What is a hard drive? Learn everything about hard drives

Hard drive is an important component in a computer. It contains all user data and information and is always accessed regularly. In addition, it is also related to boot speed, data copying, etc. So what is a hard drive? What types of hard drives are there? Please refer to the article below with TipsMake for more detailed information.

What is a hard drive?

A hard drive is a device used to store all data in a computer . This is an indispensable part, the hard drive will not change, no data will be lost even when disconnected. In other words, this is like a device that contains all user information like the Windows operating system. Hard drives also directly affect processing speed, security, and CPU power consumption. 

Nowadays, information technology is more developed, hard drives gradually become thinner and lighter in size but have more and more capacity, suitable for those who want to store large data.

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Development history of hard drives

The first HDD that appeared a long time ago was the IBM 350 RAMAC . The device was launched in 1956. You will be surprised when the hard drive has an electric motor system that weighs a ton but can only store 3.75 MB and is used in the government. This size is really too small, but this is a big invention that changes the results behind it.

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Gradually, inventors have replaced hard disks with faster and more powerful speeds. In the early 1980s, the hard drive was optimized to be able to be placed on a table with a size of 5.25 inches, weighing only about 3.2kg. Users can install it neatly and the hard drive's data transfer speed is high and stable.

Next, in 1988, the 2.4 inch hard drive was also born with a capacity of 20MB and a read and write speed of 23MB/s. The 20th century ended when NAND Flash hard drives were launched in 1995, providing fast, stable connection speeds that met customers' desires. 

Since the 21st century, the capacity and size of hard drives have been reduced to a minimum. Today, the world commonly uses hard drives that are very small in size, only 2.5 inches, weighing about 100g, with read and write speeds of more than 540Mb/s.  

Structure of hard drive

What parts are hard drives made of? Let's learn about the detailed parts below:

Magnetic disk 

The magnetic disk is a circular metal disk mounted inside the hard drive. There are also some cases where the disk is mounted on the spindle motor to create more data storage surfaces in a much narrower space. 

However, in order for the storage and retrieval of data to remain stable, the magnetic disk is arranged structurally with the following parts: 

1. Track: You can see that each magnetic disk will be divided into thousands of small concentric circles that are tightly surrounded. That circle is called Track by the technology world. The information stored on the hard drive will be recorded on the track. 
2. Sector: After the track will come the sector. Each track will be broken down into even smaller units called sectors. This will be the basic unit that helps store data on the hard drive. 
3. Cluster: Sectors combine together in groups to create a cluster.

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Read-write head 

The reader is the same as the head for recording data. This is the part made up between the magnetic media at the storage location and other electronic components in the hard disk. The reader and writer will also convert information in bit form into magnetic pulses and reverse it when reading. The read-write head also contains a coil and a magnetic control magnet. 

Main shaft motor

The spindle motor plays an important role in operating the hard drive when performing hard disk rotation. A spindle motor will be responsible for providing stable and consistent rotating power for hours on end.

Data processing circuit

There is a circuit board mounted on the bottom of the hard drive. The data processing circuit will help process read and write data of the hard drive through a flexible ribbon cap. . 

Hard drive slot 

The hard drive is mounted in a tightly protected enclosure with no connection to the outside air. The bottom of the drive is called the base. The drive mechanism is located in the lid and base, placed on top to provide tightness for the reader and to withstand impacts from external factors. 

Uses of hard drive

Hard drives help store and retrieve important information. In addition, they are also related to the following activities: Data copy speed, data security on the computer, computer startup speed. 

The speed of computer operations (copying, starting software, cutting and pasting, etc.) depends a lot on whether the hard drive is good or not, and whether the hard drive capacity is large or not. 

A good hard drive will help you simplify everything easily, making your work simpler and faster.

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Where is the hard drive installed on the computer?

Most hard drives are installed in the computer body. They are attached to motherboards using SCSI, SATA or ATA . 

Why do laptops and PCs need to have hard drives?

Computers need an operating system to help users interact and use applications or browsers. For the operating system to run, the computer needs an information storage device, a hard drive. 

The hard drive will help you install any programs or files you want to keep . The files will be saved until you delete them. 

What is hard drive capacity?

Computer hard drive capacity means storage space, space available on the drive to store data. The capacity of each type of hard drive will vary depending on your needs. Hard drives are capable of storing data from hundreds of MB to GB or even several TB. Depending on your needs, you should consider and choose the appropriate hard drive capacity.

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Important parameters on the hard drive

Let's explore the detailed parameters on the hard drive that will help you better understand the structure and operation of the hard drive. As follows:

1. Communication port: You can choose 4 popular communication ports on the market today: SATA2, SATA3, PCI-Express, USB 3.0. 
2. Maximum read/write speed: Typically 550MB/S, 50MB/s. 
3. Random read/write speed : Large IPOS parameters mean high reading speed for small files. 
4. Memory storage standards: Standard hard drive technologies include TLC, QLC and MLC. However, individuals will often be inclined to use MLC. Large businesses will be suitable to use SLC. 
5. Power consumption: Hard drives will usually consume about 3W of power. 
6. Other included features: SSD hard drives often support the TRIM command to help operate more proactively and delete discarded data. This will help the hard drive operate smoothly and increase its lifespan. 

