When it comes to the discussion of hard drives, there are two main types. The Solid State Hard Drive or SSD and the Hard Disk Drive or HDD. These two drives serve the same function but at a different capacity. They have different outputs, different components. And even different physical parts. The main difference between the Hard Disk Drive and the Solid State Drive is the replacement of a spinning disk, which is the technology applied in HDD. SSD came with the introduction of a new technology called flash memory. This takes away the need for a spinning disk. Although, they are built to serve the same purpose. They also have features which tailors them better for specific needs. You can check here to see which would be better for you.
Historical Background of Hard Disk Drives and Solid State Hard Drives
Before we go into the differences between the Hard Disk Drives and Solid State Drives, we should take a look at their background. The history behind both of these hard drives is very different. They originate from different time periods, have different mechanisms and have both evolved very differently.
The Development and Rise of Hard Disk Drives
Hard Disk Drives or HDD were first created by IBM in the 1950s. Its development model and mechanism involved the use of magnetic storage techniques. The application of these magnetic technologies made use of moving parts. Platters, spinning disks and read or write heads were used to store and retrieve data. With time, hard disk drives evolved. They began to gain popularity due to the provision of a large storage capacity. Its durability was also a redeeming feature.
This technology of the hard disk drive became the foundation and template for data storage in the computing world. Still in use decades after its creation, hard disk drives are still a trusted and reliable data storage source.
Advent of Solid State Hard Drives
Solid state hard drives or SSDs came into play more recently. First emerging in the late 20th century, it was firstly only used in certain systems. The application of this technology was limited and controlled. It was basically monopolized. Created as an upgrade to the hard disk drive or HDD, solid state hard drives came with the application of NAND flash memory. This technology NAND flash memory eliminates the need for moving parts in a hard drive. There are four types of this NAND flash memory in existence, the Single Level Cell or SLC, the Multi Level Cell or MLC, the Triple Level Cell or TLC and the Quad Level Cell or QLC. The use of NAND flash memory replaces the large moving parts of a hard disk drive with smaller and portable parts.
As technology advanced, NAND flash memory also did. This created further advancement in solid state hard drives, making them even faster and more reliable. As time went on, solid state hard drives that were primarily used as a support storage device for systems changed. They became used as a primary storage for high-speed computing.
Structural Differences Between Hard Disk Drives and Solid State Hard Drives
Asides from their history and evolution, the hard disk drive and solid state hard drive both have differences in their structure. This defines the difference in how they are built and what they are built with. It shows the difference in their design, composition, parts, constraints and storage capacity. It is a basic look at the physical, structural and hardware difference between the hard disk drive and the solid state hard drive.
Composition and Design of Hard Disk Drives
What is the basic structure of a hard disk drive like? The outer part is mainly solid steel with motherboard extensions that connect the drive to the system. The insides consist of moving parts. These moving parts are made up of spinning magnetic platters, a head for read and write and actuators.
The hard disk drive technology depends on the magnetic field to encode data entries on the spinning platters. This structure and build comes with its own constraints. An example is the size and weight. Hard disk drives are generally bigger and heavier than solid state hard drives. This is due to the use of mechanical components. This feature also makes them more fragile as these components can be damaged physically.
Composition and Design of Solid State Hard Drives
Now, to the structure of a solid state hard drive. These hard drives are built with the absence of moving parts. Instead, they consist of flash memory cells and integrated circuits. The outer part is also made of solid steel.
A solid state hard drive stores data on the drive electronically. This doesn’t require the need for mechanical operations. The memory cells store data in bits and depending on the type of NAND flash memory used, it can be at different speeds. Solid state hard drives are built to be slim, weigh less and endure better physical shock resistance and vibrations.
Performance Comparison of a Hard Disk Drive and a Solid State Hard Drive
These two hard drives have a very different level of performance. Though the solid state hard drive has an overall better performance. There are metrics that can be used to check how they can perform certain tasks individually. We will go through these metrics and state the pros and cons of both hard drive types when carrying out these tasks.
Speed of Data Access and Transfer
In terms of speed of data access and transfer of file or data. The hard disk drive is slower. This happens because there is a need for mechanical movement to take place. This involves the spinning platter and moving heads which have to move before data is read or accessed.
In solid state hard drives, it is way faster. It can in fact boast of a near instantaneous response time. The read and write time is so fast it improves the system boot time by a long gap. And this also boosts application performance.
Reliability and Durability
Under the metric of reliability and durability. The solid state hard drives come out on top by a slim margin. The hard disk drive structure and use of mechanical moving parts makes it easier to wear. External shocks have a bigger effect on the drive. This makes them less durable as they can fail at any time.
Solid state hard drives on the other hand can last longer. They are more durable due to their strong build, structure and lack of mechanical or moving parts. The only downside is a limit to the number of read and write cycles. This is a concern that is being attended to gradually. So, failure in a solid state hard drive is rare and at most, gradual. They are made not only to perform well, but to last as long as possible.
Power Consumption
Lastly, there is the matter of power consumption. Hard disk drives consume more power when in use. This is because of the need for mechanical parts.
Solid state hard drives do not consume too much power. They require way less and makes them a better option for devices that rely on batteries. This way, processes won’t drain the battery faster.
Capacity and Cost Considerations
There is a concern for what to consider when comparing the capacity of a hard drive to the cost. Finding that balance is important and sites like this, explains the features of a hard drive down to capacity and you can compare with your budget.
Hard Disk Drives High Storage Capacities
Hard disk drives are built with reasonable storage. They offer very large storage options, even up to 20tb or more. And they do this at a generally lower cost per gigabyte when compared to solid state hard drives.
This feature makes the hard disk drive very suitable for large storage programs or activities. Examples can be back ups or archives.
Solid State Hard Drives’ Premium Price for Performance
For solid state hard drives, these are way more expensive per gigabyte when compared to hard disk drives. With growth in technology, the prices are reducing but they are still more expensive than hard disk drives. Solid state hard drives work better for tasks that require high processing power. Examples are running operating systems or applications that are resource intensive.
Practical Applications and Suitability
There are certain situations where a hard disk drive would be more appropriate to use over a solid state hard drive.
Ideal Use Cases for Hard Disk Drives
Hard disk drives generally have larger storage capacities. This makes them the best option for storing large amounts of data that do not need to be accessed often. They are also the best when on a tight budget as you can get a large storage capacity for less. They are the budget friendly option.
Ideal Use Cases for Solid State Hard Drives
For solid state hard drives, they are better for processes that require optimal performance. Gaming, video of image editing and software development are examples. These tasks require high performance and would do better on a solid state hard drive. They are also very fast, durable and consume less power making them good options for systems with batteries. Laptops and mobile devices would thrive better on a solid state hard drive storage system.
Future Prospects and Technological Advancements
With the advancement of technology, solid state hard drives keep improving. Hard disk drives are now mostly used for certain tasks.
Trends in SSD Development
There’s an aim to make solid state hard drives more affordable and accessible. Improvements in its durability to contain the issue of drive failure in the long run. And an end goal to replace hard disk drives as the primary storage device adopted by systems.
The Role of Hard Disk Drives Moving Forward
Hard disk drives continue to stay relevant even after many years. Their feature of larger storage options gives them an edge. Data centers and archives would always prefer them to solid state hard drives. In a bid to increase its utility, drives filled with helium and shingled magnetic recording or SMR are being explored.
