SSD, NVMe or HDD: which drive to choose for your PC

Your system and games belong on an NVMe SSD (M.2 format) – it is several times faster than an older SATA SSD and many times faster than a traditional hard disk drive (HDD). Today an HDD only makes sense as cheap storage for photos, films and backups. For a gaming PC, choose an NVMe SSD of at least 1 TB, ideally 2 TB.

Summary

• HDD: a mechanical drive, cheap and large but slow (latency in milliseconds).
• SATA SSD: no moving parts, up to roughly 550 MB/s – limited by the SATA interface.
• NVMe SSD: connected via PCIe, roughly 3,500 to over 10,000 MB/s depending on the generation.
• New games are often over 100 GB and some require an SSD outright.

What types of drives are there

The values are approximate maximums for sequential reads. Actual speed depends on the specific model and capacity.

HDD – the traditional hard drive

It writes data magnetically onto spinning platters using a moving head. Speed is determined mainly by rotational speed (5,400 or 7,200 rpm). Because the head has to move physically, every access takes milliseconds. A system boots from an HDD in tens of seconds and games load slowly. Its advantage remains the low price per terabyte.

SSHD – the hybrid drive

An HDD with a small SSD module (8–16 GB) as a cache. It mainly sped up system boot, but with large files it behaved like an ordinary HDD. Today it is practically no longer sold – cheap SSDs replaced it.

SSD – a drive with no moving parts

It stores data in flash memory, so access takes only tens of microseconds – roughly a hundred times faster than an HDD. The system then boots in a few seconds and the computer responds instantly. An SSD is silent, shock-resistant and runs cool.

SATA or NVMe?

Both types can come as a small M.2 stick – the difference is the interface. A SATA SSD is limited by the old bus to roughly 550 MB/s. An NVMe SSD communicates directly over PCIe and is several times faster. Before buying, check your motherboard manual for which M.2 slots it has and which PCIe generation they support.

In games the difference between PCIe 4.0 and 5.0 is still small – loading is faster by seconds at most. PCIe 5.0 drives are more expensive and run hotter, often needing a heatsink. For a gaming PC, PCIe 4.0 currently offers the best value.

What to look for when choosing an SSD

1. Capacity: at least 1 TB for the system and a few games, 2 TB for more games. A full drive slows down – leave 10–20% free.
2. Interface: NVMe PCIe 4.0 if the board supports it. For older boards without an M.2 slot, a 2.5" SATA SSD is enough.
3. Cache: drives with DRAM (or HMB) maintain performance even during long writes. The cheapest models slow down significantly once the cache fills up.
4. Endurance (TBW): how many terabytes of written data the drive can take under warranty. Standard values are enough for games and everyday work; choose higher for video editing.
5. Warranty and brand: established manufacturers give 3–5 years of warranty.

Recommended drive setup

• Gaming PC: a 1–2 TB NVMe SSD for the system and games, optionally another SSD for your game library.
• Work PC and video editing: a fast NVMe SSD for the system and projects, an HDD or NAS for the archive.
• Older computer or laptop: replacing an HDD with a SATA SSD is the cheapest upgrade you can make – you will feel the difference immediately.

The drive is just one part of the build. How to choose the other components is covered in our guide How to choose a gaming PC. How drive speed works together with RAM is explained in the article RAM.

What next

• PC upgrades and service – we replace your HDD with an SSD and transfer the system and data.
• Laptop repair – an SSD for your laptop and data backup.
• Custom PC builds – we design a build including the right drive.