Are Hard Drives Still Worth It?

Summary

The video explores the ongoing relevance of traditional hard drives versus SSDs, highlighting the advantages of SSDs in terms of speed, reliability, and power efficiency. It touches on topics like multitasking, SATA native command queuing, gaming performance, and storage for high-resolution media. While hard drives are cheaper and suitable for large storage, SSDs offer superior performance with no moving parts, making them quieter and more durable. The video also includes sponsored mentions of Glasswire for PC security and Micro Center for custom PC builds.

Takeaways

• 💾 SSDs have become more common in modern PCs, while traditional hard drives (HDDs) are still cheaper but come with drawbacks.
• 💻 For responsiveness and boot times, modern PCs should have their operating system on an SSD, even a small one.
• 🎮 While hard drives can handle file transfers and media playback, multitasking can cause thrashing, leading to wear and performance issues.
• ⚙️ SATA’s native command queuing helps optimize HDD performance, but SSDs are still far superior due to the lack of physical limitations.
• 📂 Hard drives may limit visual quality and performance in gaming, especially with newer technologies like direct storage.
• 🔇 SSDs are quieter, more energy-efficient, and generate less heat compared to HDDs, which can increase noise and power usage in a PC build.
• 🧳 SSDs are more durable than HDDs, which can be damaged from drops or mishandling, while SSDs have no moving parts.
• 📺 HDDs can still handle 4K and 8K media playback due to their sequential transfer rate, but SSDs are better suited for more advanced setups.
• 💰 While SSDs are still more expensive than HDDs, their benefits in speed, durability, and energy efficiency make them a better investment.
• 🛠️ Micro Center offers services to help customers build and assemble PCs, providing compatibility checks, part recommendations, and in-store pickup.

Q & A

What are some of the key advantages of SSDs over traditional hard drives?

SSDs are faster, quieter, consume less power, are more durable, and have no moving parts, reducing the chance of physical failure. They also provide better responsiveness and boot times compared to hard drives.

Why do hard drives still remain popular despite their drawbacks?

Hard drives are still much cheaper than SSDs, making them an attractive option for storing large amounts of media. While slower and more fragile, they can handle tasks like media playback and storage efficiently enough for many users.

What is native command queuing (NCQ), and how does it help hard drives?

Native command queuing (NCQ) optimizes the order in which data is read and written by the hard drive, reducing the amount of time the read/write head needs to seek different data sectors. It helps alleviate some of the performance limitations of hard drives but doesn't eliminate them entirely.

How do SSDs compare to hard drives in handling multitasking?

SSDs handle multitasking much better than hard drives because they do not rely on a physical read/write head. Data is accessed electronically, so SSDs don't experience the delays caused by head movement and seek times, making them far more efficient in running multiple applications.

In what scenarios might a hard drive still be fast enough for gaming?

Hard drives can still be fast enough for certain games, especially older or less demanding ones. Once a game like GTA 5 or Cyberpunk 2077 finishes loading, a 7200 RPM hard drive can usually feed the game data fast enough for smooth gameplay at 1080p.

What is thrashing, and why does it affect hard drive performance?

Thrashing occurs when a hard drive has to constantly seek back and forth between different areas of the disk while handling multiple tasks. This increases wear and tear on the drive and significantly slows down performance.

How do hard drives fare when storing and playing 4K or 8K media?

Hard drives can still manage 4K and even 8K media playback because their sequential transfer rates (100-120 MB/s) exceed the typical bitrate of 4K Blu-rays (70-80 Mbps). Even for 8K media, hard drives are generally fast enough.

What impact does using multiple hard drives have on a system's power consumption?

Adding multiple hard drives increases power consumption and heat output. Each hard drive consumes 5-10 watts, which can add up in systems with several drives, whereas SSDs are much more power-efficient, using as little as 30 milliwatts when idle.

What is the risk associated with physical damage to hard drives?

Hard drives are fragile and can be easily damaged by drops or shocks, even when powered down. This can render them inoperable and lead to data loss, unlike SSDs, which have no moving parts and are more resilient to physical damage.

Why might SSDs become essential for gaming in the near future?

With new technologies like DirectStorage allowing GPUs to directly access data from NVMe SSDs, future games may require the speed of SSDs to avoid stuttering, hitching, or reduced visual quality. This could make hard drives less viable for gaming as time goes on.

