My Switch from HDD to SSD: A Game Changer

I never expected that I would go through as many problems with my PC as I did about six months ago until, you know, it did. It was a relatively new PC, and I have been kind with my usage of it. So I could not fathom just why it kept getting slower and crashed at times. And then, eventually, it stopped working.

Apparently, there is a significant role that the internal storage of a computer plays in its performance. It took the transition from Hard Disc Drive (HDD) to Solid State Drive (SSD) for me to realise it.

There are two major categories of storage devices in computers: HDDs and SSDs. Hard disc drives use a spinning disc and a mechanical arm to read and write data. Solid-state drives use flash memory for data storage.

Because HDDs use moving parts and SSDs do not, HDDs are more prone to mechanical failures, and that can slow down a computer and most likely lead to failures. On the other hand, SSDs tend to be more durable and can access data much faster, thereby improving overall performance. I didn't know this before, however.

I wanted a lot of storage, so I went for a PC that offered 1 TB. To get that much storage capacity on an SSD was going to make the PC way more expensive, so I opted for the one with an HDD that cost a lot less. I enjoyed it for a very long time, considering the storage capacity, but I started to notice that the performance of my PC was deteriorating.

It would take a much longer time to boot, and it would take a much longer time to load up software. It would vibrate so much that it became so noisy every time I used my PC. The palm rest of the OC would also get so hot that it became so much of a discomfort most times. Software would also crash on me, especially if they drew so much power.

It was after I had done some research on what the cause of my problems may be that I realised that the health of the internal HDD storage had become flat, and my operating system was resident in it. Hence, the very poor and frustrating experience. The only option left was to replace it.

Before replacing it, however, I knew I had to back up my files first. I couldn't find somewhere else to move my files, and the cloud was too costly to use and tedious as the PC was tending towards being unresponsive at that point.

It took too long to find a way to back up my files, and then the PC crashed finally. It wouldn't load up; it would respond. It was at this point that I had to seek help.

I found an expert to diagnose the PC. He confirmed that the internal storage needed to be replaced and that an operating system (OS) had to be reinstalled.

Without hesitation, I requested a solid-state drive as a replacement when the expert asked if I'd like an HDD or an SSD. It was going to cost me a lot of money, but I just had to do it, or else I would be left stranded without a computer.

I had my fingers crossed for a successful operation and surgery. I hoped to be able to recover my files that I hadn't backed up.

After a while, when the expert was done, he handed me my HDD that was previously inside my PC. He included a converter for me to be able to connect it to any PC via USB.

When I tried to copy my files from the old storage to the new one, I encountered problems. Each folder in my files took an eternity to open. Next thing I knew, the entire drive was no longer readable, and the PC could do nothing about it. In other words, I lost my files on that drive.

Never had I been so pained at that time to lose everything on that drive. And it seemed impossible to recover them. I learned valuable lessons regardless: one is not to trust HDD wholeheartedly to serve one forever.

My first few experiences with this new drive, the SSD, felt sublime. My PC had never been as fast as it became. It took (and still does) under six seconds to boot. And my software applications loaded much faster and smoother. It was not until I started to use SSDs that I realised the differences between HDDs and SSDs.

In a nutshell, I would strongly advise anyone to consider using SSD if they care much about performance. My journey to lose my files needed not to happen, but I have learned now.