Who produces the most reliable HDDs. The most reliable and most fragile hard drives of recent years have been named. Recommend a reliable drive for your computer.

The best SSD drives for your desktop computer

First, let's look at the best, in the opinion of our experts, solid-state SSD drives, which every year are more and more confidently pushing aside their predecessors - mechanical HDDs. Expertology experts have identified four notable models from different manufacturers. All presented devices support the extended format, in which sector sizes are 4 KB.

The first item in the review is a very good drive from the prominent brand Plextor (Taiwan). Its capacity is 512 GB, TLC memory is used (three bits per cell). Write data at a speed of 1 thousand, read - 2.45 thousand MB per second, random write - 175,000 IOPS. 1024 MB are allocated for the buffer. Data flows are controlled by a Marvell 88SS1083 controller, and this is a distinct advantage of the model due to its power and efficiency.

The high speed of operation is partly ensured by the high-speed connection type PCI-E 3.0 x4. There is compatibility with the NVMe standard, the TRIM command is supported. The total recording resource is 320 TB.

The “physics” of the drive is as follows: dimensions - 22.39 × 121.04 × 176.33 mm, the device weighs 200 g. In operation and during storage, its shock resistance is 1500 G - a very high indicator. Operating temperature limit - 70 °C.

Although the drive is designed for installation in a desktop computer case, it is not without aesthetic qualities. The impressively sized radiator, with its curved ribs, smoothly flows around a blue insert with a logo, and on the top edge there is another glowing Plextor logo and an LED strip. All this gives the device an expressive, even “gamer” look, and in an open or transparent case the drive looks very impressive.

Advantages

powerful, highly efficient controller;

spectacular design;

high-quality cooling;

easy setup, management and update;

Quite high write/read speed.

Flaws

• No pronounced disadvantages were noticed.

Further in the rating, Expertology experts offer for consideration a Corsair drive, which the manufacturer itself positions as a gaming drive. In fact, its technical characteristics indicate its high suitability for modern video games, as well as for working with heavy, resource-intensive graphics. The 2.5" form factor allows you to install a hard drive not only in desktop PCs, but also in many laptops.

The most noticeable feature of the hard drive is its capacity, which is 1920 GB. In many ways, it was this circumstance that influenced its more than tangible cost. Uses MLC memory (two bits per cell), which has a number of important advantages over TLC, like the previous model, and a minimum of disadvantages.

The nominal read speed is 550 MB/s and the same for writing. This is significantly less than the model discussed above, but this indicator is more realistic and better correlates with the throughput capabilities of the interface. The device is connected via SATA 6Gbit/s. Random write – 85 thousand IOPS.

The physical characteristics of the drive are as follows. Dimensions - 70x7x100 mm, weight - 55 g. Impact resistance in static and operating mode is 500 G. Operating temperature limitation - 70 °C.

The manufacturer provides a full five-year warranty for this model. The package includes a 9.5 mm adapter.

Advantages

5 years warranty;

high-quality protection against power surges;

increased reliability;

• improved error correction methods.

Flaws

• not noted.

Now, within the framework of the rating prepared by our specialists, we will consider a high-performance SSD from the “avant-garde” of the microelectronics market - Intel. With half the capacity of the previous model (960 GB), the device is twice as expensive. This is a noticeable drawback from the point of view of the average buyer, but there are very good reasons for this.

This model uses high-performance and fast 3D XPoint memory, which was introduced by Intel and Micron literally “yesterday” - in mid-2015. Operation speed: writing – 2.2 thousand MB/s, reading – 2.6 thousand MB/s. Random recording – as much as 550 thousand IOPS. The connection is made via PCI-E 3.0 x4. Compatible with NVMe standard. There is a built-in data encryption function.

The physical data of the drive is as follows. Dimensions - 17.2x68.9x168mm, weight - 230 g. On average, it consumes about 16.40 W of electricity during operation. The safe operating temperature limit is 85 °C. The shock resistance of the device is the lowest in this group - 50 G in static conditions and in operation, but this indicator is still incomparably better than that of any mechanical disk.

Intel engineers even paid serious attention to the appearance of the drive. It has a spectacular and slightly “predatory” design with LED backlighting. Therefore, the model is perfect for gamers, although it is not directly positioned by the manufacturer as a gaming one.

Advantages

highest speed and performance;

spectacular design;

exceptional durability;

innovative type of memory;

the highest write/read speed in the group.

Flaws

• high price.

The final point in the first group of the rating is an inexpensive, and at the same time definitely worthy of attention, drive from Western Digital. Despite the very “budget” cost, the hard drive is positioned by the manufacturer as a gaming one, and quite objectively.

The drive is made in a 2.5" form factor, which allows it to be installed both in desktop PCs (possibly via an adapter) and in laptops. Its capacity is 500 GB, TLC 3D NAND memory is used. It is controlled by a high-performance Marvell 88SS1074 controller. Reading is carried out with a speed of 560 MB/s, recording - 530 MB/s, random recording - 84 thousand IOPS. Connected via the SATA 6Gbit/s interface. NCQ and the TRIM command are supported. The total resource of recorded information is 200 TB.

The linear dimensions of the device are 69.85x7x100.2 mm, the minimum weight is only 37 g. The safe operating temperature limit is 70 °C. The hard drive has high shock resistance in static and operation - 1500 G. In operating mode it consumes about 3.35 W.

The warranty period established by the manufacturer is 36 months.

Advantages

• minimal energy consumption;

  powerful controller;

  affordable price.

Flaws

• not noted.

The best HDD hard drives for a desktop computer

Now let's look at traditional type drives - mechanical HDDs with revolving magnetic plates. Expertology analysts ranked three notable models from the world's most famous companies - Seagate, Western Digital and Toshiba.

All three hard drives have a number of common characteristics: support for extended format (4 KB sectors), 3.5" form factor, connection via SATA 6Gbit/s interface, 600 MB per second - external data flow rate.

Opening the top three HDDs for PCs is the “Winchester” manufactured by the famous American company, which has been associated exclusively with this class of components for decades.

This is the largest drive in this group - 4 thousand GB. In addition, it is also distinguished by an impressive amount of space allocated for buffer memory - 256 MB, which has a very positive effect on the speed of working with data.

The hard drive is designed and manufactured in a 3.5" form factor and contains two magnetic platters and four heads. The spindle speed is 5400 rpm. The nominal data transfer speed is 190 MB/s. It is connected via the common SATAIII interface (6 Gbit/s). Hardware command queuing (NCQ) is supported. According to user observations, the actual reading speed of large sectors fully corresponds to the declared speed.

The physical parameters of the device are as follows. Dimensions - 101.6x20.17x146.99 mm, weight - 490 g. In operating mode, consumes about 5 W. The temperature limit in operating mode is 60 °C. The maximum declared noise level is 27 dB, and according to numerous reviews from real users, this figure is completely true.

The manufacturer provides a 24-month warranty for this model.

Advantages

favorable combination of cost and volume;

• minimal heating;

  large amount of cache memory.

Flaws

• low speed (partly compensated by a large cache).

Further in the rating we present another worthy model from an equally worthy manufacturer. This hard drive is half as large as the previous one - 2 thousand GB, but also much cheaper. In addition, it has some important advantages.

The hard drive is made in a 3.5" form factor with dimensions of 101.6x26.1x147 mm and a weight of 600 g. The nominal declared read speed is equal to the write speed - 147 MB/s. 64 MB of disk space is allocated for the buffer. The spindle rotates at a speed of 5400 rpm. Connected via SATA III port (6.0 Gb/s)

The physical characteristics of the device are noteworthy. If Seagate, in relation to the above-described model, tries not to particularly advertise its shock resistance, then here this parameter is even emphasized - 30 G during operation and 250 G in static storage. The nominal noise does not exceed 27 dB at full load and 23 dB at idle. The safe operating temperature limit is 60 °C. Average power consumption - 4.10 W.

Despite all the visible advantages, this model is not without its drawback; fortunately, it can be easily cured. By default, the hard drive is too zealous with head parking - the count can amount to thousands of parking times per day, and this is a direct path to rapid failure. Therefore, it is recommended to adjust this setting through a special utility.

