How do SSDs Work? (+ thoughts on Apple M1 SSD lifespan)

Ever wondered how an SSD works? In this video I endeavour to explain some of the technologies involved, in simple terms.

Understanding how the SSD works, can help if you're not sure which model to buy, or if you're worried about the potential lifespan of your drive. Apple M1 owners may find this particularly helpful.

THE CONSTANT GEEKERY PODCAST
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#AppleM1 #SSD #HowItWorks

[aronfaine]

Man, Ive only just recently stumbled across your channel, about 3 weeks ago. And I have to say, its become my favorite. Ive never seen such levels of detail, while also being easily understood. You guys do tons of research and make sure if theres something you dont know, either you let us know, or you keep going till you find out. All while being as neutral as possible. If more people could take such a perspective on things, life would be a lot better.

This will be the first channel I hit the bell icon for.

[angeluscorpius]

That's 17 mins of my life spent on understanding SSD! Worth it!

[debashisdeb]

Thanks for your well researched detailed analysis of SSD

[mhasan]

Just started watching when view count is 71 and liked the video before even watching it. Cause I know this is the best channel out there.
Please keep it that way.

[tonyburzio]

I have a Mac mini, and redirected the Firefox browser cache to an external drive. 1GB of data no longer annoying my SSD.

[hape]

You forgot to mention the APFS filesystem, which itself decreases write (and erase) actions by *not* copying a file when it is edited but rather just writing the differences elswhere.

[morezco]

I like that these videos are going increasingly deeper into detail. In case you intend to stick with this subject a while longer, I would like to suggest a follow-up with examples of workloads and how they stack as SSD load. Like audio/video editing, app/web development, virtualisation, etc. So we can get some informed notion on what the current gen is most and least appropriate for.

[dtsdigitalden]

You have a fantastic way of presenting, both in terms of content and explanations, but your tone and manner. Even as someone who already knew the information presented, it was a joy to see you explain it as you did. Well done, and great presentation!

[TjFoshizzle]

This kind of in-depth technically-minded apple analysis for people who don't have a clue about tech is the kind that you can't find anywhere else, amazing!

[gjdass]

Quite nice to find such quality videos explaining that stuff with pictures and easy-to-understand examples. Bravo. It's nearly public service !

[bryans]

Your delivery is outstanding, always clear, concise, and easy to follow. I'm at the point where I would enjoy listening to you read the shopping list.

[timbald]

I really hope this channel is earning you money because the quality of your delivery is CPD level and you could seriously charge for it on a monetised platform. I always learn something. Thank you once again.

[bloomylicious]

Don't own any Apple products and am unlikely to going forward, but really enjoy your easy to understand explanations that are thorough and not over sensationalised like a lot of tech YouTube has become. I look forward to learning more from you in the future. Thanks :)

[mehregankbi]

you are teaching boring computer science concepts in a very exciting and informative and beneficial way. thx

[aoldani]

As already written on your podcast channel, I am thrilled that I stumbled across this channel. All the contributions are very informative, to the point, and one would wish for a critical examination of a topic. I have long wondered why I find your contributions so remarkable and why they appeal to me. Now I think I have found the answer today. It is the way I grew up with the internet. It was a time when you could find people and information in this "Wild Wild West" that was honest and serious... simply because everyone wanted to help each other and did it out of joy and altruism while still being cool.

Yes, you feel like you've aged well if you were "internet-socialised" with Compuserve and Mosaic and Netscape. Some people also confuse Digital Native (DN) with "I do not care." And yes, I still start my e-mail with a polite salutation and end it with greetings and don't just throw two incoherent sentences into the mail client. This may be an old-fashioned style out of natural politeness and because there are still enough people who appreciate it.

Thank you for your work and the valuable contributions, and thank you for the impression that the "good internet" still exists. Besides, good luck with the channel in the future. It's never easy with a critical niche. I can speak from experience with 20 years in the photo industry in high-end medium format (ALPA of Switzerland). The better will outlast the good. And now some friends and acquaintances are about to subscribe to your channel ;)

[ginobean]

Even with many excellent engineeers, It's possible that one or more issues escaped them. As an example, many excellent scientists and engineers were involved with the Hubble telescope. Yet, the initial Hubble telescope was crippled because the engineers had omitted doing one specific, basic, sanity check before launch. With respect to the soldering of SSD's, the SSD controller is on the same board as each individual SSD, so there would no incompatibility issues with inserting 3rd party SSDs -- so no risk of incompatibilities with Apple's SSD controller. It's a marketing ploy, intended to increase profits -- if Apple had wanted to use a socketed SSD, they would have.

[sisyphushappy]

Great job. You have fantastic teaching skills. This was an excellent explanation of a topic I have struggled to master.

[PebblesChan]

Those poor trapped electrons. Every time one escapes Mork said “Fly be free!”

[BradCastYourSlf]

Thumbs up my man. Very comprehensive, and still concise. A.K.A. trimmed.

[DrumApe]

Great stuff, thank you for the valuable information and research, really helps to hear these things explained.