SSDs, new solid-state drives are used everywhere. They improve the speed of your computer or laptop while allowing you to run things smoothly.
HDDs, hard disk drives, were used to store data earlier, but now SSDs are replacing them. Then SSDs were invented around the 1950s.
But did you know in the 1970 and 1980s they were only used in high-end supercomputers? Only the military and aerospace sectors used them because SSDs were relatively expensive and consumers couldn’t really afford them.
Besides their storage space was of only 2MD-20MB, which was small compared to their 5 digit prices. Then during the early 1990s, a lot of hardware innovations caused the price to decrease and was affordable by the general public.
It wasn’t that famous though. SSDs still had issues with their lifespan and size. Then in the 2000s SSDs became advanced and could be reliable and last for decades.
Wondering where else SSDs are used now? Well, they are used almost everywhere in high-performance technology areas. Here are the areas where people use SSDs.
Now you might even be a student, you will still need an SSD. There are so many options in so many different prices that will leave you confused. Don’t worry, in this article, everything about SSDs will be given to you, along with specifications, pros and cons and much more.
Other related articles: Top 10 Best External Hard Disk In India, Top 12 Best Computer Monitors in India
We Highly recommend you to read the SSD Buying Guide at the end of this article to get in-depth knowledge about the latest [item name] technologies and tips on making an informed decision about which product to buy for your needs 
Top 10 Best SSDs for Laptops (2021)
Although my favorite among all is WD Green 240GB SSD - SATA III - WDS240G2G0A but you must check all of them to make your buying decision.
1. WD Green - SATA III
The WD green is an ultra-low-power machine. In fact, the drive is amongst the lowest power-consuming devices in the market.
This means that it does not drain too much power from your laptop and ensure longer battery life.
With its SLC (single-level cell) caching technology, the write speed on the drive is increased substantially.
The drive also has read speeds of up to 545MB/s. This means that booting the operating system or launching apps and files is pretty fast.
Browsing on the web or playing games can also be done without any lags.
It also comes with a three-year brand warranty that makes the task upgrading memory very safe. The SSD is available in 2.5”/7mm cased and M.2 2280 form factors and compatible with most laptops.
Reliability is perhaps its biggest feature. The SSD is lightweight, weighing at just 30g and shock-resistant. Since there are no moving parts in the SSD, accidental drops or thuds do not result in any damage to the data.
All these features are sold at a really affordable price. The price combined with the feature-packed description makes this drive a very desirable choice.
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Related Articles: Top 10 Best External Hard Disk In India
2. Seagate Maxtor Z1 SSD
The Seagate Maxtor Z1 focuses on value for money. This means that the product is well made with a respectable price tag.
The SSD offers a read speed of 546 MBps and a write speed of 495 MBps. This translates into a boot time of approximately 10 seconds.
Transferring files and launching applications is also a breeze with this solid-state drive. The SSD is also very robust in design.
With its vibrational resistance of up to 1500G/.5ms, the drive is able to withstand quite a beating without losing any data. This means that you can throw it around without worrying too much.
Weighing at just 80g, the hard disk is lightweight and very easy to install with its plug and play style of use. It comes in a two-inch form factor and is therefore compatible with the most laptops.
This dive is also very affordable and therefore popular amongst new users of an SSD. The SSD is very power efficient and used only up to 2.2W in active power. It is also sold with a 3-year warranty and 1.2M-hr MTBF.
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3. Crucial BX500 3D NAND SATA SSD
The Crucial BX500 is a 120 GB SSD. It is approximately 300 times faster than a typical HDD.
But speed is not achieved at the cost of power. In fact, it is 45 times more power-efficient than a typical HDD. This means that using this SSD results in longer battery life.
With sequential Read and Write speeds up to 540MB/s and 500MB/s respectively, the SSD significantly improves boot time and also improves the time to launch applications and transfer files.
The SSD weighs in at just 20g in a standard form factor of 2.5 inches.
This means that the SSD is compatible with most standard laptops. It operates on a SATA 6.0 Gb/s hardware interface and has a data transfer rate of 600 Megabytes per Second.
The drive is also sold with a crucial 3-year limited warranty. The product has simple instructions and how-to videos that make installations as straightforward as possible.
It is also supported by award-winning customer support that is available 24/7. They also provide articles, forums and live chat sessions to fix any issues and bugs.
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4. HP SSD S700 SATA III 3D NAND
The SSD has a memory capacity of 250 GB features the HP dual-core controller.
It has four flash memory channels with NANDXtend EEC support and DRAM cache for performance and stability.
It also has the write acceleration technology and SLC cache algorithm, for maximised performance.
The Dynamic and Static levelling algorithms that support TRIM, NCQ, and GC. S700 improves the running speed for games and video editing too.
