This is a damn good idea. For normal daily use, where you write a little bit of data at a time (browser history, cache, etc) With a bit of read-ahead prediction they can probably make a huge leap in read performance as well.
Solid state hard drives are amazing. SSDs delivery a level of performance and stability that their spinning, magnetic counterparts simply can not compete with. The problem? The cost per gigabyte, at the moment, is off the charts. Enter Seagate’s new hybrid hard drives. The new disks combines a 4GB Nand flash chip, 32MB’s of cache, and a 250, 320, or 500GB 7,200 RPM 2.5-inch SATA drive to create this new class of drives. How’s performance you ask? Hybrids typically perform 80% faster than a standard 7,200 RPM disk and 20% faster than a standard 10,000 RMP disk. Although hybrids still aren’t quite as fast as full SSD hard disks — on average they are about 6 seconds slower — the cost per gigabyte is far more approachable. Currently, a 500 GB hybrid drive can be pre-order from PROVANTAGE for a manageable $133. Let’s review: $133 for a 500 GB laptop hard drive that is, in all likelihood, over 80% faster than what we are currently using…sign us up!
Jason "El Zorro" Fox '17 Subaru Forester 2.0XT
DCAWD - old coots in fast scoots.
