-
Step 1
Check if your computer has spare bays to add a new hard drive to. Most computers have additional or empty bays. You can easily whether it does by reading the manual that comes in the box with the computer.
-
Step 2
Determine the amount of space you need. Typically, a hard drive with storage capacity ranging from 40 GB to 100 GB is ideal for home computers. You need to buy a drive with more space only if you plan on saving huge files, especially videos.
-
Step 3
Assess the compatibility of the hard drive you want with your computer. If it's an internal drive, it will come with a specific Random Access Memory (RAM) size. If it's an external drive, you can plug it into the existing case with easy installation steps.
-
Step 4
Decide what you can afford before you go shopping. Online stores may offer discounts to compete with each other. Refer to online buyer's guides to get information about the prices and offers available on hard drives. Some popular buyer's guides are NexTag, Windows Marketplace, MySimon, Bizrate and Epinions (see resources below). Some of these Web sites also compare prices, brands and models.
-
Step 5
Read reviews about the brands on blogs or tech discussion forums before making a purchase decision.
-
Step 6
Only buy the hard drive you want after comparing prices in different stores online and offline. Search for online vendors using search engines like Google or Yahoo. Browse through popular online stores such as CompUSA, Best Buy and Circuit City (see resources below).
-
Step 7
Look for deals that can get you a more reasonably-priced hard drive that has what you need.