With read and write speed up to 555 MB/s and 515 MB/s, the boot time, application loading time and data transfer times are reduced and the machine is rendered snappy and smooth.
The SSD also has protection against viruses and hacks with its end to end internal firmware and professional-level security. The SSD is very durable too with its Max Shock resistance of 100G / 6ms, and vibration resistance of 3.1G RMS.
This means that even under unfavourable conditions, the SSD can stand its ground without being damaged or losing data. It also offers high-speed parallel decoding and real-time error correction so the data is never corrupted. It is sold with a 3-year national warranty.
With its 3D NAND configured 2.5-inch form factor, the SSD is highly compatible with most laptops and motherboards.
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5. Kingston Q500 SATA3 SSD
The Kingston Q500 SSD has a memory capacity of 120GB but it also comes in other variants like 240 GB, 480 GB and 960 GB.
With the latest gen technology powering the SSD, it cracks out read and write speeds of 500 MB and 450 MB per second respectively.
This is 10 times faster than a traditional hard disk. Thus the boot time, app launching times and data transfer time is significantly reduced.
The SSD is made without any moving parts. This means that the SSD is more durable and more reliable than a traditional HDD.
It is also much quieter and shock and vibration resistant too. The drive also remains cooler. This means that even if the SSD is working under harsh conditions where the temperatures are high or the device is being moved around frequently and abruptly, the SSD will be able to stand its ground.
Weighing at just about 50 g, the SSD has a standard form factor of 2.5 inches. This means that the SSD can fit into most standard laptops. It also comes with a 5-year brand warranty which is more than what most companies provide.
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6. ADATA Ultimate SU650 3D NAND SSD
The ADATA Ultimate SSD has a memory capacity of 240 GB but it also comes in other variants ranging from 60 GB to 960 GB.
The SSD offers read and write speeds of 520 and 450 MB per seconds. Achieving these speeds result in a much smoother experience.
Improvements in boot speed and app launch times are also noticeable. Transferring files is also blazingly fast.
The drives come with an advanced error correction code that ensures data integrity. It also extends the lifespan of the solid-state drive.
The MTBF (mean time between failures) is 25 per cent more than the 2D NAND SSDs. Without any moving parts, the SSD is completely silent and has a higher resistance to shocks and vibrations.
This makes the handling of the SSD hassle and fear-free. The SSD is also resilient to extreme temperatures. With the Solid State Drive ToolBox that comes along with the SSD, the management of the drive becomes very easy.
Information about the drive status, wear level and lifespan of the dive can be monitored here. It is sold with a three-year warranty that ensures the drive will continue to work for a long time.
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7. Samsung 860 EVO SATA " Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
The Samsung 860 EVO has a capacity of 500 GB. The SSD has a write speed of 520 MBps and reads the speed of 550 MBps.
The speed remains consistent even under heavy loads, thanks to the turbo write technology.
This makes the machine very snappy with faster boots and files transfers and lower application launch times.
With the V-NAND and an algorithm-based controller, the SSD has increased compatibility and it comes in a variety of form factors.
This means that the drive is compatible with most standard laptops without much hassle. The EEC algorithm and JMX controller don’t just clock out higher speeds but the queued trim enhanced Linux compatibility too.
The SSD has an increased buffer size of 78Gb as compared to the 12GB buffer impervious generations which results in higher file transfer rates. This is true even when the SSD is under higher load.
It is rated for 2400 TBW (TeraBytes Written). The lifespan of the drive is approximately 5 years. Also, the drive is sold under a five-year warranty for those who are sloppy with their gear.
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8. Silicon Power SSD 3D
The silicon power SSD has a capacity of 128GB. Other variants of this drive include 256 GB and 512 GB models.
With the 3D NAND technology, the speed of this drive is quite high. With reading and write speeds both over 520 MB/s, the performance is top-notch.
The advanced controller and original synchronous NAND flash provide incredible Boot time, data transfer speeds and application launch times.
The SLC cache technology allows for higher peak writing performance. It also reduces amplification which increases the endurance and lifespan of the drive.
It also comes with an inbuilt Badlock management tool that monitors and fixed bad locks to increase the performance and endurance of the drive. It also offers longer battery life which means that you don’t have to regularly recharge your laptop.
Weighing at just 23 g, it is one of the thinnest and lightest SSDs in the market. However, even with its thin design, it is a shock and vibration, proof model.
Technologies like TRIM command, Garbage Collection technology, RAID, and ECC (Error Checking & Correction) increase the performance and provide reliability in the disk. It is sold with a 3-year warranty for extra protection.
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9. Seagate Barracuda 120 SSD
The Seagate Barracuda has a memory of 250GB but can be expanded up to 500GB, 1TB, 2TB.