Advantages

• does not overheat;

  shock resistant;

  affordable price.

Flaws

• head parking frequency.

And the ranking of the best HDDs for PCs, according to Expertology, is completed by a hard drive produced by the super-reputable Japanese old-timer in the electronics market, Toshiba. Here it is necessary to clarify that the presented model was developed within the walls of Hitachi and produced on their own equipment, which after the sale of the business to Western Digital went to Toshiba Corporation. In this particular case, such a “multi-pass” only benefited the product.

The hard drive capacity is 3 thousand GB. 54 MB of disk space is allocated for the buffer. The average reading and writing speed is quite high due to the accelerated spindle rotation - 7200 rpm. A very good track to track access speed is 0.5 ms.

The dimensions of the drive are 101.6x26.1x147mm, weight. Like the previous described model, this hard drive is characterized by increased mechanical resistance - 70 G in operating mode and 300 G in static storage. The nominal noise level in operating mode should not exceed 28 dB. Some users note a noticeable “crunch” when working, but there are no obvious complaints at this point. The rated idle noise is almost the same - 27 dB.

On the network you can find a suspiciously noticeable percentage of reports of rapid failure, but upon in-depth analysis it turns out that these cases are mostly associated with improper operation of the device. Therefore, our experts did not consider this circumstance to be an obvious shortcoming.

Advantages

favorable “price per megabyte”;

quite quiet;

high speed;

does not overheat without external airflow (if there is no overload).

Flaws

• increased sensitivity to power outages.

The best SSD hard drives for a laptop

Now, as part of our rating, we will consider a group of solid-state drives suitable for installation in laptops and all-in-ones. The main requirement for such devices is compactness. That's why our experts selected the best SSDs exclusively from the minimum 2280 form factor.

We will look at three models from different brands - Samsung, ADATA and Plextor. All of them support the extended format (4 KB sectors) and are connected via the M.2 connector.

Let's start with a solid-state drive made by South Korean tech giant Samsung. This is the most expensive model in this group, but due to a number of characteristics, its purchase is quite advisable for solving certain problems.

The storage capacity is 500 GB on TLC 3D NAND flash memory. The device is notable for its high write speed – 1800 MB/s. The reading speed is almost twice as high - 3200 MB/s. Random write – 330 thousand IOPS. Connection interface – high-speed PCI-E 3.0 x4. NVMe and TRIM command are supported. Built-in data encryption function.

The physical characteristics of the device are as follows. Dimensions - 22x2.3x80 mm, weight - 8 g. High impact resistance - 1500 G in static and operating mode. The maximum safe operating temperature is limited to 70 °C. On average, the drive consumes up to 5.4 W of electricity.

In order for the drive to demonstrate maximum performance, in some laptop models it is necessary to make changes to the BIOS settings. This point often becomes a factor in false and unfounded claims about the speed of the hard drive.

This model is covered by a 36 month manufacturer's warranty.

Advantages

high read and write speed;

one of the best price-quality-performance ratios;

high resistance to mechanical stress;

TRIM command.

Flaws

there may be problems with RAPID Mode working with AMD processors;

high cost.

Now let’s look at the second position in this rating group – an SSD drive manufactured by ADATA (Taiwan). The model is notable for its miniature size, almost zero power consumption and more than decent performance.

The storage capacity is 480 GB. High operating speed (1.7 thousand MB/s – write, 3.05 thousand MB/s – read) is ensured by innovative TLC 3D NAND memory and a Silicon Motion controller. Random recording – 280 thousand IOPS. The device is connected via the PCI-E 3.0 x4 interface, there is NVMe support. The total recording resource is 320 TB.

Now a few words about the physical parameters of the drive. Its dimensions are 22x3.5x80 mm, weight - only 8 g. On average, it consumes extremely little electricity - 0.33 W. The maximum safe operating temperature limit is 70 °C. Impact resistance in static conditions and in operation - 1500 G.

The tiny dimensions of the drive did not stop the developers from creating an attractive “gaming” appearance for it, and the manufacturer itself positions it as a gaming one.

ADATA provides a record 60-month warranty for this model.

Advantages

"gaming" performance;

durability;

slight heating;

microscopic energy consumption;

five year warranty.

Flaws

• not noted.

The storage capacity is 256 GB. The memory used is TLC type (three bits per cell). Data flows are controlled by the Silicon Motion controller. This combination provides speeds of 510/550 MB/s (sequential write/read). Random write – 71 thousand IOPS.

The model is notable for its more than impressive space allocated for buffer memory - as much as 512 MB, due to which overall performance significantly increases. TRIM command and NCQ technology are supported. The drive is connected via the SATA 6Gbit/s interface. The total resource of recorded information is 70 TB.

This model is even more miniature than the previous one - 22x2.3x80 mm, weighs 10 g. The maximum safe temperature limit is the same - 70 °C.

Plextor provides a 3-year warranty on this model.

Advantages

reliability and durability;

slight heating;

high speed;

minimum sizes;

affordable price.

Flaws

• no clear deficiencies were identified.

The best HDD hard drives for a laptop

Now, in the rating from Expertology, we will pay attention to another three hard drives for laptops, only these will be classic HDDs with mechanics and magnetic plates inside. All proposed models support the extended format (4 kilobyte sectors), are made in a compact 2.5" form factor, are connected via a high-speed SATA 6Gbit/s interface, and have exceptionally high shock resistance - 400 G in operation and 1000 G in static storage.

First, let's look at a high-performance hard drive made by Seagate. In addition to excellent key characteristics, this model is also the most affordable compared to neighboring solutions in the group. The device is part of the Laptop Thin HHD series, and the nomenclature itself hints at its compact size.

The total capacity of the hard drive is 500 GB, 32 MB of memory is allocated for the buffer. The main working component is one magnetic disk and two heads. The spindle operates at a speed of 7200 rpm, which ensures a high average data exchange speed of about 135 MB/s (independent testing shows full compliance of this parameter with reality). The average latency is about 11 ms.

The physical data of the hard drive is as follows. Dimensions - 70.1x7x100.55 mm, weight - 95 g. Nominal noise in operation - 24 dB, in idle a little less - 23 dB. In operation, it consumes about 1.8 W of electricity.

Seagate provides a 24 month warranty on this model.

Advantages

high speed;

• quiet operation;

  affordable price.

Flaws

• there are reasons to doubt the declared impact resistance.

Next in our rating is a compact “laptop” hard drive from Western Digital. The form factor of the device is the same as the previous drive, but its thickness is noticeably greater, which imposes some restrictions on the possibility of installing it in a particular laptop model.

The hard drive capacity is twice as large as the first model in the group – 1 thousand GB. A similar amount of memory is allocated for the buffer - 32 MB. The spindle rotates at a speed of 7200 rpm. Independent testing shows data transfer speeds of 127 MB/s (write) and 123.5 MB/s (read).

This model uses a proprietary dynamic caching algorithm developed by Western Digital specialists, which minimizes operating delays and optimally distributes buffer memory between write and read operations.

The physical characteristics of the device are as follows. Dimensions - 69.85x9.5x100.2 mm, weight - 115 g. In operating mode, consumes about 1.8 W of electricity. Nominal noise level in operation is 27 dB, in idle mode - 25 dB.

Due to the fact that the hard drive case is noticeably thicker than the first model in the group, it is not suitable for installation in every laptop and is not suitable for ultrabooks.

The manufacturing company provides a serious warranty period of 60 months for this model.

Advantages

high speed;

reliability;

five year warranty.

Flaws

• noticeable heating and noise.

And the last model in this rating group is a compact mechanical hard drive manufactured by Toshiba. This is the most voluminous model in the group and, expectedly, the most expensive. The device is part of the L200 series, which Toshiba specialists developed specifically for laptop computers, game consoles and various peripherals.

The capacity of the device is 2 thousand GB. 128 MB of memory is allocated for the buffer. The spindle rotates at a speed of 5400 rpm. NCQ technology is supported. The average latency is about 5.56 ms. The manufacturer managed to qualitatively optimize all processes, due to which it was possible to achieve high data exchange rates even at low spindle speeds. At the same time, heating and noise are minimal.

