Which Hard Drive? How to find the right model

Choosing the right hard drive is not easy. Decisive is not only the storage space, but also the read and write speed and the durability of the hard disk. Basically, two types of hard drives can be distinguished: Hard Drive Discs and Solid State Discs.

The difference between SSD and HDD

The Hard Drive Disc (HDD) is the classic variant of the hard drive. It consists of several magnetic disks and a read and write head that is attached to a flywheel arm and moves over the magnetic disks. The HDD is slower than the SSD, but has a longer shelf life and is usually cheaper.
The Solid State Disc (SSD) is a newer variant of the hard drive. It consists of flash memory and is thus similar to a USB stick. The SSD has a faster read and write speed, but is more expensive and can only be written to a limited number of times.

On the basis of these criteria, hard drives can be distinguished

1. Storage space: On a hard drive with more storage space can also store more data.
2. Read and write speed: This indicates how quickly the computer can access the data stored on the hard disk.
3. Durability: This decides how many write operations can be performed on the hard disk. Although HDDs also have a limited shelf life of about ten years, however, the number of possible write operations on SSDs is basically limited.
4. Loudness: hard drives can be noisy in different ways. While SSDs work almost silently, HDDs can make quiet noises.
5. Price: Depending on the storage space and type of hard drive, different costs are incurred.