Is HDD storage good? - Darwin's Data

Hard disk drives (HDDs) have been the predominant form of computer data storage for decades. However, solid state drives (SSDs) have become increasingly popular in recent years. So is HDD storage still a good option in 2023? There are pros and cons to both HDDs and SSDs that need to be considered.

Table of Contents

The basics of HDD storage

A hard disk drive stores data on quickly rotating platters coated with magnetic material. A read/write head floats just above the platters on an actuator arm, reading and writing data as the platters spin. HDDs have been the dominant form of storage since the 1950s.

There are two main types of HDDs in use today:

3.5 inch HDDs – The most common desktop HDD size, typically with higher storage capacities.
2.5 inch HDDs – More compact and used in laptops. Capacities are lower but the drives can be faster due to a higher rotation speed.

HDD capacities have grown enormously over the years. Today’s HDDs commonly offer anywhere from 500GB to 10TB of storage in a single drive. The platters spin at anywhere between 5,400 RPM to 15,000 RPM in consumer models. Faster RPMs allow for lower latency and better performance.

The pros of HDD storage

There are several key advantages that HDD storage offers:

Low cost per GB – HDDs offer the lowest cost per gigabyte of any storage technology today. Large capacity HDDs are affordable for most consumers.
High capacities – HDD capacities go up to 10TB for consumer models and as high as 16TB for data center drives. Enormous amounts of data can be stored in a small number of drives.

Proven reliability – HDD technology has been around for decades and has proven very reliable over the years.
Data integrity – HDDs are not sensitive to data corruption from power failures during writes thanks to checksums for data error correction.

For cost efficient bulk storage of photos, videos, documents, games, and other media files, HDDs are compelling thanks to the low cost and high capacities.

The cons of HDD storage

HDD storage does have some downsides compared to SSDs:

Slower performance – HDDs are slower than SSDs, with higher latency for reads and writes due to the moving parts. This impacts boot times and application launch speeds.
Fragility – The mechanical nature of HDDs means they can suffer from mechanical failures and degraded performance over time.

Noise – HDDs generate audible noise from the platters spinning, which can be distracting.
Power consumption – HDDs use more power than SSDs since they need to spin the platters.
Heavier and larger – HDD enclosures are larger and heavier than SSDs due to requiring space for the platters and actuator arm.

For tasks like running applications, booting the operating system, and gaming, the slower performance of HDDs can be frustrating for users. The noise and larger size are also negatives for laptop users.

SSD advantages over HDDs

Solid state drives offer a number of notable advantages over hard disk drives:

Faster performance – With no moving parts, SSDs provide much lower read/write latency and higher input/output operations per second (IOPS).

Better responsiveness – The improved performance of SSDs makes the system feel more responsive with faster boot and application load times.
More durable – With no mechanical parts, SSDs are less prone to damage or degradation over time.
Quieter operation – Silent operation since there are no spinning platters.

Lower power draw – Reduced power consumption compared to HDDs.
Compact size – Smaller 2.5 inch SSDs allow for thinner and lighter laptop designs.

For most computing tasks today, an SSD provides a noticeably faster and smoother experience. The shift to SSDs in laptops has enabled thinner and lighter designs. Even small capacity SSDs outperform HDDs for system and application tasks.

SSD drawbacks

There are some downsides to SSDs as well:

Higher cost per GB – SSDs remain more expensive per gigabyte than HDDs for higher capacity drives.
Lower capacities – While improving, the highest capacity SSDs still lag behind HDD capacities. For high capacity bulk storage HDDs are better.

Wear over time – SSDs can wear out over time with many write cycles, although drive life continues to improve.
File recovery difficult – Retrieving lost data from SSDs can be challenging compared to HDDs.

For very high capacity storage needs of multiple terabytes, HDDs are still the most cost effective option. SSDs also offer less capacity for the money compared to HDDs. However, even lower capacity SSDs outshine HDDs in performance.

HDD vs SSD comparison

Here is a table summarizing some of the key differences between HDD and SSD storage:

	Hard Disk Drive (HDD)	Solid State Drive (SSD)
Cost per GB	Very low, pennies per GB	Higher than HDD, dollars per GB
Max consumer capacity	Up to 10TB	Up to 8TB
Read/write speed	Slower due to moving parts	Faster than HDD
Responsiveness	Slower boot and loading times	Very fast boot and loading
Power consumption	Higher from spinning disks	Lower than HDD
Noise	Audible platter spinning sound	Silent operation
Reliability	Mechanical parts can fail	No moving parts, less failure prone

This comparison shows the trade-offs between the two storage technologies. HDDs excel on price and maximum capacity but are weaker on performance and reliability. SSDs are superior for performance but cost more per gigabyte.

Should you choose an HDD or SSD?

So should you choose an HDD or SSD? Here are some guidelines:

For primary storage in a laptop, an SSD is strongly recommended for the performance benefits.
For gaming PCs, use a small SSD for the operating system and games, plus an HDD for bulk storage.
An SSD is preferred as the boot drive for pre-built desktop PCs, with an optional HDD for more storage.

