With the constant improvements in technology, consumers now have more options than ever when it comes to computer storage. The two main choices are solid state drives (SSDs) and hard disk drives (HDDs). But which one should you get? Here is a comprehensive comparison of SSDs vs HDDs to help you decide which is the better choice for your needs and budget.
What is a SSD?
A solid state drive (SSD) is a type of computer storage device that uses flash memory to store data. Unlike traditional hard disk drives that use spinning platters, SSDs have no moving parts. Data is stored in microchips. Some key advantages of SSDs:
- Faster read/write speeds – SSDs can access data almost instantly, while HDDs require more time to spin up and find data.
- Better durability – With no moving parts, SSDs can withstand bumps and vibrations better.
- Lower power consumption – SSDs require less power to operate.
- Lower latency – Shorter delays when accessing data.
- Lighter weight – SSDs weigh less than HDDs.
The downsides of SSDs are higher cost per gigabyte compared to HDDs, and limited lifetime writes. However, SSD prices have been dropping while capacities increase.
What is a HDD?
Traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) have been used for computer storage for decades. They use spinning magnetic disks called platters to store data. The platters are read from and written to by a mechanical arm with a read/write head. Some key traits of HDDs:
- Lower cost per gigabyte – HDDs are cheaper than SSDs for the same capacities.
- Higher capacities available – Consumer HDDs go up to 10TB+ while few SSDs exceed 4TB.
- Proven technology – HDDs have been around for much longer than SSDs.
- Sensitive to vibration – The mechanical parts make HDDs more prone to damage from movement.
- Slower speeds – HDDs require more time to access data due to physical limitations.
- Heavier – The mechanical parts add weight compared to SSDs.
While HDD capacities are large, their physical limitations prevent the blazing fast speeds of SSDs. But HDDs are still a viable option for large media storage needs.
SSD vs HDD Speed Comparison
One of the main differences between SSDs and HDDs is speed. Let’s look at some numbers:
| Drive Type | Average Read Speed | Average Write Speed |
|---|---|---|
| SATA SSD | 500 MB/s | 500 MB/s |
| NVMe SSD | 3000 MB/s | 2500 MB/s |
| HDD (platter) | 100 MB/s | 100 MB/s |
| HDD (SSD cache) | 175 MB/s | 175 MB/s |
As you can see, both SATA and NVMe SSDs far exceed even the fastest HDDs in read/write speeds. This performance advantage comes from SSDs having no physical constraints and minimal latency.
What does this mean in real world usage? Boot times for SSDs are generally under 30 seconds, versus minutes for HDDs. Game and app load times are also vastly reduced with SSDs. Any operation requiring accessing storage will benefit from the speed of SSDs.
SSD vs HDD Reliability
Reliability is a very important factor when choosing computer drives. Losing your precious data is never good.
SSDs have fewer points of failure – with no moving parts, they are less prone to mechanical failure. HDDs rely on physical components that are more likely to eventually break down from wear and tear over time.
However, SSDs come with the risk of dead NAND flash cells which can no longer hold data. The more a SSD is written to, the more cells degrade. HDDs do not have this limitation.
Overall, modern SSDs and HDDs have fairly comparable lifespans of 3-5 years on average. Following manufacturer’s recommendations like avoiding excessive writes can prolong the health of drives. Proper backups are still essential with any storage media.
As for shock and vibration resistance, SSDs are the clear winners again since they have no fragile moving parts. HDDs require careful handling and operation in stable environments to minimize the chance of component damage.
SSD vs HDD Capacities
When evaluating storage amounts, HDDs offer far larger capacities than SSDs – but SSD sizes are continuously increasing.
Here’s an overview of maximum capacities currently available:
| Drive Type | Highest Capacity Examples |
|---|---|
| Consumer SATA SSD | 4TB |
| Consumer NVMe SSD | 4TB |
| Enterprise SSD | 64TB |
| Consumer HDD | 10TB |
| Enterprise HDD | 16TB |
As you can see, HDDs handily beat SSDs for raw capacity. Enterprise and data center drives for both technologies provide even greater amounts of storage.
For most typical consumer needs like booting an operating system or running games/apps, capacities up to 1TB are sufficient with SSDs. HDDs are better suited for large media files or data archives where huge amounts of storage are more important than speed.
SSD vs HDD Cost Comparison
One of the biggest differences between SSDs and HDDs is price. Let’s look at some current price-per-gigabyte comparisons:
| Drive Type | Cost per GB |
|---|---|
| SATA SSD | $0.15 – $0.25 |
| NVMe SSD | $0.20 – $0.30 |
| HDD | $0.02 – $0.06 |
HDDs are approximately 5-10 times cheaper per gigabyte compared to SSDs. The huge gap illustrates why HDDs still dominate the budget-focused consumer storage market.
However, SSD prices continue to decrease while capacities grow larger. The price premium is well worth it for many users given the performance benefits. As SSDs become more affordable, they will likely take over more market share from HDDs.
Ideal Uses for SSDs vs HDDs
Given the differences between SSDs and HDDs, what are the best use cases for each?
SSDs work best for:
- OS drive – Faster boots, app launches
- Primary apps/games – Quicker load times
- Scratch disks – Faster storage for temporary media files
- External storage – More portable and durable than HDDs
HDDs are better suited for:
- Media storage – Large capacities for photos, videos, music libraries
- Gaming libraries – Tons of space for huge game files
- Data archives – Lower cost for rarely accessed data
- Backup drives – High capacities for complete system backups
For general computing needs, a combination of a smaller SSD (250GB-1TB) with a larger HDD offers the perfect blend of speed and storage capacity. An SSD handles the OS and apps while the HDD stores all your media and documents.
Conclusion
SSDs and HDDs both continue to coexist as viable storage options. SSDs provide huge speed advantages and greater durability, but remain more expensive and limited in maximum capacities. HDDs are slower and less durable, but offer more storage for less money.
For most users, a combination SSD and HDD setup is recommended. Use SSDs for your OS, games, apps, and scratch work. Then store your media libraries, documents, and backups on HDDs. With the continuing advances in storage technology, both SSD and HDD performance will further improve while costs decrease.