HDD and SSD Recommendations For Your Gaming PC
Whether you're building a gaming PC from scratch or looking to upgrade your gaming setup, you'll need a storage solution that suits your requirements. We're here to help you find the right HDD or SDD. We'll help unpick the differences and provide recommendations for all budgets and levels.
We've also got a complete range of recommendations to custom-build your perfect gaming PC set-up. Whether you're on a tight budget or going for a no-expense-spared scenario - we've got something for every requirement.
1. Gaming CPU Recommendation For All Budgets
2. The Best Motherboard For Your Gaming PC
3. Top RAM (Memory) Recommendations For Your Gaming PC
4. PSU Recommendations To Set Up Your Gaming PC
5. The Best Graphics Cards (GPUs) For Your Gaming PC
6. The Best CPU Coolers For Your Gaming PC
7. The Best Gaming PC Cases and Towers
What Is An HDD?
An HDD is your Hard Disk Drive – it lives inside your computer and contains spinning disks where data is stored magnetically. It is known as ‘non-volatile’ data storage – which means it maintains stored data when it is turned off (unlike your RAM’s short-term data storage).
When planning your full gaming PC set up, you may come across questions like: ‘HDD or SSD’? We’ll cover what an SSD (Solid-State Drive) is in the next part of this guide, but we recommend your gaming PC has both!
What Is An SSD?
A Solid-State Drive (SSD) is a new generation of storage device used in computers – and is basically a must-have for your gaming PC set up.
Why? Because SSDs use flash-based memory – which is much faster than traditional HDDs. They also have no moving parts, meaning data is written, transferred and erased electronically and silently. The only downside is that solid-state drives are more expensive.
A good option is to get both an HDD and an SSD – use your SSD for the games that you are currently playing, and your HDD for everything else.
Read on to find out what our HDD and SSD recommendations are - from entry level to ultimate - we've got something for every requirement.
1. HDD Recommendation - Entry Level
Seagate BarraCuda 2TB 3.5” SATA 7200PM 256MB Cache 6Gb/s
Affordable with a good amount of storage, the Seagate BarraCuda 2TB is a great starting point for building a gaming PC on a budget.
2. HDD Recommendation - Mid-Level
Seagate BarraCuda 4TB 3.5” SATA 5400 RPM 256MB Cache 6Gb/s
A bit more money and double the storage. As games get bigger and bigger, you might want a larger HDD like this to store the games you aren’t playing. You won't need to then uninstall other games/files for space.
3. HDD Recommendation - Enthusiast
Seagate FireCuda HDD 3.5” SATA 7200RPM 256MB Cache 6Gb/s
Purpose-built for gaming PCs, the FireCuda offers greater speed than its cheaper Barracuda cousin. Pick the right storage size for you and enjoy games that load faster.
Plus, with the 3-year Seagate Rescue service, you are in safe hands should you face any data corruption issues.
4. HDD Recommendation - Ultimate
WD_BLACK 3.5” SATA 7200RPM 256MB Cache 6Gb/s
With capacities up to 10TB (the higher you go, the more expensive it gets) WD_BLACK gaming hard drives can store all the latest AAA titles whilst keeping your existing collection ready to play.
Which HDD Is Right For You?
As we covered in the introduction, most full gaming PC set ups utilise both an HDD and an SSD. We recommend using your HDD for long-term storage of games you aren’t currently playing, and keeping your SSD for the games that you are playing.
If you follow this advice, it really comes down to budget for your HDD, just make sure you have enough space for everything you need. It won’t affect the performance of your active games, as they will be on your SSD.
1. SSD Recommendation - Entry Level
WD Blue SN570 1TB M.2 NVMe 3500 MB/s Read/Write
Fast, efficient, and affordable in the solid-state drive market, the WD Blue SN570 has 1TB of space – more than enough to keep a combination of big triple AAA games installed and ready to play on your gaming PC.
2. SSD Recommendation - Mid-Level
Crucial P5 Plus M.2 NVMe 6600 MB/s Read / 5000 MB/s Write
The Crucial P5 combines 3D NAND and cutting-edge controller technology for fierce read/write speeds – pushing the limits of your gaming PC and giving greater performance at a great price.
3. SSD Recommendation - Enthusiast
Seagate FireCuda 530 M.2 NVMe 7000 MB/s Read / 3000 MB/s Write Heatsink
The Seagate FireCuda 530 really takes performance to the next level – with transfer rates up to 2x faster than the previous generation of SSDs. It’s available in 500GB, 1TB, 2TB and 4TB – so pick the one at the right price and you'll be on your way to gaming heaven!
4. SSD Recommendation - Ultimate
WD_BLACK SN850X M.2 NVMe 7300 MB/s Read / 6600 MB/s Write
Looking for breakneck gaming speeds that let you compete at your absolute peak? Look no further than the WD_BLACK SN850X. Enjoy insane speeds with minimum stutter and lag to give your full gaming PC set up the ultimate edge.
Note: ensure your chosen SSD model comes with a heatsink to enjoy optimum performance for your ultimate gaming PC!
Which SSD Is Right For You?
Unlike our HDD recommendations, which we suggested you use for long term storage of games you aren’t currently playing; your SSD does have an impact on your gaming PC’s performance.
A more efficient, modern SSD means quicker loading times – so if there are a lot of cutscenes and loading screens in your games, an effective SSD can get you back into the action quicker!
Buy Once, Buy Right
Whether you're taking your gaming experience to the next level or just starting out, we've got something for everyone. And when it comes to finding the right products for your PC gaming set up, we believe in ‘buy once, buy right’ – and at the right price.
Our team of experts are always on hand to help you make informed decisions to suit your needs, as well as offer their advice on building your custom gaming PC.
