Why you should upgrade from HDD to SSD for gaming in 2022

HDDs used to be the standard for gaming 5-6 years ago, and one of the reasons was that their counterpart — SSDs — were available at highly steep prices. However, the latter is finally becoming more affordable and widespread in PC gaming.

As a result, one thing that has prevailed is the confusion regarding solid state drives and their impact on in-game performance, specifically if they offer better frames per second.

This article will elaborate on any misconceptions and advantages that solid state drives bring to gaming and why 2022 is finally the year to upgrade to a solid state drive.

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Misconception — SSDs give better FPS or framerates

Apex Legends running on HDD (Image via Sportskeeda)

Here is a clarification to any misconception associated with solid state drives to help readers make an informed decision.

One of the most glorified misconceptions with solid state drives and gaming is that they offer better framerates. Many people fall for this, believing that installing one will eventually sort out their system's performance issues, which unfortunately is not true.

The only exception is installing source engine games like Apex Legends to solid state drives, which again will not give higher framerates, instead making it consistent with fewer drops. Otherwise, most games offer the same framerates, notwithstanding the presence of a solid state drive.

So if readers opt for a budget build, the recommendation would be to spend the spare money on a better graphics card or processor. Perhaps, they can even upgrade the RAM if they consistently run out of memory, given gaming is their top priority.

However, this does not mean that players should altogether drop the idea of upgrading to a solid state drive, as they offer immense benefits to gaming and in general.

Some indispensable advantages of SSDs for gaming

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1) Faster loading and boot time

SSDs annihilate the loading and boot times associated with HDDs. On a broad scale, it will empower loading times to be cut down by almost half the time it would have taken on the latter.

This also means that the levels and menus in the game will load much faster. Gamers will have more time for actual gaming rather than waiting for it to load endlessly.

SSDs are known to reduce loading times by almost 50% in popular titles. Faster loading of in-game segments simply translates to a better gaming experience, devoid of interruptions.

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2) Better experience for gaming content creators and streamers

If someone's idea of gaming is directly connected to the simultaneous running of background applications and managing other processes, a solid state drive will benefit them greatly. If individuals game and are actively involved in content creation and streaming, solid state drives should indeed be on their upgrade list.

Gaming content creators have to manage and transfer colossal video files that can be streamlined with the breakneck speeds of a solid state drive. In a similar place are streamers who have to run video recordings and streaming software.

Overall, when the gaming experience depends on cohesion with other factors, SSDs are one of the best upgrades.

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Conclusion

SSDs do not offer higher framerates in-game, as popular belief. That being said, they are one of the best upgrades to streamline and enhance the gaming experience. If readers have a crammed budget allowance, it is recommended to get a low capacity drive of 128 GB or 256 GB, coupled with a 1 TB HDD to sort out their storage needs.

Gamers can store their essential games and programs in the SSD and keep their primary backup and data in the HDD. Overall, users should consider upgrading to an SSD if they have a PC with aging hardware for gaming in 2022.

Note: This article reflects the author's views.