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Which external hard drive is better? High degree of protection

If you are interested in what hard drive choose for a computer in 2017, we recommend this material to read. Today, SSD hard drives are becoming increasingly popular. It is customary to install an operating system and software on them. This can significantly increase the speed of your computer. But the cost of these devices is very high. Let's look at which hdd to choose for games and work.

That's why the good old HDDs are still in demand. Today they are installed in the system for storage purposes. large volumes data. Often OS and other programs are also installed on these drives.

Let's look at a few tips to help you choose the right one suitable model and don't make a mistake.

Pay attention to the manufacturer's brand

It is not necessary to buy devices from well-known companies only. Just read reviews about the manufacturer on the Internet and rely on them. Often even little-known companies create really good discs. We continue to figure out how to choose a good hdd for a PC.

What form factor do you need?

For laptops, they sell hard drives that differ in size from those intended for a computer. At the same time, models for laptops can also be used for PCs. But the computer model cannot be installed on a laptop. Remember these numbers: 3.5 is the PC form factor, and 2.5 is the laptop form factor. This is nothing more than the thickness of the device in sentiment. When deciding which hdd is best to choose in 2017, you must definitely take these parameters into account.

How much data can fit on the disk?

Volume hard drive is considered its main characteristic. You need to have an idea of ​​your own needs and calculate how much you are willing to spend to store the desired amount of information. The cheapest are 500 GB drives. This is quite enough for ordinary needs.

If you plan to store a lot of movies in high quality, then it’s better to get yourself a disk with at least 1 TB. If you are an active gamer and like to play on your PC large number the most modern heavy games, then you will have to fork out for the disk. After all, for these purposes you will have to take a device with a capacity of 2 TB or more. When deciding how to choose a hard drive for your computer, you need to leave at least a small amount of memory reserve, because the size of games and media files is increasing every day.

What is the rotation speed of the disk?

Many users never pay attention to this characteristic. But in vain! After all, it is what affects the performance of your computer. You can have the most powerful processor and a cool video card. But the PC will run slowly if the hard drive is not able to spin up quickly. Do not use discs with rotation speeds below 5400 rpm. If finances allow, it is better to buy a device that makes 7200 rpm.

What is the model's buffer memory?

This is not main characteristic hard drives. But other things being equal, it is worth paying attention to. The more space allocated for copied information, the better. Usually for full-fledged work It is quite enough to have a cache of 64 Mb.

Now you are familiar with the characteristics of hard drives HDD format, which will help you choose the most suitable model. Which one is the main one? Everyone decides for themselves. But sometimes it is better to sacrifice volume for good speed. But most importantly, the device must fully satisfy your needs. Now you know how to choose a hdd for your computer based on its characteristics.

External hard drives can be very useful for transferring data from one computer to another, if you frequently need to transfer data, or if you need a medium for transferring data from your camera when you don't have access to a computer or laptop. An excellent solution could be SSD selection disk. But if you need storage with a large capacity and at a low price, then you will have to go with an HDD. You can find hard drives up to 4TB.

Majority external hard drives operate via USB and receive power from the computer, so you do not need to connect them separately to the network. In this article we will look at the best external hard 2018 disks that you can buy for your computer. But first, let's discuss what you need to pay attention to when choosing.

The choice of a specific model will depend on your needs and the purposes for which you want to use this device. Let's look at the main categories.

1. Capacity

The smallest external drives are 128 GB in size, which is enough to store music and videos, or create backup copies of very important data and personal data. operating system. You can even create a complete copy of your computer's hard drive and restore it if necessary. The most popular solutions for such tasks these are 1 TB disks.

2. Performance

Most external hard drives are connected via USB. Previous USB version 2.0 is already a thing of the past and is now used for most devices fast connection USB 3.0. In some cases, you can get write speeds of up to 100 MB/s, read speeds will be the same, while speeds for USB 2.0 will be limited to 35 MB/s. It is worth noting that you will get this speed for large files, small files will be processed more slowly. The most fast SSDs can give speeds up to 550 Mb/sec.

3. Protection

Damage protection is very important for external hard drives. You will be moving and transporting them very often, so you need to be sure that nothing will happen to the data. Please note the impact tests performed. SSD drives are more durable and can withstand drops because there are fewer moving parts.

