No, an SSD isn't required for GTA V.
No, an SSD isn't required for GTA V.
Not required for higher FPS? Not needed for quick load times? Yes.
Sorry, this seems to be either exaggerated claims or something not quite right about your setup. I’ve got a 500 MB/s SSD and the game starts quickly—under five seconds. For multiplayer, performance depends mainly on the servers, not your hardware. Even then, it usually stays under 45 seconds. Also, your profile mentions an older laptop HDD, so please be careful with that information.
Saving works smoothly, but loading takes a lot of time. The page feels slow when you're saving and loading. Players and missions load quickly.
It seems the issue is likely on your side, as loading saves usually takes about 5 to 8 seconds.