Tag Archives: ssd

Storage

Improve the speed of your Mac with the Samsung 840 Pro SSD

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How can you improve the speed of your mac?  For those looking for the ultimate in computer performance, upgrading from a traditional hard disc drive to a solid-state drive is essential. The Samsung 840 Pro SSD Drive has become a premier choice for many people making the switch. Available in 128GB, 256 GB and 512 GB options, it comes at a reasonable starting price of approximately $133.00.

If you’re not yet sure that you’d be well served by upgrading from your HDD to SDD, or you’re keen to do so but don’t know where to start, the Samsung 840 may be worth considering.

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Samsung 840 Pro SSD

Speed, security and efficiency are three of this drive’s biggest selling points. Samsung claims that installing the 840 Pro will enable you to start up your computer in as little as 10 to 15 seconds. Once you’re up and running, you’ll notice a marked improvement over your old HDD in upload speeds, as well as increased performance when using disc-intensive programs or managing a heavy workload.

What about security of your Mac?

If you’re concerned about the security of sensitive data on your hard drive, switching to a solid-state drive like the 840 Pro may also be particularly appealing to you. Boasting AES 256-bit full-disc encryption, you can breathe a little easier knowing that your important files are offered some of the best protection available to consumers.

What about energy efficiency?

Furthermore, the Samsung 840 Pro is popular with many people due to its energy efficiency. Once you make the switch from your traditional hard disc drive, you can expect extended battery life of up to 50 minutes thanks to the intelligent design of this SSD. It will effectively enable you to be a little more “green” and conservative with your power usage while not sacrificing performance.

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Samsung 840 Pro SSD Packaging

Another key feature of the 840 Pro is the stability it offers. Corrupted drives are a headache, even if you’re fastidious about backing up your data. While nothing can guarantee a problem-free computing experience, solid-state drives are more stable by design. Furthermore, this product’s brushed metal case blocks against dust and corrosion, and Samsung’s design offers excellent shock protection. Accordingly, the likelihood of experiencing a corrupted or damaged drive is significantly reduced.

Samsung markets this SSD as being ideal for professionals (think: designers, photographers and anyone else who work with large amounts of data and requires high transfer rates) and most of their target users seem to be impressed with the quality and performance of the 840 Pro. However, it’s worth noting that in real-world usage there were a few concerns, albeit minor ones.

So is it worthwhile?

Some users have reported that since upgrading from the 830 to the 840, they didn’t notice a significant difference in performance. Therefore, switching from another solid-state drive to this one may not be worthwhile. However, the same consumers who made that point were also quick to say that anyone upgrading from a traditional hard disc drive is sure to notice a marked improvement.

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Samsung 840 Pro Series

It has also been noted that after several weeks of heavy usage with the Samsung 840 Pro and a fresh operating system installation, the drive was still doing remarkably well, although it did require a few BIOS tweaks to get the most out of the hardware initially.

Overall, the Samsung 840 Pro solid-state drive is a popular and fairly priced product that is made with multi-tasking, demanding computer users in mind. Criticisms of the drive are minor, with the vast majority of consumers being pleased with it.

Storage

Apple Fusion Drive vs Solid State Drive

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Apple Fusion Drive or Solid State Drive, what is the difference?  While there is a lot of buzz in the tech world about the new Apple Fusion drive, there is also a fair amount of confusion. Just what is this revolutionary new development? Is it possibly a better option than solid-state drives? And if so, just how does the technology work?

Apple Fusion Drive Performance

For those who need a high-capacity and high-speed drive, Fusion may be the answer. It partners the large storage capacity of a traditional hard drive with the excellent performance of a flash drive, making it a popular choice for photographers, designers and anyone else who needs to upload large amounts of data in an efficient manner.

Traditionally disc-intensive tasks, which range from starting up your system to uploading high-resolution photographs, are more efficient with the intelligent Fusion drive. That’s because it “fuses” traditional and flash drive technology together. The more you use it, the more the system detects what your needs are and adapts to suit them – frequently used programs are kept in flash storage while anything you access less often is kept in the traditional hard drive.

Furthermore, on Mac computers that are equipped with the Fusion drive, file transfers take place in the background, ensuring that your computing experience isn’t spoiled by lagging or other hindrances typically associated with uploading.


While the Fusion drive offers more than enough power and storage space for the average computer user, and is still up to the task of handling file transfers for heavy users, Apple does offer additional options for those who require an exceptional level of storage capacity and transfer speeds. New iMacs can now be configured with 1 TB of flash storage that is 50% faster than previous models, ensuring even extraordinary amounts of data can be uploaded and stored in an efficient manner.

So, why pick the Fusion drive over a solid-state drive or even a regular hard drive? The two most common deciding factors are speed and price. While there are those who far prefer Fusion to solid state drives, there is no doubt that SSD is the purest, fastest option on the market right now. Those who have worked with SSD drives in their Mac computers swear they’ll never go back to a traditional hard drive.

However, the downside is the cost. You get what you pay for, and a 1 TB Fusion drive is an affordable $250.00 option for your new Mac computer, compared to spending up to $1300.00 on a similar solid-state drive. If you’re willing and able to potentially double the cost of your new MacBook or iMac, then solid state is the way to go. By comparison, a new Fusion drive is affordable and still provides transfer speeds and storage capacity sure to “wow” anyone transitioning from a traditional hard drive.

The Fusion drive is also an excellent option for anyone who’s still using a Mac with a hard disc drive. Should you be after increased performance, but not to the extent of someone who needs to spend a considerable amount on SSD, the Fusion drive is an affordable choice. Better than just a “middle of the road” option, it provides the best of both worlds – lightning fast flash performance when you need it, with the large capacity of HDD.