How To Choose An External Hard Drive

1. How To Use A Portable Hard Drive
2. Find External Hard Drive On This Pc
3. Stop External Drive Windows 10
4. How To Choose An External Hard Drive

Encrypt a removable drive with BitLocker. To encrypt a USB memory stick or an external hard drive, follow these steps: In the search bar on the taskbar, type bitlocker. A list of search results appears. Click Manage BitLocker. The BitLocker Drive Encryption window appears. The form factor defines how much space in your bag an external hard drive will take. There's even less to talk than about a disk capacity. You either buy a larger 3.5-inch drive or 2.5-inch drive. The vast majority of external hard drives consist of 2.5-inch variants (3.5-inch are quite rare). Hard drive speed should also be considered, roughly estimated by the drive's revolutions per minute (RPM). Theoretically, the faster the drive, the quicker games will install, load, and save. Out of the box, external hard drives are regularly formatted for a specific operating system. For instance, an external drive formatted for Windows 10 may have problems working with MacOS,. An external drive, on the other hand, allows for the quick and painless transfer of files. It keeps the process streamlined with little to fail, aside from the drive itself and perhaps the USB cable.

Today we will take a closer look on how to choose the external hard drive for your computer, laptop or tablet. We'll explain basic things that will help you to make the best choice for your needs.

How To Use A Portable Hard Drive

First, answer the question: why do you need an external hard drive? These devices are the best way to upgrade the storage on a laptop with a non-removable drive (for example, on a laptop with soldered SSD or no additional slots), gaming console or even a regular PC. An external hard drive is your best friend when you need to carry away a large amount of data that does not fit a regular USB drive or an SD card.

What Should You Know to Choose External Hard Drive that Suits Best for You?

External hard drives are not so sophisticated as laptops or smartphones. There aren't that many specs you need to consider in order not to suffer from a buyer's remorse syndrome. Here we gathered four main specs you need to pay attention to. They include:

• Disk capacity;
• Connection Interface;
• Memory type;
• Form-factor.

Important: perhaps you don't need to buy an external hard drive at all. If you have a spare HDD or SSD you don't use in your PC, consider buying a simple case that converts your internal SATA drive to external drive. These are extremely cheap and will make a good job for those on a tight budget. We recommend

What to Look For in an External Hard Drive?

Drive's Capacity

Let us start with disk capacity because it is probably the most important spec that defines everything else. The thing is that we can't tell you which capacity will fit your needs best. Only you know your budget and needs so there's almost nothing we can advise you. Probably the only thing is that we do not recommend buying a 500 GB drives. You won't save that much money comparing to 1 TB model but spare 500 GB of free space will come in handy. For devices from 1 TB and more the price is higher so your budget is the only thing that can dictate what to buy. Still, the larger drive you will buy, the better is GB per $ ratio.

Here are some decent examples of external hard drives worthy to consider.

Form-factor

Form Factor. The form factor defines how much space in your bag an external hard drive will take. There's even less to talk than about a disk capacity. You either buy a larger 3.5-inch drive or 2.5-inch drive. The vast majority of external hard drives consist of 2.5-inch variants (3.5-inch are quite rare). Because of people want to carry an external hard drive in their bag, manufacturers prefer soklutions with 2.5-inch drive to save weight and volume. In terms of performance or capacity, there's no difference between 2.5 and 3.5-inch except their size.

Almost all external hard drives in this article are 2.5-inch but for your convenience here's a link to a 3.5-inch converter in case you have a spare 3.5-inch drive and want to make it external. DIY option.

Caution: 3.5-inch external drives need separate power to operate. In addition to the data cable, you need a separate for power delivery. Not a very convenient solution.

External Hard Drive Connectors

The interface determines how your drive connects to a computer. Things are getting a bit more complicated, so we need to make things clear. When buying an external hard drive, you will see the following interfaces:

USB-A. The most common and most universal connection option. Almost on any device, there is a USB-A port to connect any peripheral device. Right now, you can find USB drives with USB 3.2 Gen1 (up to 5 Gbits/s), USB 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbits/s) and USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (up to 20 Gbits/s). But the funny thing is that you shouldn't care about that if the devices of your choice use a spinning hard drive, not an SSD. Even if its SSD (SATA SSD), regular USB 3.0 interface is more than enough to properly use an external drive on its maximum speed. All of the drives mentioned above are regular USB-A drives.

