Tech

SSD vs. HDD: What’s the Difference and Which Should You Buy?


SSD vs HDD

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Data storage continues to be the battle between HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and SSD (Solid State Drive). But at first glance, it seems that newer, faster SSDs are much better suited for all tasks than HDDs, and there’s no reason to consider hard drives anymore.

Black Friday: Early storage offers on flash drives, SSDs, etc.

Incorrect.

While it’s easy to sell an SDD’s value, there are many cases where a hard drive is the perfect choice, even in a modern environment.

Also, keep in mind that HDDs and SSDs aren’t just used for internal storage in desktops and laptops. There is a place for internal storage drives, external storage boxes, and NAS devices.

And by choosing the right amount of storage for the right job, you can both save money and increase the life of your device by extending the time between upgrades.

SSD is a storage device where data is stored on flash memory chips. These chips provide fast read and write speeds, making SSDs a fast means of storing data.

There are no moving parts in SSDs, which means they are silent in use and not susceptible to damage from vibrations and impacts.

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Unlike SSDs, where data is stored on flash memory chips, hard drives store their data on spinning disks known as hard disks. While not as fast as SSDs, HDDs are much cheaper and come in much larger sizes, up to 22TB.

However, spinning platters and other moving parts mean that moving hard drives are prone to wear and tear and are not as durable as SSDs.

Compare SSD vs HDD parameters

SSD

Hard Drive

maximum capacity

4TB

22TB

Typical cost per GB

$0.08 – $0.10

0.03 USD – 0.06 USD

Highest read/write speed

3000 – 7000MB/s

250MB/s

Noise output

Silent

Low-level ticking and buzzing

typical power consumption

2W

8W

Formation factors

2.5 inches, M.2

3.5 inches, 2.5 inches

typical lifespan

5 – 10 years

35 years

certainty

Anti-vibration and impact

Rotating disk means data is at risk of vibration and impact


You should buy an SSD if…

2.5-inch SSD with M.2 . SSD

2.5-inch SSD with M.2 . SSD

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1. You want speed.

If you’re looking for fast boot speeds or you want to load games or apps with ease, then SSDs beat even the fastest hard drives. The slowest SSD is easily ten times faster than the fastest HDD, so no comparisons can be made. If you need speed, you need an SSD!

2. You are dealing with large files.

Handling large files, such as large video files, is a quick and simple way to damage an HDD. SSDs make it a lot easier for professionals to load and save large files, speed up workflows, and make your desktop or laptop seem so much faster. An SSD will also speed up backups, which means you spend less time protecting your work from accidental loss.

3. You need solid reliability.

Thanks to no moving parts, SSDs are sturdier and much more resistant to vibrations and shocks than HDDs. You can really throw SSDs in your pocket without worrying that they will fail and your data is lost. SSDs are perfect for both laptops and desktops, as well as for the external storage drives you take with you when you’re out and about.

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You should buy a hard drive if…

Inside the hard drive are spinning disks, on which data is stored

Inside the hard drive are spinning disks, on which data is stored

Adobe Stock

1. You need a lot of storage space.

Large hard drives are cheap compared to SSDs. Even one Massive 20TB hard drive will cost you less than $300 (compare this with a 4TB SSD, at the time of writing, costs over $300), and this means you get plenty of storage for large apps and games, large video files, and backups. If you are looking for the best for the money when it comes to storage space, you need to look to the hard drive.

2. You’re looking to save money.

Want the best bang for your money? Go for a hard drive. One A 2TB hard drive will cost you less than $50 (this is currently the price vs capacity appeal), and while SSDs are dropping in price rapidly, you’ll be lucky to get an SSD with half that capacity for the same amount of money. And while for most people, 2TB is enough storage, if not, you can also get another 2TB drive or even a 4TB drive (at the time of writing this is about $70). ).

3. You are using it for backup.

Hard drives are the best when it comes to backups because of their high capacity and low cost per gigabyte. Unless money isn’t an option, if you need the fastest possible backups, it doesn’t make sense to use an SSD for backup purposes. Whether you’re using a single HDD in an external enclosure or multiple drives in an external storage case or NAS device, HDDs give you all the storage space you need. And because backup devices aren’t used as much, hard drives offer great reliability.

Frequently asked questions

The slowest SSD is ten times faster than the fastest hard drive, so the two can’t be compared when it comes to performance. If you want speed, you need an SSD. Even a budget SSD like WD Blue 1TB is a big upgrade over the hard drive.

I will go for both!

I want the OS loaded onto the SSD for speed and the games loaded onto the HDD for sheer storage. This offers the best of both worlds without breaking the bank.

However, for a gaming PC, if I had to choose one, I would choose a high-speed HDD (something like a hard drive). WD Black Hard Drive 4TB), because unless the budget is too tight, I will pay huge amount for a high capacity SSD.

This is a tough question because I’ve had drives fail within a few days and others more than a decade old, however as a general rule you should expect 3 to 5 years for HDDs and 5 to 10 years for SSDs.

Ultimately, it depends on whether you prioritize speed or storage. However, I find that most people either overestimate the space they need or end up filling up a large drive with all sorts of erasable (or put in storage) junk, so I give that a 256 GB SSD will be enough storage for the average user while also providing much better speed and performance.

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