
BACKGROUND IMAGE: iSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
Essential guide to desktop and laptop solid-state drives
-
Article
How to choose the right laptop SSD
Leah Schoeb, partner with Evaluator Group, discusses what you need to know before selecting the right laptop SSD. Read Now
-
Podcast
Searching for, finding, and installing SSDs for laptops and desktop computers
SearchStorage.co.UK Bureau Chief Antony Adshead speaks with Chris Evans, an independent consultant with Langton Blue, about SSDs for laptop and desktop computers. Listen Now
-
Article
Boost laptop performance by installing SSDs
Marc Staimer of Dragon Slayer Consulting explains why installing SSDs can improve the performance of a laptop computer. Read Now
-
Article
SSD upgrade gives SMB aging PCs a performance uptick
TechTarget contributor Heather Clancy explains how MSPs can boost slow desktop and laptop performance by upgrading to solid-state drives. Read Now
Editor's note
Solid-state drives are increasingly showing up in laptops and desktops today, as solid-state pricing continues to drop. Users seeking thinner, lighter laptops are gobbling up new devices running flash drives, and others are increasing performance with laptop and desktop solid-state drives.
Solid-state drives are different from traditional hard drives in a number of ways. Traditional hard disk drives consist of a spinning disk with a read/write head on a mechanical arm. An SSD, on the other hand, has an array of semiconductor memory organized as a disk drive, using integrated circuits rather than magnetic media. SSDs have much lower latency than HDDs, which translates to much faster laptop/desktop performance.
There are a number of things you should consider before adding an SSD to an existing computer, as well as before purchasing a new computer with a flash drive. This Essential Guide offers information on how to make wise choices about desktop and laptop SSDs, troubleshooting advice for users upgrading to SSDs, articles digging deeper into how the technology works, and a look at some PC market trends today.
1Trends
Learn about what's going on with SSDs in the laptop and desktop market today.
-
Article
Ultrabook popularity drives SSD sales uptick
TechTarget contributor Linda Endersby discusses how the popularity of ultrabooks is driving a boom in solid-state drive sales. Read Now
-
Article
IHS: SSD market on the rise, HDD segment on the decline
Demand for SSD almost doubled, helped by more attractive prince points and increased sales of ultrabooks and ultra-thin laptops, according to a report from IHS Technologies. Read Now
-
Article
Gartner: Market segment shifts, but PC shipments remain steady
More availability of affordable touch-based laptops, price drops of thin and light laptops, and two-in-one hybrid laptops are attracting consumers today, according to a recent Gartner report. Read Now
2SSD definitions
-
Definition
SSD (solid-state drive, solid-state storage drive)
A solid-state drive is a nonvolatile storage device that stores persistent data on solid-state flash memory. These drives are semiconductor memory organized as a disk drive using integrated circuits rather than magnetic storage media. Read Now
-
Definition
mSATA SSD (mSATA solid-state drive)
mSATA SSDs are solid-state drives that are designed for use with portable, space-constrained devices such as laptops and netbooks. Read Now
-
Definition
client solid-state drive (SSD)
"Client solid-state drive" is a term used to differentiate between solid-state drives built for laptops and desktops versus solid-state drives built for enterprise-class storage. Read Now
-
Definition
SSD form factor
An SSD form factor is the size, configuration or physical arrangement of solid-state storage media. Read Now
-
Definition
write cycle
A write cycle is the process of recording data on a NAND flash solid-state storage device. Read Now