What is an Internal Hard Drive?

This is a hardware component installed in laptops, servers, desktop personal computers, workstations, and other electronic products such as digital video players, audio digital players, and digital cameras. The main purpose of the hard drive is to store data (in a magnetic material) over long periods of time. The computers operating system is usually stored in this component. This component is installed within the device hence the term: internal.

Different types of Internal Hard Drives

Hard drives can be classified according to size, speed, function and even the manufacturers. Below are some of the classifications:

• SATA – SATA 2 and SATA 3 are the available versions which support 3.0 gigabytes per second and 6.0 gigabytes per second respectively. We have the SATA 2.5″ in 2 forms. In laptops SATA is the most commonly used connector.
• PCIe – This is one of the most recent technologies with speeds of up to twenty four gigabytes per second and more. They come in select Ultrabooks such as the Macboock. You can acquire one for your desktop at a price.

Advantages

• There storage capacity is large and available in different sizes of up to four terabytes.
• It is vital for computer operation; it is the main storage in your computer.
• It is easier and faster to access data on hard drives compared to other storage devices such as: floppy disks or CDs/DVDs.
• They are cheap in terms of cost per megabyte.
• It is a permanent storage

Internal Hard Drives on the market today

There are many hard drives in the market today in many designs and specifications. Although they are so many hard drives in the market their classifications can be narrowed down into different categories such with respect to;

• Size(memory)
• Speed
• Name of the manufacturer
• Functions
• Cache memory
• Compatibility
• Cost, among others.

Things you need to know before buying

• However more expensive solid state drives perform the same functions as hard drive but they are a lot faster. There storage space is also smaller compared to hard drives.
• Consider the physical size and the interface of the hard disk that you wish to purchase having your needs in perspective.
• Look out for the products performance and specifications: storage capacity, transfer speeds, cache space and access times.
• Also consider the price.

How to choose the right Internal Hard Drive?

The word right is relative. It relies on some predetermined point of reference. User needs and preferences vary from one consumer to the other depending on so many variables such as; time, age, gender, availability, price, and so much more. Basically the right hard drive depends on the user and the laptop. Come up with a list of things that you will want in hard disk storage and match it with the one available. In your list consider:

• Compatibility
• Price
• Specifications and
• Performance

10. WD Blue 1TB Desktop 7200 RPM SATA

It is available from five hundred up to six terabytes with high rotational speed of: 5400 revolutions per minute and 7200 revolutions per minute.

Pros

• Despite the high speed the design is ‘noiseless’ producing sound near the threshold of human hearing hence the term ‘WhisperDrive’.
• It has lower power consumptions, reduced noise as well as vibrations.
• Have a multitude of features such as: 3rd generation SATA interface that has a 6 GB/s transfer rate, ultra-cool and quiet operation and exceptional performance.

Cons

• Cables and mounting hardware do not come with the drive; they are acquired separately.

09. Seagate 1TB Desktop HDD Cache

It has a speed of 7200 revolutions per minute and available from 250GB up to 8TB.

Pros.

• One terabyte can store up to 120 HD videos or 250,000 songs or 200,000 photographs.
• When coupled with SATA 6GB/s storage of data is faster.
• Has a cache space of 64MBs.
• Efficient in day-to-day desktop as well as computing storage.

Cons

• 32-bit operating systems and Mac systems prior to OSX 10.4 are not compatible with volumes higher than 2TB

08. WD Red 3TB NAS Hard Disk Drive

It is equipped with features such as: Form Factor: 3.5 inch, Read/Write: 4.4 Watts, Standby: 0.6 Watt and SATA3 interface

Pros

• The rate of data transfer from buffer to host is 6 GB/s while from to drive or drive to host is 145 Mb/s.
• It is available in different sizes: 1 TB, 2 TBs, 3 TBs, 4 TBs, 5 TBs, 6 TBs, 7 TBs, and 8 TBs.
• Affordable

Cons

• 32-bit operating systems and Mac systems prior to OSX 10.4 are not compatible with volumes higher than 2TB

07. Samsung Seagate 2TB Laptop HDD SATA III

The hard drive interface is Serial ATA-600, Item model number ST2000LM003 and its brand name is Seagate.