The SSD has a write speed of 560 MB/s read and 540MB/s write. With a random read and write of 90K IOPs. It has an amazing endurance number as well offering 1,067TB of bytes written.
The Seagate Barracuda is a simple 2.5” SATA SSD designed with a black flat surface.
The top of the surface has the brand on it and the bottom has a sticker with product information on it.
Then on the inside, it has NAND packs, an orange PCB and a DRM on one side. On the other side, you’ll find the same NAND packs, DRAM, and a Seagate controller.
The performance of your laptop will be amazing as it provides a smooth workflow with consistency. Heavy workload will not affect this SSD. The next-gen Seagate controller plus the 3D TLC NAND technology gives a boost to your work and provides amazing speed.
You can easily upgrade it with the plug-and-play SATA interference. Enjoy and benefit from 1.8M hours MTBF. It is backed by a 5-year warranty and is ranked 4 out of 5 on amazon holding the rank of 241 among the SSDs.
If you are looking for an SSD without worrying about the money then go for it as the amazing warranty is sure to back you up.
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10. Alketron - Blue Shark
Everyone wants a laptop to work smoothly no matter how tabs are open or what games they are playing.
You also want to store a lot of files and run a lot of programmes on it but the traditional HDD might be a problem as it won't allow you to do so. So, why not shift to Alketron- Blue Shark. One the kind.
The Alketron- Blue Shark is a 2.5” SATA SSD that has a rather colourful design with a “Blue Shark” logo on the front and blue and dark blue colours swiping around the top and bottom edges.
It weighs only 70g and has a write speed of 300-400MB/s and a read speed of 300-490MB/s.
It comes with a 3years warranty and is an SSD that is sure to boost your speed. It also isn't as expensive as the other SSDs and should do the job. It comes with the latest 3D NAND technology that will get your laptop working in godspeed while you work on multiple things.
Consider this among your options if you are looking for a good SSD with all the best features at a good price rate
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Buyer's Guide: How to Purchase SSD for Laptop
A good SSD is a key for a fast laptop. A lot of times people buy rather cheap or incompatible SSD for their laptops without researching the product or their machine first. This is a bad strategy as people lose money and time without gaining any substantial value or at times, any value at all.
So before you decide to buy a new monster of an SSD for your laptop, make sure that you are aware of all the little details. So here is a buyer guide to get you started
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it worth getting an SSD for a laptop?
The answer to this is simple, YES! SSD gives you huge amounts of space to store your data. And even then your laptop will work really smoothly, the performance is a lot faster compared to the typical HDDs. In addition to that, SSDs require no mechanical parts which are why they need less power to run. So, you will have an advantage in the power consumption area. SSDs are also shock-resistant, which means that even if your laptop drops, all your data will be safe. Although they may be a little expensive they are definitely worth it as all this will give you an amazing experience.
2. How do I know which SSD is compatible with my laptop?
First, you must have a new model of a laptop because chances are, the older models don’t support SSDs. You can confirm by calling the customer service or by doing a little research online. After you have done that, you need to make sure you find the right-sized SSD, because you certainly don’t want to insert an SSD that doesn’t fit into your laptop. Even your model does support an SSD, it may not support that one exactly. You can search for teardowns and information about the SSD slot of your laptop on YouTube or check one of these links:
3. Is 256GB SSD enough for a laptop?
The answer to this is yes and no. If your laptop can install a few drives then yes, 256GB is enough. But if your laptop can install one drive, then well it won’t be enough. Gaming, documents and common programmes like google, take up hundreds of GB space. If you are planning to run simple tasks on your laptop like, watch videos, play music, browse, etc, then it is okay to get a 256GB SSD drive. But if you are editing videos or gaming a lot on a one driving bay, then it won’t be enough.
4. Can I have both SSD and HDD in my laptop?
It really depends on your laptop. If your laptop has an additional slot for an SSD then you can use one. If not, then an external drive is the best option for you. In fact, if your laptop supports it, it is recommended to use an SSD in conjunction with an HDD. The general way of doing it is to install the operating system and certain important applications on the SSD and keep the rest of the data on the HDD. This is done to achieve faster-booting speed and shorter launch time on daily driver applications without cramping the SSD.
5. How long does a SSD last?
The average lifespan of an SSD is usually 10 years but it can be shorter depending on the TBW (TeraBytes Written over time), if the manufacturer says the SSD has 150 TBW that means it can write 150 terabytes of data. After it reaches this point, you will need to change it. Based on other factors like DWPD (Drive writes per day) and the age of SSD, lifespan is determined. In short, it means the SSD will last depending on how much data you run on it. But even then, researchers found out that people replace HDDs 25% more than they are to replace SSDs.
