A solid state drive or SSD offers many advantages when it comes to data storage and processing speed. SSDs consist of flash memory chips that store the data instructions based on electrical charges. Due to the flash memory technology, it can overcome many disadvantages of an HDD. First and foremost, it does not involve any moving parts like a traditional hard disk drive. Due to lack of any mechanical movement, it can transfer data instantly as and when required. There is no delay when you would like to load multiple applications. There are many benefits of external SSDs that can improve computer performance and productivity.
Internal and External SSDs
SSDs can be used both internally and externally. There are certain dedicated internal SSDs that must be installed into the motherboard. For example, there are three primary form factors for internal SSDs. This includes the 2.5-inch SSD, M.2 SSD, and mSATA SSD. External SSDs also involve the same kind of technology and features like internal SSD. The only difference being that external SSDs have an added enclosure and a cable interface. Due to this feature, you can easily use it as a portable option and carry it along with you.
External SSDs can allow you to carry your important information such as operating system, media files, database, and other workload without worrying about portability. External SSDs are portable SSDs that can increase the processing speed of your computer to a great extent. Examples include Crucial X8 and X6 that involve the same technology as m-SATA, M.2 or 2.5-inch. The primary benefit of external SSD lies in improving the computer performance with the flexibility of using it as a portable option.
Five Benefits of opting for SSDs for computer usage
Whether you install an SSD internally for faster loading times or use it externally as a storage device for your data on the go; there are clearly many benefits of using SSDs. You would experience a significant difference by upgrading to SSD. If you are using HDD, you can easily switch to an SSD. You can either trade your used HDD for an SSD and install it internally into the motherboard or you can keep the HDD as a secondary storage option for larger files.
Depending on the open drive bays in your motherboard, you can add more SSDs to the system. To extract the maximum benefits from an SSD, you can save your operating system and intensive applications on it. Due to faster processing speed, you would find that the loading time is reduced significantly. It is also favorable for multitasking when you have to load multiple applications and run them simultaneously.
If you enjoy gaming, you can store your games on the SSD. As games consume a lot of data and also demand faster loading speed, you can benefit from installing an SSD.
1. Access Time as a benefit of SSD
You can forget about slow speed and lagging when you use SSDs. Speed is one of the most important reasons to switch to internal or external SSDs. SSDs have an access time of 35 to 100 microseconds. While the access time of HDD may fall within the range of 25- 100 milliseconds. You would clearly notice that SSDs are 100 times faster than HDDs. Faster access time can translate to numerous benefits such as increased boot times, improved response time from the system, and also faster loading.
With faster access time, you can easily switch between multiple applications. It can improve your overall productivity. The advantage extends to applications that consume a lot of data. For example, if you play games or use image and video editing applications, you can experience significant improvement. If you open multiple tabs on your browser, you would see that the websites load much faster.
2. Durability
SSDs are lightweight options as compared to HDDs. They also come in a variety of compact sizes that make it easy to carry along with you. As SSDs do not contain any moving parts, they are much more compact and smaller than an HDD. This can prove as a benefit while using an SSD. SSDs are also durable and wear-resistant. You would not have to worry about data security when using an SSD. It can store and maintain all the sensitive information. HDDs have a spinning platter and an arm. If there is any mechanical failure of the moving parts, it can stop processing. You may run into the risk of losing your important information.
Whether you install an SSD in the motherboard or use an external portable option, you can take advantage of reliability.
3. Efficiency of energy consumption
SSDs have flash memory chips. They do not consume as much energy as needed by an HDD. The benefit of an SSD is that it can use less electricity and save energy. You can also see a difference in battery life. HDDs rely on movement of an arm over the spinning disk. This movement demands more energy. It can also increase heat and take time for cooling down. You may also hear background noise caused by the spinning platter. SSDs are noise-free portable storage devices with multiple benefits with respect to energy usage.
4. Flexibility
You can carry your important information in your pocket. This is the benefit of opting for a portable external SSD that can be carried around without any major trouble. It is particularly useful for students, professionals, and remotely working professionals. Due to the flexibility, you can decide to save data according to your usage. While you can save all the bulk data such as images, media files, videos, and graphics on a hard drive, the other important aspects like operating system can stay on your SSD.
5. Options of SSDs with benefits
SSDs are available in different storage capacities. Depending on your budget, you can go with an SSD with a lower capacity and pair it with an HDD that stores your larger files. The capacity of SSDs range from 120GB to 4TB, giving you a variety of choices. If your primary aim is to increase the speed of your system, you can choose multiple drives in the drive bay. There has been a significant price reduction in SSDs in recent times so you may find an affordable SSD with 1TB capacity. There are many options where you can earn a cash value for your used HDDs. This can easily handle your files, operating system, gaming applications, and much more.
Upgrade your computer with SSDs and enjoy the benefits of faster productivity.