USB-C. The same as USB-A but in more modern form-factor for computers that don't support USB-A. We recommend buying USB-C external drives since they will save you from carrying a special cable to connect your drive (most of the regular USB-A drives use MicroUSB 3.0 that you won't find anywhere else).

Thunderbolt is the only interface that can hit the speeds higher than USB 3.2 Gen 2×2. This interface is being used only in external SSDs to provide extremely high read and write speeds. Do note that although Thunderbolt 3 looks like a regular USB-C, some Thunderbolt external SSD may not work if your laptop or motherboard has no support for such an interface. And yes, the mere fact that your laptop or motherboard has a USB-C does not mean it is Thunderbolt 3-compatible. Refer to your PC user's manual to ensure it supports Thunderbolt 3.

So far, the best thunderbolt-based external SSD is a

If you need a maximum speed and you have a compatible device, go for a Thunderbolt external SSD. Just be sure you are prepared for outrageously high prices. Can't afford such a drive or don't need it? Then a regular HDD or SSD-based drive is your choice. Go for USB-C to ensure further compatibility with new devices.

Memory Type

You have already seen that we mention external hard drives and external SSD. The difference between these two is very big. Here is what you need to know.

External HDD is the most affordable. Inside such a drive you will find a regular spinning disk like the one in a cheap laptop. In addition to a low price, they provide the largest amount of available data. Need a big drive for the cheap? External HDD is your choice. The obvious downside is that they are painfully slow and quite noisy. Not the best choice to move a large amount of data.

External SSD. Just like with internal SSD, these offer much better read/write speed. In addition to that, no vibration and no noise. More expensive than external HDDs but still relatively affordable, unless you need a crazy-fast drive.

If you decide to buy an external SSD, kindly check the other article about how to choose an SSD. It will help you to learn the difference between SSD memory type. It is important because it directly affects the longevity of a drive and its price.

Design

At first glance, all external hard drives are rectangular bricks and there are no major differences. After all, this is not a smartphone or a watch that you always carry and look at. But there are still some things worthy to consider when it comes to design. There are more and thinner. These are called 'slim' drives. For example,

Also, many manufacturers offer beautiful cases with nice prints to make a regular ugly external HDD looking more appealing on your desk.

Hard Drive Buffer Size

The buffer is a small amount of faster memory that speeds up the disk. In most models, its value ranges from 8 to 64 megabytes. The higher the value, the longer time your drive can work on the highest possible speed. To get the best performance-to-price ratio, go for something with at least 32 MB of the buffer.

Protection

Since the hard drive itself is a mechanical and relatively fragile device, some companies offer models with additional protection for more durability.

For example, the

We hope this article will help you to make the best choice and purchase a nice external hard drive.

In this article, we will help you to choose external hard drive for a PC or Mac. To avoid customers' remorse and unnecessary expenses, this article provides you with a bunch of recommendations that will help you to pick an external hard drive that suits you the best in terms of speed, reliability, capacity, interfaces, etc.

In the modern world, the number of information every user store exceeds hundreds of gigabytes. This leads to an important question: where to store all this data and how to share it? One of the best solutions for this need is an external hard drive. How much is minecraft windows 10 version. These devices are capable of storing a couple of terabytes of data in compact and light form-factor. In addition, external hard drives use universal interfaces that ensure maximum compatibility with virtually any modern computing device. Often external drives connect via USB-cable, so they can be used as a simple USB flash drive connected not only to a computer but also to other devices (such as TV or other multimedia systems).

What Should You Know When Choosing an External Hard Drive?

'You can never have too much free space' is the truth for almost every owner of a computer, laptop, or tablet. Sooner or later, the built-in storage inside your computer becomes full of stuff you cannot delete. If that is the case, the only option is to buy an external hard drive for a computer and move some data outside a device. For many users, this is the only option since lots of consumer electronic devices nowadays come with non-upgradeable storage. Buying a good external hard drive becomes a must.

External Hard Drive Options

To fully understand which external hard drive is better for you and why you need it, consider a list of the main specifications. Here they are:

• Form factor;
• Interface;
• Memory type;
• Disk capacity.

You can also pay attention to additional aspects of a good modern external drive, such as disk rotation speed, data transmission speed, power consumption, built-in capabilities for backup, shock or water-resistance, additional ports for charging, etc. And don't forget about the individual preferences such as color or a protective cover.

