HDD vs SSD – What is different?
HDDs have moving parts while SSDs are essentially advanced flash memory. Due to their differences, SSD drives have faster read/write rates than hard disk drives, and hard disk drives cost less than SSD drives. Solid State Drives are better for demanding tasks requiring intense read/write speeds, such as gaming and video editing. HDDs are best for data archiving; they perform fine for basic tasks such as word processing.
Except for the last couple of years, SSDs have been out of the price range of most consumers and business owners. In previous years using SSDs had an astronomical cost.
It is now possible to buy a 1TB SSD hard drive for around $75. This significant difference now makes SSD hard drives a viable option for everybody.
While SSDs are great, they are not the best option for every scenario. This article compares the differences between hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs). This article compares and contrasts HDD vs SSD speed, lifespan, and reliability.
What is a Hard Disk Drive?
A hard disk drive, or computer HDD, is a legacy magnetic drive with moving parts.
The parts include a platter, spindle, and the read/write arm.
Hard Disk Drive Platters
The platter on a hard disk contains data. Platters are from glass, ceramic, or aluminum, and larger capacity drives utilize multiple platters. Sectors, tracks, and cylinders organize data on each platter.
HDD Spindles
The spindle holds platters in place and simultaneously rotates them. The spindle keeps platters at a set distance apart from each other. Considering the average HDD revolves at 7,200 RPM, the spindles require robust construction.
Read/Write Arm
The read/write arm controls and moves the read/write head. The read/write heads attached to the read/write arm perform drive functions while the arm moves. The component ensures the head is appropriately positioned depending on where the HDD data is stored on the platter. Each platter side requires one read/write head to function correctly.
Actuator
The actuator inside a hard disk drive is a motor that takes instructions from the drive’s processor. The actuator moves the read/write arm into the proper position to read or write the data.
What is a Solid State Drive?
An SSD is flash memory consisting of a few components. Unlike a computer hard disk drive, an SSD contains no moving parts. The features inside of an SSD include SSD Flash, an SSD Controller, and an SSD interface, among others. Since an SSD does not contain moving parts, fewer possible fail points exist.
SSD vs. HDD Speed
Finding a computer SSDs or an HDDs speeds can be confusing, and one should not rely much on the connection speed, usually 6GBPS.
While the connection speed is commonly used in the industry to compare rates, a hard drive will not deliver those speeds. The read/write speed is the most crucial statistic regarding HDD vs. SSD speed. A user should not expect the standard HDD write speed of 160 MB/s to match an SSD or NVMe drive. A typical 7200 RPM HDD will deliver a read/write speed of 80-160MB/s. On the other hand, a standard SATA SSD will provide a read/write speed of between 200 MB/s to 550 MB/s. At the same time, an NVMe m.2 SSD can offer speeds exceeding 5000 MB/s.
As noted above, an SSD can deliver a read/write nearly 5x that of an HDD. An NVME drive is even faster with an effective write speed over 10x that of a hard disk drive. The order of speed goes HDD, SSD, then NVMe with the NVMe m.2 drive being the best choice for speed.
There is a significant technical difference between SSDs and HDDs. SSDs function on flash memory while HDDs write to a physical disk. These technical differences ensure that HDDs cannot compete with SSDs on speed.
The read/write speed you will achieve when using an SSD or HDD will vary depending on the model chosen. Of course, an SSD with close to 550 MB/s read/write speed will cost more.
Maximum read/write speed is not essential for menial tasks, and one could get away with using a lower-speed drive for primary PC usage. A drive with faster read/write speeds is recommended for most power users.
SSD vs. HDD Lifespan
SSD drives and HDDs have advantages and disadvantages regarding the hard drive life span. Some assume that because solid-state drives have no moving parts, they last a lot longer, which is not necessarily true.
SSD drives typically have a factory guideline for the lifetime of the NAND, which is the technology used by SSD drives. NAND cells degrade with every write on the SSD drive. If you rarely place new files on your drive, the SSD will last a long time. An opened-up SSD looks like a circuit board.
An HDD relies on moving parts for the drive to function. When data is written or read, the mechanics read the spindle within the drive, and it would only take one moving part to fail to render the drive useless. When opened, a hard disk drive contains platters, a spindle, an R/W head, an actuator arm, an actuator axis, and an actuator.
One would expect an SSD to outlive a standard HDD drive with everyday use.
SSD Best Uses with Lifespan in Mind
- Frequent read-only access to files
- Usage of resource-intensive programs
- Basic computing with minimal disk space needs
HDD Best Uses with Lifespan in Mind
- Cold storage of large files
- Basic computing with needs for extensive HD space
- Frequent usage of a hard drive (saving/deleting files)
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