A newer PCIe Gen 4 SSD, such as Samsung's 980 Pro, pushes 7,000 MB/s. For context, a 7200-rpm SATA HDD like the Seagate Barracuda manages around 200 MB/s.

Similarly, transferring large files like high-definition movies can be done in seconds on an SSD, while the same task on an HDD could take several minutes.

There are few ways to make a laptop faster that are as easy and cost-effective as replacing your existing hard drive with a solid state drive (SSD).

Similarly, transferring large files like high-definition movies can be done in seconds on an SSD, while the same task on an HDD could take several minutes.