The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Are eMMCs in 2016 cheap notebooks fast enough for OS & program files? How do they compare to HDDs?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by PeeR, Sep 19, 2016.

  1. PeeR

    PeeR Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    122
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    31
    How do the eMMCs in 2016 model cheap laptops compare to my 3-year old, cheapest, budget 120 GB SSD (insert whatever), how do they compare to regular notebook HDDs sold in 2016 (I hear, albeit slowly, these are improving as well)? Are they fast enough for your OS and system file to be relatively snappy?

    Tidbits: https://www.thurrott.com/mobile/mic...crosoft-provides-more-details-about-surface-3
    Surface 3 uses lower-cost eMMC solid state storage, and it’s not as fast as the SSD storage in Surface Pro 3. No surprise there, but the difference may disappoint you: Surface 3’s eMMC storage is only half as fast as the SSD in Surface Pro 3. Yikes.

    Half as fast as a fast SSD would be pretty good in my books. But it's the Microsoft Surface 3, a premium (budget) machine. I think those from other manufacturers sold for less than $500 may come with inferior technology. May, or may not. I assume, access times are the most important factor for OS and program files speed.
     
    PeeR, Sep 19, 2016
    #1
  2. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

    Reputations:
    7,588
    Messages:
    10,023
    Likes Received:
    1,077
    Trophy Points:
    581
    Moved this to the hardware forums since it's more appropriate there.

    Sequential performance is similar to a HDD, random is better than a HDD if the eMMC is decent. It ain't no SSD though.
     
    tijo, Sep 19, 2016
    #2
    toughasnails, custom90gt, tilleroftheearth and 1 other person like this.
  3. PeeR

    PeeR Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    122
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    31
    Okay. As my thread has been moved to Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades, here's an appropriate question: can I buy any kind of, maybe a SATA 2.5" aftermarket eMMC drive? I have old laptops which may thank even for this upgrade. I always wondered about this.

    How is eMMC storage different from SD cards? Back in the days I've seen some makeshift flash storage which was in fact an SD card, added to a 2.5" SATA board. Is that an eMMC?
     
    PeeR, Sep 19, 2016
    #3
  4. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

    Reputations:
    7,588
    Messages:
    10,023
    Likes Received:
    1,077
    Trophy Points:
    581
    eMMC is basically the same type of storage that is in high end SD cards, also no you can't get a SATA EMMC storage as far as I can. Those are chips soldered on the mainboard in every tablet I've seen.
     
    tijo, Sep 19, 2016
    #4
    toughasnails, custom90gt, Starlight5 and 1 other person like this.
  5. PeeR

    PeeR Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    122
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    31
    PeeR, Sep 19, 2016
    #5