SSDs are the new storage standard, but HDDs are still useful. This article explores the differences and will help you find the right hosting solution.1 2
Just like your choice of CPU and GPU, storage can affect your gaming experience.
A fast SSD can reduce load times and improve system responsiveness, while a slow hard drive can add a few minutes of waiting per gaming session.
When considering choosing between an HDD and an SSD for gaming, it’s important to find a storage drive that fits your goals and budget. We will detail the advantages of HDD (traditional hard drive) and SSD (solid state drive) below. SSD vs. Hard Disk: performance vs. Price

In short, choosing between HDD and SSD depends on whether you prioritize performance or capacity.
Solid state drives (SSDs) typically use flash memory to store data and therefore have no moving parts. They have faster read/write speeds than hard drives, faster access times (less latency), and a higher cost per gigabyte of storage.
Hard disk drives (HDDs) use rotating magnetic media to store data, accessed by a read/write head on an actuator arm (like a tape recorder). They have slower read/write speeds, longer access times, and a lower cost per gigabyte of storage than SSDs.

Understanding storage performance
The most common benchmark for evaluating storage device performance is read/write speed, i.e. the time it takes to fetch or save data. Sequential read/write speeds are the most commonly used performance metric and represent usage when large chunks of data are moved sequentially, such as copying and pasting large files on a computer to table. They are measured in megabytes per second (MB/s).
Random read/write speeds use data located in random blocks around the drive that take longer to read or write than sequential blocks. This reflects well on day-to-day use, as games and other applications often read and write small files to disk and access the data out of order. These speeds are measured in IOPS (input/output operations per second). Synthetic benchmarks are commonly used for storage drives on the market, but these should be done with caution – they do not always reflect actual performance. Manufacturers can show the best drive performance by testing at a high queue depth (number of actions performed in sequence), for example 32, even though a queue depth of 8 or more. down will be more realistic for most users.
SATA SSD vs NVMe-SSD
When buying an SSD, you’ll likely come across two different connection formats: SATA III and NVMe. NVMe is fast becoming the standard, but it’s still worth knowing the difference.
SATA III (Serial ATA) is a cable that works with the SATA protocol to connect multiple older SSDs and HDDs to your PC’s motherboard.

NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) is a newer protocol that allows direct connection to the motherboard’s PCIe lanes, resulting in higher throughput and lower latency. PCIe 3.0 and 4.0 drives can transfer data at thousands of megabytes per second – significantly faster than SATA III – with PCIe 4.0 drives nearly doubling the bandwidth of 3.0.

Older motherboards and BIOS may not support NVMe, so make sure your system supports it before upgrading. You can do this by looking at your motherboard’s documentation or looking up your motherboard’s specifications online.
What is the difference between SSD form factors? The different form factors are more than just physical differences. They also indicate how the drives will connect and communicate with your motherboard. 2.5 inches

A 2.5-inch SSD looks similar to a 2.5-inch mechanical drive. Consumer drives typically use the SATA III protocol and require separate power and data cables. However, NVMe is quickly becoming the new standard for consumer SSDs.

M.2

The M.2 drive has a small, thin rectangle, often compared to a stick of gum. They plug directly into the M.2 slot on the motherboard. These typically use the NVMe transfer protocol, although some older devices may use SATA. In addition, M.2 connectors are coded differently to avoid use with incompatible sockets.

The M.2 slots can be located below the heat shield or even on the back of the Mini-ITX motherboard. If you are having trouble locating the M.2 slot, refer to your motherboard’s documentation.
AIC

An AIC (Add In Card) SSD connects to a PCIe slot on the motherboard for power and data. They use PCIe lanes to communicate directly with the system, much like an NVMe M.2 SSD. If your system doesn’t have a free M.2 slot, an AIC SSD can also act as a PCIe to M.2 converter.
Other form factors

There are other types of SSD interface and form factors, such as the NVMe-based U.2 SSD. They are more commonly used in server/professional environments rather than gaming builds.
Why use a hard drive? Hard drives are generally slower and less durable than SSDs. But there’s still a good reason to have one: capacity. When used as secondary storage, HDDs can cheaply provide terabytes of additional capacity to store anything that won’t fit on your primary SSD. Look for the following when comparing hard drives:

Spindle speed is the main determinant of read/write speed. High-performance drives are typically 7200 rpm, but speeds can vary from 5400 to 15000 rpm. Higher speed usually means better performance.
The form factor can be 3.5 inches or 2.5 inches. In consumer devices, both SATA III and cable require separate cables for power and data. Enhanced hard drive memory with Intel® Optane™ memory
One of the main disadvantages of using a hard drive is speed. Intel® Optane™ memory offers a solution: SSD-like performance from the hard drive you already own.
Intel® Optane™ M10 16-64GB Memory Module works in the background to learn your most frequently used applications and files, keeping them conveniently located for quick access and remember them even after you power off the computer.
Should you choose HDD or SSD? Moving from an HDD to an SSD is one of the most notable upgrades you can make. If your budget allows, we recommend one of the options below.
Intel® Optane™ memory H10 with solid-state storage delivers high-speed Intel® Optane™ memory and high-density SSD storage in a single package. Your system benefits from the low latency and high performance capabilities of Intel® Optane™ memory under application load, as well as