonCopyCloner.
And that 1 TB HDD gets backed up to another 1 TB HDD via CarbonCopyCloner.
Therefore I have three copies of my important data.

 

[mac-collector]

...and SSDs can fail too, just because they don't have any moving parts, they can't fail.

You alright there buddy? What's with the random quote? I think I get what you're trying to say there: Do you mean they can fail? I am aware of this fact.

Should we apply the same concept to medicine? Just because it can't make you immortal we shouldn't bother with it?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

You alright there buddy? What's with the random quote? I think I get what you're trying to say there: Do you mean they can fail? I am aware of this fact.

Should we apply the same concept to medicine? Just because it can't make you immortal we shouldn't bother with it?

I was just sharing with you how I backup, and as you come across as just wanting an SSD for no other reason than to store you precious files, which any HDD can do too, I mentioned that SSDs can fail too and they do.

Anyway, since this does not seem to go nowhere, and you haven't actually listened to what leman proposed, which will be as expensive as getting any custom made 4 TB SSD, I leave you to it.

PS: When 4 TB SSDs arrive, you probably need twenty of them to suffice your storage needs.

 

[mac-collector]

...just wanting an SSD for no other reason than to store you precious files, which any HDD can do too, I mentioned that SSDs can fail too and they do.

Thanks for all your help. But sorry, is there anything else you can do with an SSD except store files? For all this time that's all I've been using mine for, and it didn't mention anything else in the manual. And if SSDs are just as good as HDD why bother designing/manufacturing them? Is it just a marketing scam? Like leaded vs unleaded?

 

[TopToffee]

Thanks for all your help. But sorry, is there anything else you can do with an SSD except store files? For all this time that's all I've been using mine for, and it didn't mention anything else in the manual. And if SSDs are just as good as HDD why bother designing/manufacturing them? Is it just a marketing scam? Like leaded vs unleaded?

They're very good for storing applications and operating systems. THAT'S why design/manufacture them.

The advantage you get when using them to store other files is fairly minimal.

 

[ericrwalker]

does anyone know where the government gets theirs?

We get them from aliens. It's a deal we have with them since the rosswell incident.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Thanks for all your help. But sorry, is there anything else you can do with an SSD except store files? For all this time that's all I've been using mine for, and it didn't mention anything else in the manual. And if SSDs are just as good as HDD why bother designing/manufacturing them? Is it just a marketing scam? Like leaded vs unleaded?

SSDs are faster, the have a very quick random access time, because there are no moving parts. And of course they can be used to store files, but for their price, they are primarily used to store the OS and applications for fast access and almost no lag.
I have an SSD and HDD in my 2009 MBP, the 120 GB SSD houses the OS and applications (20 GB) and some temporary work files. The 500 GB HDD houses a clone of that SSD (daily backup schedule), a Mac OS X Installer and a partition for storing files I need on the go, and the HDD is fast enough to play back 4 streams of HD footage using an editing codec (meaning a data rate of 22 MB/s per HD track). The CPU is the bottleneck then.

And for storing backups and loops, an SSD might be okay, but still overpriced, especially when the data rate of those files you mentioned is 100 Mb/s, which is 12.5 MB/s. Even a cheap USB HDD can give you that speed.

 

[mac-collector]

They're very good for storing applications and operating systems. THAT'S why design/manufacture them.

SSDs are faster, the have a very quick random access time, because there are no moving parts. And of course they can be used to store files, but for their price, they are primarily used to store the OS and applications for fast access and almost no lag.

And OSs and applications are not just a bunch of files strung together?

And I was not talking about read/write speeds, I meant the bit rate of the songs, hence the need for 4 TB. If I had 9 hours (~32000 seconds) of songs at 12.5 MB/s I have 400 GB. 10 layers of backup means 4 TB.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

And OSs and applications are not just a bunch of files strung together?

Of course they are, but since you access the OS and applications you use all the time, an SSD will improve access times.

And I was not talking about read/write speeds, I meant the bit rate of the songs, hence the need for 4 TB. If I had 9 hours (~32000 seconds) of songs at 12.5 MB/s I have 400 GB. 10 layers of backup means 4 TB.

And what would an SSD improve with that? Playback probably not. Backing up speeds probably, but using one HDD or SSD for storing the backup of a backup and again for storing the backup of the backup of the backup and so forth, is not really backing up.
You backup to different HDDs / SSDs to have a good backup strategy.

And why do you have ten layers of backups? If you really need that, to have a good backup, you would have to have ten HDDs or SSDs, not all the multiple backups on one device, because one device can break easier than ten devices.