4. Security

How more drive, the more data we can store and the more valuable information an attacker will have if it is stolen. There are two ways to protect data - use hardware or software encryption. Nowadays, many hard drives and solid-state drives already support hardware encryption.

Best external hard drives 2018

1. Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC

This is a great external hard drive from Buffalo. In addition to standard functionality, such as USB 3.0 connection, NFC technology is supported here. Your data is stored in a shock-resistant case, and it also supports 256-bit AES encryption for improved security. One of the downsides is that it does not have the highest operating speed; it produces 7200 revolutions per minute (RPM). Price: $125.

2. Western Digital My Passport 4TB

In the new generation of external hard drives Western Digital My Passpor has options from 1 to 4 TB. Supported here AES encryption 256 and has its own software for backup W.D.

The drive has excellent data transfer speeds and outperforms many of its competitors. To SSD speeds he's far away, but that's it regular hard disk.

3. Seagate 5TB Expansion

The Seagate 5TB Expansion is larger, but you get more memory for the same price. There is 64 MB of fast cache and the necessary external power supply for operation. The drive produces 7200 rpm, which is a very good result for external drives.

4. Freecom mHDD Slim 1TB

This is a terabyte external hard drive that has a beautiful and stylish appearance. It is made in aluminum housing, only 9 mm thick and weighing 150 g. The disc also has good speed reading and writing. Freecom mHDD Slim is capable of delivering 5400 rpm, which is much slower than the options discussed above. Read speed 124 MB/sec.

5. Seagate Innov8 8TB

It is also worth mentioning the Seagate InnoV8 line. This 2018 external hard drive is standard 3.5mm size and does not require external source food for work. Another feature of this disc is the use of the interface USB connections Type-C. The disc also has a beautiful metal casing.

6. Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive 5TB

If you need fast disk large capacity, then Seagate Backup could be a great solution. It comes in sizes up to 8TB and beats the competition in read and write speeds. The disk with via USB 3.0

7. Maxtor M3 4TB

This is an external hard drive that works without an external power supply and connects to a USB 3.0 interface. This is the largest 2.5" drive you can find. It comes with a three-year warranty and a beautiful body.

8. Western Digital My Passport Ultra Metal 2TB

WD releases hard drives to solve various tasks. The MyPassport series is intended for consumers. The disk body is made of metal, but only upper part, at the bottom there is only plastic. Read and write speed is 114 MB/sec.

9. LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive 4TB

This external hard drive supports both USB 3.0 and Type-C connections. What already makes it interesting solution. The disk consists of five magnetic plates of 800 GB each and has a form factor of 15 mm. The casing frame is made of aluminum to protect the disc from impacts.

10.IStorage diskAshur 2TB

This drive is ideal for governments and various organizations that care about data security. It supports 256-bit AES encryption, and if anyone tries to interfere, there is physical protection. You can even set up automatic data destruction in case of a hacking attempt. But it costs more than other options. But you won't be able to access your data. This is the best external hard drive 2018 with security feature.

11. Toshiba Canvio Basics 2TB

Your choice must be taken with full responsibility, because the performance of your device and the safety of documents will depend on it.

When purchasing a HDD, you need to pay attention to various factors: reliability, manufacturer, technical specifications(depending on the required tasks), compatibility with other components of your PC or laptop.

External HDD: basic parameters

Basically, when choosing external hard drives, you need to focus on following characteristics: memory type, form factor, disk capacity, interface.

You also need to consider the speed at which the disk rotates, the speed at which data is transferred, additional features(for example, the ability to recharge USB devices).

Let's look at the main ones.

External HDD: Form factor

The dimensions of the external drive are determined by the form factor.

  • 3.5". The largest of the form factors. The main advantage: large capacity (up to tens of terabytes). The disadvantages include heavy weight and cost.
  • 2.5". Most common on at the moment disk type. Pros: light weight, can be powered from a USB connector, capacity – up to 500 gigabytes.
  • 1.8". Today they are the most compact. The main advantage is small dimensions. The downside is that there is a small selection, since they began to be produced relatively recently.

External HDD: Interface

Interface HDD– this is a way to connect the disk directly to the computer (in which connector it is connected). The most common options are:

There are also combined systems (SSD is used for caching files, HDD is used for storing information).

