Question: why is flash memory slower then HD ?

[zoinky]

One would think since there are no moving parts... flash should be faster ...

And how do these company make them faster?

Why are some lets say x4 and some x25 ?

Thanks!

 

[wzictrace]

This could take a while. Hard-drives and Compact flash memory are very different, though both store information. Compact flash is very similar to the RAM in your computer, but compact flash can store info permanently while the memory in a computer loses its information when the computer shuts down. (if you don't understand most of what is written above, reading further will be futile).

Hard drives (we are only going to talk about modern ones), consist of magnetic platters spinning at 7200rpm inside a metal box. They are read by things forgot the name (sort of like a needle on a record player for a non-technical analogy).

Compact flash consists of electric info stored inside a little card (how isn't important). So that the info stays on the CF card when it is not powered, CF cards have "gates" to keep the info from leaking out. Therefore, every time you read or write from the CF card, it must open the gate. which takes time.

a 4x CF card reads/writes data 4x slower than a 16x CF card (theoretically). I don't know what the card is 4x faster than. Faster rated cards should give you better performance.

 

[zoinky]

You didn't really answer....

Infact RAM IS faster then HD.

You would think electric current is faster then mechanical movement of a disk arm Etc...

and i know the x16 is x4 speeder then X4....

I don't want to sound rude, but read the question again.

This could take a while. Hard-drives and Compact flash memory are
very different, though both store information. Compact flash is
very similar to the RAM in your computer, but compact flash can
store info permanently while the memory in a computer loses its
information when the computer shuts down. (if you don't understand
most of what is written above, reading further will be futile).
Hard drives (we are only going to talk about modern ones), consist
of magnetic platters spinning at 7200rpm inside a metal box. They
are read by things forgot the name (sort of like a needle on a
record player for a non-technical analogy).
Compact flash consists of electric info stored inside a little card
(how isn't important). So that the info stays on the CF card when
it is not powered, CF cards have "gates" to keep the info from
leaking out. Therefore, every time you read or write from the CF
card, it must open the gate. which takes time.
a 4x CF card reads/writes data 4x slower than a 16x CF card
(theoretically). I don't know what the card is 4x faster than.
Faster rated cards should give you better performance.

 

[Athegn]

I dont wish to be rude either but please reread his answer.

He did not say RAM was slower than HD.

He did say that the reason was that the "gates" must open each time which slows the process down.

The read/write head on a HD does not have to "open a gate".

 

[Bill26465]

Here's a very brief explanation of flash.
http://www.howstuffworks.com/flash-memory.htm

Flash memory includes a small internal buffer that stores data that is being written to flash, and this writing takes some time. Large image files quickly fill this buffer so the sustained write times are fairly slow when compared with hard disc write times. Mass storage flash such as NAND takes longer than code storage NOR. Do a Google search and you will find lots of articles to satisfy your curiousity.

--Billy

I dont wish to be rude either but please reread his answer.

He did not say RAM was slower than HD.

He did say that the reason was that the "gates" must open each time
which slows the process down.

The read/write head on a HD does not have to "open a gate".

 

[zoinky]

Thanks

Flash memory includes a small internal buffer that stores data that
is being written to flash, and this writing takes some time. Large
image files quickly fill this buffer so the sustained write times
are fairly slow when compared with hard disc write times. Mass
storage flash such as NAND takes longer than code storage NOR. Do
a Google search and you will find lots of articles to satisfy your
curiousity.

--Billy

I dont wish to be rude either but please reread his answer.

He did not say RAM was slower than HD.

He did say that the reason was that the "gates" must open each time
which slows the process down.

The read/write head on a HD does not have to "open a gate".