Thank you for being part of the FixData community! In this edition, we will talk about what a partition is. Also, we will know which storage unit is better priced. In our premium content, you will learn about the process of reading a NAND BGA chip.

• Trivia

• What are partitions?

• Advantages of having partitions

• Types of partitions

• How do I make a partition on Windows?

• Which storage unit is more convenient in terms of price?

• HDD Vs SSD

• How to choose the best storage unit

• Join our community

• Premium: Reading BGA132/152

Trivia

Why is your HDD always at 100%?

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What are partitions?

Partitions are logical divisions in storage units. They are used to have separate segments of information. In this way, we can divide the storage unit into smaller segments and store the information we want. Partitioning a storage unit may have a different procedure depending on the device and operating system you are working with.

However, there are some electronic devices where partitions cannot be made manually, but this does not mean that they do not have some by default.

Advantages of having partitions

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Types of partitions

There are three types of partitions, each with a different function. These partitions may vary depending on the limitations of the operating system being used, because when exceeding a limit allowed by the operating system, the partitions no longer recognize this limit. It can also be affected by the firmware version of the device.

1. Primary Partition:

The installation of an operating system is unique to the primary partition. When the operating system is installed on this partition, booting the computer with that operating system is enabled. It is important to note that early versions of Windows allow users to configure a maximum of four primary partitions on an MBR (Master Boot Record) formatted hard disk. In other words, an MBR hard disk can hold up to four primary partitions.

On the other hand, in the case of using GPT (GUID Partition Table), users have the ability to create up to 128 primary partitions on a hard drive. In short, each partition containing an installed operating system is called a primary partition.

2. Extended or secondary partition:

This type of partition is different from the primary partition, which only allows us to have up to four primary partitions. The extended partition is subdivided into additional logical units, which provides a solution to overcome the limitations of the four primary partitions. In other words, when more than four partitions are required, the option is to use an extended partition.

It was devised to generate as many partitions as necessary on a single disk; it is delimited by the operating system in which it is used, as well as the firmware of the device. In this type of partition, an operating system cannot be installed; it can only store data.

3. Logical Partition:

Partitions are created within an extended partition. These logical partitions use file systems such as FAT32, NTFS, etc. They function as independent devices and can be used to store any file.

Some of the functionalities are:

By having an organized space, as in the case of Windows, every time you install it, it will ask you to assign a hard disk partition where it will store important operating system information, which is usually named by the same C drive as the primary partition.

Partitions help to manage files more efficiently. It is recommended to use different partitions for backups in order to facilitate data recovery in case of hard drive damage. This is because hard disks have areas that are more worn than others, and partitions with less wear and tear are more likely to recover data.

By having more than one partition, it is possible to have more than one operating system installed per storage unit, which can be very useful when using file formats that are incompatible with other operating systems. For example, in the case of iOS and Windows, both use a different file format structure and look completely different.

How do I make a partition in Windows?

Which storage unit is more convenient in terms of price?

In the technology arena, choosing the right storage drive is crucial to optimize performance and meet the specific needs of each user. In this context, we will explore hard disk and solid state drive (SSD) options, analyzing their features, advantages, and key considerations. From storage capacity to speed and reliability, we will closely examine each aspect to provide an informative guide to facilitate decision making when choosing the best storage drive for your requirements.

Hard Disk Drives:

It is critical to be clear about what tasks or processes will be performed on the drive. First, we will consider hard disks, generally the most affordable drives in terms of cost per terabyte (TB). Currently, a 1 TB drive can be a viable option, with a price range between $35 and $60. In addition, it is important to keep in mind that the price may vary depending on the revolutions per minute of the drive and may increase or decrease accordingly.

If the equipment will be used only for basic tasks such as surfing the Internet, listening to music, or watching series, the best choice might be a 1 TB hard drive. However, with less storage capacity, space may be used up quickly, limiting the ability to store more information.

For more demanding tasks, such as those performed by computer experts, photographers, or editors, it is recommended to opt for drives larger than 2 TB. For servers or professional editors handling numerous videos, 4TB hard drives are recommended. However, acquiring more storage at a cost equal to or less than 4TB drives may be more convenient, especially for 8TB or 16TB drives. In this scenario, using two smaller capacity hard drives, such as two 8TB or two 4TB drives, may be more economical. However, it is important to consider that as the number of drives increases, higher voltage will be required, especially in desktop computers. In the case of laptops, external hard drives may be a more suitable alternative.

Solid State Drives:

SSDs are recommended for storing applications, video games, and the operating system, although they are not the best option for important information due to their lower reliability compared to HDDs. Information retrieval on some SSDs can be complicated since they do not follow a physical order when storing information, unlike HDDs, which maintain an order thanks to a master table. It is suggested to store crucial information on a partitioned hard disk with backups to ensure the physical integrity and, therefore, the security of the information. However, if the disk is frequently written to, it may not be as useful in cases of damage, affecting its lifespan.

Although there are several types of SSDs, M.2 drives are recommended due to their high speed, with a minimum of 240 GB. However, these drives tend to be more expensive in terms of cost per TB. Their maximum speed also plays a crucial role in their price; for example, an M.2 PCIe 4.0 drive can cost between $50 and $80. The price varies depending on their maximum capacity, maximum read and write speeds, as well as their PCIe generation.

HDD Vs SSD

How to choose the best storage unit:

Key features to consider are speed, cache or buffer memory, and connectivity interface.

Speed:

In the case of hard drives, it takes some time for the mechanism to position the heads in the track of the requested information. The speed improves with more revolutions per minute, which can vary from 5400 to 15000. On the other hand, SSDs measure their speed in megabytes per second (MB/s) without having mechanical parts, which improves their performance.

Memory:

The buffer, or cache memory, is a space used by the drive to store frequently accessed files, allowing faster access. It can be used to store data while the disk is busy reading or writing information.

Interface:

It is crucial to consider the connectivity interface according to the characteristics of the PC. The IDE standard is obsolete, while the SATA port is common and can reach up to 6 Gbps. The mSATA port is used in laptops and some modern PC motherboards, while the SAS port, designed for servers, is reliable but more expensive.

The recommendation is to combine both drives: an SSD of reasonable capacity to run the operating system and programs, and a mechanical disk to store the rest of the information. This provides optimal performance and takes advantage of all available storage space.

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