Form Factor of the External Storage

Find External Hard Drive On This Pc

The form factor determines the size of the hard drive. Once upon a time, there were no specialized external drives and ordinary disks were used instead. They were installed in a container with external power: that's how the portable device appeared. Therefore, the names of the form factors migrated from the desktop PCs: 2.5 '/ 3.5'. Later, an even more compact version of 1.8″ appeared.

• 3.5 '. This is the largest form factor. External desktop hard drives can consist of one or more HDDs and reach a capacity size of up to 24 TB. Stationary drives often require a separate power supply. Also, they are much bigger and heavier than portable drives. Such a hard disk is better to use as an external drive for a desktop PC. For the same reason, they have the lowest price per GB ratio. The main disadvantage is a lot of weight and the need to carry a container with the power supply. Nowadays there are almost no external 3.5-inch external hard drives. They went extinct for good, but you still can find 3.5 bays that allow you to convert a regular PC hard drive into an external one. For example, Sabrent USB 3.0 to SATA External Hard Drive Lay-Flat Docking Station supports both 3.5 inch and 2.5-inch drives, which makes it a perfect choice for those who need to buy an external hard drive or convert an existing internal drive into an external.
• 2.5 '. The most popular and accessible type of disks. And here's why:
  — Light enough when compared to 3.5 ';
  — Simple USB is enough to power it up. Older models may use two USB ports, so we recommend avoiding these;
  — Large capacities for even the most demanding users;
  — There are almost no drawbacks, except for the slightly bigger price per GB ratio;
  — This is the most popular form factor. Options to choose from are available from literally every manufacturer, like Seagate, Toshiba, Western Digital, and others.
• 1.8 '. The most compact one, but not quite popular. Due to the small size and use of SSD-memory, they are more expensive but you get better specs.

How to Choose External Hard Drive for a PC — Interfaces

Pay close attention to which connector type your external hard drive uses. Otherwise, you may end up with buying an additional dongle. This mostly applies to the owners of modern MacBook, which has only USB-C interface.

USB is the most popular and versatile connection option. Almost every modern device has a USB output or an appropriate adapter. Today, USB 3.0 is the current standard: it gives a read speed of up to 5 GB per second, while the 2.0 version is capable of only 480 MB.

USB 2.0 is now considered obsolete. Its maximum bandwidth is 480 MB/s (i.e. 60 MB/s). The read/write speeds on modern HDDs often exceed 100 MB/s. However, such a speed of the hard disk can be achieved only when reading or writing large unfragmented files. During normal operation, the speed will be several times lower. Just like 3.5-inch external drives, USB 2.0 external drives are gone in history. If you encounter one in a shop, skip it. The speed this drive offers is a joke in the modern world.

USB 3.0 has a maximum data transfer rate of 5 Gb/s, which is enough for any hard drive. This is optimal for any modern device. On top of that, USB 3.X external drives are backward compatible and may work with older USB 2.0 devices. Bear in mind that an old computer with USB 2.0 may provide insufficient power through a USB port. This may cause your external drive not to work.

USB 3.1 has a maximum speed of 10Gb/s, which is more than enough for any hard drive. Just like USB 3.0, USB 3.1 is backward compatible with USB 3.0. Just make sure it has a proper connector type (USB-A). A more practical option is a universal interface cable with two connectors or with a transformer connector. But trying to connect to old USB versions could arise some power problems again: the USB 3.1 standard can deliver amperage up to 3 A and voltages up to 20 V. If the device is designed for increased voltage and/or amperage, it will not work on older connectors. Make sure the device will work with the USB 2.0 connector if you plan to connect an external hard drive to old computers that do not even have USB 3.0. If you need an external SSD, we recommend Western Digital My Passport 1 TB or Seagate Barracuda External SSD 1 TB. When it comes to external HDD, Seagate Portable 2 TB model is one of the best out there. It is important to note that it is three times cheaper than an external SSD. At the same time, it doubles the available storage. Neat.

There are also USB 3.2 external hard drives for PC. They can go up to 1 000 MB/sec sequential read and write. At the same time, they are relatively inexpensive and portable. Just do note that these are solely SSD since no HDD can achieve similar speeds. Samsung T7 is one of the best options to choose from. It is available in 500 GB, 1, and 2 TB configs. Another nice option is a rugged Seagate Extreme Series.

