## The Excruciating Agony of HDD Gaming in 2025
By Jon Martindale
In the annals of gaming, the year 2025 stands as a testament to the relentless march of technological progress. Yet, amidst the relentless innovation and lightning-fast advancements, a peculiar anachronism persists: the steadfast adherence to the archaic hard disk drive (HDD).
Like a stubborn relic of a bygone era, HDDs cling tenaciously to the realm of PC gaming, their wheezing, grinding cacophony a stark reminder of a time before the transformative power of solid-state drives (SSDs). It is an affront to the very essence of gaming, a cruel and unnecessary burden that inflicts undue pain and suffering upon countless players.
The Perils of HDD Gaming
The repercussions of HDD gaming extend far beyond the confines of a single player’s experience. In a multiplayer setting, the slow and arduous load times of HDDs become a collective torment, dragging down the entire gaming session into a mire of waiting and frustration.
Take, for instance, the plight of my friend Steve (not his real name), a steadfast defender of HDD gaming. Steve’s unwavering belief in the adequacy of HDDs has become a thorn in the flesh of his fellow gamers, who groan in exasperation as they endure endless minutes of loading screens while Steve’s HDD wheezes and chugs its way through data.
The impact of Steve’s HDD-induced delays is not merely a matter of inconvenience; it is a fundamental violation of gaming etiquette. When a player’s slow loading times hold back an entire group, it creates an environment of resentment and frustration. It undermines the cooperative spirit of gaming and transforms a potentially enjoyable experience into a chore.
The Irrefutable Evidence
To dispel any lingering doubts about the superiority of SSDs, I embarked on a rigorous testing regime, pitting my WD Black SN770 SSD against a massive Seagate Barracuda HDD. The results are stark and undeniable.
In Marvel Rivals, the HDD’s load time was over seven times slower than the SSD’s. Cyberpunk 2077, a notoriously demanding game known for its lengthy loading screens, took almost a minute longer to load on the HDD than on the SSD. Warhammer: Vermintide 2, while exhibiting a somewhat smaller gap between SSD and HDD loading times, still demonstrated a significant advantage for the SSD.
These empirical findings underscore the undeniable truth: loading games from an SSD is vastly faster than loading from an HDD. The difference is not a matter of seconds or milliseconds; it is an order of magnitude difference. For gamers who value their time and seek an optimal gaming experience, the choice is clear: SSDs are the only viable option.
The Call to Action
To those who cling to their HDDs, I implore you to reconsider your ways. The time has come to embrace the transformative power of SSDs. They are more affordable than ever before, with budget-friendly options starting at just $18.
Is it really worth enduring the excruciating torment of HDD gaming for the sake of a few dollars? Your gaming experience, and that of your fellow players, is worth far more than that paltry sum.
Steve, my friend, I have exhausted all reasonable avenues of persuasion. I have implored you, cajoled you, and even resorted to passive-aggressive jokes. But it seems that only concrete evidence can convince you of the folly of your HDD ways.
To that end, I present you with this article, hoping it will finally open your eyes to the glaring truth. It is time to hang up the HDD and embrace the future of gaming. SSDs are not a luxury; they are a necessity. Embrace them, and unleash the true potential of your gaming experience.
