Buy an external hard drive

Every computer has a built-in hard drive. But if it doesn’t have enough space for all the photos, videos and files, an external hard drive can be the solution. An external hard drive is a device that users can connect to a PC or laptop. With that, they add extra storage space and back up important files. An additional advantage is that an external hard drive, in contrast to the built-in variant, can be moved. This is useful, for example, if you have bought a new PC or laptop and want to transfer files from the old device.

Are you looking for an external hard drive? Then the following terms will (probably) come to mind:

• HDD: This term is used for two types of external hard drives, 2.5 and 3.5 inches. The abbreviation comes from the English ‘Hard Disk Drive’.
• SSD: This term is used for one type of external hard drive. It is smaller and faster than HDD drives, but also more expensive. The abbreviation comes from the English ‘Solid State Disk’.
• rpm: The speed of an HDD disk is expressed in rpm. The higher the rpm, the faster the drive works. The choice consists of 5400 rpm and 7200 rpm. The abbreviation comes from the English term ‘revolutions per minute’ (Dutch: revolutions per minute).
• GB/TB: How much storage space a drive has depends on the number of GB (gigabytes) or TB (terabytes). GB is the smaller option and TB the largest.

There are different types of external hard drives available:

1. 3.5 inch external hard drive (HDD)
A 3.5 inch external hard drive is relatively large and requires AC power. This means that there must be a socket nearby to supply it with energy. Moreover, these discs are quite heavy and therefore less easy to move. They are therefore mainly intended for a permanent place on the desk. Most 3.5 inch external hard drives have 7200 rpm, but there are also 5400 rpm versions. Of the different types of external hard drives, a 3.5-inch one is comparatively the cheapest option

2. 2.5 inch external hard drive (HDD)
A 2.5-inch external hard drive is compact and does not need to be plugged into a power outlet. The drive receives sufficient power via the USB port of a PC or laptop. It can therefore easily be used in different places, including outdoors. Most 2.5-inch external hard drives have 5400 rpm, but there are some with 7200 rpm. Proportionally, a 2.5-inch external hard drive is slightly more expensive than a 3.5-inch one.

3. External SSD
An external SSD is even more compact than a 2.5-inch external hard drive. It therefore takes up hardly any space and can be easily moved. Handy for those who like to take personal files with them on the go. An SSD is also less susceptible to wear and tear than an external hard drive of 2.5 or 3.5 inches. And he is also very fast. Transferring and opening large files, such as videos, takes a few seconds at most. On the other hand, an SSD is by far the most expensive option and that it often offers less storage space.

During a search for the right external hard drive you will be bombarded with GBs and TBs. Those four letters express the storage space of a hard drive. In other words: how many files you can store on it. GB is the smaller option and TB the largest. Anyone who wants to store a lot of photos and videos on a hard drive will need more space than someone who only wants to store text documents.

A price comparison: for 100 euros you can buy a 3.5-inch external hard drive with a storage capacity of 4 TB (that’s 4000 GB). If you want to buy a 2.5-inch external hard drive for the same price, you get 2 TB (that’s 2000 GB) of storage space. A $100 SSD offers 500 GB of storage.

Every external hard drive contains a port for connection to a computer. Check carefully which USB port your laptop or computer has. This can be a USB-A (the most common, ‘large’ USB port) or a USB-C (a smaller connection, such as on a smartphone).

The vast majority of external hard drives can be connected to a Windows device. There are also hard drives specifically designed for Apple devices running macOS. Whether this is possible is usually clearly stated on the box or on the website. It is also possible to make a Windows disk suitable for Apple (and vice versa). That’s called formatting.

An external hard drive is usually made of plastic or metal. The metal version is generally more expensive than the plastic version. It can take a beating better and is shock resistant. If you mainly use the disc at home, a plastic one will do just fine. Finally, there are also weather-resistant discs with rubber bumpers. They are especially useful on workplaces and construction sites, but the average user will not need such an external hard drive.