When choosing a computer or laptop, you have to pay attention to many parameters. It would seem that it is not difficult to figure out what a video card, processor or memory should be. The difficulty is that each of the parameters has its own characteristics. For example, to select a hard drive, you need to pay attention to its size, speed or connection interface.
Choosing any device, especially PC-related, requires a very careful analysis. But what if you chose a great laptop, but its only drawback is a small amount of memory? The best manufacturers of external hard drives took care of this.
For what?
It’s rare when it turns out to get a PC that suits absolutely all aspects. Sooner or later, “pitfalls” appear that you have not noticed before. It happens that the video card is out of date, it happens that there is not enough memory. By the way, in this case there is one caveat. The fact is that some users can load the computer with different programs. To meet their memory needs, you need to buy a new hard drive.
But there are times when the user works with a lot of material. This can be an editor or a photographer who needs to create his archive. In this case, you can buy an external hard drive. We will review the reliability rating a little later, and now we will learn about the advantages and disadvantages of these devices, as well as the reasons for their appearance.
Why?
External HDD appeared along with the fear of data loss. Many experts are faced with the fact that they did not have enough flash drives to store information. Buying them countless is inconvenient. Previously, floppy disks and disks came in their place, but now this option is even worse. As a result, an external hard drive appeared when it needed more than 500 gigabytes of memory, and ideally 1 terabyte.
The reason for the fear of information loss was the spread of viruses, Trojan horses, spyware and other things that could erase all the important and necessary materials. External hard drives have become a lifeline in this situation. Their volumes could be large enough to drop not only important documents, but also your favorite multimedia files.
Reliability and durability
Such devices have many advantages. It doesn’t matter what your external hard drive is - 500 GB or 2 terabytes. It all depends on your preference. Its main advantage is its large memory reserves. Pleased with his collaboration with the PC. You do not need to look for additional software in order to be able to connect the hard drive. Depending on the cable interface, you connect the wire with the desired connector. On the computer, the device is identified as an external drive. Before you is full access to all information.
By the way, the disc can also be protected from prying eyes. Unlike the integrated HDD, this one can not only be screwed up, but simply hidden away to the desktop. Also, as mentioned earlier, together with an external hard drive, the user is protected from any threat. For example, you worked with important documents and you need them to remain in stock. You can copy them to the hard drive, and in the event of a virus attack on your PC, all important information will remain intact.
By the way, there is another advantage. An external hard drive, whose reliability rating we will find out very soon, has a very strong case. In general, the device consists of the railway itself and its durable box. Depending on the type, your hard drive will be more or less protected from external influences and wear.
Well, the last significant advantage is the structuring of information. Like a conventional railway, the external can also be divided into blocks in which information is stored. It is also easy to recover data from it, and to exclude the loss of materials from the internal HDD, it is easy to transfer them to an external one.
disadvantages
There is also a major drawback that received an external terabyte hard drive. The price is sometimes very high. This is due to many reasons: sometimes it is artificially enhanced, sometimes due to the popularity of the brand. Although, anyway, buying a 1 terabyte hard drive will cost you less than buying 30 flash drives of 32 GB each.
The more carefully the user will treat an external hard drive, the longer he will live. Premature failures are more often associated with external damage, especially during transportation. Somewhere accidentally knocked, somewhere dropped - sectors are damaged and data is lost.
The same story with the files that fall on the railway. If they are already damaged, after they get into the device’s memory, viruses can spread and destroy all data.
Types of external drives
To choose a quality product, you need to study your favorite external hard drive well. Volume is not the only parameter by which you can determine the model. You should pay attention to the types of HDD.
The first view is different in that it is 3.5 inches in size. Usually this is bought by desktop owners. Unlike the second type, it has larger dimensions, so it needs additional nutrition. Nevertheless, this option is considered excellent. Its main feature remains the ability to automatically backup.
The second type is more compact - only 2.5 inches. He is disposed to be always at hand. Very strong this external hard drive. Reliability rating is always headed by devices of this type. This is due to the fact that they have excellent impact resistance. If he accidentally falls out of his pocket, he will not be particularly affected. Maybe the case will be scratched, and your information will remain intact. Although there are limits to everything: if you hit it well with a hammer, then, most likely, you can say goodbye to it.
The most reliable
In order to distribute the railway according to the reliability rating, you need to pay attention to several basic parameters. First of all, it is longevity, typical problems, materials, software failures, etc.
Many experts have repeatedly checked the leading manufacturers of hard drives. They found that at the moment the most reliable railway device remains the device from Hitachi. In addition to the fact that this fact is confirmed by the opinions of users, a certain number of models from this company were also analyzed. Test results showed that Hitachi can only be damaged if it is not handled carefully. In the rest, neither factory defects nor a weak knot were found.
Once at a time
It is worth paying attention to other companies that produce external and internal railways. The main "loser" in reliability is now considered Seagate. The developers created the disc design in a short time, which affected the quality of the product. The main problem of the hard drives of this company is the weak nodes. There is also evidence that the series has a fairly large percentage of marriage. There are goods that have not lived and more than a year.
In general, a common problem that an external hard drive received from Western, Samsung, Seagate and others remains a microcircuit failure. This affects the computer, it starts to slow down and hang. If you restart the PC, the disk disappears from the system. So his microcode is already destroyed.
