Breath New Life Into Your PC With An SSD
Is your computer too slow to start up? Do programs and apps take too long to launch? If so, an SSD is the way forward for you. Replacing your mechanical hard drive (HDD) with a solid state drive (SSD) can make your old computer feel brand new, or make your new computer feel even better!
SSD vs HDD, What Is The Difference?
All computers come with a storage device, older PCs generally came with an HDD, and many new computers do still come with them. When it comes to affordable storage, HDDs have the upper hand and are still widely used. Some newer PCs come with an SSD, which is a much faster and more reliable form of storage.
HDD Pros & Cons
PROS | CONS |
· Affordable – Mechanical HDDs are much cheaper when compared to SSDs for the storage capacity.
· Storage Capacity – There are larger options available for HDDS, and the base capacity of a HDD usually starts at 500GB or 1TB these days, compared to 120GB on an SSD. · Availability – HDDs are generally more available and less prone to shortages in the market than SSDs. |
· Speed – Since mechanical drives have platters that operate at a set RPM, they are limited in their speed, the standard speed is 80MB/s.
· Noise – HDDs can get noisy when reading or writing a lot of data. · Mechanical failure – HDDs are prone to failing, sometimes for no apparent reason. If the HDD fails, you run the risk of losing all your information. · Power consumption – HDDs have considerably higher power consumption, which means that on laptops, the battery life will be shorter. |
SSD Pros & Cons
PROS | CONS |
· Speed – Since SSDs are not mechanical and have no moving parts, they are not limited by an RPM for speed, and start at speeds of 500MB/s.
· Durability – SSDs can handle falling off a table or being knocked over, since there are no parts in it that can be damaged like the platters or needles in a HDD. · Power consumption – SSDs have much lower power consumption, making them ideal for laptops. · Noise – There is none, SSDs are completely silent. |
· Price – SSDs cost more per GB than a mechanical HDD.
· Lost data – If the SSD does somehow fail, which is extremely unlikely yet possible, there is no way to get the data back. |
Types of SSDs
SSDs also come in different form factors, the standard 2.5″ SATA SSD, m.2 SATA III SSDs, and m.2 Nvme SSDs. A SATA SSD is a 2.5″ drive that connects to the PC through a SATA data and power cable, this drive has speeds of up to 550MB/s. Next is an m.2 SATA III SSD, m.2 is the form factor of the drive, the speeds themselves are the same as a SATA SSD. The difference in speed comes when you upgrade to an Nvme SSD, this drive changes from measuring speed in MB per second, to GB per second. Nvme SSDs can reach speeds of up to 7GB/s on the higher end drives such as the Samsung 980 Pro.
What Are The Current Prices On SSDs?
Our current SSD pricing at the time of this article is as follows:
- 120GB: R499.00
- 240GB: R799
- 480GB: R1399.00
- 1TB: R2699.00
If you need us to install it and clone your information across, the fee would be R800.00. Its worth considering upgrading to an SSD instead of just buying a whole new PC.