It is difficult to select top external hard disk for our requirement. In this buying guide you will find the best internal and external hard disks that you can use on your computer to store all your data.
The advent of cloud storage has made many users no longer worry about the size and characteristics of their computer’s hard drive. However, this is often a mistake, especially when looking for the best performance in a computer. After all, storage is one of the most influential factors in this field.
Similarly, there are still those who rely on a local disk to keep all their data safe. They do not quite see that all their information is on remote servers. In any case, in this buying guide we will tell you which are the best hard drives that you can buy right now and everything you must take into account so that your new acquisition meets your expectations.
Comparison of hard drives: which ones are the best in quality price?
We start with a comparison of the best internal, external and SSD hard drives that you can buy right now. As we usually do, we wanted to include varied options for all kinds of uses. Below are the top external hard disks that you can select of your choice…
Kingston A400 SSD 240GB
The starting gun is given by this SSD, an internal drive capable of offering a response speed much higher than traditional hard drives. Respectively, it achieves read and write speeds of 500MB / s and 450MB / s. Its capacity is 240 GB. It is a device with a very high quality-price ratio, as it offers considerable speed for less than 35 dollars.
Kioxia EXCERIA 480GB SSD SATA
We continue with moderate price options with this Kioxia EXCERCIA, an SSD that tries to offer an improvement over HDD in terms of transfer speed and performance, while maintaining an affordable price. It stands out for its optimized power consumption and reading and writing data at more than 500 MB / s. It has a capacity of 480 GB. You can buy it for less than 50 dollars.
WD My Cloud Home NAS 8TB USB 3.0
We changed third to recommend a NAS drive. In addition to the network interface, it includes the hard drives necessary to function. Unfortunately, in this case they are not removable. It has a total capacity of 8 TB and its configuration is very simple. It allows you to access your files through its official applications and share them with other users, if necessary. It can also connect via USB 3.0 to your computer. Its approximate price is 250 dollars.
Seagate Game Drive HDD 2TB USB 3.0
If you are one of those users who like to play games, here is a hard drive specially developed for this task. Its 2 TB will allow you to store up to 50 games on your PS4. You will be able to play them as if you were doing it with the internal unit of your console and you will be able to transport it easily thanks to its small size. Of course, it also gives you the ability to use it on your desktop computer. It has USB 3.0 and a price of less than 90 dollars.
Toshiba Canvio Basics 2.5 “2TB USB 3.0
Thanks to the USB 3.0 connection, this Toshiba option will be ideal for transferring files at high speed, with a maximum rate of up to 5000 MB / s. It has a capacity of 2 TB, a small footprint of 2.5 inches and a highly durable design. It is a practical and effective solution to create backup copies or to take your documents with you wherever you go. You can get it for less than 55 dollars.
WD Black P10 Game Drive 5TB USB 3.2
Western Digital also offers an option for video game fans. The P10 Game Drive has a very small size, with a 2.5-inch form factor, and a total capacity of 5 TB. It’s the only one on the list with a USB 3.2 interface, capable of transfer speeds of up to 5000MB / s. Currently, its price is around 130 dollars.
Seagate BarraCuda 3.5 “1TB SATA3
Seagate continues to offer classic options, namely 3.5-inch mechanical hard drives. In this case, it includes a SATA version 3 connection, 1 TB of storage and a spin speed of up to 7,200 RPM. This model can also be purchased with a capacity of up to 10 TB. It is a versatile, fast and reliable disk. Everything, for less than 35 dollars.
Transcend StoreJet 25H3 4TB 2.5 “USB 3.1 Purple
The Transcend StoreJet 25H3 offers you 4 TB and a fast connection with USB 3.1 for less than 140 dollars. Thanks to this hard drive, you can take your data anywhere with ease. In addition, it integrates some very interesting additional functions. For example, it has a shockproof design, an instant backup button, and a number of free tools to manage your information.
Toshiba N300 NAS 6TB 3.5 “SATA3
If you are looking for a storage unit for your NAS, Toshiba proposes you the 6 TB N300. It saves a classic 3.5-inch format, supports operation in multi-RAID systems, and is designed to operate uninterrupted. It’s fast, spinning at over 7200 RPM, temperature-controlled, and comes with a 3-year warranty. It is an excellent option if you are looking for reliability for less than 160 dollars.
Seagate Nytro 3031 SAS SSD 2.5 “15TB
We finish the list with a real beast. We are aware that this 15 TB SSD is not for everyone. However, we have not been able to resist including it. With this product, Seagate offers improved reliability and security, with technologies specifically designed to protect all of your data. Despite its high capacity, it is a small format disk, with 2.5 inches. Its bandwidth can reach 24 GB / s through a SAS interface. Obviously, all these characteristics raise the price considerably, placing this Nytro 3031 above 4000 dollars.
