What is a solid state drive?
A solid state drive (SSD) is a type of computer storage device that uses flash memory to store data. Unlike traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) that use spinning platters and a mechanical arm, SSDs have no moving parts. This makes SSDs faster, lighter, more durable, and less prone to failure than HDDs.
SSDs connect to a computer like a traditional hard drive using SATA, PCIe, or other interfaces. When you install an SSD in a computer, you can use it as the primary storage device where the operating system, applications, and personal files are stored. Or you can use an SSD as an additional drive for extra storage capacity.
Benefits of using an SSD
Some key advantages SSDs provide over HDDs include:
- Faster load/boot times: SSDs can boot computers and load applications much quicker thanks to faster read/write speeds.
- Better durability: With no moving parts, SSDs can withstand bumps and drops better and have lower failure rates.
- Quieter operation: SSDs create no noise since there are no mechanical spinning parts.
- Lower power usage: SSDs consume less power than HDDs, improving battery life in laptops.
- Compact size: 2.5-inch SSDs are thinner and smaller than HDDs, enabling smaller devices.
For most consumer and business uses, SSDs provide meaningful performance and reliability improvements over HDDs. The costs of SSD storage have also fallen dramatically in recent years, making SSDs affordable for more applications.
Ideal uses for an SSD
Due to their performance advantages, there are several computing tasks and use cases particularly well-suited for solid state drives:
Operating system drive
Installing the operating system like Windows or MacOS on an SSD dramatically speeds up boot times compared to installing the OS on a mechanical hard drive. An SSD makes starting up a computer almost instant. Quick boot times are especially desirable for laptops.
Main storage drive
Using an SSD as the primary drive to store your applications and personal files yields much faster load times and snappier performance. Apps launch quicker, files open faster, and the system feels more responsive overall.
Scratch disk
For creative professionals editing high-resolution photos and videos, SSDs excel as scratch disks where temporary application files are saved. The performance of editing software is greatly improved with an SSD scratch disk.
Gaming
Serious gamers can benefit from installing games on an SSD rather than a mechanical hard drive. Games load levels faster, texture mapping is quicker, and games feel more responsive.
External storage
External SSDs connect over USB, Thunderbolt, or other interfaces. They provide extremely fast and portable storage for transferring files between devices or backing up data.
What types of files to store on an SSD
To take full advantage of your solid state drive’s speed, you should store your most frequently accessed files and data on it. Key types of files well-suited for SSD storage include:
Operating system files
As mentioned, installing Windows, MacOS, Linux, or other operating systems on an SSD will make your computer boot and resume extremely quickly. The OS files see constant use, so keeping them on flash storage is ideal.
Apps and programs
Having your applications and software on your SSD mean they will launch and run quicker. An SSD minimizes load times for games, creative suites, web browsers, office programs, and other regularly used applications.
Active project files
If you are working on a project, keeping the related files on the SSD while actively editing them makes the work go faster thanks to quick access times. You may choose to move completed projects to a HDD.
Frequently accessed documents
Files like your resume, important spreadsheets, and commonly read documents benefit from SSD speeds. Store frequently used personal and work files on flash storage for the best experience.
Temporary files
When running demanding software, temporary application files get written to scratch disk locations. Use your SSD as a scratch disk so these temp files get created and deleted quickly.
What not to store on an SSD
While SSDs are great for active data, there are some files that are fine keeping on a mechanical hard drive:
Archived data
Older files and projects you no longer access often do not need SSD speeds. Keep these archived files on a HDD.
Backups
Backups contain copies of your data primarily for redundancy. Since restores are infrequent, it’s ok keeping backups on cheaper hard drives.
Media files
Videos, photos, and music files don’t benefit as much from flash speeds. These media files are fine to store on a HDD.
Virtual machines
Though the host OS should be on SSD, virtual machine files work well on HDDs due to their large size and sequential access patterns.
Downloads folder
Unless you constantly open files right after downloading, your browser’s downloads folder can reside on a hard drive without issue.
SSD storage tips
To maximize both the performance and lifespan of your solid state drive, keep these SSD tips in mind:
- Enable TRIM on your SSD if supported – maintains write speeds
- Only partition the space you need – minimizes writes to unused blocks
- Keep at least 20% free space – allows wear leveling to work best
- Avoid excessive paging & temp files – causes extra writes
- Use SSD firmware updates – helps maintain performance
Also, use your SSD for your most active files, and use larger hard drives for inactive, archived data. Your most frequently accessed apps, docs, and the OS should be on the SSD.
SSD vs HDD: Which is better for storage?
SSDs excel at performance, while HDDs offer more affordable storage capacity. Consider if you need speed or space:
| SSD | HDD |
|---|---|
| Faster read/write speeds | Slower than SSD |
| Lower capacity, more expensive per GB | Higher capacities available, cheaper per GB |
| Great for active files, OS, programs | Good for backups, archives, media storage |
| More durable with no moving parts | Mechanical parts more prone to failure |
| Lower power consumption | HDD uses more energy overall |
For most computing uses today, an SSD or SSD/HDD combo make the most sense for balanced performance and storage capacity. Store your active data and OS on a speedy SSD, while using HDDs for mass file storage.
Conclusion
Solid state drives provide much improved speed and reliability compared to traditional hard drives. The key files to store on an SSD are your operating system, applications, active projects, and frequently used documents. SSDs allow your computer to boot quickly, launch apps rapidly, and open files instantly.
For inactive files like media, backups, and archives, mechanical hard drives are still a good choice thanks to their lower cost per gigabyte. Consider adding an SSD as your primary drive to boost your overall system performance. Using both SSD and HDD storage provides an ideal balance of speed and capacity.