How To Buy an External Hard Drive Guide

Before you go out looking for your ideal external hard drive, it helps to know the criteria by which you can select the drive that's right for you. That way, you are a more informed consumer and can make a better choice for yourself.

• Capacity - usually between 320 GB and 2 TB at this time 
• Speed - either 5400rpm or 7200rpm
• Cooling - some external hard drives don't have a fan, and thus get heated up faster
• Interface - USB for external hard discs
• Warranties - the longest period the better

By understanding each of these criteria, you'll know what to look for better. To consider them one by one:

1. Capacity of Hard Discs
   The capacity of your ideal external hard disc depends on what you need to use it for. If you have a 160 GB drive built in to your laptop, it's likely that your partner has the same. Add a bit of extra storage to this combined total, and you're looking for at least a 500 GB disc. A good general rule is that you should go in for an external hard drive that gives you double the data storage capacity than what you think you need.
2.  Speed of Hard Drive
   The typical running speed of a hard drive is either 5,400 or 7,200 rounds per minute. Some SCSI discs even run at 10,000rpm, but they are expensive and are usually not used by individuals. Webhosting or network servers, however, definitely require a high-speed drive. Since Windows also uses your hard disc to store temporary files, you need a speed like 7200 rpm to install on your laptop as well as on your external discs.
3. Cooling
   Without a fan, disc drives heat up quite fast. Heat is bad news for electronic circuits - hard discs burn out when exposed to too much heat. To protect your data, make sure you get a good disc with a fan.
4. Interface
   In most cases, USB is found to connect external drives. SCSI is also another accepted format. Whether you choose an external drive that requires power instead of one that is USB powered depends upon your needs. Both formats can be helpful, so make sure that your laptop can provide enough power when you connect your external disc.
5. Warranties on Discs
   If a disc offers a warranty, it's a sign of quality. A drive that has a 5-year-guarantee is often way better than a newer 3-year-old one. If you're torn between two similar drives, look at the warranties sent to you.

In Conclusion
This is the main information you need to know in order to make a smart choice about the kind of external drive you need. If you want my recommendation i would choose western digital external hard drive. Now you're ready to head to the electronics store on your own!

By Kfir Pere