Currently, the amount of information we handle on a daily basis is increasing, and to store all this data in a safe and accessible way, external hard drives have become an indispensable tool.
However, with hundreds or thousands of models of all kinds and for every need, How to choose the best external hard drive for what you need? Here we will present a selection of the best external hard drives, according to the criteria of our editors.
You will also find a quick guide to choosing the best external hard drive for your specific needs. This way you will have all the necessary information so that you can choose the best external hard drive for you.
Best high capacity external hard drive
If you need a lot of storage space, and portability, space, and speed are secondary, the Seagate OneTouch Hub is for you. This model replaces the Backup Plus Hub and (like it) has a bulky design that requires an external 18W power adapter.
However, it has the advantage that it works as a USB hub with a USB 3.0 Type A port and another USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C port on the front. Also, the hard drive is faster than the previous model and comes in capacities from 4 TB to 20 TB.
It won't be the fastest hard drive on the market, but it will save you a lot of time if you want to make backup copies or save huge video, audio or game files.
best cheap external hard drive
It is possible to find external hard drives for all tastes and sizes, but the economic range is the most competitive segment. There is a price war between the cheapest external drives, for the direct benefit of consumers in search of value for money.
In this war we have chosen a winner, the Seagate Basic Portable. Available in capacities from 1TB to 5TB. With this hard drive you get great portability at the lowest price, but without compromising performance or reliability.
The Seagate Basic Portable is simple, with a matte black plastic exterior with little ambition. While the read and write speeds aren't anything to write home about, they're good enough for basic storage and backup tasks.
Best cheap SSD external hard drive
Do you need a really fast and reliable external hard drive? SSDs already have a large niche in portable storage, and the Kingston XS2000 SSD It is the best cheap SSD external hard drive on the market.
It is not only fast (with up to 2000 MBps reading) but is also small and light. Its 30 grams and 7 cm long make it perfect to carry in any pocket. It has a USB 3.2 Type C connection, and it comes with its own cable with a Type C connection at both ends.
You can choose it in capacities from 500 GB to 4 TB and comes with a rubber case that protects it. We have not tested its resistance to water, but the manufacturer guarantees its resistance to dust and splashes (with an IP55 rating) as long as the case is on.
Best rugged portable external hard drive
Do you have an extreme lifestyle and need reliable storage that you can take with you? He SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable it's already a classic, and probably the most rugged SSD external storage you can buy.
It is not only strong, but also small and light. At 11 x 6 cm and less than 80 grams, you won't have a problem taking it anywhere. In addition, it incorporates IP55 resistance to dust and water for its forged aluminum casing.
Its design incorporates a wide triangular hole in one corner, so you can attach it to a carabiner or any other type of clip or rope. Two cables come in the box, one USB Type C to Type C, and one with USB Type A on one end. Both support the USB Gen 3.2 standard.
Best external hard drive for gamers
Although any external hard drive can be used in a game console, most gamers have specific needs to cover. Every gamer needs a fast and reliable external hard drive, and even better if it comes with a strong and attractive exterior.
The hard drive WD Black P10 It is a portable external hard drive designed for gamers who want to expand their game storage capacity. It has different capacities, from 2TB to 12TB, and is compatible with PC, Mac, PlayStation and Xbox.
It has a USB 3.2 interface and inside it brings a WD Black NVMe SSD, a well-known brand among enthusiasts and gamers. Its metal cover (available in just black, or gray and black) can be opened to replace the SSD. It is even possible to find a version without a disc.
At almost 250 grams it doesn't make it the lightest external hard drive, but weight is not an important point for the target audience. Speed and reliability, that is what the WD Black P10 has.
What to take into account when choosing an external hard drive?
Here is a summary of what to consider when choosing an external hard drive:
Connectivity
It is important that the hard drive has an interface that is compatible with the device to which you are connecting it. The most common in older computers is USB Type A, but modern computers (especially laptops) already have USB Type C.
Storage capacity
This depends on the amount and type of data you want to save. External hard drives can hold up to 20TB of space, but do you really need that much?
To save documents or photos, you can choose a smaller capacity hard drive, but to save movies, games or backups, it is better to opt for a larger capacity one.
Size, weight and design
If you will be moving the hard drive frequently, or if you travel a lot with your data, it is better to choose a small, light and resistant one. The smaller ones are usually more comfortable and do not need external power, but the larger ones may have more capacity and speed.
External SSD hard drives are not only light and small, but also highly resistant to vibrations and drops. Consider this if your lifestyle may expose your storage to extreme conditions. See the next point for more information.
storage technology
External hard drives can be mechanical (HDD) or solid state (SSD). HDDs use a spinning magnetic disk to store data and are cheaper and have higher capacity, but are also slower, noisier and more fragile.
SSDs use flash memory chips to store data and are faster, quieter and more durable, but they also used to be more expensive and with smaller capacities. Fortunately, external SSDs are becoming more affordable for the consumer, so take this into account when choosing an external hard drive.
Transfer speeds
The speed depends on the interface of the hard drive and the technology it uses. Speed is measured in megabytes per second (MB/s) or gigabits per second (Gb/s) and determines the time it takes to read or write data.
External hard drives can have speeds from 5 Gb/s up to 20 Gb/s depending on the USB interface they use. SSDs are usually faster than HDDs.
In conclusion, external hard drives are a practical and economical solution to expand the storage capacity of your devices and save your most important files.
In this article we have explained how to choose an external hard drive according to the use you are going to give it, connectivity, capacity, size, compatibility, technology, speed and security.
We hope you have found it useful and that you find the ideal external hard drive for you. If you liked this content, share it with your friends and leave us your opinion. See you soon!