This model has the following physical parameters. Dimensions - 69.85x9.5x100 mm, weight - 117 g. Energy consumption in operating mode - about 1.65 W. In operation, the nominal noise level should not exceed 24 dB, in idle mode - 23 dB. The maximum safe operating temperature is limited to 65 °C.

The shock resistance of the device during operation is nominally 400 G, in static storage - 1000 G.

Advantages

capacity;

sufficiently high speed of data exchange due to optimization of all processes;

security of data safety during transportation (ramp loading technology).

Flaws

• not identified.

The best hard drives for a server

Now let's move on to the rating of hard drives, the technical characteristics of which allow them to be used as part of servers. Our experts included five models in the review, including three mechanical ones manufactured by HGST, Seagate and Intel; and two solid-state manufacturers Western Digital and HGST.

Since server stations can use entire arrays of hard drives, such a parameter as time between failures begins to gain weight, so experts added this characteristic to the device descriptions. All listed samples support the extended format (4 KB sectors).

Let's start this part of the review with a solid-state SSD drive manufactured by the American company HGST (owned by Western Digital). Direct assembly of finished products is carried out in Malaysia.

The disk capacity is 400 GB and uses innovative MLC 3D NAND memory. Write speed is 2050 MB/s, read speed is 2100 MB/s. Random write – 200 thousand IOPS, random read – 400 thousand IOPS. Connects via SAS interface. The estimated time between failures is 2.5 million hours. Built-in Secure Erase function. External data transfer - 1200 MB/s. There is no built-in data encryption.

The hard drive is made in a compact 2.5" form factor. Its dimensions are 70.1x15x100.6 mm, weight - 140 g. Shock resistance in operating mode - 500 G, in static storage - 1000 G. Safe operating temperature limit - 60 ° C .

The manufacturer provides a warranty for this model for a period of 60 months.

Advantages

reliability;

high speed of writing and reading;

durability;

five year warranty.

Flaws

• overpriced.

This model is significantly more spacious than the previous one - 960 GB. Memory type used is eMLC. Sequential write speed – 490 MB/s write and 560 MB/s read; random write - 16800 IOPS. The device is connected via a high-speed SATA 6Gbit/s interface. TRIM command and NCQ technology are supported. External data transfer speed - 600 MB/s. The estimated time between failures is 2 million hours.

The hard drive is made in a 2.5" form factor with linear dimensions of 70.1x7x100.25 mm. The device weighs 85 g. Average power consumption is 4.20 W. The safe operating temperature limit is 70 °C. Shock resistance in operation and in static conditions is 1500 G.

An important advantage of this model is the optimal combination of reliability and performance with the full ability not to disrupt legacy data storage infrastructure. This allows the company to save maximum money when upgrading server systems.

Advantages

ease of deployment as part of legacy storage infrastructure;

Optimal IOPS performance matching to maximize random access speeds;

favorable “price per megabyte”;

increased reliability and protection of the safety of enterprise data.

Flaws

• no obvious deficiencies were found.

The disk capacity is 1024 GB. High-performance innovative TLC 3D NAND memory is used. Sequential write speed – 450 MB/s, read speed – 550 MB/s. The device is connected via a SATA 6Gbit/s port. The estimated time between failures is 1.6 million hours. There is a built-in data encryption function.

The drive is manufactured in a compact 2.5" form factor with linear dimensions of 100x70x7 mm. The device weighs 82 g. Rated power consumption is 2.3 W. Shock resistance in operation and in static conditions is 1500 G. The maximum operating temperature is limited to 70 °C.

Intel provides a 3-year warranty for this model.

Advantages

increased reliability;

favorable “price per megabyte”;

renowned brand;

durability;

built-in data encryption.

Flaws

• not found.

The penultimate model in this rating group from Expertology is a mechanical HDD from Western Digital. The model is clearly positioned by the manufacturer as a server model, and its characteristics directly indicate this. With all this, this model is the most affordable in this review group.

The storage capacity is 1000 GB. 128 MB are allocated for the buffer. Read and write speeds are identical - 184 MB/s. The spindle rotates at a speed of 7200 rpm. The device is connected via a SATA 6Gbit/s port. NCQ technology is supported. The estimated time between failures is about 2 million hours.

The hard drive is manufactured in a 3.5" form factor with linear dimensions of 101.6x26.1x147 mm. The device weighs 641 g. During operation, it consumes an average of 8.10 W. It contains one magnetic plate and two heads. Shock resistance in operating mode is 65 G, during storage in static conditions – up to 300 G. Nominal declared noise during operation – up to 28 dB, during idle – no more than 25 dB.

Advantages

increased reliability and durability;

HelioSeal technology;

the most affordable price in the group.

Flaws

• not identified.

And closing the top five best server hard drives in the Expertology rating is another drive from HGST, this time mechanical. This is the most capacious disk in this group with the most favorable “price per megabyte”.

The hard drive capacity is 4 thousand GB. 128 MB of memory is allocated for the buffer. The average access time for reading is 7.6 ms, for writing - 8 ms. The average latency is 4.16 ms. The spindle rotates at a speed of 7200 rpm. The device is connected via a SATA 6Gbit/s port. The estimated time between failures is about 2 million hours. Secure Erase and NCQ technology are supported.

The drive is manufactured in a 3.5" form factor with dimensions of 101.6x26.1x147 mm and a weight of 715 g. In operating mode, it consumes about 9.10 W of electricity. Shock resistance in operation is 70 G, in static conditions - up to 300 G. The declared operating noise level should not exceed 36 dB, in idle mode - 29 dB. The working space of the device consists of as many as five plates and ten heads.

This model comes with a 60 month warranty.

Advantages

Advantages

durability;

five-year warranty;

reliability;

large volume;

favorable price for such volume.

Flaws

• a bit noisy

The best external hard drives

Now let's move on to another important category of our rating - portable hard drives. Here, our experts have identified as many as six models as the best, which can vary significantly in parameters, but each of them has certain key advantages. All presented models support the extended format with 4 KB sectors.

Let's start with a simple and concise solution from Samsung, which, due to its remarkable qualities, has won serious market demand. This is a solid-state drive manufactured in a 1.8" form factor with dimensions of 57.3x10.5x74 mm and a weight of 51 g. The design of the device is as minimalist as its dimensions.

The storage capacity is 500 GB. Uses high-performance TLC 3D NAND memory and supports TRIM command. There are integrated data encryption tools - this feature is not convenient for every user, and you can easily disable it if desired. The media is highly resistant to shock loads - 1500 G, which is important for a portable device.

The data exchange speed (both writing and reading), declared by the manufacturer, reaches 540 MB/s. Reviews from real users indicate full compliance of the nominal indicator with the actual capabilities of the device.

This hard drive is notable for its advanced configuration. Thus, the package includes two additional cables for connecting to the USB Type C port and an adapter from Type C to Type A. The hard drive itself is optimized for connecting to a PC via the new generation USB - 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C.

The South Korean company provides a three-year warranty for this model.

Advantages

minimum dimensions and weight;

integrated data encryption tools;

equipment;

data exchange speed.

Flaws

• very limited connection cable length.

Next, as part of our rating, we will consider another solid-state external drive from the well-known brand Transcend (Taiwan). This is an extremely interesting product item, since in fact it is not just an external hard drive, but a whole functional set for upgrading Apple computers. Thus, the disk can be used as an external one, or can be installed permanently as an internal one.

The storage capacity is 240 GB, and reliable MLC memory is used. Read speed reaches 570 MB/s, write speed – 460 MB/s. TRIM command, NCQ and ECC technologies are supported. The device is connected via USB 3.0.

The device is extremely compact - 37.2x10.8x110.9 mm, weighs only 65 g (the whole set weighs 250 g). The appearance of the drive fully corresponds to its “specialization” - an elegant, elongated case of snow-white color.

Now a few words about the configuration. The delivery set includes the drive itself, an external aluminum case, installation tools (T5 and P5 screwdrivers), a USB cable, screws for the case, a rubber backing, a transport case, a USB cable, installation instructions, and documentation for the device.

The developers have emphasized that the disc is 100% compatible with the MacBook Pro (Retina) 15". The manufacturer's warranty is provided for a period of 24 months.

