Why your PC should have a SSD - Solid State Drive

For those who do not already have a Solid State Drive installed do not worry. Here is all you shall need to know or maybe your on the fence about SSD, not sure if it is worth it? Lay your fears to rest right here.

Solid State Drive?

A Solid State Drive by name is a drive that can hold data when there is no power but also has no mechanical moving parts. It uses interfaces which are purely electronic but it still uses the same I/O as normal hard drives so no worries about compatibility.

The lack of moving and mechanical parts means more physical stability and faster access to the data stored hence they tend to be more expensive per GB.

How will an SSD improve my gaming?

In terms of multiplayer games e.g. Starcraft 2, League of Legends and shooters like Battlefield 3 will load any files stored on your computer slightly faster like maps for example and so much quicker than a standard HDD, the rest after that is up to your internet connection.

Single player games get a clear bonus when using an SSD with fast access to the information needed to render what you want to see. So for example your playing The Witcher 2 which has high graphical demand, now you may be asking what has an SSD got to do with graphics? Well if the information that the graphics need, in order to know what to process is received faster then you get a better and smoother experience the rest of course is taken care of by your graphics card.

What about these HDD SSD combination hybrids I keep hearing about?

There are drives coming to market from manufacturers like Seagate for example, who are providing a combination with traditional HDD containing an SSD. At the moment these drives tend to have a smaller amount of SSD storage. This will change soon enough with more space and abilities added to the SSD.

These drives are more HDD than SSD the latter portion is giving the drive quicker access to the information stored in the main storage. An advantage is it also manages to retain data after power has gone down for example a power cut on rebooting you would not be likely to lose anything. In summary it is an advanced HDD with quicker access to data than other claimed to be fast HDDs.

There isn’t much storage on SSDs though?

With SSDs like they are at the moment they easily have enough room for an OS (Operating System) and some applications depending on the size of both those items collectively. Another way you should look at an SSD purchase is not as a storage upgrade but as a performance upgrade, the performance boost you get will make up for lack of storage.

What about price?

This depends on the size, make and type of SSD you choose. Ranging from £40 - £600 there are a number of factors involved in this the first of course is SATA II and SATA III does your board support SATA III? If so we would recommend you start here. From there most of the lower priced SSDs available have a lower read/write speed than more expensive drives.

My rig is older and I can't afford to upgrade to a new rig right now what about me?

This depends on the age and type of hardware you are currently using. Some rigs as old as 2005 can be greatly improved in terms of performance by the installation of an SSD. Check what your rig can handle before you purchase or seek some advice from us.

What other advantages can an SSD give me?

There is a significant advantage especially for laptops because an SSD will typically consume less energy. Along side this there is little to no sound involved with SSDs because of their lack of moving parts, so if a whirring hard drive bothers you then an SSD is a must.

Any downsides?

As with any tech these days everything has a lifespan, with SSDs due to their high performance in comparison to HDDs their lifespan tends to be shorter. On the flip side of this most people are now replacing their rigs every 2-3 years to keep up with new developments in the industry.

What do you recommend?

Here is a small sample of SSDs for each budget level for more choice go right here or search the Scan shop under Hard Drives - SSD.

Cheap as Chips:
Corsair 60GB Accelerator Series SSD - Solid State Drive

Mid for Me:
Crucial 256GB M4 Slim 7mm SSD - Solid State Drive - CT256M4SSD1

Cloud 9:
480GB Kingston HyperX 3K Series SSD

So there it is some simple reasons why an SSD should be a staple in your rig at home, good luck and have fun.