SSD
SSD (noun) means a storage device that keeps files and programs on flash memory chips with no moving parts, so it reads and writes far faster than a spinning hard disk and keeps its contents when the power is off. Example: “Swapping the old hard drive for an SSD cut the boot time to about ten seconds.”
How to Use SSD
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishStorage with no moving parts that keeps your files and loads them quickly.
Standard in retail and technical contexts alike.
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Swapping the old hard drive for an _____ cut the boot time to about ten seconds.
Etymology
An initialism of solid-state drive, where solid-state refers to having no moving parts.
Synonyms
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Related Words
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an SSD and an HDD?
An HDD stores data magnetically on spinning platters read by a moving arm, so it is slower and vulnerable to knocks. An SSD stores data in flash memory chips with nothing moving, making it much faster and quieter. HDDs still tend to offer more capacity for the money.
What is the difference between an SSD and RAM?
They are not interchangeable. RAM is volatile working memory that the computer uses while it runs and that empties when the power goes off. An SSD is storage: it holds your files, programs and operating system permanently until they are deleted.
Do SSDs wear out?
Flash memory cells can only be rewritten a finite number of times, so drives track and report how much of that budget has been used. Under typical desktop and laptop workloads that limit is rarely the thing that ends a drive's life.