fbpx

9/25/23, Yom Kippur: UES & SOHO repair centers are closed / Midtown will be open

Does a solid state drive (SSD) last longer than a hard disk drive (HDD)?

HDD vs SSD which lasts longer

Let’s break down the terms. HDD is hard disk drive and SSD is a solid state drive. The traditional of the two, the hard disk drive, has moving parts.

Stability

HDD stability

HDD vs SSD specs

The mechanical aspect of the HDD consists of a head, spindle motor, circuit board, platters, actuator arm and the read/write head. So, physically, there are a lot of moving parts to make this drive turn on, access files, and operate. As such, there are a lot of ways your drive can fail. Customers have a conception that your drive will only fail if you drop your computer or drive. Not true! The HDD can fail due to one of these parts failing. Typically, a part will fail and then have a domino effect by touching or falling on another part. When this happens, these parts can splinter downward on the platters. That’s when bad stuff could happen. Your files are stored on the platters. If the platters are damaged, your files will certainly take a toll. With all these moving parts, your drive will fail eventually. It’s just a matter of time. Yes, HDD lab recovery to recover hard drive files is feasible, and we do it all the time, but you should be leary of this and have a backup. Or better yet, upgrade to a solid state drive.

SSD Stability

The big difference between the SSD and the HHD is that the SSD doesn’t have moving parts. As such, SSD’s generally last longer than HDDs in a high-stress, fast-read environment. The SSD just has memory chips on a circuit board just like a flash drive. There’s no actuator arm to rely upon nor noise. As for its toughness, SSD’s can withstand most accidental drops and extreme temperatures better than HDDs

The winner: SSD

We’ve gone over that the HDD has moving parts. More parts means more ways to fail. As for the SSD, it has some control electronics and a large array of flash memory. So, the cause of an SSD death are from the wear-out life of the flash memory or heat and electrical surges causing control electronics damage. Overall, SSDs are more durable and will last longer. But, they can and may still die due to electrical issues along with severe amount of wear and tear stressors.

Protect your computer from potential threats! Hardware insurance plans starting from $15/month

Need protection from cyber threats? Signup to our Cyber Insurance plans starting from $25/month

Got any further questions? Walk in for a free diagnostic in NYC:

53 East 34th Street (Park & Madison), Floor 3 New York, NY 10016

806 Lexington Ave (62nd Street), Floor 3, New York, NY 10065

110 Greene Street Suite 1111, (Floor 11), New York, NY 10012

Outside NYC? Just mail in your device if in the US.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest