Re: Server question: SSD or HDD ?

[David Wright]

On Thu 29 Jul 2021 at 15:01:58 (+0100), Phil Holmes wrote:
> On 29/07/2021 14:55, Mike Blackstock wrote:
> > I'm getting a new server for online hosting of lilypond stuff.
> > 
> > I'm not much of a hardware guy... within my hosting budget, I can
> > have either a 500 GB SDD, or a 1 TB HDD pn the system I'll
> > be leasing.
> > 
> > I've never had a system with a solid state drive... would it
> > be noticeably faster for compiling lilypond scores?
> > 
> > https://blackstock.media <https://blackstock.media>
> 
> Lilypond is pretty much CPU limited, so the speed of the drive has almost no 
> effect on compiling scores.  It's also single threaded, so the best option 
> for speeding it up is an ultra-fast single core CPU - if one exists these 
> days.

OTOH the website reference in your signature implies that
several people could be simultaneously compiling their own
scores within IDEs, others downloading scores, consulting
documentation, and so on.

With most machines now offering several CPUs and cores,
I'd certainly expect the SSD option to be far faster.
But bear in mind that they do slow down when run near
full capacity. I've read recommendations that you
shouldn't exceed about 70% to maintain top speed, so
I would check your total storage requirements on the site.

Running near full capacity also impacts lifetime, but as
you're leasing, I guess that's of no concern to you.

Cheers,
David.