When looking for a laptop or assembling a PC, you may see mainstream aspects such as “What VGA?”, “How many processor cores?”, to “Suitable for gaming, isn’t it?”
However, have you seen the HDD and SSD aspects on the laptop? Otherwise, that’s okay, because this aspect is often overlooked in the eyes of ordinary users. Knowing the hard disk drive (HDD) and solid state drive (SSD) is an important consideration before deciding to buy a laptop.
Different names, HDD and SSD have their respective functions and advantages as well. So, before buying, think about: HDD and SSD, which should come first for laptops and PC?
- What is HDD?
Whether assembling a PC or buying a laptop, you will get a HDD in it. On the HDD, you can store the operating system (OS), software (software), and data in the form of files and folders.
HDD has a disc (platter) which serves as storage space. As the platter rotates, the read-write arm on the HDD reads the data passing by. The faster the platter rotates, the faster the HDD will affect the OS response, and the speed of loading and opening software.
In the past, traditional HDDs used the IDE port to connect to the motherboard. Well, today’s HDDs use Serial ATA (SATA) connections. With the latest version, SATA 3 (3.4 as of 2018), data transfer on HDD is faster.
2. What is SSD?
Newer than HDD, SSD is actually not a new product in the world of gadgets. Unlike HDDs, SSDs do not have arms or platters. SSDs use Negative-AND (NAND) flash memory. For the record, not all laptops have SSDs. So, if your laptop has the slot, install it right away and see the difference!
The more NAND chips on the SSD, the bigger the SSD storage capacity! With increasingly advanced SSD production technology, there are more NAND chips on SSDs than in previous generations, so SSD performance even outperforms high-end HDDs.
Just like HDDs, some SSDs are also equipped with SATA 3 ports. However, because the maximum data throughput of SATA 3 is 600 MB/s, the potential for SSDs to actually have faster throughput is hindered. So, if your SSD connection is SATA 3, don’t be surprised if the potential is stuck.
3. If not SATA 3, what connection is fast for SSD?
Well, to unleash the SSD’s super-fast potential, you can choose an SSD with a port other than SATA 3.
The first option, an SSD with a PCI-express (PCIe) port. Because PCIe is connected via its own lane on the motherboard, the throughput speed increases. However, if the PCI-e lanes on the motherboard are already being used for other components, then you have to look for other alternatives.
Besides PCIe, an increasingly popular form factor for SSDs is M.2. Most laptops and PCs today use M.2 connections for SSDs. Because SSDs with M.2 have a smaller size than other SSDs, they are easy to install without having to worry about affecting other components.
In addition to PCIe and M.2, Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) on SSDs also offers data transfers that are no less fast than the two SSD connections.
Well, you already know some brief info about the basic differences between SSD and HDD. Now, it’s time to know what you need to compare before actually making your choice. Next, let’s look at the differences between HDD and SSD in terms of price, capacity, and speed.
4.Price
Well, this is one of the big differences between HDD and SSD. Interpreted the price per gigabyte (GB), SSD prices are much more expensive than HDD.
But, it should be noted, the high price of SSD also varies, from Rp. 600 thousand to millions, depending on the capacity and technology. SSD with SATA 3 connection will be much cheaper than M.2, PCIe, let alone NVMe. This is because SATA 3 is an old technology.
Want a large capacity at a low price? HDD is the answer! Because the HDD manufacturing process is traditional, it means that the HDD price is not consumed by the manufacturing process, so it is more affordable.
For example, you can get HDD up to 1 TB for less than IDR 1 million! Cheap, right? However, if you want to use an HDD to store important data, it’s a good idea to check HDD reviews before buying. And, instead of an internal HDD, an external HDD is better for storing.
5.capacity
Price already, capacity already. It’s time to compare one of the most important considerations: data loading speed. Of course, SSD speeds are far ahead of HDDs, especially with the development of increasingly capable connections and form factors, HDDs are getting left behind.
Since HDDs use a platter and read-write arm, their speed depends on revolutions per minute (rpm). The higher the HDD rpm, the faster the HDD. In comparison, traditional HDDs have 5,400 rpm, while modern HDDs go up to 7,200 rpm! Of course, the HDD speed doesn’t stop at 7,200 rpm. However, the higher the rpm and the faster it goes, the price also has to come with it.
In addition, HDD and SSD speeds were compared via megabytes per second (MB/s) to read and write data. For HDDs with a speed of 5,400 rpm, the speed is 100 MB / s, while 7,200 rpm has a speed of 150 MB / s.
Well, as explained earlier, because SSDs don’t have a platter, let alone an arm, the speed depends on the technology on the SSD. Here, you can see the contrast difference between SSD and HDD.
An SSD with a SATA 3 connection has a read speed of 550 MB/s and a write speed of 520 MB/s, with a maximum limit of up to 600 MB/s. So, even though SATA 3 actually limits the potential of SSDs, SSD speeds with SATA 3 still exceed HDDs. Well, what if without SATA 3?
The average speed of an SSD with PCIe and M.2 technology ranges from 1.2 GB/s to 1.4 GB/s! Not satisfied? With more funds, you can install an SSD up to a speed of 2.2 GB/s! So, when it comes to speed, SSDs are proven to beat HDDs.
6.Conclusion
Once you know the difference, which one should you choose? This is the recap. Since SSDs do not have a platter or arm, they are stronger and more durable. Therefore, SSDs are more suitable for laptops or smartphones (smartphones).
In addition, SSDs are also more power efficient than HDDs, so laptops can still store batteries, compared to HDDs. However, we need to remind you, this depends on the type of SSD used and for what purposes. If your needs are for gaming but the SSD used is minimal, yes, your laptop is still suffering!
In conclusion, SSDs are indeed more powerful and faster to open and load OS and software on PCs and laptops. However, if you have a limited budget, then the HDD option is much more affordable and offers a large capacity to store your data.
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