SSD vs HDD – A Hard Drive Comparative Analysis

Maximizing CAD Performance and Stability

At SolidBox, every decision we make regarding our hardware is done in the interest of maximizing CAD performance and stability. One example of such a decision is the SSD vs HDD debate. For the purposes of maximizing CAD performance and stability, we have chosen through a hard drive comparative analysis to spec our systems with nothing but Solid State Drives (SSD). In fact, the primary drive on all of our systems is the fastest variety of SSD available: M.2.

SSD vs HDD

SSD’s have many performance benefits over the traditional Mechanical Hard Drive (HDD) you may be more familiar with. Unlike a HDD, a SSD has no moving parts. This is where most of the benefits of a SSD come from. The lack of moving parts allows SSD’s to be more energy-efficient, more durable, more reliable, quieter, and FASTER.

Hard Drive Comparative Analysis

HDDSSD
Energy-Efficiency6-7 watts2-3 watts resulting in 30+ increase in laptop battery life.
DurabilityProne to failure when dropped or shaken due to moving parts.Lack of moving parts makes SSD's less prone to failure.
Write Speed50-120 MB/sOver 1,000 MB/s
Boot TimeSlower due to the need for drive to ramp up to operating speed.Two to three times as fast as a computer equipped with a HDD.