Best external hard drive
The best external hard drive you can buy right now is WD My Cloud Home NAS 8TB USB 3.0. Thanks to it, you will enjoy a large storage capacity, remote editing of your documents and the possibility of creating your personal cloud. In addition, it has a USB connection and has user management and backup tools. In short, it is a very complete and easy-to-use product.
Best internal hard drive
The best internal hard drive you can buy right now is the Kioxia EXCERIA 480GB. It is a fast, high-capacity storage device, ideal for optimizing games and office tasks. It is also a perfect unit to install applications and the operating system of your computer, reducing loading time. Nor can we ignore that one of its strengths is the price.
Differences between internal and external hard drive
The main difference between an internal and an external hard drive is the mobility it offers. The reality is that both have the same operation and require the same components to function. However, external hard drives are covered with a casing that allows them to serve anywhere.
The ultimate purpose of each is not the same either. Internal hard drives, in addition to being used to store personal data, are used to install the operating system that will allow you to use your computer. On the other hand, external hard drives are often used exclusively to save information or make backup copies.
The choice between one type of storage or another will depend, mostly, on the use that you are going to give it. Obviously, if you need to transport your information on frequent trips or trips, you need an external one with reduced dimensions. If your intention is to make backup copies of the content of your computer or have personal information in one place, as in the case of a desktop computer, a larger external hard drive or an internal one that complements the main one are the best option.
Finally, another big difference is durability. Since internal hard drives are not portable, they tend to withstand the test of time better. On the other hand, external hard drives, especially those that are designed for regular movements, wear out more easily, are more likely to have connection port failures and can suffer shocks and drops.
Types of hard drives
There are different ways to classify the different storage devices. Next, we propose three.
Technology
The technology used in each storage device is the first differential fact. On the one hand, you have mechanical hard drives, which use magnetic drives and drives to save and read data. They are robust units, designed for desktops, servers or NAS. They tend to offer a good price-performance ratio, but are slower as they rely on the physical spin of the disks to function.
SSDs are the perfect alternative for those looking for a lot of speed. They use a flash memory system that does not require a physical drive. They are mistakenly known as hard drives, although their most appropriate name is solid state drives. Its design follows the structure of mechanical hard drives to fit in standardized locations. However, the reality is that they require less space. They are more efficient and faster, but their price-performance ratio is worse.
Location
The location also defines the typology of a storage device. We can distinguish up to three different locations. First of all, those that are installed internally. They are all those that go inside the body of the computer, be it a laptop or a tower. They are used to store data, but also to install the operating system or applications. It is important that they are capable of running at high speed, especially if high performance is required. They can be SSD or HDD.
Second, fixed location external hard drives. They are usually large devices, which are not designed for mobility, although they are located outside the computer. They connect via USB and, in the case of NAS, via network cable. Among its virtues we find greater durability and a large storage capacity. There are SSD and HDD, although this last technology is the most used.
The third category is made up of external hard drives. The main advantage is that they have a moderate size and low weight. They are perfect for taking files from one place to another or transferring them between different computers. Most are SSD.
Connections
We put an end to this section in which we analyze the different types of hard drives with connections. The most used port in internal hard drives is SATA, although there are also options with SCSI and SAS, focused on servers and NAS. Today SATA3 is the fastest interface, with transfers of up to 600MB / s.
If we talk about external storage, the most common connection is USB in version 3.0. Some options also offer USB 3.2 , which raises the data transfer rate to 2.42 GB / s. As for the NAS, generally, they access the local network or the Internet through an Ethernet cable, connected directly to the router. In this case, transfer speeds vary considerably depending on various factors.
Is it worth buying an SSD versus a normal hard drive?
Before answering this question dogmatically, it is necessary to understand what differences are between a traditional hard drive and an SSD. The former use a magnetic system to record the data. When the user or the operating system makes use of the storage, several metal plates rotate while a head reads or writes the necessary information. The faster the disks spin, the higher the read and write rate is achieved.
For its part, SSDs do not require physical movements to read or write data. Rather, they use microchips with various flash memories that are interconnected with each other. Actually, this type of storage is exactly the same as that used in memory cards and USB sticks.
After knowing these data, it is much easier to obtain an answer to the question we posed. In short, in most cases it is more interesting to opt for an SSD than an HDD, or hard disk. The former is faster and quieter. In return, it is an option that usually offers less capacity at a higher price. In light of this, a common setup is to combine both drives, using the SSD for system or application data and the HDD for storing a lot of personal information.
Buy a normal hard drive or NAS?
In order to evaluate the need to acquire a NAS, it is necessary to know what exactly it is. NAS stands for Network-attached storage, that is, network storage. NAS are made up of two main elements . The first is storage, which includes the use of one or more traditional hard drives located in bays. The second is the network interface, which is responsible for enabling remote access to all the information on the disks. Please note that in most cases, hard drives used in a NAS need to be purchased separately.
