Question on SSD storage capacities (a multiple of 4?)

[Blackraven]

Question:

Why is it that SSD drive capacities are in multiples of 4? (ie. Like Samsung's 32 and 64 GB models and Intel's 80GB and 160 GB plus upcoming 320 GB unit).

Whereas HDD uses multiples of 10 (ie. 80 GB, 120 GB, 500 GB, 750 GB, 1000 GB/1 TB, 1500 GB/1.5 TB, 2000 GB/2 TB, etc.)

Is there an explanation to this?

[stuartwood89]

It's probably down to the number of flash modules inside the device. For example, the G.Skill Titan 256GB drive uses 32 8GB flash modules in something like a RAID0 configuration. The Samsung and Intel drives probably use 4GB flash modules, hence the multiples of 4 that their drives are available in. Most SSD makers use Samsung NAND flash modules anyway, with the exception of Intel, I think, who use their own.

Either that or just because it's not worth developing their drives at such small intervals. I'm not entirely sure, just a stab in the dark.

[dieKatze88]

Originally Posted by Server Too Busy

It's probably down to the number of flash modules inside the device. For example, the G.Skill Titan 256GB drive uses 32 8GB flash modules in something like a RAID0 configuration. The Samsung and Intel drives probably use 4GB flash modules, hence the multiples of 4 that their drives are available in. Most SSD makers use Samsung NAND flash modules anyway, with the exception of Intel, I think, who use their own.

Either that or just because it's not worth developing their drives at such small intervals. I'm not entirely sure, just a stab in the dark.

Nope, you pretty much have it.

Flash modules come in nice numbers like 4gb, actually in reality they come in nice clean numbers like binary ones. as such its harder to make say "500gb" than it is to make "512gb"

[Blackraven]

Interesting responses.

Aside from that, I'm also reading this from a thread from the Beyond3D.com tech forum and one of the responses stated that it has something to with flash-based storage writing on each level using an octal (base-8) measurement or something like that.

Question on SSD storage capacities (a multiple of 4?) - Beyond3D Forum

Anyways, thanks guys for your inputs