While many components in my PC have changed over the past five years -- such as the motherboard, CPU, GPU, and RAM -- one thing has stayed the same: my 2TB NVMe SSD boot drive. Unlike CPUs and GPUs, which tend to be upgraded more often, storage devices like SSDs usually last much longer than most other PC parts.
USB sticks
Cloud storage has made them obsolete to me
In my desk drawer, I still have a bunch of old USB sticks collecting dust that I haven't touched in years. Growing up in the early 2000s, I used them constantly to move files between my home PC and the computers at school or the library. I also relied on them for quick file transfers between devices at home and for backing up photos.
However, ever since cloud storage services like OneDrive and Google Drive took off, my USB sticks have been tucked away and now feel more like little time capsules. If I need to move files between devices -- like photos or PDFs -- I just use OneDrive instead of a USB stick. Most of my USB sticks are also USB-A, which many modern laptops have dropped in favor of USB-C.
While USB sticks still have some niche uses, like updating a car's infotainment system, I personally haven't had a reason to use one in years -- and I don't see that changing anytime soon.
CDs and DVDs
Streaming was the nail in the coffin
I vividly remember wandering the aisles of HMV in the 2000s, browsing CDs and DVDs from some of my favorite artists and filmmakers at the time, like Simple Plan and Green Day. I have fond memories of playing CDs on my Sony Walkman and watching DVDs on my PS2. Compared to older formats like cassettes and VHS tapes, CDs and DVDs were smaller and could store much more data, with a standard CD holding up to 700MB, while a DVD can hold up to 4.7GB.
However, once Blu-ray discs arrived, and streaming services like Netflix and Spotify took off, CDs and DVDs quickly fell out of favor. The last desktop PC I built with a DVD drive was back in 2013, and after subscribing to Spotify around that same time, I haven't touched a CD since. I'm nostalgic for CD and DVD-based media, but I honestly can't remember the last time I used one. And when I do buy a physical game or movie today, it's almost always on Blu-ray. Even for older games I originally owned on DVD, I usually just rely on emulators for a better overall experience.
M.2 SATA SSDs
NVMe is the way to go
The first SSD I ever owned was an M.2 SATA SSD. Although it was a bit more expensive than an HDD, I mainly bought it because I could simply plug it into my motherboard's M.2 slot without needing to connect it to SATA power or data, as you would with a hard drive or a 2.5-inch SATA SSD.
However, while most storage types tend to last a long time and are still used for various reasons, I don't know anyone who still uses an M.2 SATA SSD. Why? NVMe SSDs arrived shortly after and are much better, plus they aren't that pricey anymore.
M.2 SATA SSDs use the same older SATA interface as hard drives and 2.5-inch SATA SSDs, which limits their speeds to a much slower 600 MB/s. In contrast, NVMe SSDs employ the NVMe interface and connect to your PC via PCIe lanes, enabling significantly faster speeds. For example, the 2TB PCIe 4 NVMe SSD in my PC can achieve speeds of up to 7,000 MB/s read, making Windows boot and game load times very quick. Additionally, some storage manufacturers, like Kingston and Crucial, have completely stopped producing M.2 SATA SSDs.
Hard drives (for boot drive and new games)
SSDs are essential for Windows and the latest games
Before the pitchforks come after me, let me clarify what I mean when I say hard drives (HDDs) aren't that useful in 2025 anymore. I’m specifically talking about using them as a PC's main boot drive or for storing modern games. As I mentioned earlier, NVMe SSDs are significantly faster and more reliable, especially for Windows and games, and that has been true for years.
However, HDDs are still useful for secondary storage on PCs or NAS drives. I still even have one connected to my PC for storing old files and games. But as primary storage, I would never use an HDD anymore because the speed simply isn't there, and many newer games now list an SSD as a minimum requirement, like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Cyberpunk 2077, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Starfield, and the newer Call of Duty titles. Overall, HDDs are still useful in servers and as secondary storage, but as a main boot drive or for storing newer games, NVMe SDDs are the answer and HDDs are obsolete.