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Great questions! Let's break them down one by one:

Where is the index actually stored, and does it matter if it's on an SSD or HDD?
The index is stored in a file called Windows.edb (or Windows.db on Windows 11), located in the C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows folder. Whether it's on an SSD or HDD does matter because SSDs are much faster at reading and writing data compared to HDDs. This means that having the index on an SSD can improve search performance significantly.

What's the size of the index in comparison to the folders and files?
The size of the index can vary depending on the number of files and folders being indexed. On a typical user's computer, the index might be a few gigabytes in size, but it can grow considerably larger if there are many files or large files being indexed. Generally, the index size is smaller than the total size of the files and folders being indexed, but it can still be substantial.

Why does it affect performance, and does it matter once the indexing is completed?
Indexing affects performance because it requires CPU, RAM, and disk resources to build and maintain the index. During the initial indexing process, this can slow down your system, especially if you have a large number of files. However, once the indexing is completed, the impact on performance is minimal. The index allows for much faster searches, as the system can quickly look up the index instead of scanning the entire disk.
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You can view the files and folders being indexed by accessing the Indexing Options in the Control Panel. Here's how:

1. Open the Control Panel: You can do this by searching for "Control Panel" in the Start menu and selecting it.
2. View by: In the Control Panel, click on the "View by" menu and select either "Large icons" or "Small icons".
3. Indexing Options: Look for "Indexing Options" and click on it.
4. Modify: In the Indexing Options dialog, click on the "Modify" button. This will show you a list of the folders currently being indexed.
5. Included Locations: You can see which folders are included in the index and how many files are in each folder. You can also add or remove folders from the index by checking or unchecking the boxes.