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The Business of Solid-State Drives

John McMalcolm

January 12, 2015

Small businesses are becoming more and more reliant on computers, and they need to upgrade their computing equipment from time to time in order to stay competitive.

One of the types of devices that can have a significant impact on your ability to perform your computing tasks efficiently is computer drives. If your computers are equipped with traditional hard disk drives, you should consider investing in solid-state drives.

Here is a look at the benefits of solid-state drives over hard disk drives….

What is a Solid-State Drive?

A solid-state drive, or SSD, is a device that provides non-volatile storage of persistent data in solid-state flash memory.

It performs the same function as a hard disk drive, but it does not have moving parts.

A traditional hard disk drive, or HDD, comes with a spinning disk that has a read/write head attached to a mechanical arm, while an SSD uses a variety of semiconductor memory and integrated circuits instead of magnetic or optical media.

On the outside, an SSD looks somewhat similar to a HDD. It comes in traditional HDD sizes, such as 1.8-inch, 2.5-inch, 3.5-inch and 5.25-inch, and features SATA interface for easy replacement.

How Solid-State Drives Can Be Beneficial to You

Many business owners are hesitant to switch to SSDs because they are more expensive than HDDs.

However, according to an article entitled "Justify the Purchase of Solid-State Drives", SSDs have become increasingly affordable in recent years, and their costs will be outweighed by their benefits in the long run.

Speed up Your Computers

A HDD is only able to access data quickly when the data is close to the read/write head, but every part of an SSD can be accessed simultaneously. One SSD is capable of delivering the performance of about 100 HDDs.

Using SSDs can speed up your computers in a number of ways, including reducing boot times, launching applications almost instantly, minimizing lag when opening and saving documents, improving file copying speeds and providing an overall quicker computing experience.

Provide Better Durability

A HDD is more vulnerable to shock and damage because it consists of moving parts.

An SSD, on the other hand, features a non-mechanical design with NAND flash mounted on its circuit board, and it can resist shocks of up to 1,500g/0.5ms.

Save Energy

An SSD uses less than 2W of power at peak load, whereas a HDD consumes about 6W.

Its energy efficiency makes it a more cost-effective device in the long run. It can extend battery life in your laptops, reduce power strain on your computers and help create a cooler computing environment.

Other Benefits

It is especially beneficial to use computers with SSDs if you and your employees are frequently on the move. The weight of an SSD is only 77g, while a HDD weighs 752.5g.

Additionally, an SSD is much quieter than a HDD. Since it does not have moving parts, it runs almost silently, and it will not disturb your computing experience, whether you are working, playing games or watching movies.

It is worthwhile to invest in SSDs, because they can provide a more efficient and pleasant computing experience, and help you save substantially on energy costs.

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