USB flash drives x many = SSD?

[cyberfish]

With the price of 32GB SSDs still in the >$400 range, can't we build them from smaller USB keys?

I have recently (yesterday, actually), see Corsair Voyager 8GB on sale for $20 after rebate.

Reviews say it has a sustained read of 33MB/s, and write of 16MB/s.

Has anyone tried combining 4 of those to make a 32GB SSD?

Wouldn't that be awesome? assuming RAID-0, that's 132MB/s read, and 64MB/s write, for $80+whatever the controller costs.

But the problem is, someone's got to make those controllers =). It's no problem in Linux. We can just use Linux's software RAID, but I guess we need a hardware solution if we want to use it for Windows.

[mike_g]

Thats more or less what people have been doing with eee PCs by modifying the PCIe expansion slot to connect to a couple of stripped down pendrives inside them.

[abachler]

Its mostly a space issue. Those chips take space, and the smaller chips trake just as much as the bigger ones

[cyberfish]

Thats more or less what people have been doing with eee PCs by modifying the PCIe expansion slot to connect to a couple of stripped down pendrives inside them.

That is very interesting. I have never heard of it, but I will look it up =)

Its mostly a space issue. Those chips take space, and the smaller chips trake just as much as the bigger ones

And a lot more expensive, too. I personally don't mind a more spacious (4 usb drives) SSD that costs 1/4 of the price and probably also a lot faster (due to RAID).

[cyberfish]

Actually, it is possible to run Windows on that. Just install a barebone Linux and install VMware and run Windows on it =). Except then you won't be able to game on the Windows installation, since VMware doesn't support DX8 (last time I checked anyways). But it wouldn't be a problem if you're not a gamer or the laptop has integrated graphics so you can't play game anyways.

Woot! 32GB high speed SSD for $80 .

[mkruk]

and probably also a lot faster (due to RAID).

to make 4 flash-drives, 8GiB each, behave like one 32GiB SSD, you would need a linear raid or jbod. anyway, those do not increase the speed. (only stripping and mirroring do that [RAID 0 and RAID 1])
If it actually alters the drive's speed, then downwards.

[cyberfish]

why can't I run it in RAID-0?

I am talking about using Linux software RAID (using mdadm, for example). RAID-0 does not waste space. No redundancy.

[mkruk]

oops, yeah RAID0 doesn't waste space, sorry.

But the whole thing in general doesn't make much sence. Flash memory (especially with SSD's) can't be considered fast, unless you're using it read-only. If the SSD has to switch a lot between reading and writing, the performance will dramatically decrease.
Imho, SSD's make sence, but in devices like routers and others, where they can be mounted read-only.

Besides of that, SSD's are doubtlessly way to expensive. It's a whole lot cheaper to go with a "traditional" harddisk. They may be less shock-resistant, but in contrast to SSD's they are placed in a faraday's cage, which makes it immune to EMR/EMI. I don't know what possible causes that can have on a SSD, but since electromagnetic emmisions cause induction, there may occure interferences.

Heh.. but enough with that
The point is, I don't think it's (cost) effective to couple usb flash drives to replace an SSD. The prices for an 32GB SSD range from 390 EUR to 600 EUR. 4 USB Flash drives at 20 EUR each make 80 EUR. For 80 EUR, you can buy a platter HDD with 750GB.
Even the power consumption should be identical. But you get the point

[Mario F.]

For 80 EUR, you can buy a platter HDD with 750GB.

Err... I seriously doubt that. And I looked hard just a few weeks ago
But I do get your point. I think however the concern here is portability and access to multiple devices...

[Neo1]

Err... I seriously doubt that. And I looked hard just a few weeks ago

Well in Denmark, you can get a Samsung SpinPoint F1 750GB for 597DKK, considering that 80 euros is exactly 596,64 DKK, i'd say mkruk's estimate is pretty close...

[cyberfish]

I thought SSD's have their use in laptops, too. Low power consumption and shock resistance. Those are actually the biggest drawbacks of using platter HDD's in a laptop. People want laptop's battery to last long, and laptops do get moved quite a bit (and the occassional drops. When opening the lid, for example. I have "dropped" mine several times that way). Not mentioning you also get no seek time (fast random access), and with 4 of them in RAID-0, I think it has to be faster than platter HDD's even for sustained read/write.

[mike_g]

SSHDs are fast too. My eee pc can boot into winxp in around 15 seconds. The processor is only 630mhz with a 280mhz bus.

As for things to break on a laptop I think the screen is by far the most common. I have seen it happen several times, but I have yet to see a HD die from a dropped lappy.

[cyberfish]

I have seen it happen several times, but I have yet to see a HD die from a dropped lappy.

HD's don't completely die. They just get a bunch of bad sectors, and silently corrupt your data. That, I think, is worse than just outright death.

[abachler]

The occasional surface scan will fix bad secotrs (usually) before they corupt your data.

[cyberfish]

The occasional surface scan will fix bad secotrs (usually) before they corupt your data.

That's certainly not what the average Joe would do regularly, though.