SSD vs HDD vs NVMe: Storage for Video Editing

SSD, HDD and NVMe: what the words mean on a listing

A laptop listing states the internal drive with one of three words: HDD, SSD, or NVMe. HDD stands for hard disk drive, the spinning-disk design. SSD stands for solid-state drive, which stores data on flash memory with no moving parts. NVMe is a connection standard for SSDs, and listings write it as NVMe SSD or PCIe NVMe SSD. A listing that says only SSD states the drive type but not the connection. For an editing buyer, the drive is a core detail because it holds everything you load and save.

Some listings state the drive with a capacity, for example 512 GB SSD or 1 TB SSD. ASUS, for example, states up to 512 GB or 1 TB SSD storage on its listing pages. The same laptop model appears in several configurations, so the figure in the title may differ from the stated details. Read the stated details for the drive type, the capacity, and any note about a second drive slot or an external drive bundled with the laptop.

• Drive words that appear on listings:
• 512 GB SSD
• 1 TB NVMe SSD
• 1 TB HDD
• 2 TB PCIe NVMe SSD
• 1 TB SSD, configurable to 4 TB

Loading, saving and moving through footage

Loading an editing project, saving it, and moving through a timeline all read from and write to the drive. When the program opens a project, it reads project files and footage. Saving writes the project back. Scrubbing, or dragging the playhead across footage, asks the drive to read the clips the playhead passes. Cache files, proxy files and exports also live on the drive. Because the drive sits in that loop, the drive type and capacity are part of what a buyer compares on stated details.

The catalogue never states how long loading, saving or scrubbing takes. The maker's page for the laptop states the drive details, and a buyer reads that page for what the catalogue leaves out. Two listings are compared on the drive type, the capacity, and whether a second drive slot is stated.

Proxy files are lower-resolution copies of footage that an editing program can edit in place of the originals. Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve page lists robust proxy editing as a program feature. Proxy files add to the space the drive holds, which is a general reason an editor prefers a larger capacity.

Reading the capacity figure

Capacities on current listings are stated in gigabytes and terabytes: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB. Apple's MacBook Pro spec page lists SSD storage from 1TB configurable to 2TB, 4TB, and on the 16-inch model 8TB. Apple's MacBook Air spec page lists 512GB configurable to 1TB, 2TB or 4TB. Microsoft's Windows 11 page states that a 64GB or larger storage device is the minimum system requirement, and Copilot+ PCs require a 256GB SSD or UFS. An editing buyer reads far beyond the minimum because footage, cache and exports take space.

The stated capacity is not the free space you see in system settings. The operating system, a recovery partition and preinstalled software use part of the drive. That is normal and expected; the figure on the listing describes the drive, not the remaining space.

Storage and RAM work separately in an editing laptop. The drive holds footage, project files, cache and exports; RAM holds the timeline and the program's current data. A listing states both, and a buyer compares them separately. See RAM for editing for the RAM side and storage capacity for capacity questions.

Internal, external and archived footage

The internal drive in a laptop holds the operating system and editing program. Footage can live on the internal drive or on external drives. Many editors keep current footage on an external SSD, keep a backup of it, and archive finished projects on another drive. External drives are a separate purchase; a listing does not include one unless the seller states a bundle.

Cloud storage is a general option for backups and finished project copies; no service is named here. A listing cannot tell which cloud service works with a laptop, so that question belongs to the maker's page.

A question to read on the maker's page is whether the laptop has a second internal drive slot. Some listings state extra M.2 slots; see M.2 slots for how that reads. If there is no second slot, an external drive is the route for more footage.

Footage often arrives on an SD card from a camera. A listing may state an SDXC card slot; Apple's MacBook Pro spec page states an SDXC card slot on the MacBook Pro. Without one, a card reader attaches externally. See SD card reader for how that reading goes on a listing.

What a listing cannot say about storage

A listing states the drive type, the capacity, and sometimes the connection: NVMe or SATA SSD. It does not state how long a project takes to open, how long a save takes, or how the drive behaves during long edits. This site makes no claim about drive speed. The maker's page is where drive details live.

When two listings are compared on stated details, the storage comparison reads: the drive type (HDD, SSD, or NVMe SSD), the capacity, and any stated second slot or bundled external drive. Match the capacity to the footage you keep on the laptop and the size of the projects you archive. For the connection standard, see SSD vs NVMe and PCIe SSD generation. For laptop picks, see the best video editing laptop guide.

What to pick for your situation

Questions

What is the difference between SSD, HDD and NVMe?

SSD is a solid-state drive that stores data on flash memory with no moving parts. HDD is the spinning-disk design. NVMe is a connection standard for SSDs, stated on a listing as NVMe SSD. For editing, read a listing that states SSD or NVMe SSD for the internal drive.

Is an HDD laptop usable for video editing?

The drive holds the operating system, the editing program, project files, footage, cache and exports. A listing that states HDD alone is worth reading carefully; an editing buyer shortlists listings that state SSD or NVMe SSD.

Why is the usable storage lower than the figure on the listing?

The operating system, a recovery partition and preinstalled software use part of the drive. The capacity on the listing describes the drive; the free space shown in system settings is lower.

How much storage do you need for editing?

Capacities on listings run from 512GB to 8TB, with 1TB and 2TB common on editing laptops. How much you need depends on how much footage you keep on the laptop. External drives hold current footage and backups.

Do you need a second internal drive?

That is a question to read on the maker's page or in the stated details. Some listings state additional M.2 slots; if not, external drives hold footage, backups and finished projects. See M.2 slots.

What does the drive do that RAM does not?

RAM holds the timeline and the program's current data. The drive holds footage, project files, cache and exports. They are separate details on a listing: a buyer compares RAM and storage separately.

How does footage get onto the laptop?

From an SD card, an external drive, or a cloud download. A listing may state an SDXC card slot; without one, a card reader attaches externally. The drive and the card reader are separate details on a listing.