Solid state drives, also known as SSDs, are a type of storage device that uses flash memory instead of spinning platters like traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). SSDs have no moving parts and use microchips to store data, making them much faster and more reliable than HDDs. They also consume less power, operate silently, and are more resistant to physical shock.
For photographers, the key attributes of SSDs include their speed, reliability, and portability. SSDs have very fast data transfer speeds, which is advantageous when working with large photo and video files. Their lack of moving parts also makes them more durable if transporting drives to shoots. External SSD drives connect via USB and are compact for travel. With no noise and low power usage, they are ideal for working on the go. SSD capacities continue to grow, making them viable options for photo storage needs.
In this article, we will compare SSDs and HDDs for storing photos, examining the benefits and downsides of SSDs for photographers. Key factors like speed, reliability, capacity, power, portability, noise, security, and cost will be analyzed to determine if SSD is a good solution for photo storage.
Cost Comparison
When considering SSD vs HDD for photo storage, one of the key factors is cost. HDDs have historically been much cheaper per gigabyte compared to SSDs. According to Disk Prices, as of February 2023, HDD storage can cost as little as $0.006 per GB for large high capacity drives. In comparison, SSD pricing typically ranges from $0.08 to $0.20 per GB depending on factors like form factor and performance.
For example, Amazon Web Services notes that SSD storage can cost $0.08–0.10 per GB, while HDD storage only costs $0.03–0.06 per GB (SSD vs HDD – Difference Between Data Storage). Backblaze’s analysis of hard drive costs found prices as low as $0.014 per GB for the latest high capacity HDDs. SSD pricing has dropped substantially over time but still remains higher than HDDs in terms of cost per gigabyte (Hard Drive Cost Per Gigabyte).
For photographers and others storing large photo libraries, the lower storage costs of HDDs can make them an attractive budget-friendly option. However, the speed and reliability benefits of SSDs may outweigh their higher per-gigabyte costs for some users.
Speed
SSDs are significantly faster than traditional HDDs for both reading and writing data. According to Tekie, SSDs have read speeds of 200-550MB/s compared to 80-160MB/s for HDDs [1]. This speed advantage comes from SSDs using flash memory and having no moving parts, unlike the mechanical spinning disks in HDDs. The lack of moving parts allows SSDs to access data almost instantly, with typical access times below 0.1ms. HDDs can take up to 10-20ms to move the read/write heads to the correct location. For photographers needing fast access to large photo libraries, the speed benefits of SSDs are substantial.
Reliability
SSDs tend to have lower failure rates and longer lifespans compared to traditional HDDs. According to Backblaze’s drive statistics for Q1 2023, the annualized failure rate for SSDs was around 1.5%, while HDDs had failure rates between 1.5-2.5%.
Research by Arstechnica that analyzed failure rates across 13 SSD models over 4 years found most SSDs had annualized failure rates under 1%, with the lowest being 0.73% for a Seagate model. Backblaze stats also show SSDs having lifetime failure rates around 1.4%, lower than comparable HDDs.
The lack of moving parts in SSDs contributes to their better reliability versus HDDs. HDDs rely on spinning magnetic disks and moving read/write heads, components vulnerable to mechanical failures over time. SSDs being completely electronic devices makes them more robust.
For photographers and other users needing reliable long term storage, SSDs present a more durable and longer lasting option compared to HDDs. Their higher resistance to shock, vibration, and component failures makes SSDs well suited for photo archives.
Capacity
SSDs typically have lower capacities than traditional HDDs. Consumer SSDs commonly range from 120GB to 2TB, while HDDs can go from 500GB to 10TB or higher for desktop models. For example, according to The largest SSD and hard drive of 2024, the largest consumer HDD today has a capacity of 22TB, while the largest consumer SSD is 100TB.
This capacity difference stems from the higher cost per gigabyte of SSDs. However, SSD capacities have been steadily increasing while costs have declined. High-capacity SSDs above 1TB are now affordable for mainstream consumers. For most users, a 1-2TB SSD offers sufficient storage, though professional photographers and videographers working with RAW files may require larger 4TB+ SSDs.
In summary, HDDs can offer more storage capacity per dollar spent, but SSD capacities have risen to meet the needs of most users. Photographers with large photo libraries may still need HDDs for archival purposes, using SSDs for active working storage and editing.
