I'm considering adding some extra storage to my setup and plan to buy a 512 GB NVMe SSD for my main drive. However, I'm also thinking about getting a 4TB HDD for additional space. Is it still okay to rely on HDDs for large-capacity storage? What's the consensus on their performance and reliability these days?
4 Answers
Using an HDD is totally fine for large storage, especially for things like old media and backups. If you’re not using it for gaming, you should be good. Just keep in mind that newer, demanding games might slow down with an HDD.
Exactly, using HDDs for non-gaming stuff is still a great option.
There's still a big market for HDDs, so they're definitely relevant. Just be careful with mechanical failures, but generally, they last a good while if treated well. Plus, they're way cheaper for larger capacities than SSDs nowadays.
Totally, and if you’re not moving data around a lot, they’re a great choice.
For backups and old media, they can’t be beat for the price!
If you're just archiving stuff like personal photos or videos, an HDD is perfect. Just stay away from using it as a boot drive or for games to prevent any slowdowns. SSDs are better for speed in those cases.
Good point! It’s all about what you need it for.
Yeah, for everything else, an HDD is still a great way to go.
HDDs are actually a great choice if you need over 8TB, since SSDs are capped at that. I use SSDs for my main drives, but I've got an 8TB HDD for additional cold storage, and it's been working perfectly fine.
Yeah, the capacity is unbeatable, especially when you need a lot of space.
For sure, the value you get for larger sizes with HDDs is hard to resist.
Yeah, I agree! For gaming, SSDs are definitely better due to speed, but for archives, HDDs are solid.