  • HDD is a classic of the genre. Best suited for long-term storage. Disadvantages include noise (due to moving plates).
  • SSD – due to the fact that it is a solid-state drive, it does not (like an HDD) have moving parts. Main advantages: high data transfer speed, small size. One of the disadvantages is the relatively small amount of memory.

External HDD: major manufacturers

Several specialize in the production of external HDDs large companies. The most popular of them are:

Seagate (USA)

Considered one of the most large manufacturers external HDDs.

Among the advantages, it is worth noting the affordability, the disadvantages are reliability; most often, it is the disks of this manufacturer that are handed over to service centers.

Western Digital (USA)

A fairly well-known manufacturer that produces reliable disks that rarely break. Some models differ in their “tricks” (for example, “cool” disks with low disk rotation speed).

Transcend (Taiwan)

It is considered the most popular manufacturer of external HDDs in Russia and other post-Soviet countries. Bribe at an affordable price.

The downside is low performance in various reliability ratings.

External HDD: the best drives of 2017

1st place. WD My Passport Ultra 1TB

The discs of this manufacturer have a well-deserved reputation for their reliability.

This model comes in five variants (depending on the capacity from 50 GB to 3 TB) and in four colors - white, blue, black and dark red.

Compatible with both PCs and laptops from .

Comes with three special utilities (WD SmartWare Pro, WD Utility, WD Security).

To work on Mac you will have to download a special utility Time Machine, different clear interface.

Key Features:

  • Interface: USB 3.0; USB 2.0
  • Volume: 500GB; 1TB; 1.5TB; 2TB; 3TB
  • Write/read speed: 118MB/s, 120MB/s

Additionally: software that allows you to access cloud storage and special coding.

2nd place. Seagate Expansion 1 TB

Launched on the market new model from this manufacturer STEA1000400, which is available in five versions (depending on memory size): from 500 GB to 4 TB.

The only “minus” of this model is the lack of software, however, it is easy to find and download for free on the Internet.

The device is capable of supporting data transfer via USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. One port is used for power supply and receiving information; the color of the disk is black.

Key Features:

  • Interface: USB 3.0; USB 2.0
  • Volume: 500GB; 1TB; 2TB; 3TB; 4TB
  • Write/read speed: 129 MB/s and 121 MB/s

Additionally: optimal ratio of cost to disk space

3rd place. Toshiba Canvio Connect II 1TB

This disk is compact, reliable and comes with good software, including the Pogoplug PC program, which costs $30 if you buy it separately from the disk.

Sold in four versions, depending on the amount of memory - from 50 GB to 3 TB. Available in five colors - black, red, white-gold, blue and white.

Capable of working with both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, however users note possible difficulties at the first connection option.

Initially in NTFS system, for use with Apple equipment, you must install the special program Tuxera NTFS for Mac.

Key Features:

  • Interface: USB 3.0; USB 2.0
  • Volume: 500GB; 1TB; 2TB; 3TB
  • Write/read speed: 98 MB/s, 100 MB/s

Additionally: there is the possibility of automatic backup; if necessary, you can configure access from any gadget to files in Canvio Connect II.

4th place. Seagate Backup Plus/Slim 1 TB

This HDD is available in five versions, depending on the memory capacity: from 500 GB to 4 TB.

Nice bonus: After registering the drive on the manufacturer's website, you can get 200 GB of Microsoft OneDrive for free (if purchased separately, you will have to pay $95 for this).

However, hurry up this promotion ends June 30. The Seagate Dashboard application is also included with this HDD.

This device offered in two versions: Buckup Plus Slim (thickness - 0.5 inches, memory capacity - up to 2 TB, four color options) and Seagate Buckup Plus (thickness - 1.3 inches, memory capacity - 4 TB, only black).

Key Features:

  • Interface: USB 3.0; USB 2.0
  • Volume: 500GB; 1TB; 1.5TB; 2TB; 4TB
  • Write/read speed: 125 MB/s and 120 MB/s

Additionally: free 200 GB (storage period - 2 years).

5th place. Toshiba Canvio Basics USB 3.0 1 TB

This HDD comes in five versions, depending on the memory capacity: from 500 GB to 2 TB.

