Hard disk drives (HDDs) have been a staple of computer storage for decades. They offer a proven technology that is inexpensive per gigabyte compared to solid state drives (SSDs). But with the rise of SSDs, many wonder if HDDs are still a good choice in 2023.
What is an HDD?
A hard disk drive contains spinning magnetic platters that store data. A read/write head moves across the platters to access data. HDDs have been the dominant form of storage since the 1950s.
HDDs have high capacity for low cost. Today’s HDDs offer up to 18TB of storage for under $500. SSDs with the same capacity would cost 10x as much or more.
HDDs also have some downsides. They are mechanical devices with moving parts. This makes them larger, heavier, and more prone to failure than SSDs. HDDs are also slower, with average read/write speeds around 100-200MB/s.
Advantages of HDDs
Here are some of the main advantages of HDD drives:
- Cheap cost per gigabyte – HDDs offer the lowest cost per gigabyte of any storage technology today. High capacity HDDs are attainable for home users.
- Large capacities available – HDDs are available in capacities up to 18TB for consumers. Enterprise drives can store even more data.
- Proven, mature technology – HDDs have over 60 years of development behind them. Manufacturing and use cases are well established.
- Great for secondary/backup storage – HDDs provide cheap storage for backups, archives, and data that doesn’t need quick access.
Cheap Cost Per Gigabyte
The primary advantage of HDDs is low cost per gigabyte. HDDs today cost around $0.03 per gigabyte. SSDs are at least 5-10x more expensive at $0.15-$0.30 per gigabyte.
This makes HDDs appealing for large storage needs. An 18TB HDD costs around $450 while an 18TB SSD costs $2,700 or more. Few home users can justify the extra cost for SSDs at those large capacities.
Large Capacities
HDD technology has continually improved to offer ever larger capacities. Consumer HDDs today offer up to 18TB of storage. Data center and enterprise drives store up to 30TB per drive.
By comparison, the largest consumer SSDs available today are 8TB. For storing large volumes of data, HDDs are far more cost effective.
Large drives enable users to store all their data, like photos, videos, and PC backups, on a single drive. Multi-terabyte SSDs exist but are prohibitively expensive for most.
Proven, Mature Technology
Hard disk drives have been around since the 1950s. In the 70+ years since, HDD technology has become extremely refined and reliable.
Manufacturing processes can produce high quality drives at massive scale. Performance and reliability have improved steadily over decades of optimization.
By contrast, SSDs appeared on the consumer market in the late 2000s. The technology is still evolving. While the technology is solid today, HDDs have decades more engineering experience behind them.
Ideal for Secondary Storage
HDDs provide an affordable solution for secondary storage and backup needs. The sequential read/write speed of HDDs is sufficient for many workloads.
For media libraries, archived data, backups, and other secondary storage, HDDs deliver substantial capacity for low cost. The larger capacity means more data can be stored before needing to delete or add additional drives.
Disadvantages of HDDs
HDDs also come with some downsides and limitations:
- Slower performance – HDDs have average read/write speeds of 100-200MB/s, 5-10x slower than typical SATA SSDs.
- Mechanical parts prone to failure – The moving platters and heads wear out over time and can fail suddenly.
- Noise and vibration – The spinning platters and moving heads make audible noise and vibration.
- Lower resilience – HDDs are susceptible to damage from drops, vibration, magnets, and temperature extremes.
- Larger size and weight – HDD enclosures must accommodate the mechanical components, increasing size.
Slower Performance
The mechanical nature of HDDs prevents them from matching the speeds of SSDs. While enterprise HDDs can reach 250+ MB/s speeds, consumer HDDs average 100-200MB/s sequential read/write.
SSDs don’t have moving parts and use NAND flash memory instead of magnetic platters. High end SSDs boast speeds of up to 7,000 MB/s, far beyond HDDs.
This makes SSDs better suited for demanding applications like gaming, content creation, databases, and as primary storage for active workloads.
Mechanical Parts Prone to Failure
HDDs rely on many precision moving parts like the drive heads, spindle motor, and control arms. After years of use, the mechanical components wear out and can fail.
Statistics show HDDs have an annual failure rate around 4% per year. By year 4, up to 15% of HDDs can be expected to fail. HDD lifespans often range 3-5 years.
