In the world of computers today, as we see from Microsoft Windows computers and Apple with it’s MAC lineup including the Macbook Air, the inclusion of SSD drives or Solid State Drives. Either via a Sata connection or as an external SSD really bump up the specs from traditional hard drives. The SSD storage options are versatile, but if you are just using the drive to store information then a HDD storage solution may be better for you. So we see that HDD drives while typically offer more storage capacity at a lower cost than an SSD, they are better used as a secondary drive for storage space and a storage drive that can be easily accessed. That being said SSD drives offer better boot times during the boot up process than traditional HDDs. That’s why on many computers you will find a high speed SSD either being a SATA SSD attached to the motherboard or an even faster nvme SSD as the main boot drive. With that you will get better power consumption using less power with faster read/write speeds than HDDs. In addition because of degradation to the lifespan which occurs over time to HDD platters including failing of the spinning platters and the actuator arm which controls and moves the heads around the spinning disks, SSD disks are better options for your CPU as the main drive.
Regardless of what operating system your CPU uses, you are going to want to have the best data storage that have fast load times, low latency (which gamers will surely appreciate), whether that is an external hard drive or a hard drive that is built into the CPU. These hard drives should be able to not only store data but have fast data transfer speeds, no matter what type of storage devices you are using. Hard Disk Drives or HDDs, have more moving parts than SSD drives or sdds, which as previously mentioned have more items that could fail over time. The read/write head is another item that could be subject to failure over time with usage.
There are several more important distinctions between an SSD and an HDD that we will explore including more detail on what we have previously discussed.
HDD
Traditional Hard Disk Drives or HDDs are great to use as a secondary drive on your computer that offer tremendous amounts of storage data, whether that be in gigabytes or even up to multiple terabytes of storage capacity. These types of drives can handle large files and can even be used as a NAS server, which means you can access the content from any compatible device on your local network.
Memory
The form factor of an HDD is pretty standard across the board. Your HDD will contain memory that will allow you to look at, change and remove/add data to your desire. In addition, the data storage doesn’t stop when there is no electricity powering the PC. Your data will remain in place. The primary memory of the drive is stored on memory chips attached to the motherboard, while any secondary memory is stored directly on the HDD itself. Remember this is different than the memory terms of RAM that you may see on PC. The use case on an HDD is what provides the data that was stored on the drive, possibly in an index file and allow you to retrieve the data with a quick search on the HDD.
Storage Drive
As a secondary storage drive, you can’t go wrong with a good HDD. One of the PC’s that we absolutely recommend which contain both storage drive options with a boot SSD drive and a secondary HDD drive, is the Hewlett Packard ENVY Desktop Computer. With this fantastic PC, you get tremendous data storage options including a 1 Terabyte 7200RPM SATA hard drive and 256 GB M.2 SATA Solid State Drive. M.2 SSDs offer faster boot times, and higher performance than traditional hard drives and even faster than a 2.5 SATA attached SSD. Plus with the great secondary 7200 RPM HDD, you will have plenty of storage space, and if you subscribe to a cloud storage service like Microsoft One Drive or Google Drive, you can set them up so you can save and access files directly from your HDD.
Cost Effectiveness
One of the benefits of HDDs over SSDs are the price. Typical HDD drives, whether they be a 2.5 SATA drive or as an external drive, the pricing will be much more attractive than an SSD. So if you are just looking for a large hard drive to use for data storage, you should look at different HDD options.
Detractions
While the pricing of HDDs are appealing, there are some drawbacks such as more moving parts which are prone to failure like the platters, the read/write head and the actuator arm. This results in lower longevity than SDDs. In addition, flash memory storage options, offer read/write speeds in excess of 500 MB/s, which is far better than HDDs.
SSD
Newer PC’s come pretty standard with an SSD drive with at least 256 gigabytes of storage as your computers main boot drive. These types of drives will speed up boot times, and over all booting efficiency. As an example, if an SSD has a 300 TBW rating, the drive can have 300 TBs of write cycles prior to it needing to be replaced.
Memory/Speed
The memory used on an SSD provides faster read/write speeds, data transfer and smart technology which provide better disk memory than HDDs. A particular SSD that we love for it’s memory and other features is the Samsung MU-PA1T0B/AM 1TB T5 Portable Solid-State Drive. This is an amazing external hard drive that is extremely portable and can fit right into your purse or laptop bakpack. The Samsung V-NAND flash memory plus it’s USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface, allows the T5 provide transfer speeds of up to 540 MB/s. This is almost 5 times faster than traditional hard drives.
Storage Drive
SSD drives also make for great storage devices for your CPU. With newer drives offering a tremendous amount of storage space, like the Sony SL-M Series SL-M1 1 TB Solid State Drive. This external hard drive offers tremendous storage speeds with up to 1000 MB/s (read/write speed) via USB 3.1 Gen 2 (USB Type-C) interface. You can store your apps on this drive for your Windows PC, Laptop or Macbook and easily use them on multiple computers. You can get this hard drive in up to 2 terabytes of storage as an option. This drive is also IP67 rated for dust and water resistance, making it a great external hard drive storage solution. And with a 256 bit AES encryption technology, your data will stay secure and safe. Battery life is provided by a DC 5 V (USB bus powered), Max. 900 mA, plus with Sony’s Memory Card File Rescue app, you can retrieve accidentally deleted data. This app is a free download with ownership of Sony external SL-M series SSDs.
Cost Effectiveness
The pricing of SSD will almost always cost more than that of an HDD. Because of it’s better specs to store data, have faster boot times, better write speeds, faster data transfer and better lifespan, SSDs are a more popular option than traditional hard drives. As the technology continues to evolve, you should be able to find some great discounts on SSDs that meet your needs, without having to pay for best storage devices on the market.
Detractions
There is not much in the way of detractions to higher end SSD drives in todays market. They typically last much longer than HDDs and are overall better storage devices for your PC. With wear leveling technology being used, the longevity of the SSD and NAND flash memory will be greatly increased.
Other SSD Option
We also like the powerful and versatile Adata Ultimate SU800 256GB 2.5inch 3D NAND SSD. With it’s 3D NAND flash memory, read/write speeds of 560MB/s and 520MB/s to boot your PC, you will get higher storage capacities, and better overall efficiency. You can get storage capacities with the SSD from 126 Gigabytes all the way up to 1 Terabyte. Supporting DEVSLP (Device Sleep) technology for better energy efficiency, the power consumption on this SSD is amazing with only 8% of it being used when the drive is idle and 80 % less power consumption than traditional disk drives.
And the Winner is…..
SSD. When it comes to storage drives having the best flash memory, high storage capacities, faster write speeds and faster data transfer speeds, you can’t compare HDDs versus SDDs. Make sure you future proof your CPU with a great SSD to ensure you have the best storage solution on your Windows or MAC device.
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