Buzz
With the plethora of options available in the market today, selecting the ideal external storage device can be overwhelming. Let us simplify the process for you.
Similar to buying a laptop, purchasing an external hard drive requires thorough research and understanding of your personal needs. Follow our guide to make an informed decision.
Buying External Hard Drive, External HDD
1. Classifying Portable Hard Drives.
Classifying portable hard drives will help you gain a clearer understanding of the various types available on the market today and determine which one suits your usage needs best.
Currently, external hard drives are primarily divided into two main types: the 3.5' size that requires a separate power cable along with a USB cable for data transfer, and the second type, which is much smaller and lighter, with sizes of 2.5' or 1.8', using a single USB cable for both data transfer and power supply. However, the 2.5-inch type usually does not offer as much storage capacity as the first type.
2. Choosing the Manufacturer
Currently, there are various hard drive manufacturers on the market such as Toshiba, Western Digital, Transcend, Apacer, Adata, and Seagate. Among them, Western Digital and Seagate are highly regarded by Vietnamese users for the quality and durability of their products.
Regarding warranty, most external hard drive manufacturers offer a 36-month warranty for their products. However, Seagate hard drives have the longest warranty period of up to 60 months, albeit at a higher price compared to other brands.
3. Storage Capacity
This is undoubtedly one of the key factors that many users are concerned about, especially those who want to use portable hard drives to store music, movies, designs, etc.
For 1.8' hard drives, there are usually three capacity levels: 120GB, 160GB, and 250GB. Traditional 2.5' drives have capacities ranging from 320GB, 500GB to 2TB, and 3.5' drive sizes are typically over 2TB. Therefore, users need to base their storage capacity choices on their usage needs.
4. Disk Rotation Speed
Disk rotation speed is a criterion for evaluating the data access capability of a portable hard drive. The faster the disk rotation speed, the faster data copying and processing. The basic disk rotation speeds are 5,400 rpm, 7,200 rpm, and 10,000 rpm.
While disk rotation speed is not the primary criterion for evaluating the processing speed of a portable hard drive because there will be some drives with lower USB 2.0 connection standards only compatible with speeds of 7,200 rpm or higher.
5. Connection Type
When connecting an external hard drive to a computer, it needs to rely on a specific connection protocol, which is the USB port. Currently, there are two common USB standards: USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, with USB 3.0 being the latest standard with faster read/write speeds. Additionally, there are other connection standards such as eSata, FireWire, or Thunderbolt, which offer very high transfer speeds.
External hard drives using USB 2.0 ports are more common because they can be compatible with many devices, including netbooks or lightweight laptops (ultrabooks), which have at least one USB 2.0 port. Less common but faster are FireWire standards, providing data transfer speeds of 400Mbps or 800Mbps.
With eSATA connection interface, data transfer speed is very high, 3Gbps (3,000 Mbps), much faster than USB 2.0. However, the eSATA connection interface does not provide power through the connecting cable; instead, users will need to equip a power cable via USB port or an external AC adapter.
6. Shock Resistance
Protecting external hard drives is a concern for everyone who uses them. Accidentally dropping them is not uncommon with external HDDs. This can be considered one of the reasons why many external hard drives 'retire prematurely.'
Therefore, prioritize choosing devices with shock-resistant rubber casings or devices with sturdy outer shells and good load-bearing capacity if you don't want to replace your hard drive or, worse, lose all your important data.
7. Pricing
The price of each portable hard drive varies significantly based on their features and storage capacity. Models with large capacities of 500GB or more, integrated shock resistance, and USB 3.0 standard range from around 1.2 million VND upwards, while those with capacities up to 1TB will increase to 1.5 million VND or more.
Meanwhile, capacities of 2TB or more are relatively expensive, usually over 2 million VND, but come with advanced technologies and sturdy rubber or metal protective shells. However, due to increasing demand and decreasing production costs, many large-capacity hard drives are still reasonably priced.
In addition to the criteria listed above, there are many other criteria that can be applied to make a reasonable purchase of an external hard drive, such as material composition, noise level, weight, heat resistance, etc. The method of buying external hard drives, external HDDs outlined here will certainly be the most effective guidance before you decide to purchase any type of portable hard drive.
Utilizing an external SSD drive not only enhances work efficiency but also fulfills a necessary requirement. However, many individuals are unfamiliar with this new type of drive, making them susceptible to deceitful tactics. Therefore, it's essential for readers to discern between SSD and HDD drives to avoid such circumstances. Referencing our article on differentiating between SSD and HDD drives can provide further insight.
