An SSD can double your computer speed

January 18, 2013 by digislider

If you want your computer to run faster, and the extra RAM you installed just isn’t cutting it, then a solid-state drive (SSD) might be an option. This is perfect for improving reading and writing times for your video and photo files and the processing time of editing software. It is especially useful in post-production when creating a High Dynamic Range (HDR) time lapse sequence, which can involve thousands of high resolution pictures..

SSDs are typically less susceptible to physical shock, are usually silent, and have lower access time and latency. So running your operating system from it will result in a much quicker, smoother and a more stable ride. They are much cheaper now than before and you can pick one up with a decent capacity for around £100/€120/$160.

Optical drives are being used less and less now many films and music are being downloaded or streamed online, so they often see little use. As they take up a lot of space, why not remove the optical drive and use it as an external drive. That way you can free up space and install both a new SSD that runs your operating system and software/applications from and move your current HDD to where your optical drive used to be in order to store the rest of your files on.

Heres how to do it on a MacBook Pro.

Caddy Case – optical drive enclosure

This will enable you to use your previous internal optical drive as an external drive, freeing up space for extra storage.

Samsung 840 Series – solid-state drive

There are different makes but this one is one of the top ones in terms of price, quality and performance. You can pick them up for around £8/€10/$13

Amazon seems to have the best deals on these.

The 840 Pro series is more expensive as they have double the write speed, but if you have an old laptop, old as in 2 years old even, it may only increase the speed slightly and may not be worth it.

Caddy Tray – internal optical drive to 2.5″ HDD or SSD adapter