Solid State Drive (SSD): A Solid Solution To Your Speed Problems
If you’re concerned about your dedicated server’s speed performance, and have exhausted all other avenues of improvement, then maybe it’s about time you pursued a Solid State Drive (or SSD) for your server. It’s an expensive method, but it will get the job done, to be sure. In case you need a bit more convincing—We sure would!—we’ve compiled this handy guide to the costs and benefits of an SSD below.
What Is A Solid State Drive?
Solid State Drives are massively different than your typical hard disk drive (or HDD). The complexities of either’s construction could take years and a Master’s degree to explain, but to put it simply, an SSD has no moving parts, while an HDD involves a rotating magnetic disc. HDDs have been used in modern electronics far longer than SSDs, simply because SSDs only took over the scene a scant few years ago. All of your older hard drives were likely HDDs, which is why an ancient computer makes such a cantankerous whirring sound when coaxed into running.
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Why Do I Want An SSD
There are several benefits to removing the spinners in your hard drive. Most noticeably, an SSD performs calculations far faster than a traditional hard drive. Where an HDD must spin at anywhere from 5,400 RPM all the way up to 15,000 to be productive, an SSD simply goes. Because the moving parts have been removed, electrons can be shuffled much more efficiently, removing the need for unstable rotating discs. On that note, an SSD is less prone to skipping during its encryption, as there’s nothing to be jostled or knocked out of place. In essence, an SSD provides improved stability, as well as drastically increased speed.
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Sounds Great! Why Wouldn’t I Want It?
To put it simply, an SSD is pretty damn expensive. How much so? Well, let’s just say if you have to ask, you probably don’t have a big enough budget. An SSD also can’t write data nearly as fast as an HDD, though its downloading speeds are several times greater. In essence, if down-pipe speed is essential for your business, an SSD is a must-have. In all other cases, think about it for a while, and weigh the costs and benefits.