By unknown reason, the manufacturer provides different warranties for its devices, depending on the disk size: from 1 to 3 years.

The main disadvantage: the disc is sold without software, which you will have to download yourself.

Feeds and transmits information this HDD using the same USB port.

The performance of this HDD is lower than that of its competitors: with a read speed of 95 MB/s, the write speed is only 89 MB/s.

Key Features:

  • Interface: USB 3.0; USB 2.0
  • Volume: 500GB; 750GB; 1TB; 1.5TB; 2TB
  • Write/read speed: 95 MB/s and 89 MB/s

Additionally: the device has a built-in shock sensor, and technology has been introduced to reduce vibration during operation.

External HDD is not detected: what to do

Sometimes users encounter a problem when a laptop or computer does not see the external HDD.

The reasons may be different, let's look at the most common ones.

In most cases, they help deal with the problem without involving a specialist in solving it.

To begin (after installing the external HDD), go to computer management.

Go to the Control Panel

To do this, you need to select the control panel, go to system and security settings.

Format the disk

If external HDD works on other devices (for example, it is seen by another computer or TV), then the reason for not being detected may be incompatibility with the operating system or the lack of necessary drivers.

IN in this case, the order of your actions is as follows.

First, check the USB port to which you are connecting the external HDD.

To do this, just connect a regular one to it. If the flash drive is detected, then the problem is not with the USB port.

In this case, go to the device manager (click “Control Panel”, go to the “System and Security” tab, then select “Device Manager”.

Let's look at two tabs: disk devices and other devices.

This screenshot shows that the operating system did not see the drivers for the external HDD, which is why the computer did not find it.

There are two ways to correct the situation:

1. First, click the “Update hardware configuration” tab; after activating it, the drivers are installed automatically.

If the necessary drivers are not on your computer, one of the special programs search for drivers, of which there are many on the Internet, or search for the required driver on the manufacturer’s website.

2. The second option is preferable, since you may accidentally download the wrong driver and the device will still not work.

Installing drivers

  • 1. Hard drive capacity
  • 2. Connection interface
  • 3. Rotation speed
  • 4. Buffer memory
  • 5. Dimensions
  • 6. Manufacturer company
  • 7. External screw selection
  • 8. That's all well and good, but what about SSDs?

Sooner or later, each of us is faced with a situation when the internal memory of a personal computer is running out, and we don’t want to delete the existing information. In this case, there is only one thing left - to purchase a new, more roomy hard disk, but I want to do it in such a way that similar problem was not looming on the horizon for the next five years. To help our readers complete best buy, today we will talk about which hard drive to choose for your computer in 2019. First, let's discuss its most important parameters.

Hard drive capacity

Of course, the first thing any buyer thinks about is volume of hard disk. By the standards of history, just recently, 20 gigabytes of internal memory space seemed luxury and excess, but today not every game can fit on such a modest hard drive. When discussing what size hard drive you should buy to make the purchase profitable and effective, you should first look at the current state of affairs on the market.
In the segment of hard drives, as with other computer components, you can notice a trend - top options are much more expensive than competitors that are not so much inferior to them. So as not to overpay for the fleeting right to feel like the owner best toy, it’s worth looking towards the middle price range, and then, in turn, notice that a 500 GB screw is not much different in price from its 2 terabyte counterpart - then why save a few percent of the cost while getting four times less free space?

Connection interface

The hard drive is connected to motherboard, and therefore all other components system unit via cable. This cable can have one of two types of interface - current SATA and outdated IDE. If your current home computer was purchased not 15-20 years ago, but much later, then you don’t have to look at IDE, but SATA is divided into three types - SATA 1, SATA 2 and SATA 3, respectively.
The first of them, like the IDE, cannot be found during the day, and the second and third generations differ in data transfer speed - 3 Gb/s and 6 Gb/s, respectively. By the way, these two types of interfaces are interchangeable, but if you want to insert a hard drive SATA type 3 into the connector for the second one, then it will work with SATA speed 2. If you decide to purchase an external hard drive, then preference should be given to the USB 3.0 connector.