The latest and greatest connector type in a modern external hard drive is called Thunderbolt (USB-C connector type). This interface is necessary if you want to purchase the fastest external drive possible. These devices use NVMe SSDs inside to achieve speeds up to 3 GB/s or even higher. For example, Samsung X5 Portable SSD external SSD is one of the best external 'hard drives' for PC you can buy. It is not cheap, but the speeds you get are worth it.

Nowadays modern Intel computers and MacBook come standard with Thunderbolt ports, so compatibility won't be a problem. Just be aware that a Thunderbolt-based external drive is not backward compatible. It will work only if your PC has a USB-C Thunderbolt port.

How to Choose an External Hard Drive for a PC — Memory Type

External drives can work with traditional hard drives or with more modern SSD drives (solid-state drives). There are also combined systems on the market where a fast SSD is used for caching, and the HDD part for long-term storage of information.

• SSD (Solid State Disk) uses flash-memory chips for storing data. The main idea is somewhat similar to a traditional USB flash drive. All data lives inside a solid-state memory chip with no moving parts. This mechanism allows us to achieve much higher speeds. Also, SSD drives are less fragile compared to HDD drives.
• HDD (Hard Disk Drive) stores data on physical disks that are made of ferromagnetic material. A drive spins its disk and a special magnetic head finds, reads, or writes your data. Therefore, read-write speeds for hard drives are significantly lower than those of SSDs. Also, HDDs are prone to read/write errors when suffering from shock or unintentional movement.

Why Do HDDs Remain Popular?

HDD drive is much cheaper. Its price per GB ratio is significantly lower when compared to SSD. Often you can get a 2 or even 4 TB external hard drive (like the Seagate Portable 4 TB or even 5 TB model) for the price of 512 GB SSD. Also, hard drives are kings of the mountain for those who need insanely large storage. You simply can't buy an external SSD-based drive with a capacity higher than 4 TB (most external SSDs like Samsung T7 top up at 2 TB). Meanwhile, HDDs top up at around 24 TB or even more.

Another important factor is the longevity of a drive. Hard drives can endure more read/write cycles when compared to SSDs.

Long story short, if you need a large drive for merely storing stationary data (backup, for example), HDD is your best choice. If a maximum capacity is not the most important thing or you prefer speed oversize, go for an SSD-based external drive.

Stop External Drive Windows 10

How to Choose an External Hard Drive for a PC — Capacity

Capacity is the main spec of any drive. Modern applications, games, photos, and videos become bigger and bigger, thus users constantly need more and more storage. So the desire to purchase a large capacity drive is quite understandable. On the other hand, large-capacity external HDDs sometimes are more expensive than some computers. Where is the 'middle ground'?

We recommend paying attention to disks with a capacity from 2 to 8 TB. This is the range with the best price per GB ratio. There are extreme options with a capacity from 10 TB and higher. These options suit the best desktop users since drives are big and heavy. For example, Seagate offers a special solution with 10 to 16 TB of data. Just be aware that they require additional power and, quite frankly, not portable at all.

Speed of the External Hard Drive

Your choice depends on whether you buy an external HDD or an external SSD. In the case of hard drives, pay attention to the RPM speeds. The higher it gets, the faster your drive reads and transfers data. You can find models with 5400, 7200, or 10 000 RPM.

It is important to understand that drives with higher RPMs produce more heat, vibration, and noise. You need to decide what is more important for you, but we can argue 7200 RPM drives are the golden standard for any modern external drive. Those few dollars you will save on a 5400 RPM model do not justify the much slower speed.

When it comes to external SSDs, the vast majority of the options to choose an offer from 400 to 500 MB/sec read and write speed. You won't notice that much of a difference. What's more important is the cache size and controller type. The sad reality is that manufacturers usually do not provide this type of data. This means you need to browse user reviews and check the real user data.

If you opt for an extreme option with a Thunderbolt 3 interface, you will hit insanely fast speeds up to 3 GB/sec. When choosing an external drive amid those, pay close attention to the specs. The higher the speeds get, the better the drive works. And yes, the maximum speed depends on the maximum capacity of a drive. Usually, drive with lower capacities have lower read/write speeds.

