Microsoft will abandon the use of HDD as a boot disk by 2023

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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.

In the Windows 11 PC configuration requirements listed by Microsoft, it is not clear that SSDs must be used, only 64GB or larger storage devices are required. However, Microsoft has two important functions that must use SSD, one is DirectStorage, and the other is Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA). The HDD is the minimum installation requirement if the user does not need these functions.

It’s unclear whether Microsoft actually has this plan to include SSDs in the basic requirements of Windows 11 PCs. From a performance point of view, forcing OEMs to use SSD as a boot disk can obviously greatly improve the startup speed of the operating system, and a faster response time will result in a better user experience.

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.

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