Rotation speed

The faster the spindle rotates, the higher the read/write speed of the hard drive will be, and therefore this aspect is also one of the main ones when choosing suitable hardware. In fact, this parameter has long reached its reasonable limit, which is at around 7200 rpm, and therefore choosing almost any screw regarding this characteristic will not be a mistake.
However, if you buy the filling for gaming computer, then we recommend stopping at hard drives with an indicator above 10,000 rpm, and the most preferable purchase will be a hard drive made using SSD technology, but such copies will be discussed later. By the way, the vast majority of external hard drives operate at 5400 rpm and there are no particular problems this fact doesn't call.

Buffer memory

Buffer memory, also known as cache memory, is a place in which data is localized that has already been read from the disk, but has not yet been transmitted through the interface, which means that the larger it is, the higher the overall performance of the system. External drives are content with 8 MB, but for an internal drive you should choose 32 MB or higher - 64 will be ideal.

Dimensions

Hard drives, despite identical functions, can have very various sizes, the main ones are Small Form Factor of 2.5 inches and Large Form Factor of 3.5. The former, as a rule, have lower basic indicators, for example, the spindle rotates at a speed of 5400 rpm, but they are used in laptops due to their compactness. Large ones are suitable for familiar personal computers, but in recent years There is a noticeable trend towards converting even more powerful hard drives into a smaller format.

Manufacturing company

Despite the fact that in the price lists of stores computer equipment There are dozens of brand names, produced by only two giants - Seagate and Western Digital. It is difficult to say anything unambiguously regarding the advantages of a particular manufacturer, but after sifting through hundreds of reviews on the Internet, we came to disappointing conclusions for Seagate - their screws are much less reliable. Yes, many of those reading these lines may well do this thanks to the use of a screw from this company that has been faithfully and faithfully for five years, but why hope that you will be lucky if you can choose a more stable option?
By the way, we recommend that after purchasing a new disk, you immediately give it an increased load, this way you will test it under stressful conditions and if it was defective, then you will have time to use warranty service or replace a low-quality product, and if it survives this stress test without incident, you can be almost 100% sure that it will last a long time. We must understand that Russia is far from the main market for computer equipment manufacturers, and then the task is to find service center often looks almost insurmountable; those who have experienced sending their components abroad for repairs know very well how long and expensive it is. In general, in 2019 I personally would give my preference to WD, but this is not an advertisement and the choice is up to you.

External screw selection

In this case, a third is added to the two giant manufacturers - Transcend. The advantages of such gadgets are obvious - no fuss with mounting into a laptop case or system unit, you just need to connect it using one of the current connectors; we remind you that preference should be given to USB 3.0 - it is compatible with USB 2.0 and can be connected to absolutely any system.
The form factors of portable hard drives are the same as those of their older brothers, but in this case the dimensions are even more important - a compact device is much more convenient to carry, so if you plan to use it often outside the home, take a closer look at the 2.5 inches. The speed, of course, will most likely be lower, but the ability to tuck a screw into a jacket pocket is priceless. By the way, since you are going to carry it with you, it would be nice to think about its durability - anything can happen. Such equipment often fails when dropped from a height of only 10-15 centimeters, and therefore a rubberized case or case is almost a must-have.
In recent years, connecting conventional hard drives as external ones through special boxes that have a USB connection to a computer has become widely popular, and modern system units often already have such a compartment - very convenient.

This is all well and good, but what about SSDs?

In recent years, SSDs, also known as solid-state drives, which are sometimes mistakenly called hard drives. They are more likely large flash drive with microcircuits, because they do not have mechanical parts like in the usual HDDs. All data here is transmitted electronically, and to connect such a device we use SATA interfaces 2 or SATA 3, but buying one powerful tool it’s worth getting the most out of it, and therefore we recommend using much more high-speed connection PCI Express.

Such drives are much more compact than their predecessors, and therefore they almost always go on sale together with an adapter that will help insert the device into the HDD slot. Despite the fact that it is much more problematic to damage SSDs, they, unfortunately, still break, and therefore reliability today can hardly be attributed to undeniable advantages these devices. Another drawback is the significantly higher price, and therefore not everyone who is faced with an urgent need to purchase new hard the disk will be able to afford this option.

