HDD vs SSD performance
Name:
Date:
Class:
A
Quick Questions
Shade in the A or B circle for each question.
1. Which storage device has no moving parts?
2. Which computer will usually boot up faster?
3. Your laptop is dropped in a school bag. Which drive is less likely to be damaged?
4. Which statement about cost per GB is usually true?
5. A game takes ages to load from your old drive. Which upgrade would most likely speed up load times?
B
Match the Pairs
Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.
| Left column | Right column | |
|---|---|---|
| 1SSD | A1 TB HDD $60, 1 TB SSD $120 | |
| 2HDD | BThe two are swapped. An SSD is the faster drive and usually costs more per GB, while an HDD is slower and usually costs less per GB. | |
| 3An SSD usually boots a computer and loads programs much faster than an HDD | CBoot time: SSD 15 sec, HDD 60 sec | |
| 4An SSD usually costs more per GB than an HDD, so the same money buys less space | DSolid state drive: storage with no moving parts that reads and writes data much faster than an HDD | |
| 5An SSD has spinning disks, so it is easier to break when dropped. | ESSDs have no moving parts and no spinning disks. That makes them tougher than HDDs, not more fragile. | |
| 6HDD is the faster drive, but SSD costs less per GB. | FHard disk drive: storage with spinning disks that is slower than an SSD but usually cheaper per GB |
C
Definitions
SSD (solid state drive)
D
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.
1.
An ___
reads and writes data faster than an HDD.
2.
A computer with an SSD will ____ faster.
3.
Cost per GB: SSD is usually ______ than HDD
4.
An HDD has ______ parts, so it is fragile.
5.
costPerGB = price _ sizeGB
E
Spot the Error
Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.
Question 1
A
drive ← SSD
B
moving_parts ← 3
C
IF moving_parts = 0 THEN
D
OUTPUT "Tougher"
E
ENDIF
Question 2
A
hdd_boot ← 45
B
ssd_boot ← 12
C
faster ← HDD
D
OUTPUT faster
Question 3
A
hdd_cost ← 0.04
B
ssd_cost ← 0.09
C
IF ssd_cost > hdd_cost THEN
D
OUTPUT "SSD costs less/GB"
E
ENDIF
Question 4
A
INPUT drive
B
IF drive = HDD THEN
C
OUTPUT "Survives bumps"
D
ENDIF
Question 5
A
ssd_mbps ← 500
B
hdd_mbps ← 100
C
faster ← hdd_mbps / ssd_mbps
D
OUTPUT faster
Answer Key
HDD vs SSD performance
Section A: Quick Questions
Q1
A — SSD (solid state drive)
Q2
B — One with an SSD
Q3
B — SSD, because it has no moving parts
Q4
A — SSDs usually cost more per GB than HDDs
Q5
A — Swap the HDD for an SSD
Section B: Match the Pairs
Q1
SSD → Solid state drive: storage with no moving parts that reads and writes data much faster than an HDD
Q2
HDD → Hard disk drive: storage with spinning disks that is slower than an SSD but usually cheaper per GB
Q3
An SSD usually boots a computer and loads programs much faster than an HDD → Boot time: SSD 15 sec, HDD 60 sec
Q4
An SSD usually costs more per GB than an HDD, so the same money buys less space → 1 TB HDD $60, 1 TB SSD $120
Q5
An SSD has spinning disks, so it is easier to break when dropped. → SSDs have no moving parts and no spinning disks. That makes them tougher than HDDs, not more fragile.
Q6
HDD is the faster drive, but SSD costs less per GB. → The two are swapped. An SSD is the faster drive and usually costs more per GB, while an HDD is slower and usually costs less per GB.
Section C: Definitions
Q1
SSD (solid state drive) — Storage with no moving parts. It reads and writes data much faster than an HDD, so computers boot and load quicker. It is tougher but usually costs more per GB.Section D: Fill in the Blanks
Q1
An SSD
reads and writes data faster than an HDD.Q2
A computer with an SSD will boot faster.Q3
Cost per GB: SSD is usually higher than HDDQ4
An HDD has moving parts, so it is fragile.Q5
costPerGB = price / sizeGBSection E: Spot the Error
Q1
B — An SSD has no moving parts, so moving_parts should be 0. That is why the IF test and the 'Tougher' message make sense.
Q2
C — The SSD boots in 12 seconds and the HDD takes 45, so the SSD is the faster drive. The line should be faster ← SSD.
Q3
D — The SSD cost per GB (0.09) is higher than the HDD (0.04), so the message should say the SSD costs more per GB, not less.
Q4
B — It is the SSD, with no moving parts, that survives bumps and drops better. An HDD has delicate spinning parts. The test should be IF drive = SSD THEN.
Q5
C — To find how many times faster the SSD is, divide the SSD speed by the HDD speed (500 / 100 = 5). The numbers were swapped, which gives 0.2.