Buying a computer or a laptop is not easy especially when you don’t know much about specifics. Even if you know what type of system you want for yourself, there is always one thing or another that often confuses you and prevents you from arriving at a decision. Choosing between solid-state drive and hard disk drive is one such subject that causes a headache to even the most tech-savvy person. It’s a difficult thing to decide which would work best for you as everyone has their set of requirements as per which they purchase a computer. Keeping the price barrier at bay, here we present you crucial information on SSD and HDD that will eliminate your doubts and confusion on which one to go for.
What is a Solid State Drive (SSD)?
To keep things simple and easy to understand, let’s first know what SSD exactly is. A solid-state drive is kind of a sophisticated version of a USB memory card. Just as memory card doesn’t have movable parts, SSD too is devoid of that. In SSD, information is stored in microchips (NAND-based flash memory) that make it way faster than the traditional hard disk drive. NAND flash memory is a non-volatile memory that will not wipe or forget the data stored on it.
Since we are not going into nitty-gritty details of the technology (because that way we’ll just skip the main point i.e. to help you decide whether you should buy a computer with SSD or HDD), it’s sufficient for you to know that most of the modern laptops today use SSD. Talk about appearance, a solid-state drive looks more like a battery since its encased either in a plastic case or in a metal one. SSD is best for gamers and people who enjoy high performance and don’t want nagging sounds when using a PC or laptop.
What is a Hard Disk Drive (HDD)?
If you have been using computer for a long time, then you might be..no scratch that, you are using hard disks already. A hard disk or hard drive contains a circular disc (platter) that is responsible for storing data. When the disk spins, a read/write head float above the platter which reads and write the data. The faster the disc rotates, the faster HDD will perform and the quicker operating system will respond to your commands.
Hard disk drives are cheaper when compared with SSD and offer ample storage space. When it comes to appearance, from outside, HDD looks the same as SSD, but the insides of hard disk drive speak different things. Buying an HDD is the best option for people who wish to have their own database of movies, music and everything else.
Difference between Solid State Drive (SSD) and Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
Let’s now cut to the chase and know what makes SSD different from HDD. Here are notable points of difference between SSD and HDD.
| Features | SSD | HDD |
| Capacity | Less than 1 TB for notebook-sized drives and at max 4 TB for desktops. | Notebook-sized HDD can store data between 500 GB and 2 TB. 16 TB max for desktops. |
| Price | Expensive as price usually starts from $125 | Fairly cheap as price starts from $40 |
| Noise | No noise because of no moving parts | Spinning of disk and clicks can be heard in HDD |
| Battery life | Long battery life as it draws less power | Short battery life since HDD uses more power to read/write data. |
| Vibration | No vibration | Vibrates a lot |
| Write speed | A standard SSD can read data at 550 MB/s and write it at 520 MB/s | A typical hard drive can read/write data at 80-160 MB/s |
| Power consumption | Consume less power and can save up to 200% power | Consume more power to rotate the disk (to R/W data) |
| Boot time | Faster | Comparatively low |
| Reliability | No moving parts means SSD is fairly reliable. It won’t get affected by low or high temperature. | HDD cannot be called reliable as you might face lags from time to time. HDD cannot withstand harsh temperature and can get damaged or break when you drop it. |
| Form | SSDs are designed to be plug-and-play which can also be installed in an expansion slot | HDD needs to get affixed inside the CPU to work properly. It cannot be installed in an expansion slot |
Verdict: Go for
As already stated that going for SDD or HDD depends on what your expectations and requirements are from your device and the purpose you need it for. You can choose-
SSD
- If you are a gamer who wish to get high performance when playing games
- If you are a travel blogger or blogger in general who has to keep blogs up-to-date
- If you are a businessman who has to travel from time to time
- If you are a university researcher who needs high performance while at work
- If you are a technology freak who want to get his/her hands first on the latest technology
HDD
- If you are on a strict budget
- If you are a graphic designer or engineering professional
- If you are a heavy downloader who wish to download and store multimedia files on your system
- If you want to use your computer normally like everyone else.
