A solid state drive or SSD as it's popularly known as is a data storage device that functions just like the traditional hard disk drive but it has other benefits such as: it reduces your computer's boot time, saves time opening documents, allow you to instantly launch applications and speeds up file copying and duplication. For you to take advantage of the benefits that come with the device you need to consider a number of factors that include:
Drive capacity
Just like the regular hard drives, SSDs come in different capacities and it's up to you to choose the right one for your needs. If you are looking to play games and have a lot of storage space, you should go for a drive with a large capacity. If on the other hand, you are only interested in speeding up the speed at which your computer is booting, you should go for a drive with a small capacity. Such as drive is often called the boot drive.
Drive manufacturer
While SSDs have plenty of benefits over the regular hard disks, many people shy away from using them as they are expensive. Due to this, you should be cautious of the manufacturer that you buy from. As rule of thumb, you should buy from a reputable and trusted brand. You should avoid buying from an unknown manufacturer. Also, avoid buying an unmarked SSD.
SATA 3 support
Most of the SSDs use the SATA interface to transfer data but not all of them are compatible with the latest SATA version (SATA 3). According to experts, SSDs connected using SATA 3 transfer data at double the rate of SATA 2. This means that if you are looking to be transferring data at extremely high speeds you should go for an SSD that is SATA 3 compatible. Before you head to the stores, you should first confirm that your computer is compatible with SATA 3. This is because you won't get the most of your drive if the computer isn't compatible.
Price and features
As mentioned, one of the things that put people off from these hard drives is the price. Different manufacturers sell SSDs with different features at different prices. You should visit different stores and see the different brands and their prices. If planning on buying the units online there are plenty of websites that you can use to compare the different brands.
Conclusion
If you are looking to increase the performance of your computer you should go for an SSD. For you to get the most of the device you should enable TRIM. This is a command that allows the operating system to inform the SSD the blocks of data that aren't required and those that should be wiped internally. This prevents the drive from being overused thus it performs at optimum levels. Experts also advise that you shouldn't defragment your solid stat drive.