There is also a problem with the spindle wedge in some batches. Typically, this breakdown occurs in the HDD, which has a large amount of memory. In this case, the design uses a larger number of magnetic plates. They overload the axis of the hard drive, under their weight it bends, and then stops rotating. This does not happen by itself. It’s enough to accidentally catch the train once or drop it. You can notice such a breakdown by listening to the noise of the HDD. Usually he starts to “buzz” sharply.
Very fragile
The external WD 2Tb hard drive also failed the user more than once. Due to the large amount of memory, these products have a load of magnetic plates on the axis, so they often do not live more than a year. They also have failures in the operation of magnetic heads. This is due to the fact that the disk overheats or receives external damage.
In general, the design of any HDD of this company is very flimsy. WD Elements external hard drive is shock and pressure sensitive. By the way, if you apply force to the case, the cover slides, and the magnetic heads are at a low angle to the magnetic plates. Such a breakdown will immediately “bury” all your information on the railway. However, Western Digital is popular with shoppers. These deficiencies are observed quite rarely. Basically, most models are reliable from the side of mechanics and electronics.
500 GB Option
Recently, a huge number of external hard drives have appeared on the market. They are produced by different companies, and even those companies that are not familiar to anyone now become leaders in sales. An external hard drive of 500 GB is the simplest and most common option among users. Its main advantage is the price.
In this category, there are two models that are now considered leaders in reviews and sales. For only 3800 rubles you can buy ADATA DashDrive Durable HD650. The main highlight of this railway is its structural strength. In addition, the device has an interesting attractive design: bright colors and carbon inserts.
For reliability, this drive has received a three-layer rubberized case, thanks to which it can absorb shock during use and transportation. The plastic is strong enough and minimizes the appearance of scratches.
The basis of this model was the famous railway from Toshiba. Its speed is 5400 rpm. Winchester is very compact and lightweight. Information exchange can occur with a maximum speed of 120 mb / s. There is a status indicator, as well as a USB 2.0 interface.
The second model in the category of inexpensive external hard drives is Western Digital WDBLNP5000A-EEUE. He has a very pretty appearance. Inside is a branded railway from the manufacturer. The rotation speed is 5400 rpm. 8 megabyte buffer. The data transfer speed is the same as the previous device. The drive works with a USB 3.0 interface. There is a status indicator. Unlike the previous model, the device is sold together with diagnostic and maintenance software. The price of such a device is 5300 rubles.
Universal drives
Next, we look at an external terabyte hard drive. Its price is an average of 4-6 thousand rubles. Among all now stands Silicon Power Stream S03. Railway has an interesting design. Outwardly, it is very similar to a notebook with rounded sheets and a curved upper corner. There the indicator of work is located. You can use USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 interfaces to exchange information through this drive.
Case materials are quite durable. It is made of high-quality plastic, the surface is matte, so it attracts less fingerprints and dust. The shell has rubber seals that protect against shock. At the moment, this is the best external drive among terabyte versions for only 4300 rubles.
Among the drives with a memory capacity of 1 terabyte, Toshiba STOR.E SLIM can be distinguished. The design does not stand out for anything remarkable. The appearance is classic, having a compact size and a metallic color. The board has an integrated SATA-USB controller. The USB 3.0 or 2.0 interfaces function by displaying the status of the work in blue and white, respectively. Speed ​​up to 110 Mb / s.
The drive has durable materials that increase its impact resistance. Also, the device can be protected from prying eyes by setting a password and setting up automatic backup. The main advantage of this railway is its heat resistance and quiet operation. But the lack of hardware encryption is bad news. The price of this device is 4800 rubles.
Giants
One terabyte will not be enough for someone; for such people, an external Toshiba CANVIO ALU hard drive of 2 TB was created. The case is made of aluminum, there are 4 colors of the device. It has a rough coating, due to which it does not slip out of the hands. The design has a shock sensor, which increases the integrity of the stored materials. The transfer speed is about 115 Mb / s. The main advantage of this drive is the build quality. In addition, it works very quietly, does not overheat, and is also available with the backup utility. Its cost is 6600 rubles.
There is another model of the same volume from Western Digital WDBU6Y0020BBK-EESN. It is slightly cheaper than the previous drive. It also looks quite simple. It has an impact-resistant case and rough quality plastic. It works with a speed of 120 Mb / s and a USB 3.0 interface. Its main advantage: quiet and low temperature during active work.
Giant
But Seagate Backup Plus Fast Portable Drive is now considered a revolutionary drive. Its volume is already 4 terabytes. Its main task is considered to be a quick backup. It can also serve as an excellent archive for important files. Its real data transfer rate is now considered uncompromising - 220 Mb / s. This is due to the fact that two hard drives were immediately placed inside.
This decision also affected the dimensions of the device: 307 grams is quite a lot for an external medium. Works with USB 3.0 interface. It can cooperate with two devices at once. This external hard drive also has drawbacks: noticeable heating and a very high price - 25 thousand rubles.
Among the users there were dissatisfied. Many who encountered this model complained about the brakes at work. Moreover, if you can write information to the device without problems, then reading it is more difficult. The launch of a rebuilding branded program pointed to bad sectors. As mentioned earlier, external drives from Seagate are now the most unreliable. This is especially true for devices with a large amount of memory. Therefore, you can find more than once negative reviews about Seagate Backup Plus Fast Portable Drive from users.
Summary
Now it’s difficult to determine which is better to purchase an external hard drive. Reliability rating is also not easy to compile. This is due to the fact that the equipment is not always of high quality. Some devices come defective. The average survival of the external disk is about 3-4 years. But not all companies can achieve such indicators. For more than five years, Hitachi devices and some of the younger models of Western Digital usually live.