Hardware Updates

Hardware updates

Hardware Updates Deliver Huge Performance Gains

With the exception of the last couple years, SSD’s have been out of the price range of most consumers and business owners. To obtain an SSD, the cost was astronomical.

It is now possible to buy a 1TB SSD hard drive for around 8000. This is a major difference that now makes SSD hard drives a viable option for everybody.

While SSD’s are great, they are not the best option for every scenario. This article aims to compare the differences between hard disk drives (HDD’s) and solid state drives (SSD’s). We will compare and contrast SSD vs HDD speed, lifespan, and reliability in this article.

SSD vs HDD Speed

Finding the speeds of an SSD or an HDD can be confusing. One should not rely much on the connection speed, usually 6GBPS.

While the connection speed is commonly used in the industry, a hard drive will not deliver those speeds. The read/write speed is the most important statistic when it comes to HDD vs SSD speed.

A typical 7200 RPM HDD will deliver a read/write speed of 80-160MB/s. On the other hand, a typical SSD Upgrade will deliver read/write speed of between 200 MB/s to 550 MB/s.

As noted above, an SSD can deliver a much better read / write speed to an HDD. When it comes to SSD vs HDD speed, the solid state drive is the clear winner.

There is a major technical difference between SSD’s and HDD’s. SSD’s function on flash memory while HDD’s write to a physical disk. These technical differences ensure that HDD’s cannot compete with SSD’s on speed.

The read/write speed you will achieve when using an SSD or HDD upgrade will vary depending on the model chosen. Of course, an SSD with close to 550 MB/s read/write speed will cost more.

For certain tasks, maximum read/write speed is not needed. For basic Laptop Hardware Upadate usage, one could perhaps get away with using a lower speed drive. For most users a drive with faster read / write speeds is recommended.

With normal use, one would expect an SSD to outlive a standard HDD drive. 

SSD Best Uses with Lifespan in Mind

  • Frequent read only access to the same files
  • Usage of resource intensive programs
  • Basic computing with minimal disk space needs

HDD Best Uses with Lifespan in Mind

  • Cold storage of large files
  • Basic computing with needs for extensive HD space
  • Frequent usage of hard drive (saving/deleting files)