Despite the widespread agitation of popular search engines to store data in cloud storage, many users prefer to use the good old hard drives for this. It is calmer when all the information is at hand, and not somewhere on the Web, well, or at least most of it.
One option for storing data is a removable hard drive for the computer. Generally speaking, these devices are more like some kind of megaflash, which also connects to the USB interface. The thing is quite dimensional, but it also contains several times more information than a flash drive.
In addition, the main hard drive is also not rubber, and when the precious bits come to an end, many ask quite logical questions: what to do and what to do? A removable hard drive is a very good alternative to standard equipment, especially since it is not tied to a specific system and can be taken with you anywhere. The main thing is that the desired connection interface is found in this place, but more on that below.
So, let's try to figure out how to choose a removable hard drive, what to look for in the first place, and also consider the main characteristics of such devices.
To begin with, we denote the manufacturers of external hard drives. There are not so many sensible brands that produce hard drives of this kind, but they all, they say, ate the dog in this matter.
Manufacturers
Immediately answer the question of why removable hard drives should be bought only from large manufacturers. The venerable label on the hard drive is a guarantee of quality, reliability of equipment and a long service life.
Many people know and understand that branded equipment is never cheap. But in a good half of cases, such an overpayment pays for itself with interest. Different kinds of no-name manufacturers from China sometimes get decent gadgets at very low prices, but only as an exception. The user, as a rule, expects work that is far from the stated ideal, along with frequent breakdowns. Here's how lucky: there are normal specimens, but it happens that a thing breaks in a few days.
A manufacturer respecting itself and the customer will never allow such negligence. The competition in this market is very tough, so each brand is fighting for its consumer. Yes, marriage does happen (the computer does not see a removable hard drive, it is impossible to write files to it, etc.), but its percentage is an order of magnitude lower than that of the same noun-name goods from the Middle Kingdom. In addition, branded service centers will quickly exchange, repair or even refund money for a damaged device.
The best manufacturers of removable hard drives:
- "Toshiba".
- ADATA.
- Sony.
- Transcend
- Seagate
- Samsung.
Whatever model you take from these brands, it will serve as intended by the manufacturer. Some situations with marriage are resolved quickly and painlessly, the benefit of service centers for companies is enough, as well as the budget laid down for this business.
As for reviews, users do not leave any critical comments on products from these brands. The equipment is really reliable and serves for many years. For the most part, all negative reviews are associated with service centers, and, as a rule, there are no complaints about the product itself.
Removable hard drive device
External hard drives are not so different from their stationary counterparts. They have a housing, a pressure unit, a servo drive and a power supply. Perhaps the only critical difference between a removable hard drive and a regular one is the presence of a USB interface and the variability of the case.
The latter can be made of different materials and even have some kind of exotic design. The main thing is that it protects the removable hard drive from dust, debris and physical impact. As an additional safety measure, the case may be rubberized or equipped with some special protective coating.
The principle of operation of an external hard drive is similar to a stationary one. Power is supplied via the USB interface, and the device comes to life, twisting the heads on the body of the disk, writing or reading information. As for removable hard drives such as SSD, then the principle of operation is different. There are no heads here, but only a set of chipsets.
SSD and HDD
By and large, the SSD-drive can be called some analogue of RAM. Only unlike the latter, the disk remembers all the information without resetting it with every reboot. One of the main differences between SSDs and conventional HDDs is speed, and the difference can reach an order of magnitude. And if in the case of a conventional hard drive, one procedure can last, for example, a couple of hours, then a solid-state SSD drive will complete it in 5-10 minutes.
The technical advantages in this case are obvious, but the financial side is not so rosy. The approximate cost of a 1 TB removable hard drive ranges from 3,500 rubles. For this money, the maximum you can count on is a simple SSD with only 120 GB. Yes, they are very fast and reliable, but at the same time they are extremely expensive. So here it all depends only on you (which removable hard drive to install - solid-state or regular) and on your financial capabilities.
Types of external drives
In addition to the fact that hard drives of this kind are external, they are still subdivided into several types. The choice in favor of one or the other option also depends on the user's preferences and the scope of the disc.
Mobile
These devices, as the name implies, are designed for continuous transport from place to place. Disks of this kind are compact and lightweight. Bright representatives of the segment have dimensions of about 100 x 10 x 50 mm and weigh from 200 to 400 grams. There are, of course, non-standard models, but this is the exception rather than the rule.
Despite its small size, mobile hard drives can be equipped with an impressive volume, up to 1 TB. In terms of performance, the models are also not inferior to their stationary counterparts, developing speeds of up to 600 Mb / s.
Advantages of mobile devices:
- compact with light weight, as well as convenient transportation;
- performance similar to other types;
- An impressive amount of memory for the available dimensions.
Disadvantages:
- a good half of the models are afraid of physical damage (you need to handle them with extreme care).
Stationary
Models of such a plan can weigh 2, 3, and even 5 kg, and can reach a laptop in size. To compensate for this "completeness", we have excellent housing protection and a maximum amount of data storage - from 2 to 10 TB. The speed of such hard drives at medium and high levels, and they do not shine with some other remarkable characteristics.
Carrying them with you is not very convenient, but the solution to the issue of mobility is similar to the laptop segment, since there are plenty of covers, handbags and briefcases for them. Some very advanced models are equipped with displays and can even work separately from the computer.
Pros of stationary external drives:
- huge stock of memory;
- good performance;
- excellent protection against physical impact (especially in expensive models);
Minuses:
- obviously heavy for carrying "in your pocket";
- usually require an additional 220 V outlet.
Solid state
As mentioned above, the group of SSD-drives is characterized by the highest speed performance. There are no rotating parts in the body of the disk, so the reliability of the entire system is also at a very high level.
As for the sizes, they are more close to mobile devices, so they can be easily carried in a jacket pocket or handbag. The memory capacity of external solid-state drives for the most part does not exceed 1 TB. The most popular models range from 250 to 500 GB, which almost perfectly matches the price / return ratio.
Advantages of external SSDs:
- very high speed;
- compactness;
- resistance to mechanical damage;
- long service life in comparison with HDD.
Disadvantages:
- cost;
- It does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature.
Form factor
This is not the most important parameter and for the most part it affects the ease of transportation. In total, you can read the three main varieties of external hard drives - 1.8 inches, 2.5 and 3.5. The size of the device indirectly depends on the size, that is, small disks are designed, as a rule, for 500 MB, medium - for 2 TB, and large - for 10 TB.
Connection interface
Almost all external hard drives are connected via a USB interface. There is, of course, exotic with mini- or micro-USB, but this is a rarity for this segment and is used to solve some specific tasks like working with video cameras.
The latest models of external hard drives are synchronized via USB 3.0. So if you have an old motherboard with 2.0 output, a good half of the new models, alas, will not be able to work with it, and the computer in this case simply will not see a removable hard drive. Pay special attention at this point before buying a hard drive.
Interface 3.0 can support speeds up to 5 Gb / s, which is enough for HDD devices and is quite acceptable for SSD-drives, where the speed of the latter does not exceed 6 Gb / s. The only interface capable of overclocking a solid state drive to the full is Thunderbolt. He calmly "digests" all 10 Gb / s. But this option is suitable only for owners of devices from Apple, but on the Windows platform this, alas, is not.