In which cases is it advantageous to consider acquiring a NAS? Whenever you want remote access to your information. The most common use of this type of device is the creation of a private or personal cloud, in which your files are available from anywhere, but physically hosted in a place that you own. They are also used to store multimedia content and allow it to be played on televisions or stereo systems.
In which cases is it advantageous to buy a traditional hard drive? In all those that do not require remote access to your information. This will mean a considerable saving, both when making the purchase and in energy consumption. And, if there is certain information that you want to have available anywhere, you can use more effective solutions, such as memory sticks or small external hard drives.
Tips and Factors to Consider When Buying a Hard Drive
Depending on its characteristics, each hard disk has a different purpose. In the following sections, we will take into account the most differential details between the various options on the market. Thus, we will help you define which is the best option for you. External hard drive are also best for backup purpose.
Internal or external use
We already pointed out the main difference between albums in a previous section of this article. It is about whether they are internal or external. The former are essential as the main storage device, where to host an operating system and all those data linked to it. The latter are usually a good complement to create backup copies and save personal information. In addition, they offer the possibility of using them in more than one team and during any trip. If, in your case, you don’t need to transport your data from one place to another, internal drives are the most recommended. But, if the idea is to have your information anywhere, think about acquiring a moderately sized external hard drive.
Physical size
Hard drives can also be differentiated by their size. Today, the user can choose between 2.5-inch drives, frequently used in notebooks and small external devices, and 3.5-inch drives, installed mainly internally in desktop computers. Again, the end use and availability you expect of your files are determining factors when choosing.
Storage capacity and speed
The capacity and speedthey also define the different types of discs that are currently marketed. In the first case, it can be very limited, 64 or 128 GB, or really generous, 10 or 15 TB. In terms of speed, there are slower drives, with read and write speeds of about 100 MB / s, and very fast, with rates of up to 1 GB / s. Your budget will be decisive here, since the fastest and highest-capacity options are more expensive. For occasional uses, such as infrequent backups, a medium transfer rate disk will suffice. Similarly, if you are going to use the disk to install the operating system or to constantly copy data, it is worth opting for a fast hard disk. Regarding the capacity,
Connectivity
Connectivity on a hard drive can be divided into two sections. First, the interface you use to connect to the computer. In the case of internal hard drives, these are often linked over SATA. If we talk about external drives, the connection is usually via USB. In both cases, it is important that you have the latest versions of each interface, such as SATA3 or USB 3.0.
Second, there are network-connected options on the market. These are always external and are known as NAS disks. One of its main functions is to create a private cloud, making user information accessible from anywhere with the only requirement of having an Internet connection. It is necessary to indicate that, although they are external disks, they are not intended for mobility. However, they favor it, since they enable remote access to any file hosted on the disk.
Best hard drive brands
Before bringing to the fore the conclusions of everything we have analyzed, we invite you to join us in a review of the best hard drive brands that are manufactured today.
Seagate
American company founded in 1979. It is one of the largest hard drive manufacturers in the world and its solutions are implemented in all types of equipment. In addition to laptops, consoles, and desktops, it also provides storage for servers. It offers both internal and external consumption options.
Western digital
Western Digital, also known as WD, is a US-based technology components company that was born in 1970 . Although it is known worldwide for its hard drives, it makes other critical parts, such as integrated circuits. He started out selling calculator chips.
SanDisk
Without leaving the United States, we will tell you about SanDisk . It is a corporation specialized in the design and manufacture of flash memories. It is the company that invented the smallest memory devices in the world, including USB sticks or SD cards, CompactFlash and MemoryStick. Today it sells external storage products, but also internal ones.
Samsung
Samsung is a conglomerate of companies with very diverse branches, such as the sale of insurance, chemicals or mobile phones. It also manufactures SSD drives for laptops and desktops. Its foundation dates back to 1969 under the name Samsung Electronics. It mainly offers internal storage devices of up to 4 TB.
Toshiba
Like Samsung, Toshiba is a company that develops a wide variety of products, including hard drives. It was founded in 1939, after the merger of two Japanese companies. In the field of storage, you have a large catalog of options, including internal and external solutions.
Final opinions: are there cheap, reliable and durable hard drives?
Yes, today it is possible to find hard drives at reasonable prices, with great reliability and with exceptional durability. All the options that we have proposed in this buying guide meet these three premises. Obviously, depending on the characteristics, the added functions and the main use that you are going to give your new album, the price will be higher or lower. However, the hard drives that we have recommended have been developed by top-level brands, which offer many guarantees to consumers.
Before closing, allow us a recommendation. Before purchasing, evaluate what your needs are and what exactly you expect from your new hard drive or SSD. Do you need mobility or can you do without it? Are you going to use the disk for infrequent backups or to install an operating system? Do you play games on your computer or edit video? Remember that, only when you are clear about these answers, can you find the best product and get the most competitive price.