When choosing a new computer or upgrading storage, you’ll likely face the decision: SSD or HDD? Both are storage devices, but they work differently—and that difference affects speed, cost, durability, and more.

HDD stands for Hard Disk Drive. Think of it like a record player. Inside, a spinning disk (called a platter) holds your data, and a tiny arm reads or writes that data as the disk spins. HDDs have been around for decades and offer large storage at a lower price. They’re great if you need lots of space without spending much—like for storing movies, photos, or backups.

SSD stands for Solid State Drive. Imagine a giant, super-fast USB stick. It has no moving parts. Instead, it uses flash memory to store data, which means it can find and load files much faster. With no spinning disk, SSDs are quieter, more durable, and faster than HDDs. For example, a computer with an SSD can boot in under 10 seconds, while an HDD might take a minute.

Key differences:

• Speed: SSDs are up to 10x faster for booting, opening apps, and transferring files.
• Durability: SSDs are better for laptops—they’re shock-resistant since they have no moving parts.
• Cost: HDDs are cheaper per gigabyte, making them better for bulk storage.
• Lifespan: SSDs wear out over time with heavy use, but modern versions last many years.

In short: choose an SSD for speed and performance, or an HDD for budget-friendly large storage. Many people use both—an SSD for the operating system and apps, and an HDD for files.

As storage tech keeps evolving, SSDs are becoming more affordable and common—even in budget laptops.