Solid State DrivesAn SSD is used in the same way a normal HDD is used, except it has no moving parts, usually more expensive and only available in smaller capacities, they are faster, more reliable, quieter and use less power than a normal HDD. SSD’s are being used more and more as the primary drive an operating system and applications are installed to due to their fast speeds. Like hard drives, there are different types of SSD, not only in use, but also in physical form factor. Make sure you read through our information to ensure you purchase the correct SSD for your situation.

SATA SSD

The most commonly used SSD is a SATA SSD, they are usually used in laptop and desktop computers as the primary drive where the operating is installed. They greatly increase the loading speed of operating systems and applications as well as increasing file transfer speed. They use the same connection as standard HDD, meaning they can be used at the same time as a standard hard drive.

M.2 SATA SSD

Important to note is that there are two different types of M.2 SSD, the first is the M.2 SATA SSD which is the slower of the two but is more cost effective. They are smaller in physical size than a standard SSD and fit into devices such as tablets and ultrabooks. They can also be used in some NAS storage devices. You will need to check with a sales consultant to ensure this is the right product for your intended use.

M.2 PCIe SSD

This type of M.2 SSD can use NVMe technology, which enables an increase in performance over SATA technology. The main benefits of PCIe M.2 drives are reduced latency, lower power consumption and increased file transfer speeds which translates to better overall performance. Whilst expensive, these drives are commonly used as caching in NAS or fast storage for virtualisation or operating system installations.