Certified - CompTIA Tech+ Prepcast

Storage devices are the components that retain digital data so it can be accessed later, whether for short-term use or long-term archival. The type of storage you choose directly affects the system’s speed, durability, capacity, and cost. In the Comp T I A Tech Plus exam F C zero dash U seven one, you are expected to identify the main storage types, describe their characteristics, and compare their strengths and weaknesses. In this episode, we will cover hard disk drives, or H D D, solid-state drives, or S S D, non-volatile memory express storage, or N V M e, and optical media such as compact discs and digital versatile discs.
The three main local storage types found in modern systems are hard disk drives, solid-state drives, and N V M e drives. Each of these uses different technology to store and retrieve data. Optical media, such as compact discs, digital versatile discs, and Blu-ray discs, are still in use for archival storage and media playback, although they are less common for everyday tasks. Each of these storage methods has unique characteristics in terms of read and write speeds, form factors, and long-term reliability. Understanding these trade-offs is essential for both system design and ongoing support.
Hard disk drives store data on spinning magnetic platters. A mechanical arm moves a read-write head across the platters to access or modify the stored data. Because H D D technology relies on moving parts, it is slower than solid-state alternatives and more prone to damage from physical shock. However, H D D units offer very large storage capacities at a much lower cost per gigabyte. Their performance is affected by rotational speed, measured in revolutions per minute, and by onboard cache size.
Solid-state drives store data in flash memory chips with no moving parts. This design allows them to operate faster, consume less power, and resist shock damage better than hard disk drives. Installing an S S D can dramatically improve boot times, application loading, and overall system responsiveness. Solid-state drives are available in traditional two point five inch formats that use the S A T A interface, as well as in smaller M dot two formats for newer devices.
N V M e drives use the P C I e interface to achieve much higher read and write speeds than S A T A-based storage. Because N V M e devices communicate directly with the central processing unit, they deliver lower latency and better performance in demanding workloads such as gaming, high-resolution video editing, and virtualization. Most N V M e drives are in the compact M dot two format, and in high-use scenarios they may require heatsinks or active cooling.
The choice between S A T A and N V M e interfaces is important. S A T A is the older, traditional connection used by both hard disk drives and many solid-state drives, but its maximum bandwidth limits the performance of S S Ds. N V M e, by contrast, uses multiple P C I e lanes, allowing for parallel data transfers and significantly higher throughput. N V M e is quickly becoming the standard for performance-oriented systems.
Storage devices come in several form factors. The two point five inch drive is common in both laptops and desktops, especially for S A T A-based storage. M dot two drives are slim, stick-shaped modules that attach directly to the motherboard. In enterprise and enthusiast setups, U dot two and add-in P C I e card formats are also used. Selecting the correct form factor depends on system compatibility, available space, and the desired performance level.
Storage performance is measured with several key metrics. These include read and write speeds in megabytes per second, latency in milliseconds or microseconds, and input-output operations per second, abbreviated as I O P S. Solid-state drives outperform hard disk drives in all these categories, and N V M e drives surpass even the fastest S S Ds. Faster drives reduce application load times, improve responsiveness in multitasking, and speed up large file transfers.
Durability and shock resistance also differ between storage types. Because S S Ds and N V M e devices have no moving parts, they can withstand bumps and drops better than H D Ds. Hard disk drives are susceptible to head crashes and data loss if subjected to vibration or movement during operation. For portable devices such as laptops, S S Ds are the preferred option. In enterprise environments where uptime is critical, redundancy configurations such as R A I D are used to mitigate the impact of drive failure.
Cost is always a consideration in storage selection. H D Ds remain the cheapest option per gigabyte and are often used for bulk data storage. S S Ds cost more but have dropped significantly in price in recent years, making them practical for operating systems and active projects. N V M e drives carry the highest cost per gigabyte due to their performance advantage. Choosing storage involves balancing budget, speed, and capacity for the intended workload.
Optical drives use laser light to read and write data on discs. Common formats include compact disc, abbreviated as C D, digital versatile disc, abbreviated as D V D, and Blu-ray disc. While they were once standard in most computers, optical drives are now primarily used for playing media, archiving data, or distributing software securely. Optical media is relatively slow compared to solid-state or magnetic storage, and discs can degrade physically over time.
When discussing optical storage, it is important to distinguish between read-only and writable formats. Read-only media such as C D dash R O M or D V D dash R O M cannot be altered after production. Write-once formats such as C D dash R or D V D dash R can be recorded a single time, while rewritable formats like C D dash R W and D V D dash R W can be erased and reused. Blu-ray discs offer much higher capacities than compact discs or DVDs, making them suitable for large files or high-definition video content. On the Tech Plus exam, you may be asked to match these formats to their appropriate use cases.
