Posts Tagged ‘Solid State Drive’

Hardware Overview: Solid State Hard Drives VS Traditional Drives

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

Hello and welcome to Computer Fitness’ Blog! My name is Josh.  Computer Fitness is a tech support firm for small and medium businesses in Reisterstown, MD. Our areas of expertise run the gamut from workstation repair to server maintenance.

If you’re looking to get a new hard drive or computer, one of the first things you’ll likely look at is the size of the drive. You’ll try to figure out how much space you use now and how much you think you’ll use in the future. All of that is great, but a growing option for the hard drive is now the choice of a traditional drive, which utilizes spinning plates to hold data, or a solid state drive, which is very similar to the memory cards used in cameras, iPods, etc. This may not seem important at first, aside from the price. However, take a close look at three things to consider when buying a new hard drive.

1) Solid State Drives Have No Moving Parts

This is a winner for all you laptop owners out there who keep dropping your machine. Since there are no moving parts, falling won’t damage any delicate equipment located on the inside of the drive. A traditional drive might crash if dropped. Solid State drives win here. However, if you are getting a desktop, don’t even worry about this part.

2) Traditional Hard Drives Last Longer

Not too long ago, solid-state drives were said to have a lifespan of about two years. They’ve doubled that since then, but the fact of the matter is that a traditional drive was last longer. If you’re a techie who is always upgrading, this may not be a concern for you. However, it is something to consider.

3) Solid State Drives are VERY Expensive

If it just comes down to money for you, a solid-state drive is not your choice. They are much more expensive. This is due to the newness of the technology, combined with what it takes to make them. If you are looking for crash protection for a laptop, it might be worth the money. Otherwise, go with the traditional drive.

That’s all for this week. Check back again for more computer fitness tips!

-Josh
Computer Fitness
Onsite and Remote Tech Support