DIY SSD made of SD Cards!
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Promos
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In this unconventional tech exploration, the host attempts to build a fully functional solid-state drive by stacking ten micro SD cards and wiring them through a SATA interface using a dedicated adapter. The project hinges on a RAID 0 configuration, aiming to combine multiple slower micro SD cards into a single large storage pool. Early on, the host notes the practical constraints, including the relatively weak random I/O performance of micro SD cards and the lack of endurance compared to proper SSD NAND, foreshadowing the potential reliability and longevity issues. As the build progresses, he physically installs the micro SD cards in the specified slots and demonstrates basic setup steps, emphasizing that the idea is more of a curiosity or demonstration than a practical storage solution. The video then shifts to benchmarking, where sequential read/write speeds exceed expectations for such a makeshift array, but random performance and latency reveal severe weaknesses. The host runs standard benchmarking tools and explains the results in plain terms, highlighting spikes and high latency that would make daily tasks and operating system installation impractical. Concluding, he reflects on the stark difference between this DIY setup and real SSDs, acknowledging the cool factor while underscoring the high cost and limited value of this approach for typical users. The segment ends with a light promotional plug and an invitation to explore related gadgets, reinforcing the video’s blend of entertainment, education, and community engagement.
Topics · technology · experiment · hardware · benchmarking · diy_projects
Questions answered
- Why does the DIY SSD use micro SD cards in a RAID 0 configuration?
- To attempt to aggregate the throughput of multiple smaller, slower cards to imitate SSD performance, while acknowledging the tradeoffs in latency, endurance, and reliability.
- Is this setup practical for real-world use?
- No, due to poor random I/O performance, limited endurance of micro SD cards, potential data loss on a failed card, and a higher total cost than a real SSD for comparable capacity.