When it comes time to upgrade or replace the hard drive in a computer, people everywhere are debating SSD vs HDD and if it is the best choice for them.
SSD technology (Solid State Drive) has been in existence for awhile and up until recently was used mostly by the military. Solid State Drives do not have internal mechanical components as is the case with HDD (Hard Disk Drive) drives, so they tend to be more reliable in the long run. Also, having an SSD drive in your laptop or desktop computer will increase boot times, and applications will open quicker. There are many other benefits such as lower consumption of power, virtual silent operation due to no moving parts, better temperature control and an overall increase in efficiency.
Is an upgrade to SSD on your computer worth it?The bottom line is that you can have a better computing experience by using an SSD drive. However, there is cost and storage capacity factors involved when deciding between SSD vs HDD. As of the time I’m writing this article you can purchase a new HDD 2TB internal desktop hard drive for around $100 and a similiar priced SSD drive will only get you 128GB capacity. As you can see you can still get much more storage capacity for your money with an HDD. Currently a 480GB SSD will set you back $450. So you have to decide as a consumer if you are willing to pay more for the efficiency of an SSD drive. Most people that have upgraded to an SSD say they would not go back to a traditional HDD.
If you are a desktop computer user, one idea is to use a lower cost SSD drive (128GB SSD for instance) to run your Windows operating system and a secondary internal high capacity HDD for storage. This is a common setup being done today. This way your computing experience is improved by using the SSD drive for your operating system and applications, and you still have a high storage capacity from the lower cost of the traditional HDD drive.
If you have a desktop or laptop computer that is in need of a replacement hard drive you should seriously consider an SSD as a replacement drive compared to the HHD that came with your computer originally – all for the reasons mentioned previously in this article. Please keep in mind, even with the improved reliability that SSD drives offer it is still recommended to always backup your data using an external source such as an external hard drive or online backup service.
We hope this article on the factors of SSD vs HDD was helpful to you. If you have additional questions or comments don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or visit our Contact Us page.