Advantages

exceptional reliability and performance;

Full compatibility with MacBook Pro (Retina) 15";

Can be used as a stationary system drive;

exceptionally rich equipment.

Flaws

• not identified.

The third position in this group of the rating of the best external drives from Expertology is an extremely interesting solution from ADATA. This is a solid state SSD drive, and it is notable for its design and shape. It is made in a non-standard form factor with a bright “gaming” appearance.

The storage capacity is 256 GB and uses high-performance innovative TLC 3D NAND memory. Sequential write speed is 430 MB/s, read speed is MB/s. ECC technology is supported, NCQ and TRIM commands are not supported.

The dimensions of the device are 80x15.2x80 mm, weight - 90 g. The device is characterized by the same high impact resistance as previous models - permissible load up to 1500 G in operation and in static conditions. The permissible operating temperature range is from 5 to 50 °C. Connects to USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface.

The manufacturer's warranty for this hard drive is 36 months.

Advantages

impact resistance;

high-performance memory;

spectacular design.

Flaws

• no TRIM command support.

The group of ratings of the best external media continues with a mechanical hard drive produced by the famous company Western Digital. Along with the model from ADATA, which we will look at next, this is the most spacious external drive in this group.

The device is designed for 2 TB of information, 32 MB of memory is allocated for the buffer. The spindle rotates at a speed of 5400 rpm. The average latency is 5.6 ms. There are integrated 256-bit AES data encryption tools.

The hard drive is made in a 2.5" form factor with dimensions of 81.5x21.5x110 mm and a weight of 250 g. The working parts are one magnetic plate and two heads. The appearance of the device deserves special praise - an impressive case, visually consisting of two halves with different textures, high-quality plastic , deep anthracite shade (other bright colors are also available). A long rigid cord of 35 cm is included in the package.

The drive is connected and powered via a USB 3.0 port. External data throughput is 500 Mb/s. Safe operating temperature ranges from 5 to 35 degrees.

In addition to the basic package, there is a set of convenient proprietary “software” for backup, security, data safety, maintenance and other tasks.

Advantages

bright, effective and at the same time practical design;

slight heating;

increased reliability;

a set of convenient working utilities.

Flaws

• There are cases of imbalance that causes increased vibration.

The penultimate position in the external drive rating group is a mechanical hard drive made by Toshiba. In some respects, this solution is inferior to other models in the group, but has an important advantage - extremely affordable cost.

The storage capacity is 500 GB. 8 MB are allocated for the buffer. Spindle rotation - 5400 rpm. The working parts are one magnetic disk and two heads. NCQ support is not implemented. The external data transfer speed reaches 500 MB/s, the nominal latency is up to 12 ms. The declared direct data exchange speed is up to 112 Mb/s. Independent testing has shown that the real figure is only slightly lower than the nominal value, almost within the statistical error.

The drive is made in a 2.5" form factor with linear dimensions of 79x15x119 mm and a weight of 230 g. The body is made of aluminum coated in black. The design is minimalistic, but elegant and attractive.

The package includes a useful backup utility, NTI Backup Now EZ.

Advantages

• high build quality;
• low noise level;

the most affordable price in the group;

reliability.

Flaws

• There may be problems with installing the disk as a boot disk.

The disk capacity is 2 TB. The buffer memory is small and similar to the previous model - 8 MB. The working area consists of three magnetic plates and six heads. The spindle rotates at a speed of 5400 rpm. Data exchange speed on the port is up to 500 MB/sec. Not compatible with NCQ.

The hard drive is made in a 2.5" form factor with dimensions of 78x21x115 mm and a weight of 230 g. It is connected via a USB 3.0 port. The case is made of high-quality black plastic. The mirror surface adds advantages to the attractive appearance of the device, but automatically implies increased soilability. Comes with auxiliary software – Quick Start Guide utility.

Advantages

high-quality assembly;

attractive design;

large volume.

Flaws

• very easily soiled case.

The best hard drives - HDD + SSD hybrids

Finally, the last group of devices in the rating-review from Expertology. These are hybrid media that combine both types of drives in one device - mechanical HDDs and solid-state SSDs. Many analysts agree that the near future of hard drives lies in such technological solutions. Our experts have identified two models from the current market offer - produced by Seagate and LENOVO. Both solutions support the extended format.

Seagate marketers position this hybrid media as a gaming one. Actually, the very idea of ​​​​creating such hybrids was largely caused by the desire to maximally satisfy the requirements of “professional” gamers.

The device is made in a 2.5" form factor, which allows it to be used to equip not only desktop PCs, but also portable ones. Its dimensions are 69.85x7x100.35 mm, weight - 96 g.

The mechanical part consists of two magnetic plates and four heads. The mechanical capacity is 2 TB. As much as 128 MB are allocated for the buffer. Spindle speed - 5400 rpm. The track to track access parameter is 1.5 ms. The average latency is 5.6 ms.

The solid-state part of the device has a capacity of 8 GB and is formed from reliable MLC type memory (two bits per cell). NCQ compatible.

The device is connected via a high-speed SATA 6Gbit/s port. The intensity of data exchange on the port is up to 600 MB/s. The disk has very good “physics” - high shock resistance at 400 G in operating mode and 1000 G in static storage. The nominal noise level in operation does not exceed 24 dB, in standby mode - 22 dB. The safe operating temperature limit is 60 °C.

The memory capacity parameters in this case are completely similar to the previous model - 2 GB mechanical disk and 8 GB solid-state part. There is a significant difference in the spindle rotation speed - here it is significantly higher and amounts to 7200 rpm. The device is connected via a SATA 6Gbit/s port with a throughput of 600 MB/s.

The form factor in which the device is manufactured is 3.5", hinting at the possibility of its use only in desktop PCs. The dimensions of the model are 101.6x26.1x146.99 mm.

Advantages

reliability;

quality service (warranty service);

increased productivity.

Flaws

• no pronounced deficiencies were noted.

When choosing a hard drive when buying a computer, people most often do not think about its reliability. Capacity, price and recording speeds - these characteristics are given importance, and the service life of the device is measured only by the duration of the warranty. As it turned out, in vain. The fault tolerance of hard drives varies greatly depending on the manufacturer. At similar prices and capacities, drives from one company can serve well for more than 3.5 years, while another company is highly likely to fail in the first 1.5 years. And if this is not so painful for a home computer - at most the archive of photos from last year’s tour will “burn out”, then a dead hard drive on a corporate server will paralyze the work of the entire company and “give” problems for several months to come. Even if a company protects itself by backing up data, it will still incur losses associated with their frequent replacement and downtime for repairs by purchasing short-lived hard drives. The information recovery laboratory Storelab.ru decided to determine whose hard drives usually last the longest.

Durability measure

Most hard drives are produced by 6 suppliers: Fujitsu/Toshiba, Hitachi, Samsung, Seagate and Western Digital. To determine who produces the most reliable devices, we analyzed the statistics of receipts of failed hard drives. More than 4,000 devices were reviewed: from personal computers (3.5" format to laptops (2.5").

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It turned out that the two groups of data correlated only partially. The main difference is that the percentage of failed devices at market leader Seagate is almost 2 times higher than its share: 56.1% versus 31%. You can make an allowance for Russian specifics: according to Seagate’s own data, its share in the domestic market is more than 40%. But this fact does not fundamentally change the situation: the percentage of receipts of “dead” disks is significantly higher than the market share. This indicates the lower reliability of Seagate hard drives compared to other manufacturers. All other vendors have revenue share below market share, with Western Digital and Hitachi having a difference of nearly 11%. Thus, the devices of these companies are characterized by higher fault tolerance.

The second important indicator is the average age of hard drives at the time of failure. It, again, differs depending on the disc manufacturer and often depends on the “success” of the model. At the development stage, it is difficult to determine the durability of a hard drive. Having developed a device, the company can only conduct laboratory tests: temperature, pressure, vibration, etc. But this study, as a rule, does not show all design defects. The real test of durability is time. Shortcomings become obvious within a year and a half. If the majority of a manufacturer's hard drives survive this milestone, the product can be considered reliable.

