SSD: A Closer Look

I/O Meter

We have one more synthetic benchmark. This one comes from Intel, the processor manufacturer. I/O Meter writes data into a storage device using various methods depending on the chosen profile, and measures the speed in MB/ second. In our tests, we used four scenarios:

• Sequential Write
• Sequential Read
• Random Write
• Random Read

In sequential scenarios, the program continuously writes and reads data using an organized pattern of data placement. Random scenarios, in the other hand, write and read data in random, unorganized pattern, simulating the condition of a fragmented storage.

As mentioned in several pages ahead, this situation clearly shows the advantages and disadvantages of an SSD drive. In sequential write, a conventional hard disk falls not too far behind, but when it comes into reading, the gap becomes more obvious.

When a hard disk faces random reads or writes, it suffers from the mechanical limitation. The actuator must move into numerous different spots on the platter to write or read the data, resulting in poor performance. The same thing does not apply to SSD with its non-mechanical circuits. This test also shows that a routine defrag is not necessary for the SSD. Even without it, the SSD’s random read is still speedy enough.