SSD versus HDD why you should upgrade

What’s the difference between the two?

They are both drives that store your data on a on a PC or laptop but they work in different ways.

The HDD (Hard Drive) drive is the older of the two and the standardised model is 3.5-inch desktop-class and 2.5-inch notebook-class.

Hard disk drives consist of one or more magnetically sensitive platters, an actuator arm with a read/write head on it for each platter, and a motor to spin the platters and move the arms.

The SSD (Solid State) is the more recent and standardised at 2.5-inches meaning that you can switch an old Hard Drive for an SSD if you wish.

Solid state drives use flash memory to deliver superior performance and durability. Because there are lots of small, moving parts inside your hard drive — magnetic heads, spindles, and spinning platters — it’s easy for things to go wrong and you could lose your important data. Without moving parts, SSDs are more durable, run cooler and use less energy.

That said, SSDs are more expensive than HDDs but they are much faster and have no moving parts, which can make them more dependable.

When hard drives start to fill up, bits of large files end up scattered around the disk platter, causing the drive to suffer from what’s called “fragmentation.”

SSDs can’t, however, because they have no moving parts and the  lack of a physical read head means data can be stored anywhere without penalty. They are also quieter than HDDs.

In terms of longevity an HDD will eventually wear out from constant use unlike the SSD.

SSDs are faster and more durable and are used a lot by Graphic arts and engineering professionals., Audio engineers and musicians.

HDDs also work for multimedia users and heavy downloaders, Budget buyers and Graphic arts and engineering professionals.

For General users: Users who prefer to download or stash large amounts of their own media files locally will still need a hard drive with more capacity.

SSDs get expensive quickly for big video and music collections. But if you mostly stream your music and videos online, buying a smaller SSD for the same money will give you a better experience.