Add Extra Storage Using the Best External Hard Drive
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Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC USB 3.0 1 TB Rugged Portable External Hard Drive -
ioSafe SOLO G3 Fireproof/Waterproof USB External Hard Drive -
BUFFALO DriveStation DDR 3 TB Ultra Fast USB 3.0 External Hard Drive -
SEAGATE - RETAIL STKC4000400 4TB ONE TOUCH HDD 2.5E BLACK -
BUFFALO DriveStation Axis Velocity 3TB External Hard Drive -
Verbatim Store n' Save 2TB External Hard Drive -
Buyer's Guide
External hard drives are a convenient solution for instantly adding more storage space without taking your computer apart. They can also be useful when larger files must be transferred between computers, or if you need your data on the go. Take a look at the list we've created for the best external hard drives in 2022.
Here are the best external hard drive of 2022
Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC USB 3.0 1 TB Rugged Portable External Hard Drive - Best External Hard Drive Overall
The BUFFALO MiniStation Extreme, per its namesake, is a rugged portable external drive that helps you with the unexpected accident your drive may face, even if it is an extreme accident. The device has included with it a MIL-SPEC rating against shock, ensuring the drive can survive drops from up to six feet high, slams against a wall, and whatever else you may accidentally encounter. Along with this extreme protection is a high-capacity 1TB drive with included Turbo software for faster transfer rates, the option for full 256-bit encryption of your precious files, and to top it all off BUFFALO includes a 1-year warranty of the external drive. These rugged features and encryption options make the BUFFALO MiniStation Extreme a good choice for many in need of semi-rugged hardware that won't break the bank either
ioSafe SOLO G3 Fireproof/Waterproof USB External Hard Drive - Runner Up
It's fireproof, it's waterproof, and somehow it's an external hard drive. The ioSafe SOLO G3, per it's namesake, is a 3TB external hard drive that while storing your precious files can handle perhaps the worst the world has to offer, including 1550 degree heat from a fire, full immersion into 10 feet of water for three days, and even the option of installing a cable lock or mount for added burglar protection. The ioSAFE SOLO G3 ensures your digital belongings will remain safe and sound - and even includes online backup protection too. The ioSAFE SOLO G3 is a fortune compared to other drives of equal-capacity, but we can't deny it's abilities as not merely an external drive, but also a external peace-of-mind.
BUFFALO DriveStation DDR 3 TB Ultra Fast USB 3.0 External Hard Drive - Honorable Mention
BUFFALO's DriveStation may just seem like any other 3TB external drive on the market - and it even has a price similar to such drives - but there's no other way to describe this drive without pointing out it has a MegaCache. Okay, BUFFALO made up the word MegaCache, but it's actually a 1GB DRAM cache built into the drive, which offers an insane amount of cache space for the 3TB drive to quickly download files at speeds up to 408MB/s. The drive will certainly feel like an SSD because of its huge cache, and while it will have the capacity for all those many files you have, it will also ensure you don't sit there and complain about the speed it takes to get them. This makes it an excellent drive not only for its capacity, but also the added features it offers too.
SEAGATE - RETAIL STKC4000400 4TB ONE TOUCH HDD 2.5E BLACK - Consider
Seagate's "no-frills' Backup Plus line of external drives are meant for those who care about brand-name drives and high capacities as opposed to fancy features, and that's exactly what you'll get with this drive. The well-priced 4TB external drive offers up currently the highest possible single-drive capacity and matches it with the Seagate name in hardware. The price is really the highlight here for this drive, as it offers one of the lowest dollar-per-gigabyte rates out there among hard drives. While the warranty is a bit shorter than most would hope for, this drive is still a great option for many seeking high-capacity storage at a good price.
BUFFALO DriveStation Axis Velocity 3TB External Hard Drive - Best External Hard Drive Overall
BUFFALO technology is certainly not the most well known brand out there when it comes to hardware of all shapes and sizes, but this tech company has been winning PC magazine awards for more than 10 years. Their DriveStation series is a long-running set of external drives, and their latest member is the Axis Velocity 3TB External Drive. This high-capacity drive as it is has a great price, has a pretty good transfer rate for your files, and pretty much is a good external hard drive as it is. However, this drive has more, namely compatibility with your new Wii U as a external storage unit alongside PC and Mac compatibility, plus along with integrated software with encryption support, this drive is a great choice for those who want a drive with good performance, a good price, and good features.
Verbatim Store n' Save 2TB External Hard Drive - Best External Hard Drive Overall
Verbatim is probably more known for its high-quality CDs and DVDs, but like many storage-focused companies it too dabbles in the realm of hard drives and external storage, and their Store 'n Save 2TB external hard drive shouldn't be called Store n' Save, but instead Store n' Never Replace. This drive is just like any other 2TB hard drive on the market and even has a rather good price to match it too, but what you probably didn't notice while glancing at this drive was its 7-year warranty. Yes, while some firms out there will offer 1, 2, or maybe 3 years for their external hard drives, verbatim will back you up about as long as you'd expect Microsoft to support its OS. Sure, in seven years 2TB will be a distant memory like 120GB was seven years ago, but this long-term warranty drive is great for family members who you want to give peace-of-mind knowing they'll never need to buy another drive - at least for a while.
