Types of Hard Drives: Which is Best for Your Storage Needs?

Summary: There are two main types of hard drives: HDDs and SSDs. While HDDs contain many moving parts, SSDs use flash memory to store data. Both these drive types have their unique attributes. For instance, HDDs offer large storage capacities at lower costs, while SSDs provide faster speeds and greater durability. Hard drives connect to computers through interfaces like SATA and NVMe. We will explain this in more detail in the guide.

Whether you’re using a laptop or a desktop computer, understanding the different types of hard drives is essential to managing your data and getting the most out of your computer.

In this guide, we will understand the various types of hard drives available in the market, including HDD and SSD drives, and help you determine which one best suits your needs.

We cover: 

1. What is a Hard Drive?
2. Types of Hard Drives
   • Hard Disk Drives 
   • Solid State Drives
   • Hybrid Drives

3. Types of Hard Drive Interfaces 
   • Parallel ATA (PATA)
   • Serial ATA (SATA)
   • Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe)
   • Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)

4. Data Recovery Services For Hard Drives, SSDs, RAID, NAS
5. FAQs

What is a Hard Drive?

A computer has three critical components: a hard drive, a CPU, and a main board, commonly called a motherboard. Without these, any computing system, be it a smartphone or supercomputer, cannot function.

The hard drive is a non-volatile data storage component. Simply put, that means data written on it does not disappear even if the computer is switched off.

Before we dive into the types of hard drives, it is interesting to note that in 1960, the price of one MB (megabyte) of memory was $5.24 million. Today, a one TB (terabyte or one million MB) hard drive costs $50.

Types of Hard Drives

There are two types of hard drives: Hard disk drives (HDDs) and Solid-state drives (SSDs).

But there are several interfaces, such as:

• Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA)
• Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA)
• Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)
• NVMe (Non-volatile Memory Express)

Let’s look at what these mean.

1. Hard Disk Drive (HDD) 

Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) have been the traditional storage media in use since 1957. The key component of an HDD is an assembly of disks, known as platters, coated with a magnetic material. These platters rotate at very high speeds, typically 5,400 or 7,200 RPM in consumer-grade systems.

Data is read and written by mechanical arms equipped with read/write heads that move precisely across the surface of the spinning platters. As the platters spin, the read/write head aligns with specific sectors—small sections of the platter where data is stored. The read/write head generates a tiny magnetic field to “write” data by altering the magnetic particles on the platter’s surface. To retrieve or “read” data, the head detects these magnetic changes and converts them back into readable information.

Features of HDDs

1. Storage Capacity: HDDs are known for their high storage capacities. In 2024, they typically range from 500 GB to 20 TB, which makes them ideal for large data storage needs.
2. Cost: They are generally more affordable per gigabyte than SSDs. Currently, one TB costs between $38 and $50.
3. Speed: HDDs are slower than SSDs in terms of data access and transfer speeds. Typical read/write speeds in consumer-grade machines are 30 to 150 MB/sec.
4. Durability: According to Backblaze research, the average life of a hard disk drive is 6 years and 9 months (2021).

Advantage:

• At the 2 TB capacity, the price of a hard drive is roughly half that of an SSD with the same storage capacity.
• They are available in capacities up to several terabytes, which makes them suitable for storing large amounts of data.

Disadvantage:

• Though in theory, they can reach 500 MB/sec, the actual throughput is slower. Even the best hard disks cannot match the performance of the most basic SSDs.
• They are electromechanical, with a motor, a platter, and a read/write head. If dropped, they are unlikely to survive the shock.

2. Solid State Drives (SSDs)

This type of drive uses flash memory to store data and has no moving parts. Flash memory allows data to be written, transferred, and erased electronically without the noise or mechanical movements associated with traditional hard drives.

How it works: 

SSDs are made up of integrated circuits that contain floating gate transistors. The floating gate transistors have different charges that translate to binary ‘ones’ and ‘zeroes’. An SSD controller tracks where data is stored, allowing the computer to access and read/write data.

Features of SSDs

1. Storage Capacity: SSDs are relatively smaller. In 2024, the largest consumer-grade SSD is Teamgroup QX 15 TB SSD. Storage space in most SSDs ranges between 500 GB and 2 TB.
2. Cost: They are far more expensive per GB of space compared to HDDs. In the 500 GB to 1 TB range, they almost match traditional HDD but at 2 TB and more, they are considerably more expensive per GB of storage space.
3. Speed: The most basic SSDs have a read/write speed of 500 MB/sec, which is about thrice as fast as a good HDD.
4. Durability: The average life of an SSD is better than an HDD because it has no mechanical parts and is therefore less susceptible to wear and tear.

Advantage:

• A basic model SATA SSD typically has a maximum speed of 500–600 MB/s. A PCI3.0 SSD can have read speeds of up to 2,200 MB/s and the latest PCI5.0 models have speeds of 5,000MB/s.
• They are light and have no moving parts, which makes SSDs last much longer than HDDs.

Disadvantage:

• SSDs generate a lot of heat with constant read/write operations. Some SSDs can reach a temperature of 65°C.
• They are not financially viable if larger units are needed, e.g., 5 TB and more.

