They spin at 5,400rpm (more common) or 7,200rpm (less common). Speeds for consumer drives with spinning platters are in theġ00MBps to 200MBps range, depending on platter densities and whether Just how much faster is it to access data stored in flash Platters accessed by a moving magnetic head, an SSD uses a collection ofįlash cells-similar to the ones that make up a computer's RAM-to save Unlike a conventionalĭisk-based hard drive, which stores data on a spinning platter or (SSDs) have fewer moving parts than traditional hard drives, and they Hard drives may get you more capacity for your dollar by far, but first you need to consider a major difference in external storage these days: the hard drive versus the SSD. Weighing the Need for Speed: Hard Drive or SSD?
Questions that arise while you're shopping for an external hard drive. This guide will help you make sense of all these and many more