For bulk media storage and backup purposes, an external HDD is a good choice.
In the data center, SSDs are optimal for applications demanding high performance, while HDDs store vast amounts of colder data.

SSDs are the top choice for performance sensitive scenarios, while HDD storage is better suited for high capacity needs at lower costs. In most computing devices today, a combination of both SSD and HDD storage is ideal to get the strengths of each technology.

M.2 NVMe SSDs

A new form factor of SSD called M.2 has become popular in recent years. M.2 SSDs use the PCIe bus for much higher performance over the older SATA interface used for 2.5 inch SSDs. M.2 drives are tiny cards that plug directly into an M.2 slot on the motherboard.

While more expensive, M.2 PCIe SSDs offer tremendous performance benefits over 2.5 inch SATA SSDs:

Over 4x higher sequential read/write speeds

Vastly improved IOPS for reduced latency
Support for NVMe protocol to better utilize PCIe bandwidth

For the ultimate performance for gaming and applications, M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs are the drive of choice today. They make the system feel exceptionally responsive for any tasks.

How have HDDs evolved?

HDD technology has evolved extensively over the decades:

1950s – First HDDs introduced with capacities of a few megabytes using large platters.
1970s – Capacities grew to hundreds of megabytes as form factors shrank.

1980s – First 1GB and larger HDDs introduced, using smaller platters.
1990s – 2.5 inch notebook HDDs introduced. Beginning of the 3.5 inch desktop drive.
2000s – Rapid growth to the first 1TB HDDs. SATA interface introduced.

2010s – SSD adoption begins. HDD capacities hit 10TB on just a few platters.

HDD innovations like giant magnetoresistive heads boosted densities 1,000 fold. HDDs have adapted over the decades while retaining their cost and capacity advantages over other storage.

Will HDDs be replaced by SSDs?

SSD adoption has been growing rapidly, leading some to believe the HDD will be obsolete in the future. However, HDDs continue to retain advantages in cost and maximum capacity that ensure they will not disappear anytime soon.

Several factors suggest HDDs will continue to play an important data storage role for years to come:

HDD technology continues advancing to deliver higher capacities.
Demand grows for enormous data center storage capacities.

HDD costs per TB remain far lower than SSDs at high capacities.
Cold data storage (infrequently accessed) is better suited for HDDs.
Backup, surveillance, and rich media storage benefit from HDD capacity and cost.

While SSD adoption is expected to keep growing over the next decade, HDD storage provides unique benefits that guarantee hard drives will still be widely used in both consumer devices and data centers.

How are HDDs made?

HDD manufacturing is an intricate process requiring high precision and clean room environments. The main steps involved in making a modern HDD are:

Media manufacturing – The aluminum platters are produced with embedded magnetic material coating on each side.

Head manufacturing – The read/write heads are produced using thin film deposition on wafer substrates.
Head-disk assembly – The heads are merged onto actuator arms positioned over the platters.
Sealing – The HDA is sealed in a filtered enclosure and filled with helium for stable operation.

Testing – Each component is tested before final HDD assembly and further testing as a complete unit.
Firmware – The HDD firmware containing the controlling code is installed onto the drive electronics.

Strict cleanliness standards minimize any dust entering the drive, while meticulous quality control eliminates defective components. HDD production takes place in cutting edge facilities requiring millions of dollars of investment.

How much does HDD storage cost?

HDD storage costs have declined steadily over the years while capacities simultaneously increased. Some example HDD costs for consumers:

10TB HDD – $200 to $250, about 2 to 3 cents per GB
4TB HDD – $80 to $100, around 2 to 3 cents per GB

1TB Portable HDD – $40 to $60, about 4 to 6 cents per GB

HDD storage is incredibly cost efficient for holding large amounts of data, far less expensive than SSD capacities. While lower cost SSDs have narrowed the price gap, HDDs retain a substantial cost advantage on a cost per TB basis.

Should you defragment an HDD?

Defragmenting the files on an HDD can help improve performance by organizing file fragments that may be scattered across different areas of the drive platters. The benefits of defragmenting include:

Faster file access and loading times.
Improved application responsiveness.
More efficient use of HDD storage capacity.

With Windows automatically defragmenting HDDs on a regular schedule, the performance gains from additional manual defragmenting are marginal on modern systems. But defragmenting can still help after major system changes like installing apps or an OS update.

Conclusion

HDDs continue playing an important storage role in both consumer devices and data centers in 2023. While SSDs are preferred for their speed, HDDs have advantages in costs and maximum capacities that ensure they will remain relevant for years. HDD technology continues evolving with higher densities to deliver massive storage capacities.

For tasks like booting an OS or running demanding applications, SSDs are the clear winner. But HDDs are still ideal for high capacity needs like storing photos, videos, and games at minimal expense. With SSDs and HDDs retaining complementary strengths, the best approach in many devices is using both types of storage in combination.