A hard drive or hard drive is one of the main elements of any modern computer, responsible for storing information. The device consists of magnetic disks - round aluminum or glass plates and a read/write head. The main qualitative characteristics of a hard drive are capacity, read and read speed, rotation speed, sector search time, noise level and shock resistance during operation (for HDD). In addition, for many users, when purchasing a hard drive, a very important characteristic is the reliability and durability of the device.

The best HDD hard drives for a desktop computer for 1-2 TB

HDD (Hard Drive Disk) is the most popular type of storage device for a personal computer. Such hard drives have been on the market for a very long time and are still in high demand due to their high capacity, affordable price and relatively long service life. The main disadvantage of HDDs is their low resistance to mechanical damage. In particular, such devices are afraid of shocks and shaking during operation. Therefore, when choosing a reliable HDD drive, it is important to look at parameters such as shock resistance during operation and storage.

The most popular manufacturers of HDD hard drives for desktop computers are Toshiba (Japan), Western Digital (USA) and Seagate (USA).

3 Western Digital WD10EZRZ

The best 1 TB HDD in terms of price and quality ratio
Country: USA
Average price: RUB 3,449
Rating (2019): 4.6

The inexpensive Western Digital WD10EZRZ model ranks third in the ranking of HDD hard drives for personal computers. The drive has a capacity of 1 TB and has an affordable price, which makes it quite popular on the market. Thanks to support for 4 KB sectors, the disk uses its usable space as efficiently as possible. Read speed and write speed are the same and amount to 150 Mbps.

Among the advantages in reviews, buyers indicate fast operation, low noise level and low operating temperature. The device consumes little, only 3.3 W, so there will be no need to replace the power supply when installing the disk. An important parameter of the drive is the jumping time between different tracks, which here is 0.4 seconds, which ensures high operating speed. The only disadvantages include some difficulties with setup.

2 Seagate ST1000DM010

Low price
Country: USA
Average price: 3,040 ₽
Rating (2019): 4.7

The silver medalist in the rating is a very affordable model from Seagate. In terms of its characteristics, it is very close to the WD representative, but at a slightly lower cost it offers higher performance. Volume – 1 TB – the best option for most home users. Claimed read and write speeds are 156 Mbit/s, but user reviews indicate even higher figures – up to 200 Mbit/s for sequential reading.

Also among the advantages are the relatively low noise level and minimal heating: under load, the disk heats up to 41 degrees, although the maximum permissible is almost a third higher. The only complaint about Seagate is that the power saving controls are too strict. Yes, the hard drive consumes 5.3 W, but due to the factory settings, the drive goes to sleep very quickly, which is why there is a noticeable delay when switching music tracks, for example.

Today, there are three main types of hard drives: HDD (Hard Drive Disk), SSD (Solid State Drive) and Hybrid (HDD + SSD). Which type of hard drive is better? There is no definite answer, since each has both its advantages and disadvantages:

1 Toshiba HDWD120UZSVA

Largest volume (2 TB)
Country:
Average price: 4,554 RUR
Rating (2019): 4.8

We will give leadership in the category to the most capacious hard drive. The Toshiba model with a capacity of 2 terabytes a few years ago might have seemed redundant and expensive, but today, due to the increasing volumes of information and cheaper technology, it is becoming quite relevant.

The device is made in a 3.5’ form factor. The disk rotation speed is 7200 rpm, which provides an acceptable speed of 150 MB/s for writing and reading. The manufacturer claims that during operation the disk produces only 28 dB of noise, which is confirmed by users in reviews. The disadvantage is high heating. Temperatures easily reach 50 degrees, with a critical level of 65 C. Among the pleasant features, we note the disk self-diagnosis function, which is designed to extend service life and maintain operating speed at the original level.

The manufacturer offers only a two-year warranty, but users talk about trouble-free operation for 4-5 years, and therefore there is no doubt about reliability.

Best Desktop Hard Drives Over 2TB

For most users, 1-2 terabytes of memory is enough for personal use. You can store all your files, music and even a collection of your favorite movies. But sometimes significantly more memory is required. Videographers, editors and other professionals working with very large files need 3-4, or even 10 TB of memory. For such people, we have selected the four most capacious hard drives.

4 Western Digital WD Blue Desktop 4 TB (WD40EZRZ)

The best option for home archives
Country:
Average price: 8,200 RUR
Rating (2019): 4.6

Let's open the category with a rather modest hard drive from the well-known Western Digital. The official disk capacity is 4 TB, in reality, users complain about the availability of only 3.63 TB. On the other hand, the average cost allows you to forgive many shortcomings.

The disk rotation speed is 5400 rpm, the cache volume is only 64 MB. Because of this, the overall operating speed is low - with sequential writing/reading, the speed remains at 149-155 MB/s. But such modesty made it possible to make the WD Blue Desktop 4 Tb as quiet and cool as possible. During operation, the noise level does not exceed 28 dB, vibrations are almost completely absent, and the temperature, even at maximum load, does not exceed 40 degrees. This allows you to build very quiet, reliable computers with several disks at once - assemble a couple of these HDDs in RAID 1 and you don’t have to worry about the safety of your data.

3 Seagate ST3000DM007

Affordable price
Country:
Average price: 6,690 RUR
Rating (2019): 4.7

The top three HDDs for desktop computers include the BarraCuda line model from Seagate. The price per terabyte is higher than that of the previous participant, but most ordinary users will probably be more interested in the bronze medalist. Capacity of 3.5' disk is 3 TB. This is more than enough to store a personal archive of photos, music and TV series.

The disk rotation speed is again only 5400 rpm, but due to the larger cache - 256 MB - slightly higher read/write speeds are provided - about 180-185 MB/s. Users will also be pleased with the low noise level: 27 dB during operation and only 22 dB when idle - it will not even disturb sleep! Heating is also extremely insignificant - users talk about 26-28 C under load. Finally, the drive consumes only 3.7 W when running.

There is practically no information from users about reliability. Officially stated service life is 1800 days (5 years), warranty is 720 days.

2 Western Digital WD Black 6 TB (WD6003FZBX)

Highest operating speed
Country: USA (manufactured in China, Malaysia)
Average price: 19,480 RUR
Rating (2019): 4.8

If the “Blue” line from Western Digital is intended for home use, then the “WD Black” is positioned as a tool for professionals. The capacity of the model is 6TB. Such volumes will be useful, for example, to operators and editors who have to deal with “source files” of several tens or even hundreds of gigabytes.

The disk rotates at a speed of 7200 rpm, which, in combination with a 256 MB buffer, provides write and read speeds of 225-230 MB/s - these are record figures in the class. In this case, you will have to put up with a fairly high noise level: when operating, the disk produces 36 dB, when idle – 29 dB. The user will also have to ensure good ventilation in the PC case, because the operating temperature range is small (from 5 to 55 degrees), and the heating level is high due to the high operating speed. Power consumption – 9.1 W.

In addition to high speed, the manufacturer guarantees maximum storage reliability. Official guarantee 1800 days. What are the disadvantages? High cost. 1 TB of memory on this disk costs one and a half times more than competitors (~3250 rubles)

The best hard drive manufacturers

As in any other field, there are clear leaders among drive manufacturing companies. Let's look at some of them.

• WesternDigital. This American company, founded in 1970, began producing its own hard drives back in 1988. Vast experience allows the company to always be on the crest of the wave and produce the most technically advanced devices. WD was the first to release a 10,000 rpm HDD, the first to create a 10 TB drive, and much more. The company's products are also famous for their very high reliability.
• Seagate. Another company comes from the USA. The company released its first “screw” in 1980. In 2009, Seagate's reputation was damaged by low-quality hard drives from the Barracuda11 line, but in recent years, judging by reports from large companies and user reviews, product quality has improved significantly. The company's products are distinguished by the best operating speed on the market. Seagate is also the largest manufacturer of hybrid HDD+SSD hard drives.
• HGST (Hitachi Global Storage Technologies). Previously an independent company, and since 2012 a subsidiary of Western Digital. The products are also highly reliable, but the range differs significantly. HGST specializes in the production of 2.5' format hard drives installed in laptops or all-in-one PCs.

