A hard disk drive that contains a small amount of memory, typically no more than 5% of the disk capacity. Especially useful in laptops if the memory is used for extended intervals, and the disk platters remain at rest, hybrid drives can save power and may reduce fan noise.
Hybrid drives come in non-volatile and volatile memory versions, both of which improve read and write performance. The memory may be used like an ordinary disk cache, in which all reads and writes go through the cache first. It may also be used to store frequently used data based on which files are accessed the most. See cache.
Non-Volatile Vs. Volatile
Non-volatile flash memory hybrids can also be used to store the operating system kernel or current state of the system for instant reboot. In contrast, the volatile dynamic RAM (DRAM) memory hybrids lose power but offer better read and write speeds when used as a temporary cache. See cache, flash memory, ReadyDrive, solid state drive, Robson cache and NV cache. See also hybrid player.
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