The Pros and Cons of HDDs and SSDs

HDDs and SSDs are two different types of hard drives. In general, solid state drives are the more modern type of drive, and in many computers, they’re taking over as the dominant drive. However, do you actually know what’s different when you look into SSD vs. HDD? Here are the pros and cons of the different types of drives.

Hard Disk Drives

A hard disk drive is an older type of drive, as they’ve been around since 1956. It utilizes stacked platters spinning around a central axis, which read and write information by changing magnetic fields.

  • More Storage Capacity Than Anything Else

HDDs are great for storing lots of information. An HDD that’s only about the size of a kitchen sponge can store as much as 10 terabytes of information, which is truly gigantic.

  • Extremely Cheap

The cost advantage is a main reason to use HDDs. HDD storage can be as low as three cents per gigabyte, which means you can end up getting a truly astonishing amount of storage for a very low price.

  • Very Loud and Hot

Because HDDs use physical movement to read and write information, they can produce a lot of heat and a lot of noise. That can cause problems for the technology that uses them.

  • Sensitive to Magnets 

HDDs write information using changing magnetic fields, which means that if there are magnets in the vicinity, it can overwrite the information. That means you need to keep magnets away from the drive.

Solid State Drives

A solid state drive is a newer type of drive, and it’s become more and more common throughout recent years. This drive uses flash memory, which are computer chips that read and write information.

  • Very Small and Thin

Because an SSD doesn’t require physical movement to write information, it can be incredibly small. That means you can use them in small computers and phones.

  • Extremely Fast

Due to the fact that an SSD doesn’t need to physically write information, it can read and write information much more quickly than an HDD. That makes it useful for sheer speed.

  • More Expensive

Unfortunately, gigabyte for gigabyte, an SSD is going to be more expensive than an HDD. Though prices are continuing to drop, right now, SSDs are much more expensive than HDDs. SSDs are much more expensive than HDDs.

  • Still Potentially Prone to Failure 

HDDs, overall, are more prone to failure than SSDs, but that doesn’t mean SSDs can’t fail. All mechanical items can fail, so it’s still a good idea to look out for ways that your SSD might indicate that it’s at the end of its lifespan.

Conclusion

Overall, HDDs and SSDs have different benefits and different reasons that you might want to use them. One or the other are not the “best” type of drive; they are different types of drives with different use cases. Either way, it’s always a good idea to learn the different pros and cons so you can be more informed about how to choose between them.

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