Hard disk drives (HDD) have long been an integral part of every PC and they are still used in many today, but solid state drives (SSD) have become more and more popular over the years and have replaced HDDs in many laptops and desktop computers, so you may be wondering whether or not you should get an SSD instead of an HDD? You may have heard that SSDs are faster than HDDs, or that SSDs don’t use moving parts, or that they use less power and generate less heat than HDDs, but these aren’t necessarily true.
Today, knowing what you want from your gaming computer is more important than ever before buying one. If you’re looking to get the absolute most out of your gaming experience, especially in online multiplayer games, then an SSD is likely right up your alley. But before diving into that, let’s first define what an SSD and HDD are and how they differ.
What is an SSD?
An SSD stands for Solid State Drive. It’s essentially a more expensive and much faster version of a traditional hard drive, which can run up to 100 times faster. All of the important files in your computer are stored on this drive, including your operating system and apps. These things create a ton of small reads and writes on the disk that add up to large amounts of time as you use the system. By using an SSD instead, you can cut down on these extra read/write cycles and get back to gaming in no time at all! Another big difference between HDDs and SSDs is how they deal with data corruption or crash events. HDDs require power to be constantly supplied to maintain data integrity, but if power goes out for any reason the information on the disk will be lost forever. On the other hand, SSDs have built-in error correction so even if there’s a short power outage or some sort of other issue during operation it will correct itself after coming back online automatically. That makes them perfect for laptops since they can’t afford to be plugged in constantly while being used as well as powerful desktop PCs that want that added protection from crashes.
What is HDD?
Hard disk drives, more commonly known as HDDs, are storage devices that store data such as documents, pictures, music and videos. Storage devices range in size and speed. The bigger the hard drive space, the longer it will take to access your files. Since computers need to find a spot where your file is stored when you want to open it up for use on your PC or laptop, faster read/write speeds allow for quicker access times which means less waiting. There are two main types of hard drives – magnetic spinning disks (HDDs) and solid state disks (SSDs). HDDs are cheaper but slower than SSDs because they rely on mechanical parts instead of semiconductors to hold information. SSDs typically have better read and write speeds, so if performance is your priority then choose an SSD over an HDD. However, if budgeting is key then go with an HDD since they’re cheaper than SSDs. If you’re still unsure what kind of hard drive would be best for gaming purposes, ask yourself these questions: How often do I work with large files? Do I like to multitask while working? Do I edit video footage or create graphics frequently? If the answer to any of these questions is yes then choose an SSD because they can handle these kinds of tasks better than HDDs.
The Pros and Cons of SSD and HDD
The pros of SSD’s include the use of faster and cheaper MLC or TLC NAND, less latency, and increased input/output operations per second (IOPS). The cons to SSD’s are that they have a limited number of write cycles. And this can be exacerbated by whether the drive uses a multi-level cell (MLC) or triple-level cell (TLC) flash memory. The price is also an issue with SSD’s in that it’s currently around 3x more expensive than a HDD for equivalent storage capacity.
The pros of HDDs include their ability to survive getting bumped without affecting performance since their arm doesn’t get wobbly from vibrations like an SSD.
Which One is More Effective for Gaming?
You may think that it’s better to get a hard drive in your gaming computer because they are cheaper, but you would be wrong. Solid State Drives (SSDs) are a lot faster and much more efficient than Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) which can be seen by their Random Access Times. Although they do cost more, an SSD will make your computer start up quicker, boot faster, and perform a lot better when it comes to loading games and opening applications than an HDD will. You should always go with an SSD over an HDD for your gaming computer if you can choose between the two. If you’re on a budget then buying just one is still better than buying an HDD as well. However, I wouldn’t recommend buying just one as this could cause your PC to slow down over time since there won’t be enough space on the SSD for all of your data files.
How to Choose the Right Storage for Gaming
The right storage for your gaming setup will depend on the level of performance and budget you want to spend. In order to choose which kind of storage device best suits your gaming needs, take into consideration how often you play games, how many games you play simultaneously, and how demanding the game’s system requirements are. SSDs work better if you don’t play many games or only have one or two heavy-duty ones (for example GTA V). These types of games run a lot smoother when stored on an SSD than on an HDD. HDDs work best for high-volume gamers who have a broad variety of casual and demanding games (such as first-person shooters).
Conclusion
SSDs, or solid state drives, are faster and more durable than their mechanical counterparts. With the increased speed that an SSD offers, your CPU spends less time waiting on data from the hard drive. This results in a snappier performance for the computer user and it also allows them to perform various tasks without having to wait. The price of SSDs has decreased over the years which has made them much more affordable. They are available with larger capacities and they also use less power than HDDs making them even more cost effective. The many benefits of using an SSD makes them a clear choice for those looking to buy a new gaming machine. An SSD will offer improvements in gaming experience and processing power without sacrificing any storage space compared to a HDD.
