What is HDD? Advantages and disadvantages of HDD hard drives

HDD is a computer device that is quite commonly used on the market today. HDD drives help control computer activities and undertake data processing tasks. So what is an HDD ? How does it work? How are SSDs and HDDs different? Join TipsMake to learn immediately about this type of hard drive in the article below.

Content

1. What is HDD?
2. Structure of HDD
   1. Disc assembly
   2. Reader cluster
   3. Electrical circuit assembly
   4. Hard drive enclosure
   5. Magnetic disk
3. What is the operating principle of HDD?
4. Advantages and disadvantages of HDD hard drives
5. Popular types of HDD hard drives
6. Types of SATA HDD hard drives
7. Explain the unit of measurement of HDD speed
8. Meaning of technical parameters on HDD hard drive
9. Compare HDD and SSD hard drives
10. Should I choose an HDD or an SSD?
11. Famous HDD manufacturers
12. What are frequently asked questions about HDDs?
    1. Can both HDD and SSD be used in a computer?
    2. How to convert HDD to SSD?
13. Epilogue

What is HDD?

HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is a traditional type of hard drive, used a lot for computers.

The operating principle of an HDD is quite simple with a circular disk structure made of aluminum or magnetically coated materials. In the middle of the drive is an additional rotating motor that helps read and record data on the computer. The hard drive has many electronic circuit boards to control the reader or write data most accurately, and also decode information.

HDD hard drives are non-violate (immutable) memory, so when there is no power connection, data and information will still be preserved.

To meet the needs of users, HDD hard drives will be divided into many different rotation speeds. An HDD on a laptop today has two common speeds: 5400 RPM (revolutions per minute) or 7200 RPM , except for a few exceptional HDDs that have rotation speeds of up to 15,000 RPM . The higher the number of revolutions per minute, the faster and more efficiently the hard drive operates.

Structure of HDD

HDD hard drives are made up of many different parts such as:

Disc assembly

The disc assemblies will be stacked and attached together by a rotating shaft, which helps all discs move at the same speed throughout the machine's operation.

Reader cluster

Each side of the disc will have a corresponding head to read and write data during use of the machine. If an HDD has two disks, there will be four heads to read and write data. Reader cluster includes:

1. Reader part to read and write data.
2. Need to move the reader.

Electrical circuit assembly

1. Control circuit: Located right behind the hard drive, responsible for controlling the motor on the disk surface to help the reader move to the correct position.
2. Data processing circuit: Handles written and read data on the hard drive effectively.
3. Buffer memory: Is a place to temporarily store data during the process of writing/reading data when using the device. If the hard drive loses power, the data on the memory will also disappear.
4. Power connector: Provides power to the HDD hard drive.
5. Connector: Is the means to help the hard drive communicate with the computer.
6. Settings bridges: Program the hard drive's working mode to suit usage needs.

Hard drive enclosure

The hard drive case includes: The mounting base and the cover to protect the internal components. Has the function of fixing components, ensuring tightness so that dust does not get inside the final drive. The hard drive casing can also withstand all low-level collisions.

Magnetic disk

The magnetic disk is made of metal, has a circular shape and is attached inside the hard drive. Several magnetic disks will be mounted on a spindle motor to create more data storage surfaces in a small hard drive space.

Magnetic disks are always arranged into specific structures to make the process of storing or retrieving data more organized. These structures include:

1. Track: Is the data recorded on concentric circles. All information stored on the hard drive is also recorded on the Track.
2. Sector : To increase the capacity of each concentric circle will be divided into many sectors called Sectors. Sector is the basic unit for storing information on a hard drive.
3. Cluster: When Sectors are grouped together, they will form Clusters.

What is the operating principle of HDD?

The operating principle of an HDD is not too complicated, thanks to the rotation mechanism of the magnetic disk and vertical head.

1. The magnetic disc is made of aluminum, glass or ceramic that has been coated with magnetic material and rotates around a rotating motor.
2. Combined with the control motherboard for the purpose of reading and writing data, decoding information, etc. This part is the deciding factor in how fast or slow your operations on the computer are.

Advantages and disadvantages of HDD hard drives

HDD hard drives have many advantages, but there are still a few disadvantages that need to be overcome.

