HDD vs SSD

By Orrett

The debate has raged on for some time now, which is the better option, solid state drives or hard disk drives? Just like every other new or exciting technology that comes out, manufacturers try to push it into the consumer realm, highlighting its features. But as everyone knows, advertisements hardly ever discuss weaknesses of the product unless mandated to do so.

Unlike hard disk drives (HDD) which carry moving parts, solid state drives (SSD) do not carry any moving parts. SSD’s closest companions are flash memory units such as CF cards, SD cards, Memory Sticks and the likes. With the removal of moving parts from the drive comes the ability to move the computer around while reading or writing to the drive without the possibility of scratching the disk in the HDD unit. Also, the speeds of SSD’s are significantly faster than their HDD counterparts. Last but not least, SSD’s offer protection against accidental erasing by a large magnet coming within distance of the drive, a technique that has been used for years to effortlessly erase information from an HDD.

The downside with SSD’s is the failure rate. Unless the HDD is damaged beyond recognition, most often than not, some if not most of the information can be recovered from the defective or damaged hard drive. Unfortunately, when SSD’s fail, it is almost impossible to get any information off the drive. A quick search on Bing or Google will show the horror stories of peoples SSD’s that have failed with no ability to reclaim information lost.

If you can have it, getting the best of both worlds is your best choice. Most high end computers can be configured with two drives, an SSD and HDD or any combination of both. Storing the operating system on the SSD results in faster boot times while documents and such can be stored to the HDD. For added protection, creating RAID support, online backup or network backup can ensure your data is safe.

In the end, it all depends on preference, money and job description. For most individuals, an SSD is not only useless but highly expensive. For gamers, graphic designers and other media intensive individuals, an SSD is a more practical choice.

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About The Author

Orrett I'm a third year Information Technology student. Other than keeping up with the latest technological trends, you can generally find me with a camera/camcorder, hanging out with friends or plotting my schemes for world domination!