Hard-Disk Drive VS Solid-State Drive

Every piece of technology requires a few basic components of hardware to function. One of the most critical pieces is memory. Data, pictures, music and apps are all stored in the devices memory. As technology advances and becomes cheaper, so too does memory. International Data Corporation estimates that by 2020 the world will be producing 44 trillion gigabytes of data annually. To put this number in perspective, 250GB can hold more than 30,000 average size photos or songs.

Storage is not only becoming cheaper to produce but far faster also. Hard-Disk Drives (HDDs) can read and write (similar to download and upload) an average of 100 MB/s or 4GB of data in 5 seconds.

A new form of storage has begun making its mark in the memory world, the Solid-State Drive (SSDs). The newest forms of SSDs boast read and write speeds of 5GB/s, over 6 times faster than the standard HDD. SSDs also are far more compact and more reliable than their disk-based relatives. So why are Hard-Disk Drives still the most popular form of mass storage?

Cost. Hard-Disk Drives are far cheaper to produce and sell than SSDs. A high quality 2TB (2000 GB) HDD will only cost a meager $50, while a 2TB SSD can cost well over $200. For the average consumer, the extra speed of an SSD is not worth the pricey expense. No matter what type of storage you prefer, always make sure you have more than enough to hold all your cat pics!