Quick Answer
Hard drives can work for gaming, but solid state drives (SSDs) are usually better. Hard drives are cheaper and offer more storage capacity. But SSDs are much faster, which provides a better gaming experience. For optimal gaming performance, use an SSD for your operating system and favorite games, and use a hard drive for mass storage of other files.
Are hard drives fast enough for modern games?
Modern games have large file sizes and load a lot of data quickly during gameplay. This requires fast disk speeds. A hard disk drive (HDD) has spinning platters and a moving read/write head, so it can’t read/write data as fast as SSDs.
Most modern HDDs have disk speeds around 100-200 MB/s, while SSDs exceed 500 MB/s. This means SSDs can load games faster, which results in faster boot ups, level loading, and reduced in-game lag.
However, HDDs are still usable for gaming. Their speeds are sufficient for many games, though load times will be longer. Players may occasionally experience texture popping or delayed asset loading if the game data can’t be accessed quickly enough from the HDD.
So in summary, HDDs can work for gaming, but SSDs provide a better overall experience. SSDs help games run smoother and respond faster during demanding gameplay sequences.
Are hard drive load times noticeably longer?
Yes, game load times are significantly longer on a HDD compared to a SSD. Some examples:
| Game | HDD Load Time | SSD Load Time |
|---|---|---|
| World of Warcraft | 35 seconds | 12 seconds |
| The Witcher 3 | 1 minute 4 seconds | 44 seconds |
| Total War: Warhammer 2 | 1 minute 11 seconds | 31 seconds |
As you can see, the SSD loads these games in about half the time or better compared to the HDD. The performance gap widens further for open world games that stream large textures and 3D asset data continuously as players move through the world.
These long load times can negatively impact the gameplay experience. Players end up spending more time waiting for levels to load rather than actually playing the game. With an SSD, game environments can load seamlessly, allowing for uninterrupted gameplay.
Do hard drives cause lag or stuttering in games?
HDDs can sometimes cause lag, stuttering, or frame rate drops during actual gameplay. This occurs when the game tries to access data like textures or audio files from the hard drive but has to wait for the HDD to physically locate and read the data.
The responsiveness of a HDD varies based on where the read head is located and the constantly spinning physical platters. So if the game suddenly needs to load a texture or audio clip, the HDD may not be able to retrieve it fast enough. This can cause the game to visibly lag or stutter for a moment.
SSDs don’t suffer from this problem because they have instantaneous access times. Once the game data is loaded into the SSD’s memory chips, it can be accessed immediately as needed.
Overall, HDDs can negatively impact responsiveness and performance during actual gameplay. An SSD provides consistently smooth, stutter-free gameplay.
Should you install games on a hard drive or SSD?
For the best performance, it’s recommended to install your operating system and favorite games on an SSD. Keep other files like documents, photos, etc on a larger capacity HDD for storage.
Here are the advantages of using an SSD for games:
– Faster load times – Levels and games load faster so you spend more time playing.
– Smoother gameplay – Games can retrieve data instantly during gameplay, preventing lag/stuttering.
– Faster level switching – Switching between levels or maps is quicker with near-instant load times.
– Quicker boot ups – Your game and entire system starts up faster.
– Faster fast travel – Games with large open worlds like Skyrim can fast travel quicker.
– Less in-game waiting – Some games have pauses when loading data that are minimized with an SSD.
For these reasons, it’s best to install the games you play the most on an SSD. Keep other games that you rarely play on a HDD instead. The HDD provides abundant storage for the cost.
Should you get a large or small SSD for gaming?
For the best experience, aim for a 500GB to 1TB SSD depending on your budget. Here are some guidelines:
– 250-500GB SSD – Enough for your operating system and a couple of your favorite games.
– 500GB+ SSD – Provides flexibility for more games. 500GB fits about 10-25 games depending on their size.
– 1TB SSD – Ideal capacity for gamers who play a variety of titles. Fits about 25-35+ games.
– 2TB+ SSD – Only necessary for hardcore gamers with huge libraries. The extra space provides peace of mind.
Ideally, your most played competitive games should be on the SSD. These include games like Fortnite, PUBG, Apex Legends, etc that benefit greatly from faster loading. Then keep single player games on a HDD.
Start with a 500GB or 1TB SSD depending on your budget. This provides a good gaming experience for most. Further down the road, you can add more SSD storage space.
Should you get an external SSD for extra game storage?
External SSDs connect via USB and provide a way to expand your game storage. However, they are best suited for storing data and files, not games.
External SSDs have slower speeds than internal SSDs. While still faster than HDDs, the USB interface creates a speed bottleneck. Most external SSDs max out around 400-500 MB/s, while internal SSDs exceed 500+ MB/s over SATA or NVMe interfaces.
So external SSDs won’t fully take advantage of the extra speeds. You’re better off using that money toward an internal SSD instead. Use the external drives for general file backup and data storage purposes.
Some additional downsides to external SSDs for games include:
– Slower load times – Levels take longer to load compared to internal SSDs.
– Lag and stuttering – Gameplay may suffer from lag if the external SSD can’t fetch data fast enough.
– Connection cables – You have to deal with extra cables connected to your console or PC.
Overall, external SSDs are not ideal for high performance gaming. Internal SSD upgrades provide a much better and cost effective solution for expanding your game storage.
Conclusion
While hard drives can work for gaming, solid state drives provide a much better overall experience. SSDs dramatically speed up load times and improve gameplay responsiveness. For the optimal gaming setup, use a 500GB to 1TB SSD for your operating system and favorite games. Then utilize large capacity hard drives for mass data storage of other files and games. With SSD prices continuing to fall, there’s no reason to not upgrade your storage for a smoother, more enjoyable gaming experience.