Advantage	Defect
– Very large capacity, can even reach more than 14TB. This capacity is about 10 to 20 times greater than a conventional hard drive of only 500GB to 1TB . – The price is quite affordable so it is suitable for popular computers or systems with large storage needs.	– Causes noise when operating and generates high heat. – Easily shocked during use, causing loss of stored data, or even damaging the hard drive. – Access speed is very low because it depends on the rotation speed of the disc.

To overcome the disadvantages, many businesses have developed HDD drives with high shock resistance, separate heat dissipation mechanisms, and increasingly faster data writing/reading speeds.

In addition, you can also install an SSD or Intel Optane cache to increase processing speed while still ensuring data is stored in the HDD.

Popular types of HDD hard drives

HDD hard drives are divided into two types, each type has its own unique characteristics:

Criteria	Content
HDD Internal	Most of these types of hard drives have a capacity of 4TB, 3.5 inch size and data writing/reading speed of 530MB/s. The selling price of this type of hard drive is lower than that of External HDD.
HDD External	The capacity of the External HDD is 2TB, and is 2.5 inches smaller than the Internal HDD. However, currently some hard drives with special equipment have a storage capacity of up to 5TB such as Backup Plus Desktop. This type of hard drive provides power through USB and Thunderbolt connections.

Types of SATA HDD hard drives

SATA HDD is a hard drive that uses the SATA connection standard of HDD Internal. SATA HDD hard drives include the following types:

Criteria	Content
2.5 inch HDD	2.5 inch HDD has average capacity and read/write speed. But in some cases it is still possible to achieve storage capacity of up to 5TB with speeds of about 50MB/s to 150MB/s.
3.5 inch HDD	Mostly used for desktop computers or workstations because of their extremely large storage capacity of up to 14TB, high data writing/reading ability at 250MB/s speed.
5.25 inch HDD	This is the type of hard drive used on early computers with a rather bulky design and very poor performance in storage capacity and speed. The 5.25 inch HDD has been discontinued since 1990.

Explain the unit of measurement of HDD speed

The most popular units of speed measurement on HDDs are 5400 RPM and 7200 RPM . The RPM unit stands for Revolutions per minute, representing the number of drive revolutions in 1 minute. A speed of 7200 RPM means that the disk on the hard drive will rotate at a speed of 7200 revolutions in 1 minute . The higher the rotation speed, the faster the hard drive reads and writes data.

Currently, most computers use 7200 RPM HDDs to help improve data reading/writing time.

Meaning of technical parameters on HDD hard drive

There are many technical parameters on the HDD hard drive. For you to better understand, TipsMake will explain the meaning of the parameters as follows:

1. Disk Capacity HDD: Indicates the capacity of the HDD. Use units of measurement: Byte, Kb, MB, GB or TB.
2. Average Seek Time HDD: Is the average time for the hard drive to search for data.
3. Random Access Time HDD: This is a very important parameter on the hard drive that directly affects performance and the system, indicating random access time to search for data.
4. Data access time HDD: This is the hard drive's data access time. Calculated as the sum of Average Seek time and Random Access Time combined.
5. MTBF HDD or Mean Time Between Failures HDD: Simply put, this is the life of the hard drive measured in hours. This parameter helps indicate the HDD's reliable working time. Hard drives with a rotation speed of 15,000 RPM will have a MTBF of up to 1.4 million hours.

Compare HDD and SSD hard drives

Below are the comparison criteria between SSD and HDD:

Criteria	HHD hard drive	SSD hard drive
Processing speed	– Takes more than 1 minute. – Runs at 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM. Ability to read/write data at SATA 2 level with performance of more than 200MB/s. – Can only work effectively if the data is on the same sector or the sectors are arranged next to each other. If the sectors are located in discrete locations, the data read/write speed will become slow.	– It only takes a few seconds. – Has a fast memory chip with performance reaching nearly 500MB/s, far superior to HDD. – Using memory including Flash Chips helps users to work as soon as the computer boots. – Data file access speed is also many times faster than HDD.
Data storage capabilities	There is a huge storage capacity of up to 14TB or possibly larger but the price does not change too much.	Storage capacity is less but the price is quite high.
Noise	Quite vibrating, causing very loud noise.	Works quite smoothly, light noise.
Price	Low price.	More expensive than HDD.
Form	– The form does not stand out, the designs are simple. – Manufactured in two standard sizes: 2.5 inches and 3.5 inches.	– Highly appreciated for its form and flexible design. – Has a smaller design and is manufactured based on M.2 or PCIe form factor. – Much more expensive than SATA 3 but more compact and has outstanding storage speed.
Reliability	– Low physical structure, often has to run continuously so durability is not high. – Very poor heat resistance. Difficult to repair. – Requires a dust-free working environment.	– Focused on physical structure, high storage capacity, longer usage time. – Can work normally in all harsh environments. – Repair is very simple.
Data fragmentation	Small amounts of collected data are easily fragmented, making the backup process more time consuming.	Using a discrete memory chip structure, data is clearly partitioned so data backup time is quick.
Power consumption capacity	It takes more electricity to start and operate.	Consumes very little electricity.

