Long live the hard drive: Why HDDs are still far from obsolete

Image: Toshiba

Hard disk drives (HDDs) offer some of the best price-to-performance value when it comes to data, and that value goes even further with larger storage capacities. You’ll really feel the price advantage of HDDs over SSDs once you enter the realm of 4TB drives and larger.

Whereas a 1TB SSD is often only slightly more expensive than a comparable HDD today, a 4TB SSD can cost anywhere from $200 to $300 while a 4TB HDD can be had for about $80 to $120.

But price isn’t the only way HDDs come out ahead. Here’s another significant advantage: HDDs are more reliable for longer-term storage of data. Big digital files (e.g., videos) and large collections (e.g., photos) can be safely archived on HDDs for years, whereas data on inactive SSDs can be lost over time as the drives leak electrons.

Related: Death and the unplugged SSD

Intel

Until a few years ago, Intel’s Optane memory cache devices promised a way to improve the performance of HDDs by providing buffer memory to bridge the bottleneck between HDD and processor. Sadly, Optane devices are no longer available.

In the meantime, hybrid hard drives — such as the Exos series by Seagate — fill this gap. They utilize several GBs of flash memory as an internal cache, which effectively reduces the speed deficit compared to SSDs.

But, honestly, you don’t always need a super-fast drive. Sure, SSDs still come out ahead when it comes to read and write speeds, but I’m sure you can think of several situations where tip-top data transfer performance isn’t exactly a high priority.

For example, a small-budget DIY PC that’s only going to be streaming Netflix. By foregoing an expensive SSD, funds can be freed up for other important upgrades — such as more RAM or a better CPU — which might better serve the performance needs of the particular machine.

Related: Ways to repurpose an old SSD or HDD

IDG

In short, SSDs are here to stay because they’re fast — but HDDs are also here to stay because they offer two important benefits: a better price-per-gigabyte rate and more reliable long-term data storage. Coupled with hybrid technology, HDDs remain a smart option for those who are budget-conscious and those who are willing to compromise.