Should You Upgrade to Solid State Drives (SSD) ?
Solid state drives, otherwise called an SSD, are data storage devices that store data with the use of flash memory. They are referred to as “solid state” because they do not use any moving parts for their operations, as compared to hard disk drive (HDD) units. While HDDs have dominated the market for secondary data storage since their inception, the rise of solid state drives has begun to upset that reign with increased capabilities and performance. While there are both defenders of HDDs and SSDs as the best and most viable option, it can be difficult for some to decide if the upgrade to SSDs is worth it. In this blog, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages to owning a solid state drive to help you in your purchasing decision.
When comparing
SSDs and HDDs, the most common factor that is discussed is speed. While typical consumer HDDs can reach upwards of 200 MB/s for data transfer speed, solid state drives have the capabilities of reaching up to 3,500 MB/s, providing 10-100 times the speed of some HDDs. This is because HDDs rely on spinning magnetic platters to read and write data, and data speeds may be affected by start up times and rotational speeds. SSD technology, on the other hand, forgoes moving parts for clusters of semiconductor cells. These clusters, called blocks, store data as electrical charges and can be read from in a matter of microseconds.
With no moving parts present, such as read/write heads and platters, solid state drives are much more durable than HDDs. If the SSD is dropped, rattled, or encounters another physical stress, it holds much less chance to result in data loss and corruption or damage of the device. Solid state drives are also much more durable to weather effects and magnetic fields, due in part to their technological makeup. While moving from cold to warmer temperatures can cause condensation and damage to HDDs, the SSD has high resistance to contamination, shock, and vibration and is often unaffected. Magnetic fields have low impact on SSDs as well, while data can be completely corrupted in HDDs from such fields. With no moving parts, SSDs are also much quieter and consume less power than conventional HDDs.
Solid state drives are with their disadvantages, however, and they should be taken into account when making a purchasing decision. Solid state drives have a shorter lifespan than HDDs due to their storage method. To write new data, entire cells must be deleted and rewritten as individual cells cannot be changed. Each cell also decays with each use, meaning that they will expire quicker the more use they are subjected to.
The other main disadvantages of solid state drives are their current costs and storage options. As a newer technology, solid state drives can be twice the price of HDDs per GB of storage. Storage options are also limited, as solid state drives range from 64 GB to 4 TB, with the latter being a very expensive option. Meanwhile, HDDs can reach up to 15 TB with 20 TB options only months away. Nevertheless, as time passes, solid state drive pricing and storage is becoming increasingly competitive, pushing its way as the dominant choice in the market. With their advantages and disadvantages, the investment of solid state drives can be a matter of what is needed by the individual or finding a suitable balance of cost and performance.
When it comes time to begin sourcing the solid state drives and hard disk drives that you need from top manufacturers such as SanDisk, Wintec Industries, and
Micron Technology Inc., ASAP Parts Unlimited has you covered with everything you are searching for. ASAP Parts Unlimited is owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, and we can help you find the IT hardware and aerospace parts that you need, new or obsolete.
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