The SSD stands for Solid-State Drive which created a great revolution in the new computer world. It is the most advanced technology that is more power efficient in comparison to HDD.
To save data, it uses solid-state NAND stacks. So it has no moving parts like a Hard Disc Drive. As it is only some flash memory combined together it allows to carry out the pc for a longer time in terms of SSD vs HDD power consumption.
However, though these drives are created to manage the load from the super computer and highly configure pc, but nowadays SSD is used in low configure pc also to boost its overall performance.
Solid State Drive Power Consumption
There are seven types of SSD, and all of these have different electric energy consumption. They are SATA, PCIe, M.2, U.2, mSATA, SATA Express, on-board SSD. Among these, SATA and M.2. are the most used SSD in the present time.
Most of the Solid state drives consist of several flash memory connected as series on a PCB (Printed circuit boards). This simple mechanism helps the SSD to work by consuming lower power.
In general, all types of SSD consume the same 12volt like HDD. But the difference is in the watt. A high configured desktop pc or laptop comes with an M.2 SSD where it needs to deal with a heavy load,
so the current rate is quite a bit higher than SATA. M.2 SSD consumes about 7 to 8 watts per hour. On the other hand, SATA SSD consumes only 5 watts per hour.
Hard Disc Drive Power Consumption
The hard drive is a typical type of storage that has been commonly used since the beginning of standard computers. It consists of a non-magnetic rigid disc with a thin layer of magnet film coat over it,
which is continually rotating at about 7200 rpm speed. It also has a moving arm with a magnetic head that is used to read and write data.
So the construction of the HDD is very complicated, and all of these moving parts and motors need much power to perform. This is where solid state drive power consumption wins because of its simple construction.
HDD updated several times. Nowadays, it consumes lower power than previous versions to gain higher rpm, which ultimately gives you more read and write speed.
Desktop HDD consumes more power than laptop HDD. At the present time, HDD consumes almost 10 to 12 watts per hour to perform.
SSD vs HDD Power Consumption Ratio
In practical daily use, power consumption of SSD vs HDD is about 2:3. For example, if your laptop can run for 2 hours on battery by using HDD, it will last for 3 hours on SSD. On average, an SSD can boost the battery life up to 40 to 45 minutes.
On the other hand, the speed you have on an SSD will help you do a specific work faster than an HDD, so practically, you can finish the work earlier, which means lower power consumption as more running time needs more power.
SSD vs HDD Speed Test
Read-write speed also has an important role in power consumption. As we discussed earlier, power consumption is directly related to running time. More time ultimately requires more power to do a specific work.
For example, the boot time on a pc by using SSD is only 10 second so if the SSD is consuming 5watts per hour, then it’s boot time will consume 0.019 watt only. On the other hand, with the boot on the same pc by using HDD can be 1 minute or more.
Suppose the HDD also consumes 5watts per hour (though it requires 10 watts or more) then it’s boot time will consume about 0.11 watts.
So having the same power consumption rate, HDD will consume more power because of lower speed. Let’s have a short discussion on the speed test of SSD and HDD.
In terms of SSD vs HDD speed test, SSD is the clear winner in this comparison. Speed is something that varies according to SSD or HDD manufacturing companies and the configuration of the pc. An average speed test result is given below.
1. Read and Write Speed
Usually, SSD can read and write data about 52o to 550 megabytes per second (MBps). On the other hand, an HDD can read and write data about 100-120 MBps only.
2. Boot up Speed
A pc can turn on within 10 to 25 seconds by using an SSD. On HDD it requires about 45 seconds, even a minute or more.
3. Restart Speed
A pc with SSD can restart within 30 to 35 seconds, and an HDD needs 1 to 2 minutes.
4. App launching Speed
- Premier pro: with SSD, the app opens at 15 to 18 seconds. HDD needs 90 to 95 seconds to open the app.
- After-Effects: Opening the app, SSD can be finished in 27 to 29 seconds, and HDD can do it in 104 to 106 seconds.
- Chrome Browser: It needs only 1 or 2 seconds with an SSD and 3 to 5 seconds by using HDD.
5. Shutdown Speed
The pc with SSD can shut down at 8 or 9 seconds, where the same pc will shut down at 30 to 45 seconds by using HDD.
That is how in every type of work SSD will save your time as well as power consumption with the help of its 5x super-fast speed.
Final Words
Though many people claim SSD is consuming more power as it is giving you the speed but in the side by side comparison of SSD vs HDD power consumption, you will find it is consuming less power than the HDD.
If the SSD is consuming more power than the HDD, then there must be some compatibility issue. Some people use SSD and HDD (as an optional drive) together, then it will definitely consume more power.
An SSD only consumes almost half the watts of an HDD. On the other hand, by finishing everything faster saves some extra power also. If your pc is running low on performance and battery, go for an SSD as soon as possible.