Does a Large Capacity Hard Drive Make a Computer Run Slower

All else being equal, a newer, larger hard drive is generally faster than an older, smaller one. That's because the bits are packed more densely - they can read/write more bits on each revolution.

For drives of the same generation, where capacity differences are more likely due to the number of heads/platters, the reason is a bit different. There, there's no difference in how fast the bits can be read. But larger would still be faster since there's more bits on each track, so less stepping (seek time) when reading the same amount of data.

Any reasonable SSD will be much faster.

New guy since I'm looking for stuff for my toy hauler, and first post ....

I'm an IT guy and have been dealing with desktops, laptop, and everything in between for over 20 years. Let me break this down so it's easier to understand.

We're going to use what I like to call the toolbox and workbench mentality. We can all relate to it and it doesn't muddy things up with techno-babble. Even as a tech, I don't like techno-babble so that should say something.


CPU
This is really the vise on the workbench. You use it to work on things (programs and software) that you need, like Google Chrome/IE, MS-Word, Adobe Reader, etc.. The better the vise, the better it works ... so instead of a vise that deals only with metal or wood, you get the better one that you can use on a variety of materials.


Hard Drive
This is the toolbox that stores all your tools. Some hard drives, especially the older ones, have a slower spin rate. These are labeled "5400 RPM". The newer ones are either SSD's or HDD's that are labeled "7200 RPM". The reason for the 5400 RPM HDD's in laptops was because laptops are portable, and you could crash the read/write heads into the spinning platters inside the hard drive where the data was stored, causing a loss of data and in some cases crashing the computer so bad it wouldn't boot. With the newer 7200 RPM HDD's, it's not that much of an issue since they can handle shock values anywhere from 20g to 100g, depending on when they were made and if they're powered on or off.

For laptops that didn't come with an SSD, I highly recommend upgrading to them because they're much faster and there are no moving parts.


RAM
This is the workbench that the vise is attached to, and again, bigger and better rules supreme. It's also where you're putting your tools (programs/operating system, drivers, etc.) when you take them out of the toolbox (hard drive) to use them, so you want something big enough to handle more than a couple tools (programs). If your workbench can handle more tools, you're also not having to take tools back and forth to the toolbox all the time because of space limits (small amount of RAM).


Motherboard
This only applies to those doing custom computer builds, but think of it as what connects your workbench and toolbox together. More features (wireless, Bluetooth, USB ports, etc.) is always a good thing but it can also limit the portability. Some laptops are called "desktop replacements" and are not only very heavy as they're basically a portable desktop, but also use a lot more energy. Some laptops, and even tablets, can run for hours (as much as 8 hours or more) on their battery, but the desktop replacement style can run for maybe 2 to 3 hours max. Some of these desktop replacements can weigh up to 22 pounds (10 kilos) and it's painful to move them around.


Most upgrades can be done with simple hand tools, like RAM and hard drive upgrades, but I highly recommend you call to ask the manufacturer first if you can upgrade. For example, some computers come with the maximum amount of RAM installed, so even though it might not be enough to run properly putting more RAM in won't help. Also in cases where you're looking at upgrading to an SSD, it might not be possible due to the type of connector on the SDD itself.




-Kris

Windows Taskmanager

gleebensocken.exe
smogglemurffen.dll

This stuff is a little over my head.

RAM would be simpler if RAM is the problem.

Absolutely stopping a program under Windows frees up RAM. I often do it on my work WIN 7 PC because they will not give us more than 8 gig and I hover between 6 & 7. Rebooting of course fixes this, but if I am in the middle of something I'll kill off things to free up RAM to decrease swapping so I can finish what I'm doing. Too much crappy software out there forgetting to free resources they are finished with.

Dave

magicbus wrote:
Your Mac app sounds like Windows Task Manager. Task Manager can be started by right-clicking on the task bar and left-clicking on Task Manager. Among other things you can see how much RAM is being used, which programs are hogging your disk, and stop programs.

Dave

X2. But the ability to release ram on the fly was a key component of my diagnostic work. Can Task Manager reclaim unused ram on the fly? Do the operating systems work the same in that respect? These are key questions. Does stopping a Program release the ram? I'm not on a PC but maybe you can see those events occur in Task Manager.

Or just delete programs and see if speed improves on other apps and the numbers start to come down (or go up). If so-probably ram upgrade time.

Your Mac app sounds like Windows Task Manager. Task Manager can be started by right-clicking on the task bar and left-clicking on Task Manager. Among other things you can see how much RAM is being used, which programs are hogging your disk, and stop programs.

Dave

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Separating inadequate RAM from CPU speed?

How does one determine this?

I use an app called CleanMyMac3. It will show me info on my hard drive (total GB, available GB and health) and memory (GB available and amount free). CleanMyMac3 can free up memory without disturbing running processes. When my Mac is running slow I can see that there is something like 30-50mb available. When I free memory, my computer will typically show over 1GB now available and the Mac speeds up. This is only a short term solution as the apps reclaim use of memory.

The Activity Monitor utility will show you CPU, Memory and Disk usage information. After freeing up memory with CleanMyMac3, I will use the Activity Monitor to find "offending" processes. This method lets you decide if you want to upgrade memory and/or the hard drive, or just clean up and change your work habits.

Personally it's looking like I will need to upgrade from 4GB to 8GB (the max for my Mac) on my memory and perhaps go to a 1TB SSD drive. CleanMyMac3 is also telling me that my battery condition is poor which I tend to agree with. I'm thinking that $500 in DIY upgrades could give me another 2-4 years of service.

Separating inadequate RAM from CPU speed?

How does one determine this?

Irover wrote:
I upgraded my 2103 Acer NE-522 from 4 gb Ram and 500 GB to 8 gb Ram and 1 TB, it boots faster and is much quicker loading programs! Just don't ask for specifics! LOL!

I'm having that same experience on a MacBook Pro. The main culprit for me right now is the Ram-today's computer programs require at least twice the memory of those 5-7 years ago. I have 7 TB on 3 USB drives and they have little impact on speed unless they are actually working with lots of data.

Heisenberg wrote:
The SSD will boot up in less than 20 seconds. It is faster overall than the HDD. Size does make a difference especially when you get some data on them but the difference is not linear. In other words a 500 GB is not twice as fast as a 1 TB.

That's interesting. My Toshiba Laptop with mechanical hard drive boots up in about the same time as your SSD., Although I'm sure SSD's provide other benefits, such as no moving parts to break or wear out.