How to Install a SATA SSD for Desktop
One of the best upgrades of the 21st century has been the move from hard drives to solid-state drives (SSD). These are faster than platter-bound drives and make your computing experience snappier and more enjoyable. Plus, SSDs are easy to add to a computer. Unless you opt for the most high-speed of high-end solid-state drives, a SATA SSD is more than enough for your everyday needs. SATA SSDs are affordable, too, with a terabyte of SSD space available for under $100 in some cases. These are also a cinch to install.
How to Install an M.2 SSD
M.2 SSDs are typically faster than SATA SSDs, but, most crucially, M.2 SSDs are a different form factor. These require a dedicated slot on the motherboard, so make sure you have one before buying one of these drives. Also, confirm it’s PCIExpress or SATA, as these have different sockets. Either way, installation is simple.
How to Transfer Your Data to an SSD
Once your new drive is installed, you may want to do a new system installation to take advantage of its speed. If you want to bring over your old data, though, follow our guide on upgrading drives and migrating data.
Why Should You Install an SSD Anyway?
SSDs are much faster than even the quickest of hard drives, offering faster file transfer speeds and quicker random access times. This means a PC boots up faster when the operating system is installed on an SSD, and games load faster, too. If you aren’t a gamer and don’t mind leaving your computer running all the time, an SSD can make it feel snappier and more responsive, with less waiting around for applications to start or files to move around. Better yet, SSDs are cheap. You’ll probably want to use a hard drive for storage purposes. On a per-gigabyte basis, hard drives are cheaper. However, for a boot or game drive, SSDs are a great way to improve your PC experience.
