Laptops have almost become one of the essential goods for a house with students or workers. Just like personal computers were 20 years ago, portability is now a necessity. However, there is still a great current debate on whether to prefer the old hdd of a lifetime or a unit SSD as our storage disk. Although you have not noticed it, we are in a process of technological transition regarding this, and it is no longer highly recommended to bet on the first option. Why? Here we explain the reasons.
Just over a decade ago, a computer’s storage unit could only be of one type: HDD (also called hard drive), but today there is a technology that surpasses its own in almost everything: SSDs or state drives. solid.
Many people choose to ignore them due to their price, but here we will explain the reasons why you should choose oneif your needs require it.
Contents
HDD vs. SSD: the real difference
understand the difference between a hdd (hard disk) and an SSD (solid state drive) is not so easy if you do not have much knowledge of storage technologies. However, we think you can understand it with a simple analogy referenced to video games.
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The video game analogy
Although not technically precise, the difference between a HDD and an SSD can be explained using CDs and cartridges as an analogy. Photo: eBay/Pinterest
If you’ve ever played a game console, you’ve probably noticed that there are two ways to present games: in Optical Discs (CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray discs) or on some type of card (cartridges, SD cards, etc).
If you played, for example, with a PlayStation, surely, you have noticed that the games that are read from a CD always have loading screens, since the information is written on disks that have to be accessed through an optical lens. Although there is a very strong difference between an optical disk and a hard disk, both technologies share almost the same mechanics: they write the data on a solid surface that has to be accessed through a reader.
However, if you played with a console that supported cartridges, you probably remember that these games have almost no load, since the data travels directly from one chip to another and did not need physical mechanisms to find the data.
Two paradigms to access information. Clockwise from top left: CD (compact disc), Super Nintendo cartridge, SSD drive, hard drive. Photo: Funzen/VICE/Ontek
This technology means that SSDs have a series of advantages that we will detail here:
1. They are faster
Since the information is stored on a chip, finding the files will not depend on any mechanism that must be operated magnetically, but on simple digital commands that are as fast as a computer.
2. They resist more and withstand harsh environments
Solid State Drives don’t have as many moving parts as HDDs (which have tricky parts like solenoid arms). Therefore, they are less vulnerable to falls, vibrations, high temperatures and magnetic fields.
3. They save energy
Its own technology does not require too many artifacts for its operation. It’s as simple as connecting one board to another.
4. They are more compact
Whether in its different types: PCI NVMe either SATASolid-state drives tend to be more compact, less bulky in design, and highly portable, so they’re always a great option for laptops.
5. They are quieter
Having no moving parts makes SSDs almost unnoticeable. After all, they can be considered as an extension of a motherboard. Like video game cartridges, operating them does not emit any sound, unlike CDs.
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Speed Comparison: HDD vs SSD
The only sacrifice: the price
Solid state drives aren’t perfect, and there’s still debate over whether their technology will end up being more durable than HDDs. However, it is undeniable that they will become the storage medium of the future. Its adoption is no longer just a matter of comfort, but of necessity. In many markets, such as PC games, there are already titles that need an SSD to work (for example, on PS5).
Being a more advanced technology in design, it is natural that SSDs cost more than HDDs; however, the natural thing is that its value decreases over time, as happened with hard drives (which grew in capacity, speed and lowered their cost).
The bad news is that this is not the best time to buy a solid-state drive. The shortage of components and other events, such as international conflicts, are making it difficult for key inputs in the manufacture of these technologies to reach consumers. The costs of NAND logic gates (in semiconductors) and chip-per-wafer rates have not allowed solid state drives to continue to reduce their prices in recent months. Even so, they are a technology that you should not ignore if you want to avoid problems in the near future.
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Will HDDs die?
For their part, HDDs continue to remain in force thanks to the fact that there are more and more high-capacity models, something that in SSDs will still take time (and will cost much more). In addition, there are many other markets where storage, speed and savings are preferred, such as security camerasthe information backup systems (backups), etc. For this reason, a future where hard drives do not have guaranteed space is unlikely.
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How are Intel Core i3, i5, i7 and i9 processors different?
If there is a technological component quite in demand, just like GPUs or graphics cardsthose are the processors, also known internationally as CPUS, which, when they first came out, were dominated by the brand Intel. This manufacturer is currently rivaling amd to see which is the market leader. The american company has been improving his articles in each generation you’ve published for your clients, quickly moving from i3 to the mighty i9.
Intel Core i3
In the case of the popular i3, which was the CPUs which opened the doors to this line of products in 2010, is aimed at users who demand few requirements, making it the cheapest and most accessible option for computers. Its use is oriented for office automation, Internet browsing, social network applications and simple games. Currently, its maximum exponent is the i3 1115G4and it has been rumored that this range will soon cease to be produced.
Intel Core i5
As surprising as it may seem, one of the curiosities that this range has is that it came out shortly before the i3, since the main plan that Intel had was to start from the i5 generation and then go on to categorize it in multiples of 5. In the case of this CPU, started with six cores without HT with speeds reaching up to 4.3GHz. The main beneficiaries of these processors were the gamers, designers and programmers, because its power, over the years, has been more focused on working hand in hand with the other components of the computer. Today, it is still being manufactured and they are already in the twelfth generation, which is the one with the greatest presence in laptops.