Trim enables an SSD to erase pages of unused memory so they’re ready for reuse. It saves time, and greatly improves write performance. How to the best out of Trim.
TRIM
Read-write and VM disk images are created and maintained differently, but they can both be APFS sparse files. Explanation of their creation and maintenance.
Covering thermal throttling, extended coverage of SLC write cache depletion and how long it takes to empty the cache, Trimming, and more.
You could save hundreds of $/€/£ buying a Mac with a smaller internal SSD. Is that a good economy, or will you come to regret it? Here are the pros and cons.
The only disk images of varying size used to be sparse bundles and sparse disk images. Now plain read-write disk images can also vary in the disk space they take, as explained here.
What can cause low copy speeds for very large and possibly sparse files, such as VMs? Causes explained, and tools you can use to discover why.
Sparse files are now common among databases, disk images, and virtual machines. How they work in APFS, how they’re created, and how they can explode.
Overview of clone files, dataless files, sparse files, symbolic links, and firmlinks, and how used and free space is accounted for in APFS.
This has become more complex with increasingly popular hybrid drives that support USB4/Thunderbolt and fall back to USB 3.x.
Check its protocol support and expected maximum transfer rate, then whether it supports SMART indicators and Trims with APFS. Finally check its real-world performance.
The Eclectic Light Company 