Introduction
A solid-state drive (SSD) (sometimes improperly referred to as a "solid-state disk" or "electronic disk") is a data storage device that uses integrated circuit assemblies as memory to store data persistently. SSD technology uses electronic interfaces compatible with traditional block input/output (I/O) hard disk drives. SSDs do not employ any moving mechanical components, which distinguishes them from traditional magnetic disks such as hard disk drives (HDDs) or floppy disks, which are electromechanical devices containing spinning disks and movable read/write heads. Compared with electromechanical disks, SSDs are typically less susceptible to physical shock, are silent, and have lower access time and latency, but are, at 2011 market prices, more expensive per unit of storage. The prices have continued to decline in 2012.

SSDs share the I/O interface technology developed for hard disk drives, thus permitting simple replacement for most applications.
As of 2010, most SSDs use NAND-based flash memory, which retains data without power. For applications requiring fast access, but not necessarily data persistence after power loss, SSDs may be constructed from random-access memory (RAM). Such devices may employ separate power sources, such as batteries, to maintain data after power loss.

Hybrid drives combine the features of SSDs and HDDs in the same unit, containing a large hard disk drive and an SSD cache to improve performance of frequently accessed data. These devices may offer near-SSD performance for many applications.

The SSD Optimization Guide
http://thessdreview.com/ssd-guides/optimiz...zation-guide-2/

SSD related Tools and Ultilities
HDDTune ~ http://www.hdtune.com/download.html
AS SSD Benchmark ~ http://alex-is.de/PHP/fusion/downloads.php...4&download_id=9
ATTO Disk Brench ~ http://www.attotech.com/products/product.p...=Disk_Benchmark
CrystalDiskMark ~ http://crystalmark.info/software/CrystalDi...rk/index-e.html
Intel SSD toolbox ~ http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Des...Y&DwnldID=18455
SSDlife ~ http://ssd-life.com/eng/download-ssdlife.html

SSD Performance Chart
All SSD Charts 2012 [benchmarks] - http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/ssd-cha...hmarks,129.html
All SSD RAID 0 Charts 2011 [benchmarks] - http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/ssd-rai...hmarks,120.html
Best SSDs For The Money (Auto Update) - http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-re...hmark,3269.html
SSD Reviews - http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150954

Source
http://www.anandtech.com/print/2829
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?opti...d=444&Itemid=60
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2...sd-controller/1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid-state_drive

SSD Controllers
Some Basic idea about SSD and SSD controller


SSD Firmware and Updates
OCZ - http://www.ocztechnology.com/ssd_tools/
Corsair - http://forum.corsair.com/v3/forumdisplay.php?f=206
Crucial - http://www.crucial.com/support/firmware.aspx
Intel - http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Des...Y&DwnldID=18455
Kingston - http://www.kingston.com/en/support/technical/search
Plextor - http://www.goplextor.com/asia/index.php/download
Samsung - http://www.samsung.com/us/support/downloads

Previous Thread
The Solid State Storage Thread
The SSD Thread V2, Faster Better Greener Unbreakable!
The SSD Thread V3, The Speed You Need

If it is 2.5" size HDD or msata on macbook u can replace it with aftermarket at pretty reasonable price.
if u are talking about pcie, it definitely be expensive.