Buyer's Guide
External hard drives are storage devices that are used to store and access data. Unlike their internal counterparts, external hard drives are encased in a protective shell that prevents any physical activity from damaging any stored information. They are used typically to create more storage space on a computer’s internal drive by storing valuable data from your computer securely. An external drive enables users to backup crucial and sensitive information, then disconnect and store it in secure locations.
External hard drives are very useful devices that can save you from the disaster of losing your files to harmful malware and device shutdown. A reliable external drive will keep your files and preserve them for as long as you need.
How do you know what’s right for you with all the different brands and options in the market? To assist you make the best choice, we have made the guide below of the things you should look out for when you are getting an external hard drive.
What are the Things to consider when choosing external hard drives?
To store your data securely, you need to know that the external hard drive you choose is capable of handling the functions you require it for. These are a few things you should check before making your choice, considering these would help you to choose the best external hard drive.
Storage size
Before going ahead to buy your new hard drive you need to first evaluate how much storage space you need. New external hard drives usually range in storage capacity (from 250 Gigabytes to several terabytes). You don’t want to be in a situation where you end up purchasing an external hard drive that does not have up to the required amount of space.
Examine your files and documents. The hard drive you would need should be able to store all your PDFs, photos, songs, and videos and still have a good deal of storage leftover from additional data. When choosing your external hard drive, one of the worst mistakes you can make is to get one that does not have enough storage capacity to save your data.
Portability
One major difference between external hard drives and internal hard drives is that external hard drives are portable and can function with multiple devices. You need to consider if your hard drive will be sitting next to a desktop for much of its life, or if it will go on trips with you along with your laptop.
If your plans for your new hard drive do not involve you moving around so much then hard drive size, weight, and probably overall design aren't important to you. On the other hand, if you’re going to be traveling or taking it along with you wherever you go then, weight may be an issue.
You should make sure that that your hard drive isn’t so heavy, consider the size and weight of your other laptop accessories that you also have to carry around with you. You should also consider the drive’s design. The smaller and flatter the drive, the easier the drive will be to pack.
Connectivity
External hard drives can function with several different connections like USB, USB Type C, eSATA, Firewire, and Thunderbolt. Each of these ports offers you a specific read and write speed, so you need to consider this before you purchase your drive. For example, USB type C offers 10 Gps of transfer speed, equivalent to double the speed on offer from USB 3.0. Another mode of transfer that is available is the wireless kind of connection. Whatever style you choose, ensure that you choose one that offers a fast-enough performance, as your particular needs require.
Read and Write speed
An external hard drive’s read speed is essentially how long it takes to download files from it. Write speed is how much time it takes to save something to the drive. These kinds of drives are very appropriate if you want to load or transfer lots of large video files. Pricy hard drives will usually offer zappy speeds of 400 MB per second or better. Cheaper hard drives have less read/write speed, around 100 to 150 MB per second, and work quite well for average daily use.
Which type of external hard drive is best – Hard drive vs SSD?
There are two types of external hard drive:
- Hard disk drives (HDD, also known as mechanical or traditional hard drives) or
- Solid-state drives (SSD).
SSD’s are lighter, faster, and less power-hungry than HDD drives but HDD drives are cheaper and more affordable. HDDs are also good for storing lots of data as they often have a high capacity.
If what you need is enough space to store large amounts of data within a reasonable price range, an HDD is the way to go. However, if speed is your top priority and you tend to need to move a lot of large files run programs off the drive an SSD will probably be most appropriate. Also, you can always store the data that you use less often on a high-capacity HDD, then use a smaller SSD for files that you need to access or move around often.
How much does an external hard drive cost?
The price of an external hard drive varies from anything between $70 to $350 for drives ranging from between 1 terabyte to 4 terabytes of size. Pricier and faster external drives can cost $350 or more – some very powerful huge hard drives can cost up to several hundred pounds.
You can also choose an external SSD. SSDs cost more for the storage space – a medium-sized SSD of around 1 TB will be significantly more expensive than a hard drive of a similar size.
FAQs
What should I look for when buying an external hard drive?
A great external hard drive should be compact and secure, so you can save your important files and documents without worry. Your external hard drive should feel almost as fast and responsive as an internal hard drive.
Why do I need an external hard drive?
An external hard drive is a great and convenient way to back up all of the information on your computer. They are easy to use and highly portable. External hard drives increase the available space of a conventional, built-in hard drive and give computer users more freedom to store their files and documents.
What size of an external hard drive is most adequate?
It’s always a safe bet to buy the largest capacity hard drive you can afford. This is because files and multimedia are larger than ever due to ever-expanding new technology. 500GB is the equivalent of 500,000 photos, 125,000 songs, or 500 movies.
