TechTalk

The latest tech reviews and inspiration from Currys

Is it time to upgrade the SSD in your laptop?

Full speed ahead with a new drive...

laptops

Article Main Image

Most new laptops come with an inbuilt SSD (solid state drive). They can really boost your performance, but have you got the one you need? Is it worth upgrading to a new SSD? We’ve got all the answers below, starting at the beginning…

What is an SSD?

SSDs are a new generation of storage device used in computers. They’re called solid state drives because they contain no moving parts – making them faster and quieter than traditional HDDs (hard disk drives).

SSDs use flash memory to read, write and store data permanently – another thing that makes them much faster than HDDs. Let’s dive into the differences between the two...

What's the difference between SSD and HDD?

The main difference between SSDs and HDDs is how they store and access data. Like we said above, SSDs have no moving parts, and they use memory chips to access data. On the other hand, HDDs store data on rapidly spinning disks and a moving read/write head. This gives SSDs quite a few advantages over HDDs…

What are the advantages of an SSD?

Speed. SSDs are much faster than HDDs, especially when it comes to accessing files. HDDs have to physically find the correct part on a spinning disk, while SSDs can access any part of file almost instantly because it has no moving parts.

Durability. SSDs are much more robust and durable than HDDs. The reason is something we’ve already mentioned – no moving parts, remember? That makes them much less likely to be damaged if your laptop takes a knock.

Power consumption. With no spinning disks needing power to operate, SSDs generate leass heat and are more energy efficient than HDDs.

Why should I upgrade my laptop SSD?

If you’ve got a laptop with an HDD, it’s definitely worth considering upgrading to an SSD for the reasons mentioned above. With a new SSD you’ll notice the difference in speed straight away, so no more endless waiting for your laptop to catch up with you!

Even if your current laptop has an SSD, you might want to upgrade to a better one. If you keep running out of space for your programs and files, you can go for an SSD that gives you more storage capacity.

Important safety notice. Upgrading the SSD in a laptop might void your warranty. Plus, it’s quite a complicated task. If you’re not comfortable opening up your laptop and replacing parts, get a professional to do it.

What SSD is best for laptops?

What SSD is best for you? It all depends on what you usually use your laptop for.

If you’re a gamer or designer with lots of big files to work on, you’ll need one with lots of capacity and a high-speed interface.

The Samsung Evo 870 SSD is designed for professionals, giving you 4TB of storage space and all the speed you need to power through huge workloads.

If you’d describe yourself as a normal home user that uses your laptop to browse the web and work on smaller projects, a more budget-friendly SSD could be right for you.

This Seagate Firecuda internal SSD is a great drive for the price, with 500GB capacity and a ‘heatsink’ feature that prevents it over-heating.

Let’s bust some SSD jargon…

Need more help?

If you’re looking for new computing tech, our laptop buying guide is packed with useful info. If you’d prefer to talk to an expert, you can have a video chat with one of our colleagues on ShopLive.

Related in Laptops

Related Article Image
What is a Chromebook?
Related Article Image
How to find a laptop serial number
Related Article Image
Thin and light gaming laptops
Related Article Image
How to copy and paste on a Chromebook
Related Article Image
Which laptop should I buy for my child?

Full speed ahead…