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So what is a SSD drive anyway? A Solid State drive is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data. Most SSD drives use DRAM volatile memory or NAND flash non-volatile memory. There are two types of storage medium using NAND flash memory: Single Cell and Multi-Level Cell (MLC). The Crucial M225 256GB SSD drive uses Multi-Level Cell (MLC) NAND flash memory as its storage medium. Multi-Level Cell technology allows multiple bits of information to be stored in a single cell, compared to SLC which stores a single bit of information on a cell. SLC memory has faster write speeds, lower power consumption, and higher cell endurance but due to the fact that MLC stores more data per cell, costs more per megabyte to manufacture. The SSD drive has several advantages over the traditional HDD including: Faster start-up, faster random access time, silent operation, high mechanical reliability, and ability to endure extreme shock with a lower failure rate than standard HDDs. The SSD drive does not have a spin up of the disks so the start-up time is faster. There is no read/write head on the drive, meaning that faster random access time is faster. The disadvantages of a SSD drive include the higher cost compared to the standard hard disk, lower storage capacities, asymmetric read versus write performance, lower storage density, meaning hard disks can store more data per unit volume, degradation of performance with use, SATA SSDs exhibit slower write speeds. The advantages of SSD drives outweigh the disadvantages assuming that cost is not an issue. The read speeds of the drive are almost 250MB/second. As we will see with the performance section of the review the use of a SSD drive dramatically improves sustained performance compared to even the fastest regular drive on the market, the Western Digital Velociraptor SATA drive. Crucial, being a memory company, has a lot of experience with NAND flash memory and this drive should be great at sustained performance as Flash memory is an integral part of their portfolio. The M225 series of SSD drive has several models including the 64GB version, the 128GB version and the 256GB version I’m reviewing today. The main difference between the three models is the storage capacity, and if you want to buy a SSD drive for a lower price while having less storage space the 64GB or 128GB drives may fit your bill as their technical specifications are otherwise identical. These drives all have 64MB of cache, equaling the cache found on regular high performance hard drives. Crucial’s M225 drive has the standard dimensions of a 2.5” drive, meaning that it should fit within the 2.5” drive bays of any notebook with that interface, or any desktop with a 2.5” drive adapter. It will also work with cases that have a 2.5” drive bay or adapter to work with those drives. The drive interface on the M225 is the Serial ATA standard, which every motherboard on the market supports. Crucial offers a Limited Five-year Warranty on this drive. 
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