Many POS hardware providers, including UIPOS, provide POS machines with a variety of SSD capacities for customers to choose from, such as 64GB, 128GB, and 4TB. When using the POS machine, we may find that the SSD capacity displayed in the POS machine may be smaller than the nominal value of the SSD capacity. This is actually related to the different unit conversion relationships.
Hard drive manufacturers usually calculate nominal SSD capacity using the decimal system, where 1KB equals 1000 bytes. However, operating systems define 1KB as 1024 bytes. It means there is a difference of approximately 0.93 per GB due to this conversion difference. For example, if you buy an SSD with a nominal capacity of 512GB, the displayed capacity in the POS machine is 512GB * 0.93 = 476.16GB, which is about 476 GB.
Additionally, SSD manufacturers often reserve a portion of space for over-provisioning (OP). This reserved space is generally divided into two parts: the intrinsic reserved space (OP1) and the performance reserved space (OP2). This reserved capacity, which is not available to users, typically accounts for 5% to 10% of the SSD’s total capacity. Take the SSD with a nominal capacity of 512GB as an example. After conversion, its actual capacity is about 476GB. After reserving 5%, its actual available capacity will be further reduced, that is, 476GB*0.95=452.2, and the available capacity is about 452GB.
After mastering the method of measuring storage capacity, we can calculate how much capacity of SSD we need for our POS machine according to our actual needs. If you are not sure, you can also contact UIPOS at any time. We will provide you with a POS machine solution with a suitable SSD capacity according to your needs.