How To Tell Whether Your Computer is Using a Regular Hard Drive or SSD

Lee Stanton August 12, 2022

You may want to know what type of disk drive your computer has. This information isn’t readily available simply by looking at it or knowing its make or model. Both types of drives perform the same function, but that’s where the similarities end.

How To Tell Whether Your Computer is Using a Regular Hard Drive or SSD

If you’ve recently bought a computer but are unsure which one it has, you’ve come to the right place. This article will cover the differences between a regular hard drive and an SSD and how to find out which one is on your computer.

The Differences Between HDD and SSD

The biggest difference between a hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid-state drive (SSD) is how data is stored and accessed. A hard disc drive does this with a spinning disc and a movable read/write head. A solid-state drive performs the same tasks but does so with memory chips.

HDDs are slower than SSDs. Due to its moving parts, it tends to fail more than its counterparts. This also makes them more fragile. However, HDDs are much cheaper than SSDs and better for videos, photos, and documents.

In contrast, SSDs are more durable and are much better for laptops since they are shock resistant. It’s much faster than HDD and is better suited for storing operating systems and gaming apps. Also, SSDs are significantly smaller than HDDs.

Can a Computer Have Both HDD and SSD?

Some computers and laptops on the market come with both HDD and SSD, although it’s more common to upgrade and add the one you don’t have. Having both a hard disk drive and a solid-state drive enables users to have the best of both worlds.

There are many benefits to having a dual-drive computer. Your computer will run much more efficiently. For example, you can keep your operating system on your SSD, decreasing the time it takes for your computer or laptop to boot. At the same time, storing video files, photos, and documents on your hard disk makes sense since these are better suited here.

How to Tell if Your Windows Computer Has HDD or SSD

It’s important to know your computer drive type. Fortunately, there are several ways to check this information. Take a look at the different methods below to check your drive type.

Using Defrag

Type “defrag” in the Windows search box and hit “Enter.”
Open “Defragment & Optimize Drives.”
A new window will open with a list of the drives installed on your computer. Look at the “Media type” column. It will list the type of drive.

Using PowerShell

Type “PowerShell” in the Windows search bar.
Open the “Windows PowerShell” on the left side of the popup window.
The Windows PowerShell app will open. Within the new window, type “Get-PhysicalDisk | Format-Table -AutoSize”.
The app will generate a list of drives on your computer. The “Media type” column will indicate whether you have an HDD or SSD.

How to Tell if Your Mac Computer Has a Regular Hard Drive or SSD

Checking which type of drive your Mac has is much easier than doing so on a Windows PC. It only takes a couple of mouse clicks to get your answer. To check, follow these steps:

Click on the “Apple Logo” in the upper left-hand corner.
Select “About This Mac.”
A new window will open. Tap the “Storage” tab on the top of the window.
You’ll see an image of a disk drive on the left side. Written under is the type of drive you have. If it says “Flash Storage,” that means it has an SSD.

Quickly Figure Out if Your Computer Is HDD or SSD

Knowing the type of storage drive your computer has is something every owner should know. You can see which one you have by clicking the Apple icon on your Mac or looking at your drive information on a Windows PC. Both types of drives do the same thing but perform the task differently. You may be surprised to learn that your computer has both!

Do you know what type of drive your computer has? Did you figure it out by using the methods described in this article? Let us know in the comments section below.