How does a hard drive read and write data?

A hard drive is a closed device containing multiple magnetic disks stacked on top of each other and will be mounted horizontally or vertically. Read and write heads are also located above and below each magnetic disk. 

As the hard disk rotates, the drive head will be moved toward the center. The drive reader will then have access to the entire surface of each disk. 

Popular types of hard drives

Technology is increasingly developing, from a hard drive being compared to a huge refrigerator to being reduced to just the size of a normal disk that can hold extremely large data sources. Let's learn about the types of hard drives available today.

Compare SSD and HDD hard drives

On the market today there are two popular types of hard drives: SSD and HDD . Detail: 

1. HDD : Short for Hard Disk Drive , traditional hard drive . Data will be stored on circular discs that can be made of aluminum, ceramic or glass coated with magnetic material. The center of the hard disk will have a motor, when operating, the plates will rotate to read data. The disk spins fast, the hard drive will work fast. From there, the operating system operations will also operate and connect faster. 
2. SSD : Short for Solid State Drive , solid state hard drive . SSD hard drives provide superior read and write speeds compared to traditional HDD hard drives.

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Let's compare these two types of hard drives: 

1. Product price: SSD costs much more than HDD, specifically it will be about 10 times more expensive. 
2. Performance, popularity: SSD is more stable than HDD. In particular, SDD has extremely good shock resistance. But HDD is still commonly used because of its affordable price. 
3. Speed: Of course SSD will have faster and stronger connection speed. When playing games to boot the computer, the HDD will have to wait longer. 
4. Durability: The win will also go to the SSD hard disk. Because the structure of SSD is stable while HDD depends on the rotation axis. 
5. Noise level: HDD will vibrate when saving or retrieving data. In contrast, SSDs have almost no sound but also operate extremely smoothly. 
6. Data fragmentation: If it is an HDD, it will be easy to save and retrieve, but when it is small data, it can easily be fragmented and wait time. But with SSD, it only takes a split second to connect. 
7. Form: HDD will need a round disk and a rotating shaft, this is mandatory. SSDs will have a much more eye-catching and flexible design.

Compare internal hard drive (Internal Hard Drive) and external hard drive (External Hard Drive)

The following content will help you easily visualize the convenient use of internal and external hard drives. 

1. Movement ability: External hard umbrellas will have the ability to move more flexibly. When you have an external hard drive, you can easily take it anywhere with its extremely compact design. 
2. Data read and write speed: In this feature, the data read and write part on the internal hard drive will be faster than the external hard drive at a speed of 30MB/s. 
3. Size and weight: The internal hard drive will have a large size of 3.5 inches. The external hard drive has a smaller size of 2.5 inches and weighs 150g
4. Withstanding force: Using an external hard drive that is not surrounded will have poor bearing capacity and cause many risks despite its good bearing design. 
5. Hard drive capacity : Normally, 2.5-inch external hard drives currently have a maximum capacity of 2GB. In desktop computers, the capacity is up to 4TB. A great number for you to own a lot of important data without worrying about loss or overload. Furthermore, external hard drives are increasingly diverse in design. There are special types of hard drives with storage capacity up to 5TB.
6. Price: The price of an external hard drive will be more expensive than an internal hard drive. 

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What are frequently asked questions about hard drives?

There are many questions related to computer hard drives. Detail:

How to fix damaged hard drive?

When the hard drive fails, all data on the computer will be lost. There are many errors that cause hard drives to fail. So you should check to see what causes the hard drive to fail.

First, you should check if the hard drive is really damaged or not. If there is a clicking sound or irregular rotation in the hard drive, the possibility of the hard drive being damaged is very high. If not, you should check if the connection is not correct, if the cable connecting the main unit and the hard drive is broken or flickering, etc. In addition, a damaged hard drive may be due to a faulty hard drive circuit board. In this case, you will have to replace the new board and restart the computer.

Another reason why a hard drive fails is because the drive is no longer recognized. You can see for yourself the cause, fix it, and search for quick fixes on Google to solve the problem when your hard drive fails.
It's better to go to reputable computer repair shops to check and restore data quickly and promptly. 

How many hard drives can a computer have?

Normally, laptops can mount about 2 or more hard drives depending on the manufacturer's equipment. Of course you can use both SSD and HDD on the same machine. 

Epilogue 

Above is information shared about the concept of what a hard drive is. Hope it will be useful to you. Thank you for following the article, don't forget to follow other articles of the TipsMake blog!

Lesley Montoya

Update 03 October 2023