1 Toshiba HDWR11AUZSVA

Best price for 1 TB
Country: Japan (made in China)
Average price: 20,228 RUR
Rating (2019): 4.8

In contrast to the previous participant, we offer a model with a minimum memory cost. For 10 TB you will have to pay only 17-18 thousand rubles. The scope of application of the model is still the same - storage and processing of high-quality video materials. Of course, you can also look at models with a larger capacity - other manufacturers offer hard drives up to 14 TB for home use - but the cost of one terabyte of memory in this case will be much higher.

In addition, our leader can boast of not only quantitative, but also qualitative indicators. The disk rotates at a speed of 7200 rpm, the cache volume is 256 MB - read and write speeds are kept at 200 MB/s. The model is undoubtedly noisy - even when idle, the noise level reaches 34 dB. Unfortunately, due to the newness of the HDD, there are no reviews about its reliability, but the manufacturer provides a 730-day warranty and claims 600,000 hours between failures - an excellent result.

The best HDD + SSD hybrid hard drives

A hybrid hard drive is considered a more advanced data storage device because it combines the positive aspects of HDD and SSD drives. A hybrid drive first stores data on flash memory and then transfers it to magnetic storage. This increases the speed of information transfer, increases the service life of the media and reduces energy costs. The only significant drawback of the “hybrid” is the high price.

2 Seagate ST2000DX002

The most capacious hybrid hard drive
Country: USA (made in Thailand)
Average price: 7,300 ₽
Rating (2019): 4.7

Do you need the capacity of a classic HDD with the speed of an SSD? There are no miracles; it is impossible to combine these qualities in one device, but the model that opens the category comes as close as possible to this. The capacity of the “hard” part is 2 TB, which should be enough for even the most demanding users. The 8 GB flash memory is designed to ensure performance.

The test results are not amazing: sequential read speed is about 180 MB/s, write speed is 220 MB/s. Top classic HDDs can boast similar results. But the ST2000DX002 has an important feature - the effect of its work will become visible over time. The drive analyzes which files are most frequently used (usually system files and most frequently used programs) and transfers them to flash memory to make them run as quickly as possible in the future.

Separately, it is worth noting the excellent acoustic comfort - the drive is almost inaudible during operation - and the traditional 720-day warranty for hard drives (service life 5 years).

1 Seagate ST1000LX015

Best 2.5' hybrid disc
Country: USA
Average price: 4,333 RUR
Rating (2019): 4.8

The leader of the rating is another representative of the Seagate hybrid drive line. The main difference from the previous participant is the 2.5’ form factor. This is suitable for installation not only on a desktop, but also on a laptop. The hard drive capacity is 1 TB, another 8 GB is carried by a flash drive. The disk rotation speed is only 5400 rpm, which can hardly be called a high result. Sequential read and write speeds of 140 and 110 MB/s, respectively.

Acoustic comfort, judging by the manufacturer’s statement, is simply excellent - only 22 dB during operation. However, some users report a slight noise when positioning the head. Although in everyday use you are unlikely to pay attention to it.

The best laptop hard drives

3 Western Digital WD5000LPLX

Favorable price. Popular HDD drive for laptop
Country: USA (manufactured in China, Malaysia)
Average price: 3,350 RUR
Rating (2019): 4.6

The top three best hard drives for laptops in 2019 opens with the Western Digital WD5000LPLX model. Thanks to the common 2.5” form factor, it will fit into the vast majority of laptop computers. The storage capacity is 500 GB, which is quite enough to store a large amount of documentation. HDD technology increases the service life of the media and allows it to be used for several years without having to be replaced.

The advantages of this model in reviews include good data exchange speed, a 5-year warranty and an acceptable cache size. The external data transfer rate is about 600 Mbit/s, which allows you to quickly display the requested documents. Among the weaknesses of this device are heating during intensive operation and a fairly high noise level when reading from the drive.

2 Seagate ST1000LM048

Excellent price/capacity ratio. Quietest model
Country: USA (made in Thailand)
Average price: RUB 3,590
Rating (2019): 4.7

We will give the silver category medal to the model from Seagate. Winchester is approximately in the middle between its competitors in both cost and performance. The capacity of a 2.5' drive is 1 TB - the optimal solution for most users. Spindle speed 5400 rpm. Together with a 128 MB cache, this provides a sequential read speed of 125 MB/s and a write speed of 88 MB/s.

Temperature and noise indicators, which are important for mobile computers, deserve special attention. If you believe the reviews, the disk heats up to a maximum of 27-28 degrees. It is worth considering that this indicator can vary greatly depending on the laptop model, namely, on its ventilation. The noise is still great. During operation, the volume does not exceed 22 dB - you will only hear it in the quietest room. Finally, shock resistance during operation - the ST1000LM048 can withstand overloads up to 400G!

1 HGST HTS721010A9E630

Best speed among laptop drives
Country: USA
Average price: 3,830 RUR
Rating (2019): 4.7

The leader in the ranking is a model from HGST, which is a subsidiary of Western Digital. The format, as befits a laptop model, is 2.5-inch. Storage capacity is the usual 1000 GB, which is the golden mean for most users. The speed of operation is not surprising - due to the high rotation speed (7200 rpm), the read speed is about 115-120 MB/s. It is worth noting the high access speed of Track to track - only 1 ms. Average latency 4.2 ms.

Other features include fairly low power consumption - 1.8 W, which is especially valuable for a laptop, and low shock resistance - the hard drive will withstand overloads of up to 400 G during operation without consequences for the stored information.

The best external hard drives

3 Toshiba Canvio Ready 1TB

Favorable cost
Country: Japan
Average price: 3,980 RUR
Rating (2019): 4.5

Third place in the ranking of the best external hard drives is occupied by Toshiba Canvio Ready 1TB. This model has the lowest cost among its TOP competitors, but is in no way inferior to them in terms of characteristics. The storage device used is a 1 TB HDD, which copes well with storing large files. Thanks to the USB 3.0 interface, good data transfer speeds are achieved - up to 500 Mbit/s. The practical plastic case perfectly withstands mechanical loads and reliably stores the contents.

The advantages of this model in reviews from users include small dimensions, light weight and high reliability. In addition, the drive has sufficient protection from shocks and falls. Competent software allows you to pair the media with a variety of multimedia devices. The disadvantages include a short cord and a non-standard connector for connecting it on the hard drive side.

2 Western Digital WDBUZG0010BBK-EESN

Popular 1TB external drive
Country: USA
Average price: 4,201 ₽
Rating (2019): 4.6

In second place in the ranking of the best external hard drives of 2019 is the Western Digital WDBUZG0010BBK-EESN model. The USB 3.0 data port provides high-speed data exchange between the storage device and a third-party device. The storage capacity is 1 TB, which allows you to store not only text files and photos, but also movies. The main storage device is 1 HDD drive with a 2.5” form factor.

In numerous positive reviews, buyers talk about its small size, good reliability and quiet operation. Among all the models presented in the TOP, this one has the lightest weight - only 130 grams. In addition to the drive itself, the package includes a data cable. Among the weaknesses of this model are the fragile plastic case and problems with drivers.

1 ADATA DashDrive Durable HD650 1TB

Optimal price-quality ratio
Country: China
Average price: 4,369 RUR
Rating (2019): 4.8

The first place in the ranking of the best external hard drives of 2019 is occupied by the ADATA DashDrive Durable HD650 1TB. This 1TB drive is one of the most popular drives on the market today. Thanks to the USB 3.0 connection, data transfer speeds of up to 500 Mbps are provided. The standard 2.5” form factor makes the drive quite compact (weighs only 201 grams). The storage device has 1 HDD.

Among the strengths of this model in reviews, users highlight its pleasant appearance, good operating speed and shock-resistant body. Engineers paid special attention to the strength of the device, since external drives are often subject to physical impacts. The disk is compatible with most modern devices, from laptops and smartphones to TVs. The disadvantages include a short cord and low build quality.

The best hard drives for a server

Hard drives for servers are characterized by increased reliability and operating speed (rotation speed up to 15,000 rpm). To connect a server disk, parallel (SCSI) and serial (SATA, SAS) interfaces are used. The failure-free operation time of such devices, as a rule, exceeds 1 million hours. The most common width (form factor) of server hard drives is 3.5 inches, but 2.5-inch devices have become increasingly popular. It is known that the smaller the width, the more economical the hard drive is.

