A recent update from storage industry analyst firm Trendfocus reports that OEMs have revealed that Microsoft is pressuring them to abandon conventional hard drives. disks as the primary storage device and use SSD. The deadline for the change is set for 2023.
Interestingly, these Microsoft actions come without any prior SSD requirement to install Windows 11.
Η latest list of Microsoft hardware requirements wants a "64 GB or larger storage device" for Windows 11, without mentioning SSD as a minimum requirement for a standard installation.
However, Microsoft states that two functions, DirectStorage and Windows Subsystem for Android, they do require an SSD, but you don't need to use them possibilities. It is currently unclear whether Microsoft plans to change them minimum requirements for Windows 11 PCs after 2023 to only have SSDs on pre-installed systems.
This move will force OEMs to adopt SSDs instead of HDDs in boot volumes, which makes a lot of sense in terms of better performance. Many laptops and desktops already come with an SSD for the boot drive, and some use a secondary HDD to store large files. However, some cheaper models, particularly in developing/emerging ones markets, they still use HDDs even on boot.
As always, the problem with switching all systems to SSD comes at a cost:
Trendfocus VP John Chen says replacing a 1TB hard drive requires moving to a low-cost 256GB SSD, which OEMs don't consider to have enough capacity for most users. By contrast, using an SSD at 512GB would make the machines much more expensive.
OEMs, of course, are trying to save time and are asking Microsoft to give room to emerging markets by 2024. But nothing is certain at this time.
Source: Tom's Hardware