From making backups to storing documents, videos or a complete sample library, external hard drives are exceptionally useful - especially when you've run out of built-in memory space. External hard drives can be roughly divided into two categories: the 'traditional' hard disk drives (HDD) and the solid-state disks (SDD). Below, you can learn more about the differences and find out which type of storage drive will suit your situation.
1TB External Hard Drives
In terms of capacity, the 1TB (one terabyte) models are extremely popular. A storage capacity of 1TB is usually enough and, what's great is that the price-per-gigabyte often drops as the storage capacity increases, whether you're going for an external HDD or an external SSD. If you're a music producer with massive sample-based libraries in mind, it can be worth going for an external storage drive with a capacity of 2TB or more, preferably an SSD since it's much quicker at loading the samples than a classic HDD.
Connecting a Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
Unlike built-in hard drives, an external hard disk drive, or external HDD for short, lives outside of your computer or laptop. In almost all cases, it's simply hooked up with a USB cable, which usually comes included.
An External SSD Storage Drive
SSDs are a lot faster than traditional HDDs, partly because the design is completely different. An HDD drive features a number of flat cylinders called platters, which spin at a specified RPM and combine with magnetic heads that read and write the data - kind of like how the needle of a turntable 'reads' vinyl records. The big advantage of SSDs is that they don't feature any moving parts: data gets stored on the drive electronically, which isn't just a faster and more reliable method of transferring files, but it's near silent. External SSDs are popular with laptop users who often demand an external hard drive that's compact, fast, portable and silent.
Choosing a Hard Drive
If speed isn't an issue and all you need is something to keep your photos, videos, presentations, documents and other bulk file safe, feel free to go for an external HDD. External hard disk drives are perfect for storing media and data that isn't 'going anywhere'. On the other hand, if you have a laptop and you're running multiple operating systems on a dual-boot system (e.g. Windows + MacOS), an SSD is the best option since it offers much faster read and write speeds, in other words: much faster system boot times. So, if you want fast load times when it comes to massive sample libraries, an external solid-state drive is hands-down the best solution.
External Hard Drives for the PS4
If you want to connect an external hard drive to your PS4 or PS4 Pro, there's a couple of things you need to keep in mind. First off, the hard drive needs to have a storage capacity of at least 250GB and must support USB-3 (including USB 3.1 and 3.2) ports. Also, since the PS4 streams data in real-time, it's essential that the external storage drive offers high read-and-write speeds. As such, it's recommended to use an external SSD with your PS4.
USB HDD
Depending on the make and model, hard drives are equipped with a USB-A or USB-C port, the latter being the most recent version of the USB-bus/interface. That said, note that 'USB-C' is kind of an umbrella term. USB-C covers USB 3.0, 3.1 or 3.2-type connections and, at the same time, it can offer support for HDMI signals, it can recharge devices like laptops, and it can even support Thunderbolt 4.0. Most external HDDs offer USB 3.1 or USB 3.2-type speeds, which is usually more than enough for transferring documents, videos, photos and other files.
External Hard Drives for Musicians
No matter if you're a musician, singer-songwriter or professional beat-weaver, a compact and portable storage drive is a welcome asset, especially if you're working with large sample libraries, instrument plug-ins, DAW software or with other musicians and collaborating producers. Since they're much faster than traditional external HDDs, which is important when you're recording in real-time, it's always recommended to get an external SSD.
Frequently Asked Questions About External Hard Drives
How long do external hard drives last?
The lifespan of any hard drive depends on how much it's used. The average lifespan of an external HDD is five years; external SSDs live a little longer since they're not equipped with any moving parts that might break down.
What's a good external hard drive?
We've yet to encounter a terrible hard drive and "good" will always depend on personal preferences. Nevertheless, you can't go wrong if you grab a model from a respected name like Transcend, SanDisk, Kingston or Atomos.
What should I pay attention to when picking out an external hard drive?
The most important thing to pay attention to are the specified read and write speeds. If you need a storage drive for the occasional file back-up, a (slower) HDD will do. If quick load times and quick access to large files like hi-res 4K videos is important, it's recommended to pick up an external SSD drive.
What's better: an external hard drive or a USB stick?
USB sticks are loved for their tiny size, while external hard drives are practical because of the huge amount of storage capacity they offer. Compared to SSDs, USB sticks are also a lot slower at reading and writing data.
How does an external hard drive work?
A traditional HDD has a mechanical design and is equipped with moving parts, the most important being the platters (flat discs) and the read-and-write heads. SSD (solid-state) drives use semiconductors to store data and have no moving parts. Both types of storage drives can be connected to a computer using a USB cable, which often comes included.
An HDD or SDD Drive?
Whether it's because you're running multiple operating system or you're always working with huge files like hi-res video, go for an SSD if the fastest possible load and boot times matter. In all other cases, an HDD will do the job.
