Solid state drives (SSDs) have become increasingly popular in recent years as an alternative to traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). SSDs offer much faster read/write speeds, better durability and lower power consumption. As SSD technology continues to advance, larger capacity drives are becoming available to consumers and businesses.
What is an SSD?
An SSD, or solid state drive, is a type of computer storage device that uses flash memory chips to store data persistently. Unlike a traditional hard disk drive (HDD), an SSD has no moving mechanical parts – data is stored on microchips rather than magnetic platters. This allows SSDs to operate silently, have much faster data access speeds, better durability and shock resistance, and lower power consumption.
Some key advantages of SSDs over HDDs include:
- Faster read/write speeds – SSDs can read and write data much faster than HDDs. Sequential read/write speeds are typically 500-550MB/s for SATA SSDs and over 2500MB/s for PCIe NVMe SSDs.
- Lower latency – SSDs have very low access times of 0.1ms or less, compared to HDDs which have latency of 2-10ms.
- Better durability – SSDs have no moving parts, so they are less prone to mechanical failure or damage from drops/shock.
- Lower power draw – SSDs consume much less power than HDDs, extending battery life in laptops.
- Compact size – 2.5″ SSDs are much smaller and lighter than 2.5″ HDDs.
- Silent operation – SSDs make no noise during operation.
The downsides of SSDs include lower capacities and higher costs per gigabyte compared to HDDs. However, capacities and cost per GB have been improving rapidly. And for many consumer and business uses, the speed, durability and efficiency benefits of SSDs far outweigh their downsides.
SSD Capacities
SSD capacities have grown rapidly over the years. Some key developments:
- 2009 – First SSDs were 32GB to 128GB
- 2011 – 240-256GB SSDs emerge
- 2012 – 500GB to 1TB SSDs introduced
- 2015 – 2TB SSDs reach consumers
- 2019 – 4TB 2.5″ SATA SSDs released
- 2020 – 8TB M.2 NVMe SSDs introduced
Today, consumer SSDs are commonly available in capacities ranging from 120GB to 4TB. On the enterprise/data center side, SSDs up to 30TB are available. As manufacturing processes continue improving, even higher capacity SSDs are expected in the future.
Do 4TB SSD Drives Exist?
Yes, 4TB SSD drives currently exist from several major manufacturers like Samsung, WD, Seagate and others. While not as common as lower capacities, 4TB 2.5″ form factor SATA SSDs are readily available for laptops, desktops, PS5 and Xbox consoles, servers and more. Key options include:
- Samsung 870 QVO 4TB – SATA III SSD with read/write speeds up to 560/530 MB/s.
- WD Blue 4TB – Mainstream SATA SSD with 560/530MB/s speeds.
- Seagate BarraCuda 4TB – Cost effective SATA SSD rated for 2400TB total bytes written.
- Crucial MX500 4TB – DRAM-less SATA SSD focused on value/endurance.
- Sandisk Ultra 4TB – Entry level SATA SSD with 550MB/s read speeds.
These 4TB SSD options use dense 3D TLC NAND flash memory chips stacked vertically to achieve the high capacity in a standard 2.5″ / 7mm form factor compatible across many systems. They connect via the legacy SATA III (6Gbps) interface and offer max sequential read speeds around 500-560MB/s and writes around 500-530MB/s.
4TB NVMe SSDs with much faster PCIe Gen3/Gen4 interfaces are also now available, such as:
- Samsung 870 EVO 4TB – Up to 7000/5300 MB/s read/write over PCIe Gen 4.0 x4.
- WD Black SN850 4TB – Up to 7000/5300 MB/s read/write over PCIe Gen4.0
- Seagate FireCuda 530 4TB – Gen4 speeds up to 7300/6000 MB/s.
These provide dramatically faster performance for high performance PCs, workstations and servers. However they carry a higher cost premium over SATA SSDs.
4TB SSD Use Cases
Some of the most common use cases for 4TB SSD drives include:
- Gaming PCs/Consoles – 4TB allows storing 100+ games without any external storage.
- Creative Professionals – Quick access to enormous media libraries with reduced risk of data loss.
- Data Centers – Space efficient cold storage for archival and backup purposes.
- High Resolution Video Editing – Fast access to render massive 4K/8K projects.
- Scientific Computing – Quickly process huge simulation & modeling data sets.
- Enterprise Servers – Accelerate databases and server applications.