Should I choose an HDD or an SSD?

Depending on your needs, choose which hard drive is most effective.

Choose HDD in the following cases:

1. For users who like to download movies, videos or store a lot of learning materials on the computer, the large capacity of the HDD will be the right choice. SSD drives also have high capacity but are very expensive, so if you do not need to use them much, it is not necessary to choose this drive.
2. The nature of work requires storing large data files such as graphic design, so using SSD will cost too much.
3. For simple usage needs, without needing fast read/write speeds, without needing to move the computer to many places, choosing an HDD will be very reasonable.

Choose SSD in the following cases:

1. The nature of the job requires frequent travel, quick operating system startup, ensuring data safety in case the device shakes.
2. Requires high processing speed for tasks such as engineers, graphics or gamers. To bring more optimal efficiency, users can use 2 drives at the same time , SSD to process information and HDD to store data.
3. If you are a person who does not like noise, you should use SSD because when operating this type of hard drive, it creates quite light and very quiet noise.
4. In addition, for users who love sound, SSD will be the perfect choice because during operation it will not emit any noise.

Famous HDD manufacturers

There are many famous quality HDD manufacturers on the market such as Samsung, Toshiba, Silicon, Transcend, Western, etc. Most of these brands' hard drives are highly appreciated by users for their durability and capacity. big data storage.

Suggest some HDDs that are most chosen by many users today:

Silicon Power Armor A62 1TB	1TB storage capacity creates comfortable storage space for users. Developed waterproof and shockproof features for more durable use. Reference price: 1,599,000 VND
Adata HD710P 2TB	This is a typical type of hard drive chosen by many people because of its shockproof, waterproof and dustproof properties, and is integrated with many PC lines. Reference price 2,490,000 VND .
Toshiba Aluminum Canvio 1TB	With a monolithic aluminum shell design, it avoids any impact from outside. Furthermore, this hard drive line also uses Ramp Load technology to help the data writing/reading head not touch the disk surface, increasing effective usage time. Reference price 1,355,000 VND.
LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive Type – C 1TB	Using USB 3.0 port helps copy data quickly. 1TB capacity comfortably stores information without worrying about the drive being cramped. Reference price 2,150,000 VND.
Seagate Backup Plus Slim Portable 1TB	This is also one of the most popular types of hard drives by users. When sold on the market, the supplier also gives users 200GB to store cloud data on OneDrive with a validity period of 2 years. Reference price 1,509,000 VND .

What are frequently asked questions about HDDs?

Below are two questions that users often ask about hard drives:    

Can both HDD and SSD be used in a computer?

You can absolutely install two HDDs and SSDs in your computer to work together. Normally, on laptops, a 2.5-inch SATA drive will be used to plug in an HDD, and also comes with one or more M2 slots to add an SSD.
Running two drives at the same time is very common, users often use SSD drives to install the operating system and use HDD drives to store computer information data.

How to convert HDD to SSD?

You just need to remove the HDD and install the SSD in the computer, or you can run both drives at the same time. Note that after installation, you should reinstall Windows onto the SSD to make the computer run smoother. If you only install the SSD without installing Windows, the speed will still be as slow as before. Finally, copy data from HDD to SSD for use.

Epilogue

Hopefully the above content has helped you understand what an HDD is and what characteristics an SSD has that an HDD does not have. If you are still wondering which type of hard drive to choose, please contact TipsMake immediately for advice on quality products that meet your needs.