Samsung MZ-V6P512 User Manual download pdf (Page 6)

SATA is the name of the interface standard that allows a storage device, in this case an SSD, to communicate with a

host system, in this case a PC or laptop. It facilitates the functioning of all storage features, from basic input/output (or

read/write) requests to advanced AHCI-enabled features like Native Command Queuing (NCQ), hot-swapping, power

management, and RAID. SATA has gone through several revisions in its lifetime, boasting significant performance gains

with each iteration. The SATA interface generation a PC is equipped with will have a direct impact on maximum SSD

performance. For this reason, it is crucial to understand the difference between each SATA revision and the capabilities

each will afford a modern SSD.

SATA Revisions

SATA 1.0

Released in 2003, SATA I, also known as SATA 1.5Gb/s, is the first generation of the SATA specification. As its name implies,

it is able to communicate at up to 1.5Gb/s. This early revision does not support some modern storage features, such as

Native Command Queuing. Maximum transfer rates are around 150MB/s, slightly better than the older PATA interface (also

called UDMA 133) it replaces, which had a maximum speed of 133MB/s.

SATA 2.0

SATA 2.0, also known as SATA 3Gb/s, is the second generation of the SATA specification. Released in 2004, it is capable

of communicating at up to 300MB/s. This revision also introduces Native Command Queuing (NCQ), a feature that

improves multitasking performance. SATA 2.0 is more than capable of handling the best hard drives on the market, but

it is easily overwhelmed by the onslaught of Flash devices (SSDs) that are now popular. Computers purchased in 2005 or

later are likely equipped with SATA 2.0 support.

SATA 3.0

Released in 2009, SATA 3.0, also known as SATA 6Gb/s, is the third generation of the SATA specification. It is capable of

communicating at up to 600MB/s, with overhead taken into account. In addition to its speed improvements, this revision

also introduces NCQ management, improved power management features, and queued TRIM support (allowing TRIM

commands to be queued with I/O requests, which was not possible on earlier implementations). While it is currently

capable of supporting the massive speeds of today’s SSDs, it is already being outpaced as SSD technology advances. This

is the standard that most modern SSDs are built to support, although they are backwards compatible with the earlier

standards as well.

Generation Speed Special Features Photograph

SATA 1.0 1.5Gb (150MB/s)

SATA 2.0 3Gb (300MB/s) Native Command Queuing (NCQ) support

SATA 3.0 6Gb (600MB/s)

New NCQ Management feature, Improved

power management, support for new

connectors to accommodate new device

form factors, queued TRIM Command

SATA 3.1 6Gb (600MB/s) mSATA support

SATA 3.2 8Gb/s & 16Gb/s (800MB/s & 1600MB/s) SATA Express support (not finalized yet)

Understanding SSD System Requirements

SATA Interface Basics

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