A Solid State Hard Drive is the newest technology when it comes to hard drives for your computer. Well its not totally new but it might be for you. Of course I do not need to tell you that a solid state drive (SSD) out performs any predecessors from the past as any new technology would. In fact we are moving towards an almost permanent storage device that could possibly allow your data to outlive you.

Comparing a Solid state hard drive to a normal hard drive that we have now:

1. A solid state hard drive does not have moving parts therefore it is longer lasting.


2. It is completely silent whereas the older type hard drive makes working noises with its moving parts.


3. A normal hard drive is fragile and only has to be bumped to be damaged. It only needs a piece of dust to hamper its operation. A SSD


4. A solid state hard drive can access your files faster and open programs quicker. A normal hard drive has to start spinning to access the files, whereas a solid state just accesses the files.


5. It uses less power. Image what this means for laptop users? All the memory is handled by flash memory chips like our Random Access Memory (RAM). No need to drain power when motoring the spinning parts to access the data.

Advantages to buying a solid state hard drive:

1. Newest hard drive technology.


2. Access files faster.


3. No moving parts, therefore less can go wrong.


4. A safer place to store your precious files and data.


5. A power saver. A Greener option.

Disadvantages to buying a solid state hard drive:

1. Because the solid state hard is new technology it is still very expensive. We all know the price will come down as time goes by.


2. The largest SSD (Solid state drive) to this day is the 160 GB SATA Solid State Drive however the normal hard drives are 2TB for the same price.

Should I buy a Solid State Hard drive?

Do I think its worth paying a crazy price for a hard drive that is fantastic in every way? Yes of course I do. The first reason is that I am a typical computer user and need to access my files at lightning speeds. Even two seconds delay is too long now days. When I open a program I want it to be there on my screen in a split second. The days are gone when you started your computer, made a cup of tea, and then returned to start using it after it loaded.

As for the limited storage, this does not affect me. I try not to store files on my computer and religiously save everything on an external hard drive. This way my operating system has the main hard drive all to itself.

What is a Hybrid Solid State hard drive?

A hybrid Solid State Drive is a mixture of both the old technology and the new. The Seagate Momentus XT 500GB Solid State Hybrid Drive was the first hybrid on the  market. It retails for around $129 USD. It has proven Solid state like performance but without the hefty price. The only thing is it still has moving parts and can be fragile but the speed of access is definitely there.

From the Manufacturer

The Seagate® Momentus® XT drive enables laptop PC users to enjoy solid state-like performance without sacrificing storage capacity and affordability. The Momentus XT solid state hybrid drive utilizes Adaptive Memory™ technology to dynamically optimize performance by aligning to user needs. This perfect balance of SSD and HDD delivers low heat, noise and vibration, and is available in capacities up to 500GB.

How do you install a solid State hard drive?





Most SSD’s are 2.5″ which is the size of a laptop hard drive. They are connected to your motherboard via a SATA connection which most modern computers do posess. You can also buy a metal 3.5″ bay adapter which helps you install this small hard drive into a normal sized desktop computer.