Is SSD or HDD Better For A Business Computer/Laptop?

Every single day over 2 quintillion bytes of data appears per second. This number just keeps growing. By the year 2020, we expect 1.7 MB of data to be created every single second. This is true for every single computer user.

Fortunately, we now have access to better and better technology. Hard drives are better than they used to be.

Even though cloud computing is gaining popularity, the 2 basic storage options that we have are still SSD (solid-state drive) and HDD (hard disk drive). How can you choose between them?

Here is what you need to know.

Solid-State Drives

The SSD is storing information with the use of microchips and use flash memory technology that is really similar to what you find in USB sticks. The flash memory does not have moving parts. Because of this, data encoding is faster and battery life is also better when compared to the other available storage options.

SSDs are optimized so that boot times are faster. You commonly see them in many mid-tier laptops that actually credit high performance to SSD information storage and the processor used. The older laptops can also use SSD in order to extend available storage.

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Hard Disk Drives

HDDs stand out as the most common computer storage form right now. They encode data with the use of spinning platters and a write/read head located above a rotating disk.

Using an HDD is preferred by many because it is cheaper to store a lot of data. However, even if cost efficiency is high, the amount of data that is to be coded should be considered before the cheap HDD is chosen.

Because of the fact that there is a platter that is used to write and spin data, hardware can easily slow down in time. Moving parts are also much more likely to fail when the device is damaged or dropped.

SSD vs HDD – Life Span And Density

The HDD is optimized to offer high storage possibility with low costs and appropriate durability. The SSD is practically optimized for performance. However, costs are higher for the capacity you get.

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Various SSD classes exist at the moment. When you want to buy one, you have to understand TBW (terabytes written). If the number is high, the device is larger and there are more cells that are available to write and read data.

The smaller SSDs are optimized for really fast writes and reads. Others can be optimized for higher capacity with some limits on the writes that can be done as time passes.

With the HDDs, life span is practically influenced just by wear and tear. Technology is better now and there is a drop sensor that protects moving parts from being affected by sudden jolts. This means one fall will most likely not make the HDD useless. Even when faced with some physical damage, the HDD can thus last for around 5 years.

When buying an HDD, look at cost per capacity, form and interface. You can also consider TBW.

SSD vs HDD – Speed

If you use a computer for business purposes, you want it to be usable as soon as possible. If we compare an HDD with an SSD the difference is quite incredible.

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It is not uncommon to have to wait 5 minutes until the boot is done with an HDD using Windows 10. With an SSD, this would take just half a minute. There is no way to deny that SSDs are much faster than HDDs.

Choosing Storage Based On Business Needs

If you are running a larger company, the best setup is a hybrid storage system, one that includes both HDD and SSD. This is really cost-effective. Your goal is to combine a high-performance and high-durability SSD (this costs a lot) with a high-capacity, bulk HDD (this is cheaper).

For a smaller company, your priority should be scaling. HDD and SSD can still work together but a small SSD is usually better. If you can move the inactive data to the really cost-effective HDD, the SSD gives you fast access to system processes.

Always take into account the needs of your business before you make your final choice.


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