As the price of SSDs continues to drop, and capacity continues to increase, we show you what you need to know to make an informed choice when buying a new PC or laptop.
What is an SSD?
SSD stands for Solid-state Storage Device. It's basically a hard drive that uses solid-state memory to store data. SSDs do the same thing as a conventional hard drive, but there is one crucial difference, these are devices which don't have any mechanical parts. Unlike a traditional HDD, SSD's don't store data on spinning parts, but use flash memory chips instead, similar to that of a computer's RAM, or a removable USB drive.
Why you need an SSD!
Do you want ultra-fast storage? Then why not go SSD, you'll thank yourself later. At speeds of up to 10 times faster, you'd be mad not to. Consider how much better it would be if you could read and write data at ultra fast speeds. System performance in the past has always been about the speed of your CPU & memory. SSDs however, can have a massive impact, making boot up times a blessing, while opening applications happens at the blink of the eye.
In fact, all your Windows (and Mac) day-to-day activities will benefit from a massive injection of SSD magic.
SSD prices are now as cheap as chips (literally). It's now possible to pick up a 60GB SSD for less than £60, plenty of space to install your favorite OS and a selection of your favourite apps. The transfer of all your old data and OS is an easy job with freeware applications available to clone your drive, so the hassle of reinstalling your whole PC to have the fast speeds of SSD is easily avoided.
Some benefits include:
- No defragging.
- File indexing can be turned off, speeding your computer up even more.
And by the way - don't buy a SATA3 SSD if your Motherboard only supports SATA2! It will be a waste of your money!
We have now moved all our office machines over to SSD and the improvements have been amazing, well worth the buy. And don't forget - this is a great upgrade for both laptops and desktops.
