While there are merits to both the Solid State Drives(SSD) and Hard Disk Drives(HDD), deciding on the one that best suits your needs can be pretty tough. Each of the storage drives comes with its own pros and cons. While HDDs have been around for quite some time, it’s only now that the SSDs are starting to gain major prominence.
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To ensure you settle for the best option, there are a few considerations you should make based on your needs, preferences and budget.
Storage
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HDDs have been the standard for desktops and many laptops, as their large storage capacities mean one doesn’t have to worry about running out of storage space too quickly. It isn’t difficult to find HDDs with several terabytes worth of storage. In contrast, SSDs don’t hold quite as much and they can be prohibitively expensive over 2TB.
In terms of capacity, the HDD stands out. If you have a lot of files to deal with, you want to look at an HDD. However, the SSD uses less power than the standard HDD to read and write and for laptops, this can result in longer battery life.
Performance
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Performance is one of the major factors that you should consider when choosing between the HDD and SSD. A detailed SSD vs HDD guide can help you settle for the most suitable drive for your set up. The SSDs boast a high performance and their input/output rate is unrivalled. With an SSD you can boot your PC within seconds and transfer large files within the blink of an eye. While disk fragmentation is not an issue for the SSD, it causes HDDs to become slower. Speed is inevitably an important aspect and with the SSD, everything’s a breeze. What’s more, the SSD is much less noisy compared to your standard HDD.
Reliability
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An even bigger positive for solid-state drives is their reliability. Since SSDs contain zero moving parts, they are less prone to damage. The moving mechanisms within an HDD are susceptible not only to wear and tear over time but also to damage mostly due to movement or forceful contact.
The SSD cells wear out with continued use and this gradually reduces the disk’s performance time until it ultimately fails. That said, the time it would take in order for this to happen for most users is quite long and one would likely upgrade their SSD due to either obsolescence or a desire for more storage space before a normal SSD fails. All in all, SSDs are more durable than HDDs.
Conclusion
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When it comes to choosing the right drive, the real dilemma usually has to do with price and performance. The standard hard drive (HDD) has been the predominant storage device for computers, both desktops and laptops, for a long time. It bests the SSD when it comes to the storage size and price.
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However, if you are looking for speed and reliability, then the SSD is your best bet. Solid state drives are sturdy, blazing fast, but you will have to part with a considerable amount of money to get one.