Final answer:
Solid State Drives (SSD) are around 100 times faster than mechanical hard drives (HDD) due to their lack of moving parts and ability to access data instantly. SSDs are preferable for high performance and quick data retrieval needs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the question is a) SSD. SSD stands for Solid State Drive, which is a type of data storage device that uses integrated circuit assemblies as memory to store data persistently. SSDs are known for their high performance and durability because they do not have the moving parts that mechanical hard drives (HDDs) do. This is why SSDs can access data much more quickly than HDDs.
While speed can vary depending on the specific models and technologies used, SSDs are typically considered to be around 100 times faster when it comes to read and write speeds compared to traditional mechanical hard drives. This significant boost in performance comes from the ability of SSDs to access data instantly, without any mechanical delay, which makes them an excellent choice for applications requiring quick data retrieval and improved overall system speed.