With SSD prices declining, a 4TB or larger single drive can fulfill many storage needs without any secondary HDDs. The massive space, great performance and shock resistance make 4TB SSDs ideal for a wide range of personal, business and institutional applications.
4TB SSD Pricing
Current street pricing for popular 4TB SSD options:
| SSD Model | Interface | Form Factor | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung 870 QVO 4TB | SATA III | 2.5″ 7mm | $399 |
| WD Blue 4TB | SATA III | 2.5″ 7mm | $369 |
| Seagate BarraCuda 4TB | SATA III | 2.5″ 7mm | $339 |
| Crucial MX500 4TB | SATA III | 2.5″ 7mm | $339 |
| Samsung 980 Pro 4TB | PCIe Gen4 NVMe | M.2 2280 | $699 |
SSD pricing continues to decline year over year. Entry level SATA 4TB drives are now available under $350, while premium NVMe 4TB SSDs range from $600 to $900. With SSD costs per gigabyte falling rapidly, higher capacity drives like 4TB are becoming affordable for more consumers.
SSD Reliability at High Capacities
An important consideration with high capacity SSDs is drive reliability. In general, modern SSDs are very reliable for typical consumer workloads. SSDs have no moving parts and are far less prone to mechanical failure versus HDDs. However, SSDs do experience gradual performance degradation and finite write endurance limits.
Most SSDs today use 3D TLC NAND flash memory chips. Compared to earlier planar or MLC NAND, current 3D TLC NAND offers excellent endurance at high TBW (terabytes written) ratings. Mainstream 4TB SATA SSDs are rated for 600-2400 TBW, which is equivalent to writing over 100GB daily for 5+ years.
Reputable brands like Samsung, WD, Seagate and Crucial thoroughly validate and test the reliability of their SSDs across a wide range of workloads. The rapid adoption of 4TB SSDs in gaming PCs/consoles and enterprise servers underscores their proven durability in the real world.
SSD controllers and firmware play a critical role in optimizing endurance and minimizing wear on the NAND flash cells. Advanced error correction, wear leveling, over-provisioning, and background garbage collection all help extend SSD lifespan at higher capacities. Responsible usage – avoiding excessive writes, full drive fills and high temperatures – also improves long term SSD reliability.
While no storage device lasts forever, modern 4TB SSDs offer compelling performance and capacity with very good endurance ratings from quality manufacturers. Backups are still recommended, but drive failures should be relatively rare within the rated workload limits.
4TB SSD Benchmarks
Here are some benchmarks comparing the performance of 4TB SATA vs NVMe SSDs:
| SSD | Seq. Read MB/s | Seq. Write MB/s | 4KB Random Read IOPS | 4KB Random Write IOPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung 870 QVO 4TB (SATA III) | 560 | 530 | 98K | 88K |
| WD Blue 4TB (SATA III) | 561 | 533 | 95K | 83K |
| Samsung 980 Pro 4TB (PCIe 4.0 NVMe) | 6,927 | 5,000 | 1,000K | 1,000K |
This reveals the massive performance difference between SATA and PCIe 4.0 NVMe interfaces. Top NVMe drives like the Samsung 980 Pro offer up to 10x faster sequential speeds and 10-20x higher random IOPS. For users that can take advantage of these speeds, NVMe 4.0 delivers far superior performance.
However, for more casual usage, SATA III SSDs still offer big improvements over HDDs. Their peak speeds of around 550MB/s and 90-100K IOPS are plenty fast for typical gaming, office work, content creation and multitasking.
4TB SSD: Conclusion
In summary, 4TB SSD drives are definitely available today from all the major brands. Leading options include:
- Samsung 870 QVO 4TB – Great value high capacity SATA SSD.
- WD Blue 4TB – Reliable mid-range SATA SSD.
- Seagate FireCuda 530 4TB – Blazing fast PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.
For most consumer and business uses, a 4TB 2.5″ SATA III SSD provides an ideal balance of capacity, performance, endurance and affordability. NVMe SSDs deliver far higher speeds, but cost substantially more. HDDs are much cheaper per TB, but slower and less durable compared to SSDs.
Thanks to maturing 3D NAND technology and economies of scale, 4TB has become the new high capacity sweet spot for SSDs. With continued advances in flash memory density, we can expect even higher capacities like 8TB+ SSDs to reach mainstream affordability in the next few years.