Function

• SSDs function by storing data in the form of a zero or a one based on whether or not individual cells, or transistors, hold an electrical charge. The cells that contain a charge are read as ones; those that don't register as zeros. SSDs and other types of flash memory hold computer data based on this storage model.
  
  

Benefits

• The main benefit of an SSD over a hard disk drive is that the SSD contains no moving parts, so access speeds are typically much faster. According to Texas Memory Systems, its RAM SSDs are 250 times faster than hard drives.
  
  Another advantage of having no moving parts is durability. SSDs can sustain more jostling and harsher atmospheres than a hard disk drive. They are also quieter, weigh less and consume less power than hard disk drives.
  
  

Considerations

• SSDs are not a clear upgrade set to overtake hard disk drives entirely. They are more expensive than hard disk drives, sometimes very much more expensive, and many computer operating systems--Windows included--are not yet optimized to take full advantage of their benefits. They also only have a certain number of times they can be accessed before the transistors become weak and the memory loses performance or stops functioning.