In terms of data transfer speed, how do SSDs compare to traditional HDDs?

SSDs, or Solid State Drives, utilize flash memory technology, which allows for significantly higher data transfer speeds compared to traditional HDDs, or Hard Disk Drives, that rely on spinning disks and mechanical read/write heads. The architecture of SSDs enables them to access data more quickly because they have no moving parts and can retrieve any piece of data almost instantaneously, leading to much faster boot times, quicker file transfers, and overall enhanced system performance.

In contrast, HDDs must physically move their read/write heads to the location of the data on the spinning disks, which introduces latency and contributes to slower data transfer rates. This fundamental difference in technology explains why SSDs are generally faster than HDDs, making the understanding of data transfer speeds critical for anyone involved in computer systems servicing.