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SSD vs HDD Advantages of a Solid State Drive
HDD is simply going to significantly slow down data storage and retrieval. The benefits of a solid state drive (SSD). SSD use flash memory instead of magnetic disks, there are no mechanical parts which can fail due to extreme temperatures, falls, or simple mechanical failure. However, there is more to know about choosing between HDD and SSD for use.
Here are some advantages and disadvantages of SSD, as well as possible solutions for your enterprise data storage.
Topic |
SSD |
HDD |
Access time |
An SSD has access speeds of 35 to 100 micro-seconds, which is nearly 100 times faster. This faster access speed means programs can run more quickly, which is very significant, especially for programs that access large amounts of data often like your operating system. | A typical HDD takes about 5,000 to 10,000 micro-seconds to access data. |
Reliability |
The SSD drive has no moving parts. It uses flash memory to store data, which provides better performance and reliability over an HDD. | The HDD has moving parts and magnetic platters, meaning the more use they get, the faster they wear down and fail. |
System Boot Time |
Around 10-13 seconds average bootup time |
Around 30-40 seconds average bootup time |
Capacity |
Although there are large SSDs realistically for most people’s budgets anything over 512GB SSD is beyond their price range. | Several terabyte hard disk drives are available for very reasonable prices. |
Read/Write Speed |
Generally above 200 MB/s and up to 550 MB/s for cutting edge drives |
The range can be anywhere from 50 – 120MB / s |
Power |
The SSD uses less power than a standard HDD, which means a lower energy bill over time and for laptops an increase of battery life. | With all the parts and requirements to spin the platters the HDD uses more power than an SSD. |
File Opening Speed |
Up to 30% faster than HDD |
Slower than SSD |
Noise |
There are no moving parts and as such no sound | Audible clicks and spinning can be heard |
Size |
SSD is available in 2.5″, 1.8″, and 1.0″, increasing the available space available in a computer, especially a desktop or server. | HDDs are usually 3.5″ and 2.5″ in size, for desktop and laptops respectively with no options for anything smaller. |
Heat |
Because there are no moving parts and due to the nature of flash memory, the SSD generates less heat, helping to increase its lifespan and reliability. | With moving parts comes added heat, which is why the HDD generates more heat. Heat can slowly damage electronics over time, so the higher the heat, the greater the potential of damage being done. |
Price |
The price of a solid state drive is much more than an HDD, which is why most computers with an SSD only have a few hundred gigabytes of storage. Desktop computers with an SSD may also have one or more HDDs for additional storage. | HDD is much cheaper than SSD, especially for drives over 500GB. |
Magnetism |
SSD is not affected by magnetism. | Magnets can erase data |
