Take this into account when choosing storage for your desktop or laptop PC.
There are many factors that will determine what type of storage your computer will have . ¿ Hard drive or drive state solid?
We explain, in broad strokes, the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
Traditional hard drive (HHD)
They were the norm until a few years ago and have moving parts, so they are susceptible to damage with sudden movements or blows.
7200 RPM hard drives can handle sustained data transfers of just over 210 MB / s.
They work via a SATA connector. Take into account that there are HDDs for desktop computers (3.5 “) and for laptops (2.5”).
It is no longer recommended to use them as the disk where the operating system (Windows, Mac OS, Linux) and programs are stored, but they are convenient as repositories for our large files because they are cheaper.
We recently evaluated a 2TB external hard drive.
Solid State Drive (SSD)
They are becoming more popular, outselling hard drives in 2020. SSDs use flash memory, so they have no moving parts. They are more compact and lighter than hard drives.
These can be found in different formats.
SATA SSD
Mass consumers know them in their 2.5 ”presentations. They connect to a SATA port and can go up to 600MB / s.
It is recommended that they have a DRAM cache to maintain better performance, especially if we use them to host the operating system.
An example is the FireCuda 120 that we tested .
SATA M.2
It works pretty much like a 2.5 ”SSD, only it uses the designated M.2 space.
NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen 3
We see more and more these devices. They are installed in the designated M.2 space and are capable of speeds ranging from 1,500 MB / s to 3,500 MB / s. Its price will depend on the speed of data transfer.
They generally have a DRAM cache, but some models can bypass their inclusion without compromising performance if they use a good driver. Such is the case of the Team Group MP33 that we recently reviewed .
NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen 4
They are a high-end option that goes at higher speeds. The FireCuda 530 that we are going to review in NiusGeek passes 7,300 MB / s.
They have become more popular because they are the storage alternative to the PlayStation 5 . For now there is not much difference in loading times of computer games, but Microsoft promises to end this in Windows 11 with the implementation of DirectStorage .
Obviously, they have higher prices and you need a compatible motherboard and processor to enjoy their speed.
What is the use for each one?
A hard drive helps us keep large data, and an external one can help us have a backup of important data.
The SSD SATA are a good alternative for better loading times in the operating system. In most cases, switching from an HDD to an SSD on a PC or laptop will dramatically improve its responsiveness. The best: more and more affordable alternatives are being found.
NVMe storage can be leveraged by users making constant data transfers and will provide much faster loading times for video games in the future. The price, particularly of NVMe PCIe Gen 4, can be prohibitive for many users.