Other Criteria for Selecting an External Hard Drive

Desktop or portable? If you just want to increase the available space, without the need to carry a disk anywhere, you can use hard drive containers. They can be connected via USB, for example, and the disk itself to the container—via SATA. It turns out a cumbersome, but quite workable bundle. Fully mobile drives are very compact. You can even choose a model weighing up to 100 grams if it's an SSD with a small capacity. It is a pleasure to use them.

If you need to buy an external hard drive for the go, consider one with some sort of shock, dust, or water protection. You will thank yourself for paying extra for a rugged drive when it falls into a river or someone spills a cup of coffee on your desk. Shockproof external hard drives are made to withstand and save your data when falling from a high space. There's no guarantee for surviving but it will easily tolerate a drop from a desk or out of your hands. SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable external SSD is a nice example of a durable external drive for a modern computer. If a 2 TB model is a bit too much for you, you can opt for a less expensive 1 TB, 512 GB, or 256 GB model.

In this article, we will help you to choose external hard drive for a PC or Mac. To avoid customers' remorse and unnecessary expenses, this article provides you with a bunch of recommendations that will help you to pick an external hard drive that suits you the best in terms of speed, reliability, capacity, interfaces, etc.

In the modern world, the number of information every user store exceeds hundreds of gigabytes. This leads to an important question: where to store all this data and how to share it? One of the best solutions for this need is an external hard drive. How much is minecraft windows 10 version. These devices are capable of storing a couple of terabytes of data in compact and light form-factor. In addition, external hard drives use universal interfaces that ensure maximum compatibility with virtually any modern computing device. Often external drives connect via USB-cable, so they can be used as a simple USB flash drive connected not only to a computer but also to other devices (such as TV or other multimedia systems).

What Should You Know When Choosing an External Hard Drive?

'You can never have too much free space' is the truth for almost every owner of a computer, laptop, or tablet. Sooner or later, the built-in storage inside your computer becomes full of stuff you cannot delete. If that is the case, the only option is to buy an external hard drive for a computer and move some data outside a device. For many users, this is the only option since lots of consumer electronic devices nowadays come with non-upgradeable storage. Buying a good external hard drive becomes a must.

External Hard Drive Options

To fully understand which external hard drive is better for you and why you need it, consider a list of the main specifications. Here they are:

• Form factor;
• Interface;
• Memory type;
• Disk capacity.

You can also pay attention to additional aspects of a good modern external drive, such as disk rotation speed, data transmission speed, power consumption, built-in capabilities for backup, shock or water-resistance, additional ports for charging, etc. And don't forget about the individual preferences such as color or a protective cover.

Form Factor of the External Storage

Find External Hard Drive On This Pc

The form factor determines the size of the hard drive. Once upon a time, there were no specialized external drives and ordinary disks were used instead. They were installed in a container with external power: that's how the portable device appeared. Therefore, the names of the form factors migrated from the desktop PCs: 2.5 '/ 3.5'. Later, an even more compact version of 1.8″ appeared.

• 3.5 '. This is the largest form factor. External desktop hard drives can consist of one or more HDDs and reach a capacity size of up to 24 TB. Stationary drives often require a separate power supply. Also, they are much bigger and heavier than portable drives. Such a hard disk is better to use as an external drive for a desktop PC. For the same reason, they have the lowest price per GB ratio. The main disadvantage is a lot of weight and the need to carry a container with the power supply. Nowadays there are almost no external 3.5-inch external hard drives. They went extinct for good, but you still can find 3.5 bays that allow you to convert a regular PC hard drive into an external one. For example, Sabrent USB 3.0 to SATA External Hard Drive Lay-Flat Docking Station supports both 3.5 inch and 2.5-inch drives, which makes it a perfect choice for those who need to buy an external hard drive or convert an existing internal drive into an external.
• 2.5 '. The most popular and accessible type of disks. And here's why:
  — Light enough when compared to 3.5 ';
  — Simple USB is enough to power it up. Older models may use two USB ports, so we recommend avoiding these;
  — Large capacities for even the most demanding users;
  — There are almost no drawbacks, except for the slightly bigger price per GB ratio;
  — This is the most popular form factor. Options to choose from are available from literally every manufacturer, like Seagate, Toshiba, Western Digital, and others.
• 1.8 '. The most compact one, but not quite popular. Due to the small size and use of SSD-memory, they are more expensive but you get better specs.

