--- description: Storage is central to all computing. Whether it's a high capacity hard drive, speedy SSD or flash storage used in portable drives and memory cards, everything that uses and stores data does it with some sort of storage media. title: Storage Reference Guide image: https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/StorageReview-SanDisk-WD_Black-SN8100-5.jpg --- [![Storage Review]()](https://storagereview.com/) --- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/@storagereview) [X (Twitter)](https://twitter.twitter.com/storagereview) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/storagereview-com) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/storagereview?sub_confirmation=1) [Email](mailto:info@storagereview.com) [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0) [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/StorageReview/) [Discord](https://discord.gg/TwMHb4azdC) [RSS Feed](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/@storagereview) [X (Twitter)](https://twitter.com/storagereview) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/storagereview-com) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/storagereview?sub_confirmation=1) [Email](mailto:info@storagereview.com) [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0) [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/StorageReview/) [Discord](https://discord.gg/TwMHb4azdC) [RSS Feed](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview) [![StorageReview.com](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Storage-Review-2x.png)](https://www.storagereview.com) ≡ Menu - [Home](https://www.storagereview.com/) - [Storage Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/review) - [End User Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/consumer) - [Enterprise Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/enterprise) - [Ubiquiti Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/best/ubiquiti-reviews) - [SR Merch](https://store.storagereview.com) - [Leaderboards](https://www.storagereview.com/best) - [Best Storage Arrays](https://www.storagereview.com/best/storage-arrays) - [Best Enterprise SSDs](https://www.storagereview.com/best/enterprise-ssds) - [Best Servers](https://www.storagereview.com/best/servers) - [Best Enterprise GPUs](https://www.storagereview.com/best/enterprise-gpus) - [Best Desktops for Local AI](https://www.storagereview.com/best/desktops-local-ai) - [Best Laptops for Local AI](https://www.storagereview.com/best/laptops-local-ai) - [Best Local LLM Tools](https://www.storagereview.com/best/local-llm-tools) - [Agentic AI Hardware](https://www.storagereview.com/best/agentic-ai-hardware) - [Best SSDs & Hard Drives](https://www.storagereview.com/best_drives) - [Best Portable SSDs](https://www.storagereview.com/best/portable-ssds) - [Best Business Laptops](https://www.storagereview.com/best/business-laptops) - [Best Mobile Workstations](https://www.storagereview.com/best/mobile-workstations) - [Best Desktop Workstations](https://www.storagereview.com/best/desktop-workstations) - [Best Mini PCs](https://www.storagereview.com/best/mini-pcs) - [Best Laptop Battery Life](https://www.storagereview.com/best/laptop-battery-life) - [Storage Reference Guide](https://www.storagereview.com/storage-reference-guide) - [About SR](https://www.storagereview.com/about-storagereview) - [StorageReview.com Sweepstakes Rules and Regulations](https://www.storagereview.com/storagereview-com-sweepstakes-rules-and-regulations) Search [Home](https://www.storagereview.com/) » Storage Reference Guide # Storage Reference Guide Storage is central to all computing, and it’s changing faster than at any point in this site’s history: Gen5 NVMe is the consumer baseline, quarter-petabyte SSDs are shipping, and hard drives are pushing past 40TB with HAMR. This guide collects StorageReview’s reference material in one place, from fundamentals like the difference between SAN and NAS to hands-on homelab builds, all grounded in what we test in the lab every week. - [Essentials](#srg-essentials) - [Storage Fundamentals](#srg-fundamentals) - [SSD Guides](#srg-ssd) - [Hard Drive Guides](#srg-hdd) - [Enterprise & Data Center](#srg-enterprise) - [Homelab](#srg-homelab) - [How-Tos](#srg-howto) ## Start Here: The Essentials The three resources we point people to most, kept continuously current with lab data. ![SanDisk WD\_BLACK SN8100 Gen5 SSD](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/StorageReview-SanDisk-WD_Black-SN8100-5.jpg) ### [The Leaderboard: Best SSDs and Hard Drives](https://www.storagereview.com/best_drives) Our ranked picks in every category, consumer and enterprise, from Gen5 flagships to 245TB QLC. Every recommendation is backed by first-party benchmark testing and updated as new lab data lands. [See the current rankings](https://www.storagereview.com/best_drives) ![Micron 6600 ION 245TB E3.L SSD]() ### [SSD vs HDD: Where Each Still Wins](https://www.storagereview.com/ssd_vs_hdd) The debate is settled for boot drives, but the real question is where each technology belongs, from home media libraries to exabyte cold tiers. [Read the guide](https://www.storagereview.com/ssd_vs_hdd) ### [RAID Calculator](https://www.storagereview.com/raid-calculator) Plan your array before you buy. Usable capacity, fault tolerance, and MTBF across RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60, and ZFS layouts. [Run the numbers](https://www.storagereview.com/raid-calculator) ## Storage Fundamentals The alphabet soup, demystified. What the acronyms mean, how the architectures differ, and when each one is the right answer. ### Storage Architectures - [What is DAS (Direct Attached Storage)?](https://www.storagereview.com/what-is-direct-attached-storage-das) - [What are SAN Arrays?](https://www.storagereview.com/what-are-storage-area-network-san-arrays) - [What is Network Attached Storage (NAS)?](https://www.storagereview.com/news/what-is-network-attached-storage-nas) - [What is Unified Storage?](https://www.storagereview.com/what-is-unified-storage) - [What is Object Storage?](https://www.storagereview.com/what-is-object-storage) ### Software-Defined & Converged - [What is Converged Infrastructure?](https://www.storagereview.com/what-is-converged-infrastructure) - [Software-Defined Storage Explained](https://www.storagereview.com/news/software-defined-storage-making-the-benefits-of-the-hyperscale-clouds-available-to-the-masses) - [Azure Stack HCI Deep Dive](https://www.storagereview.com/microsoft-azure-stack-hci-deep-dive) ### Interconnects & Networking - [What is NVMe-oF?](https://www.storagereview.com/review/nvme-nvme-of-background-overview) - [What is U.3?](https://www.storagereview.com/news/evolving-storage-with-sff-ta-1001-u-3-universal-drive-bays) - [Storage Networking Overview](https://www.storagereview.com/enterprise-test-lab-networking-overview) - [What is USB-C?](https://www.storagereview.com/news/what-is-usb-c-background-and-overview) ## SSD Guides From how NAND works to keeping firmware current, plus where the technology is headed as QLC pushes into capacity tiers. ![Samsung 9100 Pro 8TB SSD]() ### [The SSD Reference Guide](https://www.storagereview.com/ssd_reference_guide) Origins and history of the SSD through a component-level look at controllers, NAND, and DRAM, and why each matters to performance and endurance. [Read the guide](https://www.storagereview.com/ssd_reference_guide) ### Keep Your SSD Healthy - [How to Upgrade SSD Firmware](https://www.storagereview.com/how_upgrade_ssd_firmware) - [How to Recycle Drives for Free](https://www.storagereview.com/review/recycle-hard-drives-free) Firmware updates can improve performance, reliability, and host compatibility, but the process is rarely as simple as it should be. We break it down by vendor. ![Solidigm D5-P5336 122.88TB SSD]() ### The Capacity Frontier QLC flash has crossed into quarter-petabyte territory, rewriting the economics of bulk storage. See what that looks like under real benchmarks. - [Micron 6600 ION 245TB Review](https://www.storagereview.com/review/micron-6600-ion-245tb-ssd-review-a-quarter-petabyte-per-drive-bay) - [Solidigm 122.88TB D5-P5336 Review](https://www.storagereview.com/review/solidigm-122-88tb-d5-p5336-review-high-capacity-storage-meets-operational-efficiency) ## Hard Drive Guides Mechanical storage is specializing, not disappearing. Understand the recording technologies behind today’s highest-capacity drives. ### Recording Technology - [What is Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR)?](https://www.storagereview.com/what_is_shingled_magnetic_recording_smr) - [Methods of SMR Data Management](https://www.storagereview.com/news/methods-of-smr-data-management) ### Drive Health & Lifecycle - [IronWolf Health Management Explained](https://www.storagereview.com/seagate_ironwolf_health_management_brief) - [How to Recycle Hard Drives (and SSDs) for Free](https://www.storagereview.com/review/recycle-hard-drives-free) ## Enterprise & Data Center Reference material for infrastructure at scale, where storage decisions are measured in racks, watts, and petabytes. ![Micron 9550 MAX enterprise SSD]() ### Enterprise Flash - [NVMe and NVMe-oF Overview](https://www.storagereview.com/review/nvme-nvme-of-background-overview) - [Micron 9550 MAX Review (Gen5 Mixed Use)](https://www.storagereview.com/review/micron-9550-max-review-balanced-performance-for-ai-db-and-analytics) - [Solidigm D7-PS1010 Review (Gen5 Read-Intensive)](https://www.storagereview.com/review/solidigm-ps1010-ssd-review) ### Architecture References - [Object Storage](https://www.storagereview.com/what-is-object-storage) - [SAN Arrays](https://www.storagereview.com/what-are-storage-area-network-san-arrays) - [Azure Stack HCI](https://www.storagereview.com/microsoft-azure-stack-hci-deep-dive) - [Lab Networking Overview](https://www.storagereview.com/enterprise-test-lab-networking-overview) ## Homelab Guides Hands-on installs for building a lab at home, from picking a hypervisor to a three-node Proxmox cluster on mini PCs. ### Hypervisors - [Selecting the Best Hypervisor](https://www.storagereview.com/before_the_home_lab_selecting_the_best_hypervisor) - [How to Install Proxmox VE](https://www.storagereview.com/how_to_install_proxmox_ve_hypervisor) - [How to Install VMware ESXi](https://www.storagereview.com/how_to_install_vmware_esxi) - [How to Install Hyper-V](https://www.storagereview.com/how_to_install_microsoft_hyperv) - [How to Install Citrix Hypervisor](https://www.storagereview.com/news/how-to-install-citrix-hypervisor-xenserver) - [How to Install oVirt](https://www.storagereview.com/how_to_install_ovirt_hypervisor) ### Build Projects - [Proxmox VE Mini Cluster How-To](https://www.storagereview.com/review/how-to-proxmox-ve-lenovo-nano-cluster) - [Pi-hole Install Guide](https://www.storagereview.com/review/pi-hole-install-guide-one-step-closer-to-zero-advertisements) ## How-Tos & Data Care Practical guides for protecting, recovering, and responsibly retiring your data and drives. ### Protect & Recover - [How to Secure a NAS in 4 Steps](https://www.storagereview.com/review/get-a-secure-nas-in-4-easy-steps) - [Recover Deleted Files with PhotoRec](https://www.storagereview.com/news/how-to-recover-deleted-files-with-photorec) - [How to Upgrade SSD Firmware](https://www.storagereview.com/how_upgrade_ssd_firmware) - [Recycle Drives for Free](https://www.storagereview.com/review/recycle-hard-drives-free)
Legacy reference material (archived) - Intel Optane DC Persistent Memory - Second Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (Cascade Lake) - VM Density Specialized Cascade Lake SKUs - AMD EPYC Rome - Flash, Veeam, and NAS Backup Best Practices - Containers, Docker, and Cloud Native Overview
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