If only a very wealthy user can purchase an SSD drive with a capacity of several terabytes, then small solid state drives are available to almost everyone and this opportunity must be used. The fact is that the performance of the operating system very much depends on the physical object on which it is located, and therefore with the help of a small SSD, for example, 128 gigabytes, you can make incredible progress in the speed of the OS.

Just place Windows or another operating system on an expensive medium, as well as a number of the programs you most need, and store the rest of the information on the HDD and you will be happy at an affordable price. By the way, owners of old systems should remember that this medium They support Windows 7 and up, so you won’t be able to overclock your XP with it.

We hope that this material was useful to you and now you can imagine the sequence of actions if you decide to update the hard drive in your personal computer. You shouldn’t trust sales assistants in an electronics store too much - they have their own goals and motives, which may be far from the desire to pick you up best option, and then keep your finger on the pulse and constantly update your knowledge about the most important components of the system unit, good luck!

Technologies are constantly evolving, and manufacturers are striving to make devices more compact and more functional. Data storage devices are no exception. Today, 1 and 2 TB flash drives are already available, something that could only be dreamed of a few years ago. But such solutions are very expensive, so most buyers prefer conventional hard drives.

By choosing a good external HDD, you can easily find a quality solution for attractive price. If you need to get better speed transmission and higher reliability, then you should take a closer look at SSD models. Pick up best option Our rating of the best external hard drives for 2018 – 2019 will help you, in which we have selected both inexpensive options and premium segment models.

As noted above, if necessary, obtain high speed writing and reading is better to choose between external SSD drives And regular HDD precisely in favor of the former. Solid-state drives do not have moving parts, so they are less susceptible to falls, and the data transfer speed of such models is several times higher than even the most modern hard drives. Thus, the 128 GB Plextor EX1 model in question allows you to write and read information at speeds of 500 and 550 MB/s, respectively. Another advantage of the disk is its compactness. The thickness and width of the Plextor SDD is only 8.7 and 31.6 mm, and the weight is 30 grams. According to the manufacturer, a good portable drive EX1 can last up to 1.5 million hours. However, the price for all these advantages is quite high, especially taking into account the capacity of the SSD.

Advantages:

  • baud rate
  • small size and weight
  • attractive design
  • complete case
  • great build

Flaws:

  • high cost
  • no USB-C/USB-C cable included


The second place in the TOP 10 is occupied by a classic hard drive for reliable storage of information. The 500 GB HV620 model from ADATA will cost customers about 3,200 rubles, which is an excellent offer. The drive has a stylish and high-quality case (white or black), on which there is a small activity indicator blue. The hard drive is connected to the computer via USB (standard 3.0) in Type-A format. The dimensions of the ADATA computer drive are standard for a 2.5-inch device, and the spindle speed of the HV620 model is 5400 rpm.

Advantages:

  • USB 3.0 standard
  • reliable operation
  • good speed
  • robust housing
  • stylish appearance

Flaws:

  • glossy case
  • cable is a bit short


Among the external hard drives on the market with a capacity of less than 500 GB, the MU-PT250B model from South Korea deserves special attention Samsung brand. This is a 250 GB solid state drive with a 1.8-inch form factor. Thanks to its compactness, the device easily fits into any pocket and does not cause discomfort when worn, because its weight is only 51 grams. The drive has data protection (encryption) and supports 4 KB sectors. To laptops and Samsung computers The MU-PT250B connects via USB (3.1 standard) and can provide a maximum read and write speed of 450 MB/s. One of the disadvantages of this model is that it is equipped exclusively with a USB-A/USB-C cable, so for connecting to ports Type-C standard the user will have to purchase an additional accessory.

Advantages:

  • small dimensions and weight
  • high data transfer speed
  • modern USB port Type-C
  • high-quality assembly
  • the body is made of metal

Flaws:

  • no USB-C to USB-C cable
  • high cost

STOR.E SLIM is Toshiba's fast terabyte external hard drive. The parameters of this model are standard for 2.5-inch HDDs: maximum speed transfer (plate-buffer) at 4800 Mbit/s, buffer size 8 MB, weight 155 grams, connection via USB standard 2.0 or 3.0. Among the distinctive features of the model in question, we can note the thin (12 mm) and high quality case made of aluminum, as well as the manufacturer providing 10 GB cloud storage to every buyer of the Toshiba STOR.E SLIM disk.