3 Seagate ST1000VX000

Favorable price for a high-quality 1 TB HDD
Country: USA
Average price: 4,011 ₽
Rating (2019): 4.4

The Seagate ST1000VX000 model closes the top three in the ranking of the best hard drives for a server in 2019. This device has the lowest cost compared to its competitors, however, it is in no way inferior to them in terms of characteristics. This hard drive is specifically designed for installation in video surveillance systems, which determines its ability to function around the clock for a long time. High reading speed of 210 Mbit/s will allow you to quickly access stored information.

Among the advantages of the device in reviews, users highlight the volume (here it is 1 TB), low cost and low noise level during operation. Thanks to two write heads, a maximum recording speed of 156 Mbps is achieved. NCQ support enables multitasking. The weaknesses of this HDD include the low instantaneous transfer speed and difficulties with the firmware.

2 Seagate ST1000NM0033

Best operating speed (buffer capacity 128 MB)
Country: USA
Average price: 6,830 ₽
Rating (2019): 4.5

The second place in the ranking of the best hard drives for a server is occupied by the Seagate ST1000NM0033. The storage capacity is 1 TB, which allows you to store a fairly large amount of data in permanent memory, and this is important for a server. The buffer volume is 128 MB - twice as much as that of competitors. This indicator ensures high operating speed and service life, as declared by the manufacturer, up to 1,400,000 hours.

The strengths of the device in customer reviews include excellent data transfer speed, high reliability and the presence of a humidity sensor. In terms of all its characteristics, this is one of the best models for a server, but the power consumption is quite high, amounting to 8.1 W. The disk has a good protection system and will save data upon impact with a load of up to 300G. Among the disadvantages are heating during operation and a fairly high noise level during recording.

1 Western Digital WD20EFRX

Best value for money
Country: USA
Average price: 6,861 ₽
Rating (2019): 4.5

The leader in the rating of the best hard drives for a server is the Western Digital WD20EFRX model. The drive has a capacity of 2 TB and, thanks to the SATA 6GB/s interface, provides a maximum information transfer speed of up to 600 Mbit/s. The failure-free operation time declared by the manufacturer is 1,000,000 hours, which indicates the high reliability of the device. Successful engineering solutions allow the disk to be stored at temperatures from -40 to 70 °C.

In numerous reviews, users talk about quiet operation, extended warranty and lack of vibrations as the strengths of this model. Thanks to the unique NCQ technology, the drive can process several commands at once, which has a positive effect on its performance. Compared to its neighbors in the TOP, it is the most economical - consumption is only 4.4 W. The disadvantages of this device include its high cost and fairly stringent requirements for the ambient temperature during operation.

How to choose the best hard drive

The hard drive, at first glance, is not the most important part of the computer. Yes, your PC will still work with the “wrong” model. But in order to choose a high-quality drive, pay attention to our tips.

• Drive type. First, decide which type of drive is right for you: HDD, SSD or HDD+SSD. Detailed information about them is in the summary table above.
• Manufacturer. Information is the main value of the modern world. To ensure that your data is preserved for many years, choose products from trusted manufacturers. For example, those we listed above.
• Capacity. For the OS and programs, 250 GB is enough. Store a lot of photos and music - 1 TB is your choice. You can’t raise your hand to delete your favorite TV shows and movies - look at the “screws” from 2 TB and above. The larger the volume, the higher the price.
• Form factor. Laptops are equipped with 2.5’ format hard drives, and desktop PCs – 3.5’. Be sure to check which format is supported by your device.
• Spindle rotation speed. It happens from 5400 to 10000 rpm. A higher indicator means better speed. The best option is models with a rotation speed of 7200 rpm.
• Noise. Many users assemble cooling systems that are as quiet as possible. Because of this, the cracking sound of the hard drive may become audible. You won’t be able to check this in advance - just know that this situation occurs.

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 kind of video card, processor or memory should be. The difficulty is that each of the parameters has its own characteristics. For example, you need to pay attention to its volume, speed or connection interface.

Choosing any device, especially one related to a PC, requires very careful analysis. But what if you have chosen a great laptop, but its only drawback is a small amount of memory? The best manufacturers of external hard drives have taken care of this.

For what?

It's rare that you can buy a PC that suits you in absolutely every aspect. Sooner or later, “pitfalls” appear that you had not noticed before. It happens that the video card is outdated, it happens that there is not enough memory. By the way, in this case there is one nuance. The fact is that some users can load the computer with different programs. To meet their storage needs, you need to buy a new hard drive.

But there are times when the user works with a large amount of material. This could be an editor or a photographer who needs to create their own archive. In this case, you can buy an external one. We will look at the reliability rating a little later, but now we will learn about the advantages and disadvantages of these devices, as well as the reasons for their appearance.

Why?

An external hard drive appeared along with the fear of data loss. Many specialists were faced with the fact that they did not have enough flash drives to store information. Buying countless numbers of them is inconvenient. Previously, they were replaced by floppy disks and disks, but now this option is even worse. As a result, an external hard drive appeared when a memory capacity of more than 500 gigabytes was needed, and ideally 1 terabyte.

The reason for the fear of losing information was the spread of viruses, Trojan horses, spyware and other things that could erase all important and necessary materials. External hard drives have become a lifeline in this situation. Their volumes could be large enough to dump not only important documents, but also your favorite multimedia files.

Reliability and durability

Such devices have many advantages. It doesn’t matter at all what kind of external hard drive you have - 500 GB or 2 terabytes. It all depends on your preferences. Its main advantage is its large memory reserves. I am also pleased with his cooperation with PC. You don't need to look for additional software to be able to connect a hard drive. Depending on the cable interface, you connect the wire with the correct connector. On the computer, the device is identified as an external drive. You have full access to all information.

By the way, the disk can also be protected from prying eyes. Unlike the integrated hard drive, this one can not only be ruined, but also simply hidden somewhere away in the desktop. Also, as mentioned earlier, together with an external hard drive, the user is protected from any threat. For example, you were working with important documents and you need them to remain available. You can copy them to a hard drive, and in the event of a virus attack on your PC, all important information will remain intact.

By the way, there is one more advantage. The external hard drive, the reliability rating of which we will find out very soon, has a very robust case. In general, the device consists of the HDD itself and its durable box. Depending on the type, your hard drive will be protected to one degree or another from external influences and wear.

Well, the last significant advantage is the structuring of information. Like a regular hard drive, an external one can also be divided into blocks in which information is stored. It is also easy to recover data from it, and to prevent the loss of materials from the internal HDD, they can be easily transferred to an external one.

Flaws

There is also a main drawback, which is the 1 terabyte external hard drive. The price is sometimes very high. This is due to many reasons: sometimes it is artificially increased, sometimes due to the popularity of the brand. Although, buying a 1 terabyte hard drive will still cost you less than purchasing 30 32 GB flash drives.

The more careful the user treats the external hard drive, the longer it will live. Premature failures are often associated with external damage, especially during transportation. Somewhere it was accidentally knocked, somewhere it was dropped - sectors are damaged and data is lost.

The same story applies to files that end up on the hard drive. If they are already damaged, once they enter the device's memory, viruses can spread and destroy all data.

Types of external drives

To choose a quality product, you need to thoroughly study the external hard drive you like. Volume is not the only parameter by which you can decide on a model. You should pay attention to the types of HDD.

The first type is different in that its size is 3.5 inches. This is usually purchased by desktop PC owners. Unlike the second type, it has larger dimensions, so it needs additional power. Nevertheless, this option is considered excellent. Its main feature remains the possibility of automatic backup.

The second type is more compact - only 2.5 inches. It encourages you to always be at hand. This external device is very strong. The reliability rating is always topped by devices of this particular type. This is due to the fact that they have excellent impact resistance. If it accidentally falls out of your pocket, it will not suffer much. The case may be scratched, but your information will remain safe. Although there are limits to everything: if you hit him well with a hammer, then, most likely, you can say goodbye to him.

The most reliable

Many experts have repeatedly checked leading hard drive manufacturers. They found that at the moment the most reliable hard drive 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. The test results showed that the Hitachi can only be damaged if it is handled carelessly. Otherwise, no manufacturing defects or weak components were found.