How to Choose External Hard Drive for a PC — Interfaces

Pay close attention to which connector type your external hard drive uses. Otherwise, you may end up with buying an additional dongle. This mostly applies to the owners of modern MacBook, which has only USB-C interface.

USB is the most popular and versatile connection option. Almost every modern device has a USB output or an appropriate adapter. Today, USB 3.0 is the current standard: it gives a read speed of up to 5 GB per second, while the 2.0 version is capable of only 480 MB.

USB 2.0 is now considered obsolete. Its maximum bandwidth is 480 MB/s (i.e. 60 MB/s). The read/write speeds on modern HDDs often exceed 100 MB/s. However, such a speed of the hard disk can be achieved only when reading or writing large unfragmented files. During normal operation, the speed will be several times lower. Just like 3.5-inch external drives, USB 2.0 external drives are gone in history. If you encounter one in a shop, skip it. The speed this drive offers is a joke in the modern world.

USB 3.0 has a maximum data transfer rate of 5 Gb/s, which is enough for any hard drive. This is optimal for any modern device. On top of that, USB 3.X external drives are backward compatible and may work with older USB 2.0 devices. Bear in mind that an old computer with USB 2.0 may provide insufficient power through a USB port. This may cause your external drive not to work.

USB 3.1 has a maximum speed of 10Gb/s, which is more than enough for any hard drive. Just like USB 3.0, USB 3.1 is backward compatible with USB 3.0. Just make sure it has a proper connector type (USB-A). A more practical option is a universal interface cable with two connectors or with a transformer connector. But trying to connect to old USB versions could arise some power problems again: the USB 3.1 standard can deliver amperage up to 3 A and voltages up to 20 V. If the device is designed for increased voltage and/or amperage, it will not work on older connectors. Make sure the device will work with the USB 2.0 connector if you plan to connect an external hard drive to old computers that do not even have USB 3.0. If you need an external SSD, we recommend Western Digital My Passport 1 TB or Seagate Barracuda External SSD 1 TB. When it comes to external HDD, Seagate Portable 2 TB model is one of the best out there. It is important to note that it is three times cheaper than an external SSD. At the same time, it doubles the available storage. Neat.

There are also USB 3.2 external hard drives for PC. They can go up to 1 000 MB/sec sequential read and write. At the same time, they are relatively inexpensive and portable. Just do note that these are solely SSD since no HDD can achieve similar speeds. Samsung T7 is one of the best options to choose from. It is available in 500 GB, 1, and 2 TB configs. Another nice option is a rugged Seagate Extreme Series.

The latest and greatest connector type in a modern external hard drive is called Thunderbolt (USB-C connector type). This interface is necessary if you want to purchase the fastest external drive possible. These devices use NVMe SSDs inside to achieve speeds up to 3 GB/s or even higher. For example, Samsung X5 Portable SSD external SSD is one of the best external 'hard drives' for PC you can buy. It is not cheap, but the speeds you get are worth it.

Nowadays modern Intel computers and MacBook come standard with Thunderbolt ports, so compatibility won't be a problem. Just be aware that a Thunderbolt-based external drive is not backward compatible. It will work only if your PC has a USB-C Thunderbolt port.

How to Choose an External Hard Drive for a PC — Memory Type

External drives can work with traditional hard drives or with more modern SSD drives (solid-state drives). There are also combined systems on the market where a fast SSD is used for caching, and the HDD part for long-term storage of information.

• SSD (Solid State Disk) uses flash-memory chips for storing data. The main idea is somewhat similar to a traditional USB flash drive. All data lives inside a solid-state memory chip with no moving parts. This mechanism allows us to achieve much higher speeds. Also, SSD drives are less fragile compared to HDD drives.
• HDD (Hard Disk Drive) stores data on physical disks that are made of ferromagnetic material. A drive spins its disk and a special magnetic head finds, reads, or writes your data. Therefore, read-write speeds for hard drives are significantly lower than those of SSDs. Also, HDDs are prone to read/write errors when suffering from shock or unintentional movement.

Why Do HDDs Remain Popular?

HDD drive is much cheaper. Its price per GB ratio is significantly lower when compared to SSD. Often you can get a 2 or even 4 TB external hard drive (like the Seagate Portable 4 TB or even 5 TB model) for the price of 512 GB SSD. Also, hard drives are kings of the mountain for those who need insanely large storage. You simply can't buy an external SSD-based drive with a capacity higher than 4 TB (most external SSDs like Samsung T7 top up at 2 TB). Meanwhile, HDDs top up at around 24 TB or even more.