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Cloud storage is an important complement to local storage devices. Services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive store files on external servers that are accessible over the internet. This reduces the need for large local storage capacity and provides redundancy in case of local drive failure. Cloud storage also supports collaboration, allowing multiple users to access and edit files from different locations. The performance of cloud storage depends on internet bandwidth rather than internal hardware speed, which means slow internet connections can limit file transfer rates.
External storage devices provide portable, removable options for storing and transferring data. These include portable hard disk drives and portable solid-state drives that connect through U S B, Thunderbolt, or U S B Type-C. External storage is often used for backups, moving large files between systems, or expanding the storage capacity of devices with limited internal space. Many models include encryption for security and ruggedized enclosures for physical protection. Plug-and-play compatibility makes external storage easy to use with minimal setup.
Hybrid drives, also known as solid-state hybrid drives and abbreviated as S S H D, combine the large capacity of a traditional hard disk drive with a small amount of solid-state memory that acts as a cache. Frequently accessed data is stored in the solid-state portion for faster performance, while less frequently used data remains on the magnetic platters. Hybrid drives can offer improved boot and load times compared to a standard H D D, but they are less common today because solid-state drives have become more affordable.
R A I D, which stands for redundant array of independent disks, is a storage configuration that uses multiple drives to improve performance, add redundancy, or both. R A I D zero, also called striping, splits data across multiple drives to increase speed but offers no fault tolerance. R A I D one, or mirroring, duplicates data on two drives for redundancy. R A I D five and R A I D ten are more advanced configurations used in enterprise environments to balance performance and data protection. R A I D setups require compatible controllers and may use either hardware-based or software-based management.
Selecting the right storage technology depends heavily on the use case. For example, a media editor may use an N V M e drive for active editing work and an H D D for archiving completed projects. Office computers may use solid-state drives for daily operations while relying on cloud services for document storage and collaboration. Data centers often use a tiered storage approach, placing frequently accessed data on fast drives and moving archival data to slower, high-capacity drives. Matching the storage type to the workload ensures both performance and cost-efficiency.
Storage security is a key consideration in any environment. Drives that store sensitive information should use encryption, whether hardware-based or software-based, to protect against data theft in case of loss or theft of the device. Full-disk encryption tools can secure all contents of the drive, while file-level encryption can protect specific data sets. Before a drive is disposed of or redeployed, it should be securely wiped to ensure no recoverable data remains. Malware can also target storage devices, making firmware updates and regular security scans important parts of maintenance.
Backup and redundancy strategies protect against data loss from hardware failure, user error, or malicious activity. A reliable backup plan includes both local backups, such as an external drive or network-attached storage, and remote backups, such as a cloud service. Regular scheduling, maintaining multiple backup versions, and including system images in backups all help minimize downtime after a failure. Recovery plans should be tested periodically to verify that the backup data can be restored successfully.
Storage devices have a limited lifespan, making lifecycle management important. Hard disk drives wear out mechanically over time due to moving parts. Solid-state drives have a finite number of write cycles before their cells begin to degrade. Monitoring tools can track drive health, temperature, and performance metrics to anticipate failures before they occur. Drives should be replaced proactively to prevent downtime or data loss. Proper end-of-life disposal includes either physically destroying the drive or securely erasing its data to prevent recovery.
Troubleshooting storage devices often begins with identifying whether the problem is with the drive, the connection, or the system settings. Common issues include slow access speeds, drives not being detected, or read and write errors. Diagnostic steps may include checking power and data cables, verifying drive detection in the B I O S or U E F I, and examining S M A R T data, which stands for self-monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology. Firmware updates and reseating connections can resolve many issues. A solid understanding of storage interfaces and device types helps in resolving problems more efficiently.
For the Comp T I A Tech Plus exam, you should be prepared to compare hard disk drives, solid-state drives, N V M e devices, and optical media in terms of speed, durability, cost, and best use case. You may be asked to recognize different form factors, such as two point five inch and M dot two, or to identify connection types like S A T A and P C I e. You should also be able to interpret performance metrics such as input and output operations per second, abbreviated as I O P S, and megabytes per second. Scenario-based questions may require you to recommend a storage device or troubleshoot a storage-related issue.
Key glossary terms from this episode include H D D, S S D, N V M e, S A T A, M dot two, R A I D, R P M, I O P S, M B per second, C D dash R, Blu-ray, and cloud storage. Reviewing these terms with flashcards or grouping them by category—such as interface type, use case, or performance tier—will help with both recall and understanding.
In real-world I T work, storage knowledge is applied frequently. I T support specialists install, upgrade, and replace drives for end users. System administrators configure R A I D arrays and monitor drive health in enterprise storage systems. Help desk staff troubleshoot problems with external drives or cloud synchronization. Understanding the differences between storage types and how to configure and maintain them is valuable across hardware support, cloud services, and user assistance roles.
In the next episode, we will explore the differences between local storage, network storage, and cloud storage. This includes everything from portable flash drives to network-attached storage systems. You will learn how each storage method is deployed, how it is secured, and how to choose the best option for different use cases.