You very likely have heard or even got a solid-state drive (SSD) as the primary boot drive, if you bought an ultraportable laptop anytime in the last few years or recently shopped for a computer.
But do you know what that is?
And how does it even make any difference to your computer use?
What is a Solid State Drive?
A solid-state drive (SSD) SSD is a new generation of storage device used in computers. SSDs replace traditional mechanical hard disks by using flash-based memory, which makes the SSD significantly faster.
SSD adoption began in high-performance technology areas and in enthusiasts’ PCs, where SSD drives’ extremely low access times and high throughput justified SSD higher cost. But they have since become an accepted option — or even SSD default choice — in lower-cost mainstream laptops and PCs. ()
Although an SSD is expensive than a conventional HDD, it is a compact and high-speed memory storage that can perform 100 000 I/O operations per second as against 50 to 60 I/O operations performed by a conventional HDD or hard disk drive.
Older hard-disk storage technologies run slower, which often makes your computer run slower than it should. SSDs speed up computers significantly due to their low read-access times and fast throughputs.
With that explained, we’re sure you’re asking so what should you for between the HDD and SDD.
As always, what we know is to always get a device best suited for your needs and your budget at the moment. But if you are looking for reasons, see some below:
1. SPEED :
SSD’s have the merit of Speed and this may just be the difference with your computer whether for work,, fun, school or business. An SSD-equipped PC will boot in far less than a minute, often in just seconds. A hard drive requires time to speed up to operating specs, and it will continue to be slower than an SSD during normal use. A PC or Mac with SSD boots faster, launches and runs apps faster, and transfers files faster.
2. DURABILITY :
When you think of all the times that your’s or another person has complained of a damaged HDD, you may want to give the SSD a little thought. Because an SSD has no moving parts, it is more likely to keep your data safe in the event you drop your laptop bag or your system gets shaken while it’s operating. So if your are often up and about and quite rough on your equipment, an SSD may be perfect for you.
3. CAPACITY:
When it comes to capacity, SSDs for computers are available in 120GB to 30.72TB capacities, whereas HDDs can go anywhere from 250GB to 20TB.
4. RELIABILITY:
Reliability is defined as whether data is stored as intended, in an uncorrupted state. With SSDs you can wave goodbye to surprises of corrupted or missing files. This is because SSDs have no moving parts and so are not susceptible to caused by vibration or related themal issues.
5. POWER
SSD’s commonly use less power to start up than HDDs. This is because data access is much faster and the device is idle more often. However, because of the spinning disks and moving parts in the HDD, they require more power when they startup.
So, should you get rid of the HDD?
Not Yet!!!
Hard drives are still around in budget and older systems, but SSDs are now the rule in mainstream systems and high-end laptops like the Apple MacBook Pro, which does not offer a hard drive even as a configurable option. on the other hand, Desktops and cheaper laptops will continue to offer HDDs, at least for the next few years..
So good luck getting a PC that suits you!