How To Choose Best External Hard Drives in 2024

Although an external hard drive is a straightforward, user-friendly device, choosing one might be challenging due to the broad range of drives that are offered. How to choose best external hard drive for your needs is explained in this post.

You should think about what you want to use the drive for, how quickly you need to be able to access the data on it, and how much data you need to keep on it when learning how to choose an external hard drive.

There are large external hard drives that are preferable for long-term backups, external SSDs that provide you with lightning-fast data transfer, and external hard drives with lots of physical protection from the weather. Most of those criteria are frequently met by the top external drives.

Here are some more detailed suggestions on how to choose an external drive if you are unsure of the type of external hard drive you require or if you need something that can handle a little bit of everything.

How To Choose the Best External Hard Drive?

Although every external hard drive can store certain files, there are different storage sizes, technologies, and connection possibilities. Your decision may become difficult as a result. Remember these crucial details.

Price Storage
Method Storage
Size
Type of Connection
Criteria for power

What Should The Price Of An External Hard Drive Be?

Even at higher capacities, external hard disc drives are still reasonably priced. Purchasing a single external hard drive with the required capacity is less expensive than buying several smaller ones.

Which Storage Technology Should A Hard Drive Be Used Externally?

One of two storage methods is utilized by external hard drives: solid-state storage or a hard disc.

Hard discs are actually metal discs housed in a container. When data needs to be written or retrieved, they spin. They become more brittle, slower, and noisier as a result when in use. The smallest hard discs are 2.5 inches in diameter, therefore there is a limit to how small they can become as well. These issues are mitigated by low prices because hard discs offer the best value in terms of storage capacity.

Quite simply, solid-state SSDs are solid. Instead of having mechanical parts, they store data by moving electrons. Because there are no spinning parts in the drive, they are more reliable as a result. They are frequently smaller and quieter than external drives that have hard discs. Expect to pay more per gigabyte, but their solid-state CPUs are more pricey.

How Much Storage Space Should A Hard Drive Be External?

Of course, the straightforward response is “as much as you need.” However, if the files you want to keep are dispersed over several directories on your PC, it may be difficult to figure this out.

Prices in this market are continuously changing, but we advise starting with a 1 terabyte (1TB) model because it offers a lot of space and is typically only a few dollars more expensive than a lesser-capacity drive.

To store dozens of hours of 4K video, thousands of DSLR shots, super-sized images, or vector-based graphics, a bigger drive might be required. You probably already know how big these files are and how many you need to keep them if you work with such kinds of files.

How Should An External Hard Drive Connect?

Most external drives connect using one of the current USB standards. While more recent models use USB Type-C, older devices connect using USB Type-A and USB Type-B. The main difference between external drives is the port that your computer has, which almost all external drives come with.

Knowing the various USB port types on your computer is important for this reason. If you connect an external drive to a sluggish USB port on your computer, even if the cable fits into the port, you can have subpar performance.

If this is the case with your computer, you might choose to continue with an older, less expensive external hard drive instead of upgrading to a newer, faster model because you won’t benefit from it.

The newest connector, USB Type-C, provides fast communication rates and power over a single cable. Physically, USB Type-C differs from the more traditional USB-A connection. If your computer doesn’t support USB-C, you can purchase a USB-C to USB-A converter, however, the USB Type-A port might not be able to charge the drive (if the drive doesn’t come with a power source).

One more connection should be mentioned: Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt 3 and 4 have a necessary bandwidth of 40 gigabytes per second and are physically compatible with USB-C, albeit they are frequently faster. Thunderbolt may be found on high-end external drives, but Thunderbolt is not typically used by external drives because USB is typically fast enough. To fully utilize this, your PC must have a Thunderbolt 3 port.

How Much Power Do External Hard Drives Need?

The majority of contemporary external hard drives don’t need external power. Instead, they are totally powered by USB, which is powered by your computer. Therefore, a power brick is not required.

But this isn’t always the case. The majority of large external hard drives will require external power. This also holds true for earlier external drives created before Thunderbolt and USB 3 became commonplace.

Even though it is technically possible to move an external hard disc around, drives that require electricity aren’t designed to be moved around frequently. If you only occasionally need to move it, only purchase an external drive with a power brick.

Who Ought To Purchase An External Hard Drive?

A storage device that is physically distinct from a computer is an external hard disc. It typically uses USB for connectivity and could have a separate power supply. While the most costly USB flash drives can approach the storage of some external hard drives, they are often bigger and have greater capacity.

Anyone who needs extra storage but doesn’t want to (or is unable to) upgrade a computer’s internal hard drive will find an external hard drive appealing. Many laptops don’t support upgrades, and internal hard drive replacements are frequently less priced but more difficult.

After Purchasing An External Hard Drive, What To Do?

External hard drives are plug-and-play, so no additional software or drivers need to be installed. Use the best USB (or Thunderbolt, if supported) port that is available.

The drive should be nearly immediately recognized by your computer; if not, prepare the drive using the steps below.

Further Advice On Purchasing An External Hard Drive:

External hard discs are very straightforward gadgets with few secret functions or peculiarities.