Pros

• It is compatible with PlayStation 4.
• It can be easily and quickly installed.
• It is very durable
• It is quiet when running
• Has a range of storage memory capabilities It is high quality.
• It is high of quality.

Cons

• Errors may occur when installing if the procedure is not followed to the letter.

06. Samsung Seagate Spinpoint M9T 2TB

It is available in one and two terabytes with a 6 GB/s SATA interface, a 32 MBs cache space, and a SATA native command queuing feature.

Pros

• Easy to install.
• It is quiet when running.
• It is convenient in configuring small machines due to its small size.
• It is high quality.

Cons

• Its storage capacity is relatively small compared with other drives that have up to 8 gigabytes of space.

05. Seagate 2TB Desktop Gaming SSHD

This product has the following features: NAND flash memory type: MLC, flash memory Capacity 8GB and cache 64MB, solid state hybrid drive (SSHD) in a 3.5-inch form factor, Interface SATA: 6.0 GB/s, and is available in 1, 2 and 4 terabytes.

Pros

• SSD-performance like with at smaller cost.
• It is not only plug and play but it also works great with data bank and PlayStation 4
• It is much faster than a standard drive.
• The computer ‘sees’ it as another single drive
• It is high quality
• It is affordable

Cons

• The biggest memory size is four terabytes.

04. HGST Travelstar RPM SATA III 32MB Cache

With a one terabyte capacity, 512 byte emulation, 7200 RPM, and 6 GB/s SATA interface this HDD is a high performance product. It is an advanced format, industrial standard 4k sector size product.

Pros

• Affordable
• Improves laptops performance/speed
• Upgrading takes less than 30 minutes
• Easy to set up and run.

Cons

• It emits a mild click once every 3-10 seconds that sounds like metal slapping against metal when idle.

03. WD Blue 500GB Mobile Hard Disk Drive

Designed to lower power consumption, noise and vibration by calculating the optimum seek speeds (IntelliSeek) and comes in 250, 320 and 500 GB memory capacities.

Pros

• It is durable
• It is easy to install and run. Installing takes about five minutes!
• Can be used in notebooks
• Can be used to increase storage in PS3
• Backing and restoring takes a only a few hours.

Cons

• It has a relatively smaller storage space compared with others that have up to 8 terabytes of space.

02. OWC DIY 2.0TB Drive Upgrade Bundle for the PlayStation 4

This product works for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.

Pros

• It moves all your game data into the new drive
• It can work with PlayStation 3 as well.
• You can convert the PlayStation 4’s original drive into a new external hard drive for use with any USB 2.0/3.0 equipped computer.
• Easy to upgrade and replace
• Efficient in restoring data

Cons

• If you do not follow the instructions of installation carefully and you have more than one user on your PlayStation, you may need to download their application data.

01. Western Digital 4TB 7200 RPM

Available in different storage capacities; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 terabytes, this is a next generation hard drive that will intensify your personal computer experience! It is equipped with exciting features such as: improved data protection: corruption protection technology (CPT), vibration control technology (VCT), NoTouch(TM) ramp load technology and improved architectural designs: dual core processor, dual core processor, stabletrac technology, high resolution controller (HRC).

Pros

• Very high speed performance
• Compatible with windows 7.
• Has a range of storage memory capabilities
• Affordable

Cons

• It is relatively noisy at high speeds.

Conclusion

From the above products it is notable that there is a wide range of exciting hard disks that you can install to your laptop or desktop and be part of the awesome experience. With qualities such as high speed, high resolutions, enormous storage space among others, this is simply one experience that you do not want to miss out.

The designs accommodate all computers old and new. One main feature that cuts across all designs is that they are made to be more user-friendly and an upgrade from the previous make. Get your hard disk today and enjoy the vast and exciting features!