Outlines

00:00

💾 Transition from HDDs to SSDs in Modern PCs

The speaker discusses the evolution of storage technology, reminiscing about the early days when SSDs were rare and expensive. Over time, the combination of small SSDs for speed and larger HDDs for storage became popular, but today, many systems lack hard drives altogether. Though HDDs remain cheaper, their limitations, including physical components and slower speeds, make SSDs increasingly appealing. The speaker then introduces the sponsor, Glasswire, highlighting its network monitoring features for enhanced PC security.

05:02

⚡ SSDs vs. HDDs in Multitasking and Performance

This segment explores the performance differences between SSDs and HDDs in multitasking environments. While HDDs can manage media playback, file transfers, and light gaming simultaneously, excessive multitasking can lead to 'thrashing,' causing mechanical wear. SSDs, free from physical limitations, handle multiple file transfers faster, limited mainly by software and CPU rather than hardware. The speaker emphasizes how SSDs outperform HDDs in speed, reliability, and overall performance, especially in demanding tasks.

🎮 Gaming and Storage: The Role of HDDs and SSDs

The speaker explains how gamers often use HDDs for less frequently played games, accepting longer loading times in exchange for cheaper storage. While HDDs can still manage the data demands of games like GTA 5 and Cyberpunk 2077, the advent of new technologies such as DirectStorage—where the GPU accesses storage directly—may cause performance issues with HDDs. SSDs are recommended for smoother gameplay and avoiding stuttering or limiting visual quality in modern gaming setups.

🔇 Power Efficiency and Noise: SSDs vs. HDDs

This section highlights the advantages of SSDs in terms of power consumption and noise reduction. SSDs, with no moving parts, consume significantly less power than HDDs, making them ideal for quieter and cooler builds. Multiple HDDs can add to both noise and heat, while SSDs remain silent and energy-efficient. The speaker reflects on their personal experience with multiple hard drives, noting the downsides of noise and power consumption in a PC setup.

🔨 Durability and Fragility: SSDs vs. HDDs

The speaker contrasts the physical fragility of HDDs with the durability of SSDs. While SSDs can be handled roughly without concern, HDDs are vulnerable to damage from drops, potentially leading to data loss. This makes SSDs more reliable for portable storage. The speaker humorously demonstrates the fragility of a hard drive by accidentally dropping one, illustrating the point about mechanical vulnerability in HDDs.

📺 HDDs and High-Resolution Media Playback

The speaker discusses the performance of HDDs when handling high-resolution media, such as 4K and 8K video. While 4K Blu-ray discs have bitrates well within the capabilities of modern HDDs, SSDs are still preferred for smoother playback. However, for most home theater setups, a good HDD should be able to manage 4K and even some 8K content without major issues. The speaker points out that users of 8K displays likely have SSDs in their systems already.

💡 The Future of Storage: SSDs Becoming the Standard

In this final paragraph, the speaker wraps up the discussion by acknowledging the cost difference between SSDs and HDDs. Although HDDs are still viable for media storage, SSDs are the better option for those who can afford them, offering superior speed, reliability, and longevity. The speaker then shifts to promoting Micro Center, a popular retailer for tech enthusiasts, and encourages viewers to check out their services, including custom PC builds and same-day pickup.

Keywords

💡SSD (Solid State Drive)

An SSD is a type of storage device that uses flash memory to store data, offering faster access speeds compared to traditional hard drives. In the video, SSDs are highlighted as the superior choice for modern PCs due to their speed, reliability, and efficiency, especially when it comes to responsiveness and boot times.

💡HDD (Hard Disk Drive)

HDDs are traditional storage devices that use spinning disks to read and write data. They are cheaper than SSDs but come with drawbacks like slower speeds and susceptibility to physical damage. The video contrasts HDDs with SSDs, showing that while HDDs are still common for bulk storage, they are becoming less popular due to these limitations.

💡Native Command Queuing (NCQ)

NCQ is a technology that optimizes the order in which data is read or written to the hard drive to improve performance. In the video, it is mentioned as a way to mitigate the performance issues of HDDs by reducing 'thrashing,' though it's noted that this only partially solves the inherent limitations of mechanical drives.

💡Multitasking

Multitasking refers to running multiple applications or processes simultaneously. The video explores how modern PCs can handle multitasking better with SSDs, whereas HDDs struggle due to slower data access speeds, leading to performance degradation, especially when handling large file transfers and media playback.

💡Thrashing

Thrashing occurs when a hard drive’s read/write head moves back and forth excessively, trying to keep up with multiple file requests. This results in slower performance and increased wear on the drive. The video uses this term to explain why HDDs are less suited for heavy multitasking compared to SSDs.

