A SSD (Solid State Drive) is a data storage device similar to a hard drive. While more expensive, they offer higher access speeds since they have no mechanical components. This also means that they have a longer lifespan and can run virtually silently. When buying a new SSD here are some things to keep in mind.

Capacity

How much storage your SSD needs is dependent on what you’ll use it for. If you only want to install your operating system on it, allowing your computer to boot up significantly faster, then a 64GB drive will be sufficient. If you want to install some of your software on the SSD then a 128GB or 256GB drive would offer a good balance between price and size.

Warranty

When buying a SSD one thing pay attention to is the warranty. SSDs generally come with a three year warranty, which is similar to those offered with hard drives. Extra coverage is always good but if the drive fails you will still lose your data so you should always back up important data.

Form Factor

There are two sizes of SSD: 2.5in and 3.5in. 2.5in is much more common, but 3.5in is able to fit into most laptops. Some desktop cases only support one 3.5in, but if you get the wrong size its not the end of the world. Drive adapters are available and will allow you to fit a 2.5in drive into a 3.5in drive bay.

Interface

A SSD will use the same external interface as a hard drive with SATA being the most common. SATA II has a maximum bandwidth of 3Gb/sec and is adequate for most hard drives. However, which the increased popularity of SSDs there has been an increase in SATA III interfaces, which offers 6Gb/sec. It would be a good idea to purchase a SSD with SATA III, even if your current system only supports SATA II. This will act as a means of future proofing and allow you to reach maximum speeds when you upgrade your computer.

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