Did you know ?A solid-state drive (SSD) serves the same function as a traditional hard drive in your computer. Whether using it internally to store data or as an external drive to use portably, SSDs hold and allow you to access your data. Solid-state drives store their data or information inside of an integrated circuit. It is stored directly in microchips, which give you almost instant access to your data. There are no moving parts inside of a solid-state drive. Many newer computers come with SSDs already installed for optimal performance.

Types of SSDs

All solid-state drives are not equal. Let’s dive into some of the technical features of SSDs.

PCIe, or Peripheral Component Interconnect Express SSDs, are solid-state drives that don’t use a computer’s motherboard SATA Chipset interface.

NVMe, or nonvolatile memory express SSDs, deliver the highest throughput and quickest response times. You’ll generally see PCIe used for many server and connectivity solutions, while NVMe SSDs are going to offer the best read and write speeds. They are used in instances where speed is crucial.

What are SSDs Used For?Gamers

Gamers love SSDs for how quickly games launch, as well as load between levels. Having an SSD can also help prevent “hitching” in open-world games. This is when the game can’t load fast enough for your gameplay, causing a pause to buffer. It is recommended that gamers have two hard drives — one HDD to use for general storage, as well as the largest SSD you can afford to store all of your games on. Of course, two SSDs would be the best way to go, but this can get expensive in a hurry.