In the world of data, storage drives are crucial for any industry. However, due to various types of such drives, it make it difficult to choose the best storage. Storage drives are available in many formats like Solid State Hybrid Drives (SSHD), Hard Disk Drive (HDD) & more. Understanding their differences can help you make an informed decision.
Hybrid Hard Drive (HHD) also known as SSHD is a blend of traditional Hard Drive rotating disks and a flash memory chip on a single drive. In contrast, HDDs consist of only rotating spinning disks to store data in a more budget-friendly way. Let's discuss more about the differences between SSHD vs. HDD in detail.
SSHD vs. HDD: A Detailed Comparison
SSHD bridges the gap between performance and cost by combining both qualities, flash chip & fixed disk. However, HDD offers huge storage capacities at a lower price than SSHD, ideal for small-scale businesses.
Both have differences with respect to performance, cost, and efficiency, here is an overview of both tabulated in the chart below:
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Features
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Hybrid Hard Drive (HHD)
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Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
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Storage Capacity
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500GB - 4TB & more
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500GB - 18TB & more
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Performance
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Faster
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Slower
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Cost
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More expensive
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Less expensive
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Power Efficiency
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More power efficient than HDD
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Less power efficient than HDD
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Reliability
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More reliable
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Less reliable
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Form factor
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2.5-inch & 3.5-inch
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2.5-inch & 3.5-inch
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Speed
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300 to 400 MB/s
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30 to 150 MB/s
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Protocol
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Serial ATA
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Serial ATA
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Life
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3 to 10 years
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3 to 5 years
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SSHD vs. HDD: Architecture
In HDD the electromechanical spinning platter stores data non-sequentially, on specific blocks with an actuator arm. Similarly, SSHD also has a large magnetic disk to store data, but with a NAND flash module to store cache.
Both drives may come with hot-swapping features that enable quick replacement of the drive from zero downtime systems without disruption. Moreover, they have high durability and are mostly reliable unless introduced to a bad fall.
SSHD vs. HDD: Protocol
The tiered storage algorithm in SSHD keeps track of the most frequent data and stores it in a flash memory cache. This allows quick accessibility of frequently used or requested files, while the less frequent files may take some time to access. On the other hand, HDDs connect to a computer via SCSI & SATA protocols that allow easy connection & fast data transfer speeds. However, accessing files in HDDs takes more time compared to SSHD.
SSHD vs. HDD: Form Factor
Both SSHD & HDD are available in two main sizes. You can buy an internal hard drive in 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch form factors for laptops and PCs.
SSHD vs. HDD: Performance
After various benchmarking tests, it has been observed that SSHDs can be 4 times faster than HDDs in both read & write operations. Statistically, an HDD delivers a speed between 30 to 150 MB/s, while SSHD delivers up to 300 to 400 MB/s, theoretically. In practical applications, SSHD offers better performance than HDDs but with a slight price increase.
SSHD vs. HDD: Capacity
The biggest difference between SSHD & HDD drives is storage capacity. HDD comes in 18 TB capacities and more, while SSHD comes close second and offers up to 12+ TBs of space. However, HDD doesn't offer any solid-state memory, but SSHD offers varying amounts of flash storage from 8GB to 128 GB & more.
SSHD vs. HDD: Raid Technology
In large organizations, storage drives are set up into arrays with a single logic unit by buying RAID controllers. Both SSHD & HDD can be configured to duplicate data across multiple disks or RAID levels. This allows enterprises to maintain uptime in case of drive failure and improve their storage system performance significantly.
SSHD vs. HDD: Power Consumption
The power consumption of storage drives is an important element to consider before buying a server hard drive, especially when using them in arrays. SSHD reduces power consumption due to its hybrid design which uses cache to access data faster, reducing the need for spinning disk.
In contrast, HDD consumes more power than SSHD, because they extensively use spinning disks to find the required data.
The power consumption in any storage drive depends on a multitude of factors such as overall system efficiency, which is subject to change.
SSHD vs. HDD: Life
The lifespan of both drives varies with the application workload, usage, and quality of the hardware. Normally, SSHDs have a lifespan of 3 to 10 years, while HDD lasts up to 3 to 5 years.
SSHD vs. HDD: Cost
HDD offers the lowest cost per gigabyte of all storage devices present today. In contrast, SSHD is more expensive but gives similar performance benefits as SSDs. Many brands offer HDD & SSHD external hard drives for sale but at slightly higher prices due to the various pros & cons of portable hard drives in the data industry.
Computing Worlds offers the best quality hard drives for sale starting from $25 to $269,700. The price varies based on the brand, quality, form factor, and performance of the drive.
SSHD vs. HDD: Pros & Cons
Both drives offer benefits based on different industry requirements. The following tables will highlight the pros and cons of SSHD & HDD storage drives briefly.
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Pros of HDD
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Cons of HDD
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Lower cost per gigabyte
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Less durable
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Higher storage capacity
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Slower than SSHD
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Readily available
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Lower lifespan
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Pros of SSHD
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Cons of SSHD
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Faster performance than HDD
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Slower performance than SSD
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Less expensive than SSD
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More expensive than HDD
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Highly reliable
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Not easily accessible
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SSHD vs. HDD: Which Drive is Right For You?
An SSHD is the best choice for many enterprises that require better-performing storage drives to perform under-budget operations. In contrast, HDD is more cost-effective, with better storage space, perfect for businesses who can compromise on speed for higher capacities. Computing Worlds offers some of the best SSHD & HDD drives from their collection of storage devices for sale.
Popular SSHD
Popular HDD
Frequently Ask Questions
What Is Better Gaming Wise 3.0gbps Vs 6.0gb SSHD?
6.0GB SSHD offers better performance compared to 3.0Gbps SSHD, due to its increasing speed, which makes the data exchange faster.
Do I Have an HDD or SSHD?
Search defrag & optimize drive on Windows 11, and check the list under media type. Or you can check the specifications from the system BIOS.
In conclusion, the choice between both requires careful consideration of your needs, workload type, and budget. The HDD offers more storage at a lower cost, while the SSHD provides faster performance and greater reliability.
This marks the end of the differences between SSHD vs. HDD storage drives. Both drives have various features that suit different industry preferences. These drives also come in various interfaces like SAS or SATA and understanding their differences will help you make an informed decision.
To know more about such differences, stay tuned to the Computing Worlds blog.
