Welcome to Hard Drive 101, where we will discuss the major differences between Solid State Drives and Hard Disc Drives. You may have seen that most new computers are being released with either a dedicated SSD or a combination of SSD and HDD.
Here are some pros and cons of having an SSD rather than an HDD.
- SSDs do not have any moving parts, which allow them to absorb shock and other physical abuse (in moderation). Compare that to HDDs, which are bulky and mechanical in nature. Since HDDs have moving parts within them, they are more likely to breakdown over time. WINNER: SSD
- SSDs downright use less power than HDD, although it isn’t a big deal breaker. WINNER: SSD
- SSDs are many times faster than HDDs due to the type of technology that is being utilized. SSDs store data on flash memory chips in the form of electrical charges. Meanwhile, an HDD stores data in a CD and using a motorized arm to read it back to the user. WINNER: SSD
- SSDs are more likely to last longer due to the lack of moving parts. However, they will not last indefinite as they are impacted by temperature, humidity, etc. WINNER: SSD
- SSDs tend to be more expensive than HDD, however the prices have gone down tremendously throughout the last few years. As it stands now, HDD are still cheaper per storage capacity however the price of SSDs continue to come down. WINNER: HDD
- HDDs offer more storage capacity for less. Big amounts of storage space can be purchased cheaply if someone opts to use HDDs rather than SSDs. WINNER: HDDs
Based on this quick rundown of pros and cons, it seems like SSDs win out. However, a Solid State Drive (SSD) isn’t always an option. SSDs are limited by storage capacity and the high price but we’ll get into that in another article. Sometimes it just makes more sense to go with an HDD or a combination of SSD and HDD.
Check out one of our favorite Solid State Drives and one that I personally use from Samsung.