Motherboard - Storage Devices

Question 1

What is the signaling rate of SATA I?

Answer 1

1.5 Gbps

Question 2

What is the signaling rate of SATA II?

Answer 2

3 Gbps

Question 3

What is the signaling rate of SATA III?

Answer 3

6 Gbps

Question 4

What is the signaling rate of SATA 3.2 (SATA express)?

Answer 4

16 Gbps

Question 5

What is the data transfer rate of SATA I?

Answer 5

150 MBps

Question 6

What is the data transfer rate of SATA II?

Answer 6

300 MBps

Question 7

What is the data transfer rate of SATA 3?

Answer 7

600 MBps

Question 8

What is the data transfer rate of SATA 3.2 (SATA express)?

Answer 8

1.97 GBps

Question 9

What is the data transfer rate for eSATA (external SATA)?

Answer 9

The most recently released version can do 600 MBps

Question 10

What does mSATA stand for?

Answer 10

mini SATA (precursor to M.2) - looks like a larger version of M.2 and more square-shaped

Question 11

What is eSATAp?

Answer 11

It is a powered eSATA port (often combined with a USB port) - without the extra power an external hard drive needs to have a secondary source of power. Either USB or eSATA can be plugged into eSATAp

Question 12

What are characteristics of SATA?

Answer 12

Seven pins/seven copper conductors
4 pairs w/ differential signaling
Full duplex connection
Used to connect hard drives

Question 13

What are common RPM’s for spinning disks?

Answer 13

5400 (very common), 7200 (also common), and 10,000 (very fast, used for servers, etc.)

Question 14

What are typical maximum read/write speeds for disks at 5400 RPM, 7200 RPM, and 10,000 RPM?

Answer 14

5400 RPM - 200 MBps
7200 RPM - 400 MBps
10,000 RPM - 600 MBps

Question 15

Do SSD disks require defragmentation?

Answer 15

No

Question 16

What does HDD stand for?

Answer 16

Hard disk drive (also known as a spinning drive)

Question 17

Is data recovery easier for SSD’s or HDD’s?

Answer 17

Easier for HDD’s

Question 18

How did Sata Express or SATAe differ from previous versions of SATA?

Answer 18

Uses 2 PCIe lanes for increased data transfer rates

Question 19

What is eSATA?

Answer 19

External SATA - has a connector that looks like USB-C but rectangular

Question 20

What is areal density in HDD’s?

Answer 20

It is the density of bits on a surface. Higher density is faster speed. Newer HDD’s have increased density so they can be faster than older HDD’s even at the same RPM.

Question 21

What is the difference between sequential and random read/write?

Answer 21

Sequential is used in reading/writing a large file, random is a number of small files. Sequential is generally much faster than random.

Question 22

What are advantages of slower-spinning HDD’s vs. faster-spinning?

Answer 22

Lower energy consumption, quieter, longer life, low heat production

Question 23

What RPM is typically used for HDD’s in laptops and why?

Answer 23

Typically use 5400 because of the heat dissipation issues in laptops