Jan 20, 2021 • Filed to: Answer Hard Drive Problems • Proven solutions
SSDs and HDDs are two types of storage devices that are used as the local drive for a laptop. You have to decide which one you want for you. Both of them have their positives and negatives so is a Solid State Drive better or would buying a Hard Disk Drive the better choice? Well, it all depends on your needs, budget, and preferences. If you look at the price alone, HDDs are a much safer option but if money isn’t an issue for you then SSDs are a far better option considering their superior performance. Let’s compare the different aspects of each storage device and find out which one is the right one for your needs.
SSD is the short form of Solid State Drive. The reason why it is called that is that it does not have any moving parts similar to a USB drive. In layman terms, you can call an SSD a very large and more sophisticated type of a USB. Like a memory stick, the information on the SSD is stored in the form of microchips. Moreover, instead of having the data being accessed by a mechanical arm, SSDs can access it directly from the microchip. This is the reason why the SSD is far speedier than the HDD as it requires less manual labor for getting information.
SSDs utilize NAND-based flash memory which is a non-volatile memory type. It can keep the data stored on it even after the disk has been turned off. While all types of permanent memory have this same feature, it had been rumored that the data stored on SSDs would be lost after a few years. However, it isn’t true SSDs available today can keep the data stored for up to 200 years. An SSD has an embedded processor which is termed as a controller. It is used for performing various operations which are related to data reading and writing. The faster the controller is the faster are the data read and write speeds.(Click to get idea about How to Recover Data from SSD? No matter you lose data from SSD or HDD, you can tern to Wondershare Recoverit for help.)
HDDs are an older technology that was initially introduced by IBM almost 60 years ago. It is the abbreviation of Hard Disk Drive and it makes use of magnetism to store data. HDDs have a rotating platter that spins at high speeds while a read/write head is placed above it which reads and writes data on the spinning platter. The performance of an HDD is dependent on the spinning speed of its platter. The usual spinning range of HDD drives in use today is 5400 RPM to up to 7200 RPM. Sever-based platters can reach spinning speeds of up to 15000 RPM.
The thing that makes HDDs most suitable for data storage is that they are extremely cheap. They can store copious amounts of data and won’t cost you much either. The cost/GB of an HDD is far lower than that of an SSD. For instance, WD Black, an HDD, has a storage capacity of 1TB and is available for about $69 while Samsung 850 EVO, an SSD, having a capacity of 1TB can cost up to $319. So, if cheap storage is what you are looking for, HDDs are the best available option. There is no difference in the looks of HDDs and SSDs. A 2.5-inch hard disk is typically used for laptops while a bigger 3.5-inch hard disk is suitable for desktops. (You might also interested in How to Backup SSD to HDD Automatically)
Attribute | SSD (Solid State Drive) | HDD (Hard Disk Drive) |
Battery Life/Power Draw | Draws an average of 2-3 watts on average. Increases battery boost by 30 minutes | Draws an average of 6-7 watts on average. Uses more battery power |
Cost | At $0.02/GB if you have a 1TB drive, it is expensive | At $0.03/GB if you have a 4TB drive, it is relatively cheap |
Capacity | Not more than 1TB for notebooks but maximum 4TB for desktops | Maximum 2 TB for notebooks but a maximum of 10TB for desktops |
Operating System Boot-Time | Average boot time of 10-13 seconds | Average boot time of 30-40 seconds |
Noise | No sound produced because of the lack of moving parts | Spinning and clicks are audible and can be heard |
Vibration | No vibration produced as there are no moving parts | Vibrations are produced because of the platters' spinning |
Heat Produced | Lack of moving parts and low power draw equals less heat | High power draw and the presence of moving parts mean more heat production than SSD |
Failure Rate | 2.0 million hours | 1.5 million hours |
Write Speed/File Copy | 200 MB/s to up to 550 MB/s | 50 MB/s to up to 120 MB/s |
Encryption | (FDE) Full Disk Encryption | (FDE) Full Disk Encryption |
File Opening Speed | Approximately 30% quicker than the HDD. | Comparatively slower than the SSD. |
Effect of Magnetism | Safe from magnetism effects | Data can be erased by magnets |
The following video is well prepared for you to check more details on the difference between SSD and HDD
So, which one between HDD and SSD is the right storage for you? The following breakdown might help you in making your final decision.
HDDs:
SSDs
External and internal hard drives have the same features present in them and can be judged on the same principles mentioned above. The market is now rife with SSD external drives. So, if you are a person who needs toughness and speed from your external drive then choosing an external SSD is the best option you have.
Theo Lucia
chief Editor
Generally rated4.5(105participated)