3. Hybrid Drives 

A hybrid drive, also known as a Solid-State Hybrid Drive (SSHD), combines the speed of an SSD with the cost-effectiveness and large storage capacity of an HDD. These drives include a small amount of solid-state storage (typically 8 GB or 16 GB) that is used for frequently accessed data, while the bulk of the storage is provided by the traditional spinning hard disk.

Although available, hybrid drives did not gain widespread popularity because most laptops and desktops began offering discrete SSDs (for fast booting and executing programs) alongside separate HDDs (for high storage capacity).

Types of Hard Drive Interfaces 

An interface is the means by which a hard drive connects to the motherboard. It involves both a physical connection (such as a 40-pin connector) and a logical connection, where data travels through routes defined by software.

Below is a description of the types of interfaces commonly found in hard drives:

1. Parallel ATA (PATA)

PATA is an older interface standard that connects hard drives using a ribbon cable. It supports multiple drives on a single cable but has limitations in speed and cable length. The maximum speed was 133 MB/sec. PATA has been unavailable since 2006 and it is doubtful whether any PATA disks are still in use.

2. Serial ATA (SATA)

A more modern interface that replaced PATA, SATA uses thinner cables and provides improved data transfer speeds and efficiency. Here are the maximum possible speeds of different versions.

• SATA I: Up to 150 MB/sec
• SATA II: Up to 300 MB/sec
• SATA III: Up to 600 MB/sec

Both hard disks and SSDs use SATA III.

3. Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe)

It is a protocol that uses the PCI Express or PCIe slot. A consumer-grade NVMe can attain a speed of 3500MB/second.

With the reduction in prices, NVMe storage is set to become the market leader for consumer machines.

4. Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)

Like PATA this is a legacy technology for the consumer environment. Some older mainframes might still work with these in professional settings, but otherwise, they have been completely replaced by USB.

Which Hard Drive is Best for a Consumer? 

Assuming your needs are average, it’s recommended to have a 1 TB SSD and a 2 TB HDD in your computing device. However, many 2024 laptop models no longer support SATA III. In such cases, your options are limited to 2 x NVMe modules, either 1 TB or 2 TB.

Desktops still support SATA III, making an SSD and HDD combination ideal. The SSD can be either SATA III or NVMe, depending on your speed requirements. While a speed of 500 MB/second is sufficient for most, those seeking maximum performance might prefer NVMe. Most desktop motherboards manufactured in the last two years natively support NVMe.

If additional storage is needed, you can add up to 2-3 hard drives in a desktop, providing a total of 6 TB (2 TB x 3). For even more storage, it’s advisable to invest in a NAS (Network Attached Storage) system and install a couple of 4 TB hard drives.

However, regardless of the type of storage and interface you choose, it’s important to remember that no storage device is immune to failure. Whether due to hardware malfunctions, firmware corruption, file damage, or physical drops, hard drives can and do fail. This brings us to a crucial point: the risk of data loss.

These are the common signs of hard drive failure:

• Unusual Noises
• Slow Performance
• Frequent Freezing or Crashing
• Corrupted or Missing Files
• Increasing Bad Sectors
• SMART Errors
• Repeated Disk Check Requests
• Longer Access Times

If you encounter any of the above issues and lose your data, your first response should be to see if you can recover it using a reliable data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery Software for Windows. This software can scan both HDDs and SSDs and recover all types of data. However, if the data loss is due to a physical issue with the storage media, it’s essential to contact a professional data recovery service.

Data Recovery Services For Hard Drives, SSDs, RAID, NAS

At Stellar Data Recovery Services, we have been recovering data even in the most severe cases of physical damage to HDDs and SSDs, since 1993. To date, we have successfully served 3 million customers across 190 countries.

If you need assistance with data recovery for your HDD or SSD, contact us, and our data recovery experts will offer you advice on the next best actions. If we believe your data can be recovered, we will guide you on the process of sending your storage media to us. With labs in 14 Indian cities, there is likely a Stellar Data Recovery lab in your region.

We hope this guide helped you understand the different types of hard drives. We are always glad to hear from our readers. Please send us your queries or drop a comment below. Now let’s see some common questions we receive daily.

FAQs

1. How can I ensure my hard drive is running at optimal performance? 

Here are three tips to help you keep your hard drive running well:

1. Partitioning your hard drive can help improve performance. Use Windows Disk Management for partition and formatting.
2. Bad sectors on your hard drive can significantly slow performance. Use a SMART monitor to track your device’s health.
3. Keep an eye on HDD temperature. It should not rise to more than 40°C. If it does, consider using a better cooling system and an air-conditioned room.

2. What is 2.5” and 3.5” in specifications when it comes to HDD? 

It refers to the width of the hard drive case. Laptops can use 2.5” hard drives, while desktops can use both sizes. With laptops moving to either SATA III SSD or NVMe, 2.5” SATA hard disks are becoming rarer but still available.

3. What is TRIM? 

TRIM is a feature in SSDs of all types. TRIM allows the SSD to manage free space more efficiently, keeping more blocks readily available for writing new data.

Although TRIM is beneficial, it’s not mandatory. An SSD can continue to work without it but at a slightly slower pace.

If you need to recover data from TRIM-enabled SSDs, you can explore more about it here: Recover Data From TRIM Enabled SSDs.