The disk space of any laptop runs out over time. Purchasing an additional external hard drive will be the best solution to this problem. On this device, you can not only store a variety of information, but also install an operating system. But making the right choice is difficult. Using the following guide, you will find the best external hard drive for your laptop.
Instructions
Step 1
An external hard drive is a simple hard drive installed in a protected case. Most of the models of this device are presented in form factors of 2, 5 or 3.5 inches. The first option is the most convenient and compact; no additional power source is required for its operation. And external devices by 3.5 inches weigh much more (about 1.5 kg.) And at the same time require additional power from the 220 V. Therefore, before buying an external drive, you need to decide how often you will transfer it.
Step 2
The most important characteristic that you need to pay maximum attention to is volume. The standard volume of an external drive, made in the form factor of 2.5 inches, ranges from 250 to 500 GB. And the capacity of a 3.5-inch device is more than a terabyte. Please be aware that the advertised size of the external drive will be slightly higher than the actual capacity.
Step 3
The operating speed is the next most important characteristic, it is determined by the following parameters: interface (responsible for the speed of information transfer), spindle rotation speed and average access time speed. If you need the maximum speed of the device, then the best option would be to buy an external drive with a USB 3.0 interface (data transfer speed up to 5 Gb / s) and eSATA (up to 3Gb / s).
Step 4
The time it takes to search for information on the hard disk depends on the spindle speed. The number of revolutions of the 2.5 "hard drive is 5400 rpm, and the 3.5" models have a standard speed of 7200 rpm. The found information is moved to a buffer, which smooths out the difference in data transfer rate. The larger the buffer, the more even the external disk will work.
Step 5
When buying a device, pay attention to the compatibility with your operating system. It is determined by the file system of the external disk - NTFS or FAT 32. The FAT 32 file system works with all operating systems, not only modern ones, but also old ones. The main advantage of the NTFS file system is the ability to work with files larger than 4 GB.
Step 6
Some external hard drives have built-in software for maximum security and comfort. The main functions of these programs are virus protection, energy saving and data backup.
