It's a well-known fact that modern computers run at blazing speeds compared to those of just a few years ago.
After all, multiple-core processors, vast amounts of RAM and super-fast video cards are now the norm.
But there is one critical component in every PC that prevents it from running at peak performance: the hard disk drive.
Simply put, hard drives haven't kept up with other computer components in regards to speed.
Sure, storage capacities have skyrocketed in recent years, but the fastest drives on the planet are still agonizingly slow when compared to all the other parts inside a computer's case.
But now we have solid state drives (SSD's), devices that combine the amazing speed of memory chips with the long-term storage capabilities of hard drives.
Since SSD's have no moving parts, they operate at speeds approaching those of the speedy RAM chips that computers have been using for years.
And since there are no platters to "spin up" when the drives are powered on, the information stored on SSD's is available in a flash (pun intended).
The biggest drawback to replacing hard drives with SSD's has always been their high costs per gigabyte of storage when compared with those of traditional hard drives.
For example, an SSD with 256 GB of storage might typically cost several times the cost of a 1 TB hard drive.
In terms of dollars and cents, the choice was an easy one to make for most consumers.
But now that cost per gigabyte disparity is slowly getting smaller, and it's quite likely that traditional hard disk drives will soon go the way of the floppy drive.
If you're one of the many computer users who feel a constant need for speed, there are a number of high capacity solids state drives now on the market that are surprisingly affordable.
No, you won't find a 1 TB SSD for $100, but you just might be surprised to discover what you can get for just a little bit more.