HDD vs SSD: What's the Difference and Which One Should You Choose?

When it comes to building or upgrading a PC, the first thing many people ask themselves is: Should I get an HDD or an SSD? Both are forms of storage, but they operate in vastly different manners. Let's explain so you know precisely which one your setup needs.

What is an HDD?

• HDD stands for Hard Disk Drive.
• It's the traditional storage method.
• Utilizes spinning magnetic disks (similar to a vinyl record) to write and read information.
• Mechanical components = slower speeds and more opportunities for wear and tear.
• Actually still used today because they're inexpensive and provide ample space.
• Normal speed: 80–160 MB/s.

Ideal for: Storing large files such as movies, music, photographs, and backups.

What is an SSD?

• SSD is an abbreviation for Solid State Drive.
• No mechanical parts — it employs flash memory chips instead.
• Much, much faster, quieter, and more resilient than HDDs.
• Speeds up your PC to boot in seconds and loads games/apps so much faster.
• Costs more than HDDs, but prices are decreasing annually.

Typical speed:

• SATA SSD: 500–600 MB/s
• NVMe SSD: 2,000–7,000+ MB/s

Know the difference between SATA and NVMe SSDs on this blog.

Ideal for: Gaming, editing, multitasking, or whatever requires speed.

Key Differences (Without the Boring Table)

• Speed: SSD takes it by miles. HDDs become slow once you make the change.
• Durability: SSDs are more resilient since there are no moving parts.
• Price per GB: HDDs are less expensive.
• Capacity: HDDs can be 10TB+ for much less money, whereas SSDs are typically smaller unless you spend extra.
• Noise: HDDs emit a small clicking noise, SSDs are silent.

Which One Should You Use?

• Budget Build: HDD for storage + a small SSD (boot drive) for Windows and essential apps.
• Gaming PC: SSD is essential, preferably an NVMe for quick load times.
• Media Storage: HDD offers you loads of room for pennies if all you need to do is unload files.
• Day-to-day Laptop/PC: SSD all the way — it makes everything feel quicker.

Final Thoughts

If it's speed that's important, opt for SSD. If storage capacity is important, opt for HDD.

The vast majority now use both — an SSD for the operating system and games, and an HDD for storing large files.