The next generation of personal computer storage
Solid state refers to electronic circuitry that is built entirely of semiconductors.
Most electronics today are built around semiconductors and chips.
The difference is in the form factor and capacity of the drives.
Arshane88 / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Many SSDs on the outside look almost identical to a conventional hard drive.
There are several new form factors such asM.2that look more like a memory module.
Costs more than a traditional hard drive.
Santeri Viinamäki / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Why Use a Solid State Drive?
Solid state drives offer several advantages over magnetic hard drives.
First, the SSD does not have moving parts.
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The power usage is a key role in the use of solid-state drives in portable computers.
The industry has taken steps to address this discrepancy with drives spinning down and the development ofhybrid hard drives.
However, both of these use more power.
The solid state drive consistently draws less power than the magnetic and hybrid hard drives.
Hybrid hard drives tend to mitigate the speed aspect when it comes to frequently used drives.
SSDs Provide Reliability
Reliability is also a key factor for portable drives.
Hard drive platters are fragile and sensitive.
Small jarring movements from a short drop can break the drive.
While, mechanically, SSD drives are better, these have a limited lifespan.
Why Aren’t SSDs Used for All PCs?
These drives have been available for some time and have come down in price.
However, these cost roughly three times or more than a traditional hard drive for the same storage capacity.
The higher the capacity the hard drive, the greater the cost difference becomes.
Capacity is also a factor in the adoption of solid state drives.
The average laptop computer equipped with an SSD has around 512 GB to 1 TB of storage.
This is roughly equivalent to what laptops of several years ago with magnetic drives came equipped with.
Today, laptops can feature several TB’s of storage with a hard drive.
Even with the difference in capacity, most computers have more storage capacity than previous models.
As a result, solid state drives generally offer a sufficient level of storage for most laptop computers.
Then initiate the computer’s case, fit the SSD into the proper slot, and screw it in.
Once installation is done, check your PC’s BIOS to verify it recognizes the new SSD.
Check outLifewire’s guide to installing an SSDfor more detailed information.
Then grab afree data destruction program.
Install it, run it, and follow the directions to wipe your hard drive.
Check outLifewire’s guide to wiping a hard drivefor more detailed information.