SSDs have no moving parts, giving them greater lifespan stability. SSDs typically last over 10 years even with constant use.
Noise and Vibration
The spinning metal platters and moving heads in HDDs create noise and vibration. HDD noise can be an annoyance in quiet environments.
SSDs run silent since they lack moving parts. Fans may still be audible in SSD PCs, but the drives themselves make no sound.
Lower Resilience
Due to their mechanical nature, HDDs are more vulnerable to physical damage than SSDs. Events like drops, impacts, vibration, magnets, and temperature swings can damage platters and disrupt the drive heads.
SSDs have no moving parts and resist damage much better. Only catastrophic damage can destroy data. Small impacts, drops, and magnets do not harm SSDs.
Larger Size and Weight
HDD enclosures must fit spinning platters and the drive heads that access them. This makes HDDs larger and bulkier than SSDs.
A typical 3.5″ HDD is 26.1mm thick and weighs 680g. A 2.5″ HDD is 9.5mm thick but still weighs 115g.
2.5″ SATA SSDs measure just 7mm thick and weigh a light 50g. M.2 SSDs are even more compact at 3.5 gram sticks that disappear into a motherboard slot.
Should You Buy an HDD in 2023?
HDDs still deliver substantial storage capacity for low cost. But their downsides like slower speed, noise, and less resilience make them less suitable as primary drives.
Here are guidelines on when HDDs are a good choice in 2023:
- Get an HDD for secondary storage and backups. Use SSDs for your operating system and active files.
- Choose HDDs for desktop PCs that stay stationary and are less prone to vibration or drops.
- Buy large HDDs if you need substantial storage and can’t afford equivalent SSD capacity.
- Consider hybrid HDD + SSD setups to get HDD capacity combined with SSD speed.
Use as Secondary Drive
The optimal setup is to use SSDs for your operating system, programs, and active files. Get an HDD for secondary data storage and backup purposes.
Installing your OS and apps on an SSD will make your system far more responsive. Store media files, documents, backups, and other data on a secondary HDD.
This maximizes both performance and affordability. Use the right drive for the right purpose.
Ideal for Desktop PCs
HDDs are well suited for desktop PCs. Desktops stay stationary so vibration is less likely to damage HDDs. Sudden drops or impacts are also uncommon.
Avoid portable HDDs that will be moved frequently. The motion increases failure risk. Opt for SSDs in laptops since they handle mobility better.
Buy for Large Capacities
If you need lots of storage, like 8TB or more, HDDs offer the only reasonably priced solution. Get an SSD for your OS and a spacious HDD for bulk data.
Professional apps like video editing or databases can require terabytes of data. HDDs are the only realistic option for individual drives above 2TB.
Consider Hybrid Drives
Hybrid HDDs combine an SSD and HDD together in one drive. The SSD acts as a cache to store frequently used files for faster speeds.
Hybrid drives nearly match SSD performance for most daily work while providing almost HDD-level capacities. This can be a good compromise solution.
SSD vs HDD in 2023
Here’s a quick recap on how HDD and SSD storage options compare in 2023:
| HDD | SSD | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Per GB | Around $0.03 | $0.15+ |
| Max Capacity | 16TB+ (consumer) | 8TB (consumer) |
| Speed | Up to 250MB/s | Up to 7,000 MB/s |
| Resilience | Vulnerable to drops and vibration | Very durable and shock resistant |
| Noise | Audible platters and drive heads | Silent operation |
| Ideal Use Case | Secondary storage and backup | Primary OS drive, high performance applications |
For most users today, the winning combination is an SSD to run your OS and programs, and an HDD for data archives and backups. This balances speed, resilience, noise, and affordability.
Conclusion
Hard disk drives still offer unique benefits like massive storage capacities and proven reliability. HDDs excel as secondary storage or backup solutions.
SSDs outperform HDDs on speed, resilience, noise, and form factor. SSDs are ideal for primary storage and intensive workloads.
The best setup for most is an SSD paired with a large HDD. Use the speed of flash storage without sacrificing the capacity of spinning disks. Combine the strengths of each technology to build a balanced system.
While HDDs are fading from primary storage duties, they still deliver unrivaled storage capacity at the lowest price point. HDDs will continue to serve an important role when massive amounts of data need affordable storage.
