Top external hard drive brands and models on the market

In the market for an external hard drive but not quite sure what to be looking for? Then this is for you! From SSD and HDD, to the one that will suit your needs best, we give you advice on what to be looking for when shopping for an external hard drive for sale on Junk Mail.

The difference between Desktop External Hard Drives and Portable Hard Drives

Both a portable and desktop external hard drive are used for extra storage and are portable (or moveable), but from a technical aspect, they do differ from each other.

While desktop external hard drives are in need of a power supply (meaning they need to be plugged in), a portable hard drive is powered via the USB port when it is plugged into your PC or laptop. The desktop external hard drives use a 3.5 inch drive while the portable drives makes use of a 2.5 inch drive.

The 3.5 inch drive operates at 7 200 rpm while the 2.5 inch drive operates at 5 400 rpm. In theory, the higher rpms means a lower file read and write time, in turn meaning faster file transfer times. Simply put, your desktop external drives are in cases (depending on other factors as well) faster than your portable hard drive.

Do note however that desktop external hard drives are not as resilient and tough as the portable ones. While they can be moved, if you are looking for something that will always be in your pocket, the portable drives are the way to go. In terms of size, the portable external hard drives are smaller and do require less power (it being able to run from your USB instead of needing its own power supply).

Something to keep in mind is this – the key function of a desktop external hard drive is to add to your storage capacity, while a portable’s function is more that of data carriage. If you are looking for something to store important documents and files for later reference (like for backups) for example, go for the desktop external. If you are constantly copying files from elsewhere, go for the portable hard drive option.

SSD vs HDD

HDD (Hard Drive Disk) consists of moving parts. A great way to look at this is to picture spinning discs (or for a visual CDs). Your data is stored on this disk (called platters) and, when opening a document for example, a read/write head accesses that particular data (or document) while these disks are spinning. Thus it consist of moving parts – the spinning disks.

SSD (Solid State Drive) doesn’t have moving parts. Instead your data is stored on flash memory chips that are interconnected. This means that your data isn’t stored on disk but instead on flash memory chips. Think of a SSD as a more technically advanced USB memory stick.

Note that the differences are more technical than explained here, but the main take aways when it comes to SSD vs HDD are:

• An SSD makes use of an embedded processor to read and write data, while a HDD makes use of magnetism in order to read or write data on the rotating platter. This is done by the read/write head that floats above these platters (or spinning disks). Because of the difference in how data is read and written, SDDs are faster. An SDD requires less work to access your stored data when compared to an HDD.

Note that other factors also come into play here. From fragmentation and storage capacities, to speed, durability and the type of technologies used.

So, SSD or HDD?

This all depends on you and what you will be using your external hard drive for. Budget also does come into play here. Note that these are only meant as tips and not a live-by die-by set of rules.

If you need large storage capacities going for a HDD might be a better option. While SDD storage capacities aren’t ‘low’, you can find a HDD that offers way more storage space at a lower price.

If you are looking for speed going for an SSD is a good option. Generally having faster reading and writing times, a SSD is faster than a HDD.

If you are looking for something durable the decision does become a little harder. While the cells (in the chips on which your data is ‘stored’) can wear out over time, it is also important to note that the HDD has moving parts. These moving parts also wear out over time and can be damaged when it comes into forceful contact when in operation.

If you are looking for something less pricy an HDD is probably the way to go. An HDD offers more storage for a lower price. A 500GB HDD for example will cost less than a 500GB SSD.

Do you have any tips when it comes to SSD vs HDD? Share it with the readers in the comment section below!

Some cool external hard drives to choose from

If you are looking for an external hard drive for sale, the South African market offers great options. Be sure to download the Junk Mail Android or Junk Mail BlackBerry App for a stunning browsing experience!

Portable Hard Drives for sale

If you are looking for a Seagate External Hard Drive the Seagate 7MM Portable Drive is a good option. A 500GB external hard drive is priced at around R 2000 and includes a USB 3.0 cable. If you are in the market for a 1 terabyte external hard drive, the Seagate Slim 1TB Portable HDD is also an option. This external is priced at around R 1400.

Image Source: Incredible Connection South Africa Website.

Western Digital (WD) also offers high quality hard drives to choose from. If you are looking for a 2TB external hard drive the WD 2TB Portable HDD Element is priced at around R 2000 and has USB 3.0 connectivity. If you are looking for a 1TB external hard drive from Western Digital, check out their WD My Passport 1TB Wild Berry priced at around R 1 300.

If you are considering a Samsung SSD portable hard drive, you can check out the Samsung T1 portable SSD 250 GB priced at around R 2200. Another option if you are looking for a 500GB external hard drive is the Samsung T3 portable SS5 500GB priced at around R 3600.

Image Source: Makro South Africa Website.

Desktop External Hard Drives for sale

Falling into the desktop external drive range with a hard drive size of 3.5 inches, the Backup Plus 8TB Seagate External Hard Drive is priced at around R 5 500. It offers eight terabyte of storage.

Western Digital also offers high quality externals in this range. One of the options available comes in the form of the WD HDD 3TB My Cloud which is priced at around R 3600.

Image Source: Incredible Connection South Africa Website.

Now that you know a little more about HDD and SSD, desktop and portable hard drives, you can start looking for your own external hard drive for sale on Junk Mail. With great deals listed, you are sure to find the perfect storage solution. Upgrading? Earn some extra bucks by placing your FREE AD on www.JunkMail.co.za

Summary

Article Name

Top external hard drive brands and models on the market

Description

From SSD and HDD, to the one that will suit your needs best, we give you advice on what to be looking for when shopping for an external hard drive.

Author

Annabel Schoeman

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Junk Mail

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