Power Consumption
SSDs tend to be much more power efficient than traditional HDDs. According to testing done by Scality, SSDs have a wider range of power draw, from 5-20 watts, while HDDs typically draw between 5.7-9.4 watts (source). On Reddit, one user notes that SSDs use less than 10% of the power that HDDs require for similar sized drives (source).
The more efficient power draw of SSDs is because they have no moving mechanical parts that need to spin up and stay in motion like traditional HDDs. The lack of moving parts allows SSDs to go into very low power sleep modes when not active. This gives SSDs a clear advantage for battery powered devices or any application where low power usage is a priority.
Portability
SSDs offer clear advantages when it comes to portability and transportability compared to traditional HDDs. Their compact and lightweight design makes SSDs easy to pack and take anywhere without adding much bulk or weight to your photography gear bag (https://www.weseektravel.com/best-ssd-for-photography/). Some of the smallest portable SSDs are about the size of a credit card and weigh just a couple ounces.
This high portability allows travel photographers to easily carry large storage capacities with them wherever they go to back up photos and videos on the move. SSDs are much more resilient against vibration, shocks, and drops compared to HDDs which contain fragile moving parts. This durability provides peace of mind when transporting drives over long distances and across rough terrain (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/buying-guide/guide-to-portable-hard-drives-for-the-travel-photographer). The portability and ruggedness of SSDs make them the ideal storage solution for travel photographers who need to reliably back up large photo libraries on the go.
Noise
One of the biggest advantages of SSDs compared to traditional HDDs is their silent operation. HDDs contain moving mechanical parts like spinning platters and moving heads, which generate audible noise during operation. This noise comes from vibration and can range anywhere from 20 dB to 55+ dB depending on the drive (Source).
In contrast, SSDs have no moving parts and are basically silent in operation. Noise levels are typically below 20 dB, which is lower than ambient noise in a quiet room (Source). For photographers or anyone looking for quiet storage, SSDs are the clear winner over traditional hard drives.
The silent operation of SSDs makes them ideal for quiet environments like home studios or bedrooms. You don’t have to worry about any humming or clicking noises disturbing your work or sleep. SSDs also generate less vibration, which further reduces noise and is better for sensitive equipment.
When storing large photo libraries, the cumulative noise of multiple HDDs in a NAS or RAID array can be significant. With SSDs, you can scale up storage without any increase in audible noise. For those who value peace and quiet, SSDs are worth the premium over noisy mechanical hard drives.
Security
When it comes to securely storing sensitive photos, SSDs offer some key advantages over traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). One of the most important is their ability to be hardware encrypted using a self-encrypting drive (SED) that has an onboard AES encryption chip (Source: https://www.kingston.com/en/blog/data-security/how-ssd-encryption-works). This provides full disk encryption using a 128-bit or 256-bit AES algorithm to protect data at rest without performance penalties (Source: https://www.crucial.com/articles/about-ssd/self-encrypting-ssd-for-data-security). SED SSDs secure all data stored on the drive by default, requiring a passphrase to decrypt and access the data.
In contrast, HDDs require third-party software encryption like BitLocker or VeraCrypt to provide equivalent protection. The hardware-based encryption of SSDs is more efficient and secure than software solutions. It also eliminates the risks associated with improper software configuration or encryption key management (Source: https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/feature/How-SSD-encryption-can-protect-enterprise-data). For photographers storing sensitive or private photos, the self-encrypting capabilities of SSDs provide peace of mind that the data is protected at rest.
Conclusions
In summary, SSDs offer several key advantages compared to HDDs for photo storage, but also have some disadvantages to consider:
Advantages of SSDs:
- Much faster read/write speeds, especially for editing and accessing photos (Best External Hard Drive for Photo Backup In 2023)
- More reliable with no moving parts
- Smaller and lighter for easy portability
- Operate silently
- Typically more secure due to encryption features
Disadvantages of SSDs:
- More expensive per GB of storage
- Lower capacities available
- Can wear out after excessive writes
For most photographers, the speed and reliability benefits of SSDs likely outweigh the higher cost. SSDs are ideal for active photo libraries and editing. HDDs can supplement for archival storage if needed. But for primary photo storage, SSDs are highly recommended.