How to Choose a Hard Drive for Your Computer

If you're building a computer, installing a new OS and hard drive, or just want some extra storage space, learn how to choose a hard drive for your computer.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer

1. Size: How long have you had your old drive, and how much space did you use? If you're getting a 7,200 RPM mechanical drive, 500GB through 1TB drives provide a good amount of storage for a good price. If getting a 10,000 RPM mechanical drive, you'll have a bit less storage, and if getting a solid state, you'll probably only have room for the operating system and important programs/files.

2. Internal vs. External: Internal drives are less expensive and faster, while external can be more readily moved from place to place. Most external drives connect via USB.

3. Connector: Look inside your computer to find out what type of connector you need. SATA cables are smooth and about a half-inch wide. ATA (also called IDE) cables are ribbon-like and about 2 inches wide. If you have both kinds of cables, buy a SATA drive.

4. Speed: Nearly all drives spin at 7,200 RPM. A 10,000 RPM drive (see last link in Resources section below) offers a significant speed boost (mathematically, almost 39%), but is more expensive, has less space, and is louder. The speed of solid state disks vary on how much you're willing to pay. The most expensive SSDs are faster than 10,000 RPM drives.

5. Mechanical vs. Solid State: Mechanical drives have been around for decades, while solid state are the future. With mechanical, you get more disk space, a consistent speed, and a lower price. With solid state, you get more speed, less heat, and no noise. The bad thing about solid state is that with cheaper disks, writing to the disk can cause the system to hesitate or freeze, and some disks have compatibility issues.

Tips & Warnings

• The more expensive SSDs have nearly eliminated the hesitation and freezing that cheaper drives give you.
• Before buying a SSD, search online for reviews so you'll be aware of problems others have had.
• If you get a drive that's too small, you can always add another one later.
• For more detailed info on how to know if you have a SATA or ATA (IDE) connector, see the resources.
• For a listing of some of the best hard drives, check the resources.
• Backup your data every now and then--especially if you're running a 10,000 RPM drive, as these are more likely to fail. A clicking sound coming from your hard drive means it's going to fail--backup immediately.

Resources

• How to Know if Your Computer Has SATA or ATA (IDE) Cables/Connectors
• Western Digital 500GB 3.5-inch, SATA, 16MB Cache, Bulk/OEM Hard Drive
• Western Digital 1TB SATA 32MB Cache Green Power Bulk/OEM Hard Drive
• Western Digital WD6400AAKS WD Caviar SE16 SATA Internal Hard Drive, 640 GB, 3 Gb/s, 16 MB Cache, 7200 RPM
• Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive
• Western Digital 500 GB GreenPower 3.5-Inch SATA Bulk/OEM Hard Drive
• Western Digital Caviar 320 GB SATA 3.5-Inch Hard Drive
• Western Digital 1TB SATA GREENPOWER Bulk/OEM Hard Drive
• OCZ 60GB Solid Series SATA 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive
• OCZ 120GB Solid Series SATA 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive
• OCZ 30GB Solid Series SATA 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive
• Western Digital VelociRaptor 300GB 10,000 RPM SATA Bulk/OEM Hard Drive

[1fstc5vette]

on 11/10/2008 nice info, keep up the good work!

[jl5080]

on 11/3/2008 Well done. Interesting.

[andre7514]

on 11/2/2008 Great advice, on choosing a hard drive. Thanks for explaining in detail, concerning the mechanical or solid state drive.