💡DirectStorage

DirectStorage is a technology that allows the GPU to directly access data from storage, improving load times and performance in games. In the video, this is discussed in the context of new consoles and how using HDDs could lead to stuttering or visual quality limitations compared to SSDs.

💡Power consumption

This refers to the amount of electrical energy used by a device. The video explains that SSDs consume significantly less power compared to HDDs, making them more energy-efficient and generating less heat, which is important for modern builds that prioritize low power consumption.

💡File transfer speed

File transfer speed measures how quickly data can be read from or written to storage. The video emphasizes that SSDs offer much faster file transfer speeds than HDDs, especially important for gaming, video editing, and other high-performance tasks, where slower HDDs can become a bottleneck.

💡Fragility

Fragility in the context of the video refers to the susceptibility of HDDs to physical damage due to their moving parts. The video contrasts this with SSDs, which are more durable since they have no moving components, making them a better option for portable devices or environments where drops or impacts might occur.

💡Sequential transfer rate

This refers to the speed at which a drive can read or write large, continuous blocks of data. In the video, the sequential transfer rate of HDDs is mentioned in the context of media playback, explaining that while HDDs can handle 4K and even 8K video playback, SSDs are still preferable due to their faster data access.

Highlights

Solid State Drives (SSDs) are now more common than traditional hard drives (HDDs) due to increased speed and reliability.

In the past, SSDs were expensive and rare, but they are now a standard option for modern systems.

Hard drives are still cheaper than SSDs but have several drawbacks like noise, power consumption, and fragility.

For modern PCs, using an SSD for the operating system improves responsiveness and boot times.

Multitasking with HDDs can lead to thrashing, which causes wear and tear due to the physical read head's limitations.

SSDs eliminate the need for physical seeking, allowing for faster and more efficient file access, especially in multitasking scenarios.

SATA's native command queuing helps optimize file transfer orders but doesn't fully solve the limitations of mechanical drives.

SSDs, unlike HDDs, aren't constrained by physical limitations, so data can be processed much faster with fewer bottlenecks.

Games like GTA 5 or Cyberpunk 2077 can still run on HDDs, but SSDs provide smoother loading and gaming experiences.

The future of gaming, especially with technologies like direct storage, will make SSDs necessary to prevent stuttering and maximize visual quality.

SSDs are quieter, consume less power, and produce less heat compared to hard drives.

HDDs are fragile; a simple drop can render them inoperable, unlike SSDs, which are more durable.

While HDDs can still handle 4K media, SSDs are better suited for the future of media consumption, especially with 8K resolutions.

Modern SSDs last longer due to re-leveling techniques, even with frequent read/write cycles.

While HDDs are still cost-effective for media storage, SSDs offer superior performance, making them the recommended choice if budget allows.

Transcripts

- Yeah thanks, oh--

(hard disk dropping)

Ugh, I didn't actually mean to drop it that hard.

When I was a kid, SSDs barely even existed,

I mean, compact flash barely existed.

Then in college they were prohibitively expensive,

and then for years, the play was to have one, two punch,

a small capacity SSD for speed and, you know,

a chungus HDD for the big files.

But nowadays, it's more and more common

to see systems with no hard drive whatsoever.

Of course, hard drives are still cheaper,

but with their myriad drawbacks,

are they eve still worth it?

I'll tell you what is worth it, our sponsor Glasswire.

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you'll be notified instantly.

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(upbeat music)

We all know that for responsiveness and boot times,

at the very least, any modern PC should have

it's operating system loading from a solid state drive,

even when a small one is like 32 gigs

if you're using Windows 10.

You might be able to get away with 16

but that leaves zero wiggle room

for file transfers on your C drive,

not to mention Windows updates.

But with setup, can you do multiple things at once?

Can a single hard drive handle media playback,

file transfers and light gaming across multiple monitors?

Or will it become a jumbled hitching mess of mass media?

In our testing, we had no problem

running multiple applications off the hard drive

while transferring a large video file,

but just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Too much multitasking can lead to thrashing,

which is when data is quickly transferred back and forth

between the drive and the memory,

causing additional wear and tear on the disc.

Remember, there's a physical read head in here

that has to physically seek for every read or write

and if there's a lot going on,

especially across multiple files

spaced out all across the disk,

the head is going to be seeking a lot more than usual

to keep up.

SATA has had native command queuing for years now,

which helps alleviate this problem a bit, but not entirely.

It works by looking at the transfer of a large set of files

and optimizing the order in which they're read or written to

before executing the command.

