Does Your Primary Linux Desktop Have An HDD or SSD?
 

Based on feedback in this thread, the official LQ polls continue. This poll will be followed by a Server-related poll asking the same question.

--jeremy

I guess the poll wants to know which is the primary disk in my primary machine (the one where my OSes are on), so I voted for SSD here (also since all my other machines except the fileserver run on SSDs, too). Nonetheless there is also a LVM bundle of two HDDs in my main machine.

That's correct.

--jeremy

I do not yet have a SSD - way too expensive for me now. I use HDD everywhere.

I had to get one when the price came down enough on the larger models.

I won't build a computer anymore without an SSD boot/OS drive, be it laptop or desktop.

---------- Post added 10-07-13 at 06:31 PM ----------

SSDs are incredibly cheap now, compared to just a couple of years ago.

I voted SSD because my system is on an SSD while the data goes onto a large HDD.

Hi there,

that's the configuration I use with my HTPC which runs off an SSD, but uses (currently) two large HDDs for audio and video contents. Of course, these HDDs are spun down when not in use.

However, my primary system I'm using for everyday work is a traditional HDD-only setup, which is why I voted for HDD.

[X] Doc CPU

Member Response
 

Hi,

For my working Laptop, I too use a hybrid system with my primary OS using a SSD with long term archive data & storage on a external HDD.

Costs for small footprint consumer SSD have fallen. I like OCZ & Patriot for fair priced drives that are reliable. Intel SSD costs are starting to fall in price for consumer drives at popular resellers.

A good resourceful SSD wiki: http://www.ssdwiki.com/

as it was already mentioned: os on ssd, data on hdd, some parts (like /tmp, /run are) on tmpfs.

I have the OS on SSD and all my games, (DOSbox, WINE, Native, and other emulated systems) on spinning rust.

Two weeks ago I would have said HDD, but alas my relatively ancient desktop is now computing with the choir invisible, and the modern replacement on its way will have an SSD.

I don't have a desktop. But, aren't laptop SSDs ~$100 for 120 GB or something? At the same time, 1 TB HDD is also the same price. I agree SSDs offer more than just storage capacity ... still ...

Having said that - I am looking to buy one very soon - as soon as I have budgeted for that. :)

I'm not saying they're as cheap as a platter drive, far from it, but they're less than 25% of the cost they were just a couple of years ago. To answer your question, yes a good 120GB SSD is somewhere around $90-100, and you can pick up a good 1TB 2.5" SSD for around $500.

Unless you're building an absolutely bottom of the barrel, cheap as possible machine, I see no rational reason to go with an HDD over an SSD for the boot/OS drive. On a laptop it makes a bit more sense since you typically only have the space for one disk and it's an either/or scenario, but on a desktop there's no excuse anymore.

My vote and explanation for it were disclosed in post #7 above, but for those that aren't all that familiar with SSDs, I have a number of them and all are faster than mechanical HDDs, but I recently purchased a couple of Samsung 840 Pro Series SSDs and they are without a doubt the most impressive upgrade I've ever made when it comes to adding easily noticeable speed to my system. These things are very thin, lightweight, and blazingly fast. Highly recommended for any of you that should decide to go the SSD route. I'm thinking now about trying one of their 840 EVO Series SSDs that are a bit less expensive, the warranty period two years shorter, but are advertised to be just about as fast as the 840 Pro Series. You can check out any hardware reviews that you find on the Pro Series or EVO Series for more details.