Microsoft wants to force OEMs to use SSD as a boot drive in new PCs

Microsoft would put pressure on OEMs to supply prebuilt Windows 11 systems with an SSD as a boot drive. That is according to analyst firm Trendfocus. The tech giant would like system manufacturers to move away from the hdd as the primary storage medium.

OEMs have disclosed that Microsoft is pushing them to switch to SSDs for their systems’ boot drives, writes Trendfocus in a report that has been recognized by Tom’s Hardware† The current deadline for that switch would be 2023. According to Trendfocus analyst John Chen, the switch was initially planned to take place this year, but that has been pushed to sometime next year, presumably in the second half. Microsoft and the manufacturers are yet to negotiate a timeline and possible exceptions, but “things are in flux,” Chen told Tom’s Hardware.

With the possible switch, HDDs could still be used as a secondary storage medium, in addition to an SSD. Many laptops are currently already supplied with an SSD as a boot device, but that is not always the case in the budget segment. According to Chen, the switch to SSDs for all systems therefore entails cost problems. The analyst states that a 1TB HDD can be replaced by a 256GB SSD at the same cost, which OEMs would find insufficient. Prices would rise with a 512GB SSD.

It is unknown if Microsoft will come with exceptions once the move gets underway. It is also not clear whether the company will then take measures against OEMs who choose to supply systems with HDD as a boot drive. The tech giant does not respond to Trendfocus’s message. The system requirements of Windows 11 currently state 64GB of storage, but it is not stated that it must be an SSD. Certain Windows 11 features, such as DirectStorage, do require an SSD.