SSD vs HDD: What's the Difference Between Them?

Theo Lucia

Jan 20, 2021 • Filed to: Answer Hard Drive Problems • Proven solutions

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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.

What is an SSD?

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.)

What is an HDD?

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)

SSD Vs HDD Comparison

The following video is well prepared for you to check more details on the difference between SSD and HDD

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The Right Storage for You

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:

• Heavy downloaders and Multimedia fans: If you want to store videos then having a 4TB space to work with is the ideal scenario that only HDDs can provide.
• People with a smaller budget: Lots of storage for a low price. An SSD costs too much for average PC users.
• Graphic artists: Photo and video editors put storage under a lot of pressure. It is a cheaper option to have hard disks installed which can be replaced for a lower price than an expensive SSD.
• General users: An average user doesn’t need an SSD in its system unless he has a specific requirement for his storage like ruggedness or speed.

SSDs

• People Always on the Move: SSDs provide more security which is the need for people who are always on the move and can’t care about the state of their laptops too much. Moreover, field workers will also find the rugged SSDs more suitable for their working environment.
• Need for Speed: If speed is a requirement for your work then it is best to go for an SSD since it can offer fast app launches and boot ups.
• Engineers and Graphic Artists: Since SSDs are faster, they can help engineers and graphic artists in completing their projects at a much faster rate.
• Musicians: For music recorders and musicians, SSDs are a safer option since they don’t make any noise and allow for noiseless audio recording.

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.