This is better, but it's still a physical limitation

that SSDs simply don't have.

If you want to start multiple file transfers

from a hard drive,

you'll be limited by how quickly the read head

can move back and forth between all the files.

With an SSD, response times are mostly limited by software,

your CPU or the interconnect to the host.

Your processing power no longer needs to wait

for a physical head to find anything

so it just simply gathers it all up

and starts pushing it through just like

some kind of weird hose.

Kind of like how our new chocolate printer

is going to be gathering and pushing chocolate.

Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss out

on this sweet confectionary creations

we're abouts to create, mmh.

(smacking lips)

A strategy many people use

is to put the games they play less often

on their extra storage hard drive,

because they're okay with taking a sip

from their water bottle from lttstore.com

while they sit through the loading screens

whenever they actually do play these games.

And fair enough, because as it turns out,

once the loading is done hard drives are fast enough

to feed games like GTA 5,

or even Cyberpunk 2077 with the necessary data

as you zip through the streets at 1080P.

However, with the new consoles coming with support

for technologies like direct storage

that allow the GPU to directly access a drive

that ideally would be NVMe,

hard drives may not only cause stuttering and hitching,

but could limit the visual quality in your games as well,

to say nothing of falling through the unloaded floor.

But there's more to it than speed alone,

not only are SSDs quieter because there are no moving parts,

they consume significantly less power as well.

If you want to add multiple hard drives to your build

for extra storage,

you're looking at a potential noise increase

and an extra five to 10 watts per drive,

whereas as SSDs can use as little as 30 milliwatts

while not in use.

While this isn't huge if you're the kind of person

who likes to get the lowest wattage

power supply possible for your build,

it's definitely not nothing

to say nothing of the extra heat generated inside your PC.

I know that one all too well.

I have so many hard drives.

Hard drives are also fragile,

hey, can I grab a hard drive real quick?

Thanks.

Oh--

(hard drive dropping)

(beep)

How many times have you simply

tossed someone a USB flash drive

or carried one around in your bag

without a care in the world?

With the mechanical drive,

even though things are locked in place

when powered down properly,

a drop of just a few feet could be enough

to render it inoperable.

There goes all your photos, and sensitive files,

and 4k movies.

Speaking of 4k, you may have noticed

that media file sizes have been increasing.

Let's say you just bought a 4k or even 8K TV,

will your hard drive still be able to keep up

with your other components to access and output

that footage fast enough?

Or are you going to get stuttering

during the climax of the film

ruining your home theater experience?

Well, spoiler alert,

unless The film industry switches to 48 FPS as standard,

you probably have nothing to worry about.

4K Blu-ray has a bit rate

of about 70 to 80 megabits per second on average,

still well below the expected

100 to 120 megabytes per second

sequential transfer rate of a mechanical drive.

Even if 8K quadruples that bit rate number,

you can really still get away with Mr. Spinner here.

Our 7,200 RPM SATA 300 drive was able to playback

8K footage no problem.

And let's be real,

if you're processing an 8K display in 2021,

you probably have a rig with an SSD anyway.

These days, solid state drives are getting cheaper,

but they're still typically twice

as expensive as mechanicals,

so we can understand why anyone would still be attracted

to the older tech,

especially since they're still an okay option

for storing media.

However, if you have the extra cash,

we recommend shelling out for the SSD.

They're faster, smaller, silent, usually use less power,

can take more of a beating,

and thanks to modern re-leveling techniques,

they last longer too,

even when I'm reading and writing somewhat frequently.

And you know what else we do somewhat frequently?

We get the best prices and best selection

on computer hardware and everything else at Micro Center

across 25 locations in the US.

Check out the Micro Center custom PC builder

to spec out your best PC for your budget.

You can ensure all your parts are compatible,

find stock available at your nearest Micro Center location,

add it to your cart,

and arrange for same day in-store pickup.

For our fee, check the box marked same day pro assembly

to have the Micro Center expert technicians

assemble your PC for you.

If you want help deciding what parts

to put in your new custom gaming PC,

join the new online Micro Center community.

This is a great place to discuss tech

with other enthusiasts.

See the link in the description below

for a free pair of wireless Bluetooth headphones, okay,

valid in store only, no purchase necessary.

Are you in the middle of a new build

and trying to squeeze every last dollar

by going mechanical for your storage?

Let us know in the comments below,

and if you like this video,

check out our video about dry manufacturers sneaking SMR,

shingled magnetic recording into their hard drives

without telling consumers.

It's a lot slower, and some people say less reliable.