Knowing the difference between SSD and HDD is very important to know, especially for those of you who are planning to upgrade a laptop or PC. HDD stands for Hard Disk Drive, while SSD stands for Solid State Drive. Both SSD and HDD are both storage media commonly used on laptops or desktops. Although the function is the same, SSD and HDD have their own advantages and disadvantages. By knowing the advantages and disadvantages, it is hoped that it can help you to choose what type of storage media best suits your needs.
In general, SSD is the result of development of HDD. The most striking difference is that SSDs differ from HDDs in that they store data on a magnetic layer or platter. SSD stores all data on flash memory chips that are connected to each other. The memory chip on the SSD is certainly different from the disk or disc on the HDD. The disk on the HDD will rotate during operation. Meanwhile on the SSD there are no moving components at all.
Difference between SSD and HDD
Besides the general differences above, what else is the difference between SSD and HDD? Let's look at the following information. May be useful.
1. How HDD vs SSD Works
HDD consists of a disk or disk commonly called a platter, a driving motor, and an arm connected to the platter. The process of storing and reading data is carried out through a mechanical process where the disc is rotated by a motor then the read/write head at the end of the arm is connected to an electronic component that processes read and write data into the disc. When the read/write head attaches to the rotating disk, the process of writing and reading data is in progress.
Unlike HDDs, SSDs store data with the help of flash memory chips. In processing, writing, and reading data, none of the components in the SSD move at all. Inside the SSD there are only electronic components such as Integrated Circuits or ICs, Micro Chips, and other components such as capacitors. The process of writing and reading data is all done electrically the same as when you save and read data from a flash drive
2. Read and Write Speed (Read/Write)
Because HDDs use rotating disks, the start-up process is slower than SSDs. This is because before it can be used, the HDD disk must spin first. Meanwhile, the data on the SSD can be accessed instantly because the data you need can already be accessed through an electrical process. This difference makes SSD can be 8 times faster than HDD. When used on laptops, SSDs can provide faster boot times and application responses.
3. Data Transfer Capability
Because SSDs are faster than HDDs, when plugged into a laptop you can get Windows boot up time in just seconds. Meanwhile, if you use your HDD it will take longer, even though the other supporting specifications are very high.
In addition, the effect of fragmentation on the HDD makes the data you want to access slower to respond. This happens when the HDD capacity is full so that the files that have been stored will be scattered and increasingly difficult to find. To restore HDD performance, users often have to be diligent in doing defragmentation. But the same is not true in SSD. SSD transfers data randomly so it can be accessed more quickly. Unlike HDDs, which rely on read/write heads to search for data, the process of searching for data on SSDs is left to electronic mechanisms, so it's certainly faster.
Because of this, data transfer to and from SDD is faster than HDD. All the process of reading and writing data on the SSD is completely controlled by electrical mechanisms so there is no need to wait long to move big data.
4. Dimensions and Weight
Because it has more components, HDDs have larger dimensions and weight than SSDs. In addition, HDD cannot be made smaller than its standard size. Because HDD technology is very dependent on the disk, the dimensions of the HDD are very limited to the size of the disk and other supporting components. But it is different with SSD. Because it relies on flash memory chips that can be shrunk in size, SSDs are more compact and lighter than HDDs. The size of the SSD is smaller and lighter, making it the main choice of storage media on modern or mid to high laptops.
5. Durability
SSD has no moving parts so it is more durable than HDD. The rotating disk components of HDDs are highly susceptible to wear and mechanical failure. In addition, HDDs are also prone to head crashes caused by collisions between the platters and the read/write heads. Another risk of HDDs is that they are prone to damage when they are too close or frequently exposed to strong magnets. HDD uses a magnetic disk so that when close to a strong magnet it can cause the data in it to be damaged or corrupted.
Components that spin fast in the HDD also make it heat up faster. The temperature of the components that heat quickly certainly makes it unsuitable for modern laptops that no longer use cooling fans. In addition, high heat can also drain a lot of laptop batteries in an instant.
Advantages and Disadvantages of SSD and HDD
Although the 5 points above favor SSD more than HDD, HDD also has advantages. For the consumer class, HDD has a larger storage capacity than SSD. Currently HDDs can have a storage capacity of up to 5 TB. On the other hand, the SSD in some advanced laptops has the largest storage capacity of only 1 TB.
Another plus of HDD is the price. HDD capacity of 1 TB is cheaper than SSD of the same capacity. SSD is also claimed to be one of the 'ringleaders' of today's expensive modern laptops. To get a laptop with a 1 TB SSD, maybe you have to spend up to tens of millions of rupiah. It's very different from a laptop with a 1 TB HDD that you can get at a price range of under 10 million.