I've found lots of info on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two, but I'm more curious about actual numbers. How much faster is a SSD than a HDD? 10% faster? 50% faster? How much more energy efficient is it? 10% less power? 50% less power?

This isn't really a Linux question, but I've found this site to be a good source of general computer know-how.

I just bought a laptop with a 1TB HDD and I'm considering getting a 1TB SSD as a replacement. However, those go for $250 or so, and I want to know if it's really worth the cost. The main improvement I'm looking for is to extend the battery life as much as I can, and between energy efficiency and faster loading times, I think a SSD will be helpful. But if I can only get a 5% improvement, I'd rather not spend the money.

SSD's are a *LOT* faster. I went from booting my laptop to full GUI in 45-60 seconds (depending on services loaded), to less than 20. Copy and IO times are much faster too, and much longer battery life. Another thing to consider is cooling...HDD's get warm, and warm = your fan is on, and fan use = battery consumption. Much lighter too.

I'd say go for it...comparable lifespan, and your chances of getting a dud SDD are the same as a dud HDD. But DO NOT purchase on price...LOTS of junk out there. Get a reputable brand, with good reviews.

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Thanks for the info! I'm partial to Western Digital myself; had bad experiences with other brands.

Get an SSD for a laptop. It uses less power. It puts off less heat. And it's relatively immune to vibrations and impacts.

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Another vote for SSD. Best improvement you can make on a Laptop.

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plus

sdd + laptop - shock to hdd = good point

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Thanks everyone! =D