You might want to take into account a drive’s guarantee or claimed longevity. You can expect warranties of between one and ten years, depending on the manufacturer. If you’re worried about data loss, look for a drive with an extended warranty because a longer warranty duration suggests more reliability.

The most crucial piece of advice is to keep an eye on the price. Since brands and features of external hard drives are so similar, it is nearly always worthwhile to browse around for the best deal.

Portability And Robustness:

Network-attached storage (NAS) devices might be a preferable option if all you need is an external drive for local backups. On your local network, they normally operate as a standalone wired device with numerous discs and storage options. There are several companies that produce NAS devices, but just three of them are Promise Technology, QNAP, and Synology.

However, portability is crucial if you want to carry your drive with you when you’re out and about. It must be portable and compact enough that you may tuck it away in a pocket or bag and still have quick and easy access to it. The ideal one would not need an extra power line as well.

The majority of external drives are not heavy, and some, like the Samsung T5, are incredibly small while still providing large amounts of digital storage. However, because they don’t have stacked magnetic discs like hard drives do, SSDs often measure a tiny bit smaller.

Security:

Encryption is a good idea if the data on your external drive is sensitive in any manner. Software encryption options are compatible with many drives and work well for most users.

You should look for a drive with hardware encryption if you take your data security more seriously. You may even use a physical security mechanism, such as the pin-code entry on the Aprico Buy Now rn Aegis Padlock drive if you are particularly concerned about security.

To avoid physical tampering, some drives come with sturdy enclosures. Iron key flash drives from Kingston don’t have the same amount of storage as full-sized drives, but they do feature an additional layer of security built into the printed circuit board (PCB), which has been coated in resin.

Compatibility:

External hard drives are frequently pre-formatted for a certain operating system right out of the box. For instance, a USB device that was formatted for Windows 10 might not function properly under MacOS, and vice versa. There are several hard drives that are specifically formatted for Linux.

But this configuration is reversible. A hard drive can be partitioned or reformatted to have multiple functionalities. Make sure the external drive is compatible with the intended operating system, though, if you want to prevent the difficulty.

Engaging

Want to increase the capacity of a console or play games on the go? Consider an external drive. You can have slightly different needs than the typical user.

In this case, SSD speed is even more important because a slower drive can make games less responsive and cause longer wait times. Owners of the Xbox Series X and S can use the Seagate Expansion Card to mimic its quick internal storage. Older Xbox One and Xbox 360 games can be played on other external SSDs, but not Xbox Series S/X titles.

Transfer Velocity:

The best drives you can buy aren’t typically the biggest external hard discs. The importance of transfer speed cannot be overstated. You don’t want to have to wait an eternity for the transfer to finish if you frequently transfer data to a large drive.

The underlying storage technology and the connector your drive utilizes are the two key elements that affect how quickly it can perform. SSDs can handle data more quickly than HDDs on average, while certain drives are faster than others.

External SSDs are frequently more expensive and have less storage than their HDD counterparts. You don’t need one or the other because you may purchase larger SSDs for a higher price.

There are various common options to think about when connecting your external drive to your PC or mobile device. The majority of drives in use today use a USB interface, however, the newest versions have several noticeable distinctions, most notably in terms of transfer speed.

If you’re doing anything other than infrequently transferring little files, avoid using USB 2.0 because its maximum transfer speed is only 480Mbps. On PCs, the port is usually not color-coded. Beyond USB 2.0, connections can become a little complicated.

You might find USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen1, or USB 3.2 Gen1 specifications stated. Speeds of up to 5Gbps are offered by all three, and they are commonly color-coded blue.

Conclusion:

Finally, an external hard drive is just another way to back up your work in case something were to happen to your desktop computer or laptop.

It is a piece of equipment that can be connected to your computer and store any necessary data that you do not need or want on your computer. It performs the same task as an internal HDD or SSD, though it is external from your computer.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ’s):

Q: Which is better WD or Seagate?

Ans: Some users find that Seagate drives offer slightly better performance than WD drives. And while WD drives may be more affordable, Seagate drives tend to be more durable. As a result, both brands have their advantages and it ultimately comes down to personal preference.

Q: How many TB do I need?

Ans: If you mainly store text files and photos, 512GB of storage space is enough. Do you want to save movies, games, and other large files on your PC? Choose at least 1TB of storage space. That way, you can last some time without the risk of your laptop filling up.

Q: Which is better Seagate or Toshiba?

Ans: According to the last test, for 4TB drives, you should consider skipping Seagate and opt for Toshiba and HSGT. However, even among different capacity drives, different models at different price ranges can be expected to be more or less reliable over time

Q: How long can 1 TB last?

Ans: One terabyte gives you the option of storing roughly: 250,000 photos taken with a 12MP camera OR. 250 movies or 500 hours of HD video OR. 6.5 million document pages, commonly stored as Office files, PDFs, and presentations.

Q: Is 1 TB enough for Netflix?

Ans: For most people, 1 TB of data is enough for a month of internet use. That’s the usual data cap for home internet providers, and it’s a generous amount. It will cover activities like browsing, checking email, and watching a handful of YouTube videos or Netflix movies every day.