Another important factor is the longevity of a drive. Hard drives can endure more read/write cycles when compared to SSDs.

Long story short, if you need a large drive for merely storing stationary data (backup, for example), HDD is your best choice. If a maximum capacity is not the most important thing or you prefer speed oversize, go for an SSD-based external drive.

Stop External Drive Windows 10

How to Choose an External Hard Drive for a PC — Capacity

Capacity is the main spec of any drive. Modern applications, games, photos, and videos become bigger and bigger, thus users constantly need more and more storage. So the desire to purchase a large capacity drive is quite understandable. On the other hand, large-capacity external HDDs sometimes are more expensive than some computers. Where is the 'middle ground'?

We recommend paying attention to disks with a capacity from 2 to 8 TB. This is the range with the best price per GB ratio. There are extreme options with a capacity from 10 TB and higher. These options suit the best desktop users since drives are big and heavy. For example, Seagate offers a special solution with 10 to 16 TB of data. Just be aware that they require additional power and, quite frankly, not portable at all.

Speed of the External Hard Drive

Your choice depends on whether you buy an external HDD or an external SSD. In the case of hard drives, pay attention to the RPM speeds. The higher it gets, the faster your drive reads and transfers data. You can find models with 5400, 7200, or 10 000 RPM.

It is important to understand that drives with higher RPMs produce more heat, vibration, and noise. You need to decide what is more important for you, but we can argue 7200 RPM drives are the golden standard for any modern external drive. Those few dollars you will save on a 5400 RPM model do not justify the much slower speed.

When it comes to external SSDs, the vast majority of the options to choose an offer from 400 to 500 MB/sec read and write speed. You won't notice that much of a difference. What's more important is the cache size and controller type. The sad reality is that manufacturers usually do not provide this type of data. This means you need to browse user reviews and check the real user data.

If you opt for an extreme option with a Thunderbolt 3 interface, you will hit insanely fast speeds up to 3 GB/sec. When choosing an external drive amid those, pay close attention to the specs. The higher the speeds get, the better the drive works. And yes, the maximum speed depends on the maximum capacity of a drive. Usually, drive with lower capacities have lower read/write speeds.

Other Criteria for Selecting an External Hard Drive

Desktop or portable? If you just want to increase the available space, without the need to carry a disk anywhere, you can use hard drive containers. They can be connected via USB, for example, and the disk itself to the container—via SATA. It turns out a cumbersome, but quite workable bundle. Fully mobile drives are very compact. You can even choose a model weighing up to 100 grams if it's an SSD with a small capacity. It is a pleasure to use them.

If you need to buy an external hard drive for the go, consider one with some sort of shock, dust, or water protection. You will thank yourself for paying extra for a rugged drive when it falls into a river or someone spills a cup of coffee on your desk. Shockproof external hard drives are made to withstand and save your data when falling from a high space. There's no guarantee for surviving but it will easily tolerate a drop from a desk or out of your hands. SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable external SSD is a nice example of a durable external drive for a modern computer. If a 2 TB model is a bit too much for you, you can opt for a less expensive 1 TB, 512 GB, or 256 GB model.

The Manufacturer's Software

How To Choose An External Hard Drive

Some manufacturers supply their drives with additional software or utilities for firmware updates. It can automatically perform the copying of selected folders on a schedule, or you can make a hidden section a disk, access to which will be protected by a password. In any case, keep in mind that third-party software provides similar options. In other words, there's no need to pay extra if a drive offers some special app for your data.

Additional Connectors and the Types of Connection

Several models come with a standard Ethernet network connector. Such disks can be used as a network drive accessible from various computers. A rather popular option is to save downloaded files on them. Some external drives are supplied with a Wi-Fi adapter for connecting to wireless networks. In this case, they can be used as a home file server and store multimedia files on it. Other discs may have an additional USB output on the case. Conveniently, if you need to charge quickly your smartphone and going to the outlet is too lazy.

Appearance of the External Storage

When manufacturers run out of ideas on how to stand out amid the sea of identical external drives, they go wild with the looks. There's nothing bad in this. How to add effects in logic pro x. After all, an external drive is a device to be kept in a visible place, not inside your PC case or a laptop.

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