What is a Hard Drive

HDD stands for “ Hard Drive Device ” which in Spanish means “ hard disk drive ” known simply as HD or hard drive.

Definition

HDD is the traditional spinning hard drive that provides the basic non-volatile storage used by a computer. That is, the data “does not disappear” from system memory when the computer is turned off. Hard drives are essentially metal platters with a magnetic coating. A read/write head is an arm that accesses data while the platters are spinning in the case that contains the hard drive.

A hard drive is the traditional storage medium used by desktop computers, it consists of a rigid disk made of non-magnetic material that is coated with a thin layer of magnetic material. Data is stored by magnetizing this thin film. The disk rotates at high speed while the magnetic head; which is mounted on a mobile arm; Allows you to read and write data.

A hard drive typically runs at a speed of 7,200 rpm (revolutions per minute), although some server drives can spin at speeds of up to 15,000 rpm. You can often see that number as part of the technical specifications of the computer. The rotation that a hard disk performs represents how the disk rotates when reading information. The faster the platter spins, the faster a hard drive can perform read/write operations.

Advantages and disadvantages

One advantage of a hard drive is that it is capable of storing large amounts of data at a low price. These days, you can see computers that come with a 1 terabyte (1,024 gigabyte) drive of storage. Generally, hard drives use the SATA interface for connection. HDDs are cheaper than SSDs (Solid State Drives)

Having mechanical parts makes hard drives susceptible to shocks that can damage the disk surface or the read/write head. The mechanical arm that contains the head moves more slowly than the processor used by an SDD. This difference is what makes HDDs cheaper.

This is how a hard drive compares to an SSD; it simply requires more physical work (mechanical movement) to obtain information.