If you are building a computer, need to replace a faulty hardware component, or want to increase the storage capacity of your desktop or laptop, you will come across two different storage options: HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and SSD (Solid State Drive). In this article, we will provide detailed answers to the question of what to consider when buying a hard disk drive (HDD) and discuss its advantages compared to SSD.

What to Consider When Buying an HDD (Hard Disk Drive)?

Before answering the question of what to consider when buying a hard disk drive for your computer, let’s talk about the differences between HDD and SSD. HDDs are still among the most popular storage solutions today and consist of multiple mechanical parts and disks for data storage, as you can see in the pictures.

They write and read system information by encoding it on these metal disks similar to CDs. On the other hand, SSDs can be thought of as large-sized memory cards that do not contain moving parts, support new technologies, operate much faster, and store data in cells.

Since HDDs do not contain any mechanically moving parts and consume much less power, they are not only physically more durable but also have longer lifespans. Therefore, SSDs outperform HDDs in almost every aspect of a direct comparison.

However, despite these advantages, HDDs continue to outsell SSDs in the market. The main reason for this is that HDDs have been around for a long time, making their prices significantly more affordable. For example, a 1TB SSD is at least 2 to 3 times more expensive than an HDD of the same capacity.

Of course, the price difference can increase up to 10 times depending on the type and speed of the SSD. As a result, many people prefer HDDs due to their lower cost or higher storage capacity when building a system with a limited budget. In fact, a large portion of computer users choose to install Windows on an SSD to speed up the operating system and add an HDD for additional storage. So, what should you consider when buying an HDD, or in other words, a hard disk drive?

4 Golden Rules to Consider When Buying an HDD!

Now we can answer the question of what to consider when buying a hard disk drive. First of all, the first generation of HDDs had two different connection types: IDE and SATA. However, all the new technologies nowadays support SATA. Therefore, the product you purchase should have this connection type.

Read/Write Speed

As mentioned in the title, there are 4 golden rules. The first one is the read and write speed of the device. The read speed represents how quickly the device can access a file that is already loaded into it. For example, games installed on a high-read-speed HDD will load much faster compared to their counterparts with lower read speeds.

The write speed indicates how fast the device can save a file from another source. For instance, a system with a high write speed will complete the process of transferring a 2GB movie to your computer through a USB connection much faster.

While the write speed of HDDs reaches a maximum of 150 MB/s through SATA I, we can see speeds of 600 MB/s in SATA III SSDs. M.2 SSDs, which resemble RAM modules in terms of form factor, can currently reach speeds of up to 7000 MB/s. Moreover, PCIe 5.0 supported SSD models, which will be available before the end of 2022, can reach speeds of up to 15,000 MB/s.

However, as mentioned before, HDDs are slower but significantly cheaper than their competitors. Although there is a 100-fold difference on paper, there are very few devices that come close to this value in reality. Nevertheless, when selecting an HDD, it is still advisable to choose the highest achievable speeds within your budget, as there will be a slight price difference.

RPM Speed

The second golden rule is the RPM (Rotations Per Minute) speed. This data represents how fast the mechanical disk inside the HDD rotates per minute, in other words, its speed. Generally, you will come across three different options: 5400, 5900, and 7200 RPM.

Since the differences are quite small, choosing the fastest one does not necessarily mean that the HDD will perform significantly better. However, it will detect the required information for the read operation earlier. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to this factor.

Cache Size

The third golden rule to consider when buying a hard disk is the cache size. You will notice that caches increase as the capacities of the devices increase. For example, 1TB HDDs usually have a 64MB cache. However, when aiming for an 8TB HDD, the cache size can go up to 256MB.

These caches analyze our actions and predict our next steps. We can even consider this interface as dedicated RAM for HDDs. Therefore, when looking at devices with the same storage capacity that we intend to purchase, it is more logical to choose the one with a higher cache size.

Motherboard Compatibility

The fourth golden rule is motherboard compatibility. All SATA connections are compatible with each other. Therefore, you can replace the HDD in your computer with a new one or a much faster SSD. However, if your motherboard supports SATA I and you install a SATA III SSD, you will only get the same speed as an HDD. Therefore, it is necessary to know the limitations of your system before making a purchase.

Note: If you are buying an HDD for your laptop and there is not enough physical space inside, you can opt for a 2.5-inch HDD instead of a 3.5-inch one.

In this article, we have provided answers to the question of what to consider when buying a hard disk drive. What are your thoughts on this topic? Don’t forget to share your opinions in the comments!