SSD Power Consumption Vs. Hard Drives

Solid state drives (SSD) and standard mechanical hard drives operate on very different technology. As with any internal computing device, hard drives require electrical power to operate correctly. This power consumption is often of concern in mobile computing applications, where computers must rely on battery power to operate. A lower power usage extends the life of the mobile device's battery.

Standard Hard Drive Operation

Standard hard drives have several moving parts that function during operation. The data in these drives are stored on thin metallic platters that spin at high velocities ranging from 5400 to 15,000 RPM. These drives also use a mechanical reading head, similar to the arm on a record player, that moves constantly across the disk to retrieve data. These moving parts are powered electrically and increase the power usage of the standard hard drive.

Solid State Drives

As the name suggests, solid state drives have no moving parts. These drives store and retrieve data electronically in the same fashion as a standard USB flash drive. The lack of moving parts reduces power usage and lowers the heat generated by the drive. This removes the necessity for a hard drive cooling fan, which further lowers the power requirements of a solid-state drive.

Implementation

Solid state drives are most commonly installed in laptop computers when power use is a concern. The lower power consumption on the solid-state drive allows a laptop to operate for longer periods of time between battery charges. Solid-state drives also offer superior data throughput and, as a result, increase the processing efficiency of the computer. Their lack of moving parts also reduces the internal heat generated by the laptop.

Considerations

Solid state drives are considerably more expensive than standard mechanical hard drives. This added expense often makes it less costly to simply purchase a higher-capacity battery for the laptop. In desktop computers, speaking only to power usage, it is often not advantageous to install an SSD drive. Standard hard drives use only a few watts of electrical power during operation. The cost of this electricity is insignificant when compared to the much higher cost of the solid-state drive.

References

• PC World; Solid-State Drives Versus Hard-Disk Drives in Laptops; Melissa J. Perenson; 2007
• Kingston Technology; SSDNow vs. HDD and Use Cases/Scenarios; 2009
• Berg Software Design; Life Cycle Power Consumption HDD vs. SSD; Debasis Baral; 2009
• Whitesites Blog; SSD vs. Hard Drives on Your Electric Bill; Paul White; 2010