Where to save my data, on a hard disk drive or a solid-state drive?

On this article the benefits and disadvantages of both the hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs) will be analyzed. Both categories of storage can be used in terms of running an operating system, such as Windows, or to save our valuable data. But which one is the best for us?

   In terms of capacity, HDDs have grown over the years and now we can buy disks with 20 terabytes of storage. The standard option of an HDD is usually more than 1 terabyte of storage. On the other hand, SSDs use flash memory instead of magnetic platters. This makes them costly, thus the available capacity for consumers is smaller, from 128 GB up to 2 TB of storage (usually).

   However, considering the performance of disks, SSDs easily win the comparison. The physical components in HDDs create many limitations than SSDs. Also, an HDD loses accuracy if the disk moves too quickly. An HDD has a speed of a maximum of 500 MB/s, while SSDs can process even at 7,000 MB/s. This is a huge difference. At the same time, power consumption is around 25%-30% less than an HDD.

   One of the most important factors to determine which drive is the best solution to fit our needs relies on the lifespan and the durability of disks. HDDs are reliable at storing data for longer periods of time without being supplied power. Indeed, they are a preferred method of storage for backups, for personal, or business data. The longevity (under constant use) for an internal hard drive is three to five years, but the lifespan can be longer if the device is used as an external HDD and stored in a controlled environment. On the other hand, SDDs tend to be less reliable for long-term storage. This happens because of data leaks that begin after a year of being unpowered.

   Finally, in terms of the price HDDs are the most affordable storage type (today). As storage capacity increases, the price of HDDs decreases accordingly. Hence, there is a simple logic: the larger the capacity, the more beneficial HDDs become compared to SSDs.