What is eMMC Flash Memory? How Does it Work

Do you want to know what is eMMC flash memory on a chromebook and how does it work? You are on the right spot to know the answer of this question.

In many cases, you have seen that many Chromebooks come with eMMC memory, but what it is stand for and how its work. Why we probably seen them in low price laptops?

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We see it in the low-end of laptops, but it disappears when the SSD or HDD comes into play. Let’s check it in more details below.

What is eMMC Flash Memory and how does it work?

eMMC stands for Multimedia Media Card, which translates to multimedia media card or integrated media card.

This eMMC card is made up of a flash memory, an MMC interface, and a flash memory controller. Its simple structure allows its size not to be large, since it is smaller than a stamp.

The eMMC memory uses a type of BGA (Ball Grid Array) socket and this means that it is soldered to the motherboard of the equipment, as is the case with laptop processors or SoCs in Smartphones.

This almost makes it impossible to extend the memory, the same thing happens with certain laptops that have soldered RAM.

Its storage is very similar to a pen drive, SD cards or SSDs, since an eMMC is made up of NAND SLC or MLC flash memory. This memory is connected in parallel directly with the motherboard of the device.

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The integrated controller takes over placing the data in memory, freeing the processor from this task.

And it is that it uses flash memory, so it is ideal for portable devices that work with a battery because it consumes quite little.

It is quite cheap to produce, and its small size allowed it to be soldered into Smartphones, small laptops (Chromebooks), Smart TVs, and even appliances or cars.

Regarding its capacity, what we see in the domestic market is very different than in the business market.

In stores, we can see equipment with eMMC memory between 32 and 64 GB; in the business environment, this memory can go up to 512 GB.

eMMC transfer Speeds

Its transfer speeds are not bad at all, but it is true that they are far from what an SSD can offer: they can reach up to 400 MB/s in writing, but in practice it is usually lower.

So, it’s easier to expect around 220MB/s writes max, which conflicts with what’s on the market:

• HDD: It is true that they usually move between 100-200 MB/s of transfer, but in return they offer 1 TB at an unbeatable price.
• 5″ SSD: They move between 300-400 MB/s without a hint, and their value for money is very good.
• 2 SSD – If not NVMe, speeds go up to 1000-2000MB/s; in case of having NVMe protocol, we can see 3000-4000 MB/s; and if we get into a PCIe 4.0 SSD, we go to 7,000 MB/s maximum.

When buying a laptop with eMMC storage, you have to look at what version it offers: the latest is 5.1. If we buy a laptop with eMMC 5.1, it means that we will enjoy a transfer rate that will go up to 400 MB/s.

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Therefore, eMMC memories are slower and have less capacity than the storage alternatives found in any laptop. However, this memory is still essential in Smartphones and tablets, where we cannot fit an SSD.

Advantages and Disadvantages of eMMC Memory

We have reached the point where we must carry out some analysis of this storage in portable devices, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses.

Advantages

• Perfect for low-cost portable equipment
• Good transfer speed
• Very low power consumption
• Ideal size for portable devices
• Silent and efficient

Disadvantages

• Limited capacity
• Cannot be expanded or replaced
• Not suitable for powerful tasks
• Bad transfer rate in old versions

We highlight this memory as silent, since the HDDs do offer certain loudness, apart from generating vibrations due to their operation.

Also, I have pointed out that not all eMMC memories are the same, since there are versions with very low rates, as well as others with higher speeds.

In the event that we have an old version, we will inherit the worst of this type of memory: limited capacity, it cannot be expanded and its rate is the worst.

Expand Memory via an SD

Due to the small expansion size offered by many low-end Chromebooks or laptops, there are few ways left to increase your computer’s storage capacity. One of them is through a permanent SD, especially if we have a card reader.

You should know that in SD cards there are different classes and transfer speeds, but the truth is that it is an upgrade that is not worth spending money on: GB in SDs are paid very high.

Although we can buy a 128 GB SD card with 170 MB/s in reading, writing is much lower and they usually work in peaks: they are not sequential.

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Therefore, by wanting to fix something, we can make it worse: an SD card has worse transfer speeds than an eMMC.

Something different are the CFexpress cards, whose speeds are super high, but their price is exorbitant for the function that we want to give them.

In conclusion: if you want to expand the eMMC memory taking advantage of an SD, it is not a bad idea; but, if you have to buy one for it… it doesn’t pay.

eMMC uses and Recommendations

The first recommendation is that you buy a laptop or computer with the latest possible eMMC memory (5.1). Thus, you will ensure that you will get a very decent user experience thanks to that transfer rate close to 400 MB / s.

We must be clear: it is a memory that is used in the low range, and that is for a reason. If you have little money to buy a laptop and don’t need a lot of storage, a laptop with eMMC is more than enough.

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Of course, do not expect to use it intensively, but rather it is a storage that finds its utility in doing generic tasks with the PC: no video games, renderings, etc.

The most common options are 32 GB and 64 GB, so our needs cannot be much higher either. In the next step, we already find 128 GB or 256 GB SSD as basic solutions, but for more demanding needs.

Concluding, we can recommend eMMC for the following uses:

• School
• Domestic (navigation, text editors and little else)
• Multimedia

Something that is more demanding, I recommend opting for an SSD or HDD at least, either for capabilities or performance.

Do you have any equipment with eMMC memory installed? What experiences do you have with its use?