Advantages:

  • aluminum body
  • stylish design
  • reliability in operation
  • fast data transfer
  • small disc thickness
  • free cloud storage

Flaws:

  • none


Another good external hard drive with a capacity of 1 TB is offered by the brand Silicon Power. The Stream S03 model is a well-built hard drive with an attractive design and a power saving mode. The device in question is different standard sizes and weight for 2.5-inch drives. In operation, a quiet hard drive for a laptop or computer demonstrates reliability, and the Stream S03 has a 3-year warranty period without a single problem, even under fairly harsh operating conditions. The spindle speed of this model is 5400 rpm, and the buffer size is 8 MB.

Advantages:

  • attractive design
  • fast data transfer
  • connection via USB 2.0/3.0
  • price-reliability ratio

Flaws:

  • not found


The sixth place on our list is occupied by the WD Elements Portable model from the famous company Western Digital. For the price, the presented external hard drive is the best in the category up to 1 TB and can boast fast work. Connects this model via USB 3.0 and boasts a durable plastic housing. It is also worth noting that this is one of the lightest HDDs on the market – 130 grams. However, the WD Elements Portable drive is often unable to boast sufficient reliability. Sometimes users complain about the drive failing quickly, which may be due to manufacturing problems. However, non-defective copies can please you with long-term and uninterrupted operation.

Advantages:

  • stable data transfer speed
  • spacious
  • high-quality assembly
  • attractive design

Flaws:

  • frequent marriage
  • heating possible at big gears data


ADATA HV620 is one of the best 2TB external hard drives. There is no need to dwell on this model for a long time, because it is a complete analogue of the above model, including all its advantages and disadvantages. The difference is only in the increased volume, increased thickness (21 versus 15 mm) and greater weight (230 grams). During operation, the model in question demonstrates high reliability and excellent data transfer speed. However, this series external drives for TVs, PCs and laptops

Advantages:

  • strength and reliability
  • operating speed
  • low noise and no vibration
  • excellent appearance

Flaws:

  • glossy case
  • short connection cable

Silicon Power Stream S03 2TB


Similar to the solution from ADATA, the best inexpensive external hard drive in the Stream S03 line only differs slightly from the younger model. First of all, the fast and best-reliable external hard drive has a capacity of 2 TB instead of 1 TB. But the connection standards, transmission speed, dimensions, number of plates and even weight in the model under consideration are completely similar to the device described above. Another difference between the older solution is that it is presented not only in black and white, but also in blue.

Advantages:

  • attractive design
  • warranty period 3 years
  • high quality body
  • high-quality assembly
  • fast data transfer

Flaws:

  • slightly overpriced


Seagate is one of the the best manufacturers drives. In terms of quality and reliability, this brand surpasses most of its competitors. An excellent proof of this statement is the STDR4000200 model. This is a reliable device with a capacity of 4 TB, a spindle speed of 5400 rpm, a small thickness of 20.5 mm, and a weight of 246 grams. In terms of price and quality ratio, the Seagate STDR4000200 is great choice for any task, be it working with graphic projects or storing your favorite films.

Advantages:

  • 4 color options
  • good transfer speed
  • small thickness
  • suitable for a wide variety of needs
  • availability of intuitive software

Flaws:

  • flimsy housing cover

We couldn’t help but include a 4 TB drive from the Western Digital brand in our rating of external hard drives. The My Passport line is a reliable and high-quality device with data encryption function. The body of this model is made of durable plastic, which is available in white, black, blue, red, yellow and orange. The spindle rotation speed of My Passport 4 TB is 5400 rpm, and the HDD from Western Digital is connected to PCs, laptops, TVs and other devices via a USB port of standard 2.0 or 3.0.

Advantages:

  • attractive design
  • variety of colors
  • reliable operation
  • fast work
  • encryption function
  • no heating

Flaws:

  • not found

Which external hard drive should I buy?

When choosing a good external hard drive, you first need to rely on the tasks you will perform. So for film lovers who prefer to watch films in 4K UHD resolution, you should take a closer look at capacious models HDD of 1 terabyte or more. Working with documents and simple projects, in turn, will not require large volume. However, in this case, the speed that SSDs can provide may become an important indicator.



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