SQL Server: cluster index vs non cluster index

A clustered index alters the way that the rows are stored. When you create a clustered index on a column (or a number of columns), SQL server sorts the table’s rows by that column(s). It is like a dictionary, where all words are sorted in alphabetical order in the entire book.

A non-clustered index, on the other hand, does not alter the way the rows are stored in the table. It creates a completely different object within the table that contains the column(s) selected for indexing and a pointer back to the table’s rows containing the data. It is like an index in the last pages of a book, where keywords are sorted and contain the page number to the material of the book for faster reference.

It is generally faster to read from a clustered index if you want to get back all the columns. You do not have to go first to the index and then to the table.

Writing to a table with a clustered index can be slower, if there is a need to rearrange the data

Reference:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5070529/difference-between-clustered-and-nonclustered-index