It's not necessary once at a time

It is worth paying attention to other companies that produce external and internal railways. Seagate is now considered the main “loser” in terms of reliability. The developers created the disk design in a short time, which affected the quality of the product. The main problem with this company's hard drives is weak nodes. There is also evidence that there is a fairly large percentage of defects in the series. There are goods that have not lasted more than a year.

In general, a common problem that external hard drives from Western, Samsung, Seagate and others have encountered is chip failure. This affects the operation of the computer, it begins to slow down and freeze. If you restart the PC, the disk disappears from the system. This means that its microcode has already been destroyed.

There is also a problem with the motor spindle wedge in some batches. Typically, such a breakdown occurs on a HDD that has a large amount of memory. In this case, a larger number of magnetic plates are used in the design. They overload the hard drive axis, under their weight it bends and then stops rotating. This doesn't happen naturally. It is enough to accidentally snag the hard drive or drop it once. You can notice such a breakdown by listening to the noise of the HDD. Usually it starts to “buzz” sharply.

Very fragile

The WD 2Tb external 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 last more than a year. They also have malfunctions in the magnetic heads. This is due to the fact that the disk overheats or receives external damage.

In general, the design of any HDD from this company is very flimsy. The WD Elements external hard drive is shock and pressure sensitive. By the way, if you apply force to the case, the cover moves, and the magnetic heads are at a low angle to the magnetic plates. Such a breakdown will immediately “bury” all your information on the hard drive. However, Western Digital is popular among buyers. These shortcomings are observed quite rarely. Basically, most models are reliable in terms 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 unfamiliar to anyone now become sales leaders. A 500 GB external hard drive is the simplest and most common option among users. Its main advantage is the price.

There are two models in this category that are now considered leaders in reviews and sales. For just 3,800 rubles you can purchase the ADATA DashDrive Durable HD650. The main highlight of this railway is its structural strength. In addition, the device has an interesting and attractive design: bright colors and carbon inserts.

For reliability, this drive has a three-layer rubberized casing, thanks to which it can absorb shocks during use and transportation. The plastic is quite durable and minimizes scratches.

This model is based on the famous Toshiba railway. Its speed is 5400 rpm. The Winchester turned out to be very compact and light. Information exchange can occur at a maximum speed of 120 Mb/sec. 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 cute appearance. Inside there is a branded hard drive from the manufacturer. Rotation speed - 5400 rpm. Buffer capacity 8 megabytes. 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 software for diagnostics and maintenance. The price of such a device is 5300 rubles.

Universal drives

Next, we'll look at a 1 terabyte external hard drive. Its price is on average 4-6 thousand rubles. Among all, Silicon Power Stream S03 now stands out. The railway has an interesting design. Outwardly, it is very similar to a notebook with rounded sheets and a curved upper corner. This is where the work indicator is located. To exchange information through this drive, you can use USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 interfaces.

The case materials are quite durable. It is made of high-quality plastic, the surface is matte, so it attracts fingerprints and dust less. The shell has rubber seals that protect against impact. At the moment, this is the best external drive among terabyte versions for only 4,300 rubles.

Among the disks with a memory capacity of 1 terabyte, one can highlight Toshiba STOR.E SLIM. The design is nothing remarkable. The appearance is classic, compact in size and metallic in color. The board has an integrated USB 3.0 or 2.0 interfaces that function by displaying the operating status in blue and white, respectively. Speed ​​up to 110 Mb/sec.

The drive has durable materials that increase its shock resistance. You can also protect the device from prying eyes by setting a password and setting up automatic The main advantage of this hard drive 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

For some, one terabyte will not be enough; for such people, a 2 TB Toshiba CANVIO ALU external hard drive was created. The body 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 your hands. The design has a shock sensor, which increases the integrity of stored materials. Transfer speed is about 115 Mb/sec. The main advantage of this drive is the build quality. In addition, it runs very quietly, does not overheat, and is also available with a 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 looks quite simple too. It has a shock-resistant body and rough high-quality plastic. 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 the Seagate Backup Plus Fast Portable Drive is now considered a revolutionary drive. Its volume is as much as 4 terabytes. Its main task is considered to be fast backup. It can also serve as an excellent archive for important files. Its real data transfer speed is now considered uncompromising - 220 Mb/sec. This is due to the fact that two hard drives were placed inside at once.

This decision also affected the dimensions of the device: 307 grams is quite a lot for external storage. Works with USB 3.0 interface. Can collaborate with two devices at once. This external hard drive also has disadvantages: noticeable heating and a very high price - 25 thousand rubles.

Among the users there were also dissatisfied ones. Many who encountered this model complained about the slowdown in operation. Moreover, if you can write information to the device without problems, then reading it is more difficult. The launch of a proprietary recovery program indicated damaged sectors. As mentioned earlier, those from Seagate are currently the most unreliable. This is especially true for devices with large amounts of memory. Therefore, you can often come across negative reviews about Seagate Backup Plus Fast Portable Drive from users.

Results

Nowadays it is difficult to determine which external hard drive is better to buy. Creating a reliability rating is also not easy. This is due to the fact that the equipment is not always of high quality. Some devices arrive defective. The average survival rate of an external disc is about 3-4 years. But not all companies can achieve such indicators. Devices from Hitachi and some younger Western Digital models usually last more than five years.

The thing is just right. The rating will help you choose the appropriate option. The top includes the five best HDDs from advanced companies.

Each model holds a thousand gigabytes of information, so it is perfect for both installing operating systems and storing multimedia. The article describes the key features and advantages of the best hard drives to help you choose the most suitable option. There are server and universal models that provide information security, and there are also mega-speed devices.

WD 3.5 SATA 3.0 1TB 7200RPM 64MB CACHE CAVIAR BLUE (WD10EZEX)

This hard drive was included in the rating for a reason. The internal model is productive and durable - this is why it has gained popularity. A 3.5-inch HDD, which holds 1000 GB of data, is perfect for both a regular office PC and gaming builds.

Note: accessory connection type classic -

Attractive features of the hard drive:

Productive - the spindle rotates at 7.2 thousand rpm. Coupled with a 64-MB cache, this allows the hard drive to quickly read and write information.

Reliable - the device can last for a very long time: it will last 7.5 years if it works around the clock.

Silence is another advantage of the drive. It does not buzz at all: when the HDD reads data, it makes a noise of only 30 decibels.

SEAGATE SATA 1TB 7200RPM 6GB/S 64MB (310506)

The Barracuda series gave the manufacturer fame. These HDDs make it possible to use the capacity to the maximum and cope 100% with any task, be it storing documents, media files or installing games.

TOSHIBA SATA 1TB 7200RPM 6GB/S/64MB HDWD110UZSVA

The model is the best option for office and “home” assemblies. The HDD capacity (1000 GB) allows you to store decent multimedia collections. The capacity of the hard drive makes it possible to collect not only a good collection of films and music, but also various games.

Advice: created for desktop computers, but if you need to add memory to a laptop, you will need

The four best features of a hard drive:

WD 3.5 SATA 3.0 1TB 7200RPM 64MB CACHE BLACK (WD1003FZEX)

The variant belongs to the “Black” line. HDDs of this series belong to the category of top options for desktop PCs. This hard drive is included in the list of the best 1 terabyte models due to its reliability and fast operation. The Black line hard drive is ideal for working with resource-intensive applications and games, as it is designed for increased loads.

Note: The manufacturer is so confident that its discs are good that they are not afraid to put a five-year warranty on them.

Four main features of HDD:

1. Transfers data very quickly: in a second it is capable of transmitting 6 Gigabits of information.

2. Performance - what you need: two processors, an advanced SATA 3.5 interface, high speed at which the spindle rotates (it makes 7.2 thousand revolutions per minute) provide excellent performance.

3. Wear-resistant: the device is protected using NoTouch technology, which aims to ensure that heads and discs wear out less. It prevents the head from touching the surface of the plate, which protects the model from shaking during operation and transportation.

4. The hard drive will last a long, long time: its motor’s time between failures is as much as three hundred thousand hours. The computer is more likely to fail than this hard drive.