Microsoft will abandon the use of HDD as a boot disk by 2023
Today’s PC users use SSDs to install operating systems, while HDDs are used more as “warehouses” to store data such as files, pictures, and videos. According to TomsHardware, OEMs have disclosed that Microsoft is pushing them to drop HDDs as the primary storage device in pre-built Windows 11 PCs and use SSDs instead, according to a report by data storage industry analysts Trendfocus.
Although SSDs are very common in today’s PCs, low-end models still use HDDs as boot disks in some underdeveloped regions or emerging markets. The biggest hurdle in switching to SSDs remains cost, Trendfocus Vice President John Chen tells that replacing a 1TB HDD requires stepping down to a low-cost 256 GB SSD. In the eyes of OEMs, such a capacity is too small to satisfy most users. If it is replaced with a 512GB SSD, it will exceed the cost for low-end models with strict budget requirements. Of course, the situation will be much better in developed regions, and it can even be said that it is not a big problem.
It is understood that Microsoft originally planned to switch this year, but OEM manufacturers hoped to delay it and finally postponed it to next year. If Microsoft starts to implement this plan, it will inevitably have an impact on the demand for HDDs, which means that SSDs can basically replace HDDs in consumer PCs.
