Get hard drive comparison – what is the best hard drive? The best hard drives meet your storage demands without costing you a fortune. Hard drives are still the king of storage solutions if you want to get the most storage space for your money, and they’re the way to go if your budget isn’t flexible. You have some choices to pick from to cater to your needs as well – whether you need one for the best gaming PC you just invested in or you’re looking for a secure external hard drive that can go wherever you go. Find more in Hard Drive comparison.
What is an HDD?
An HDD is a data storage device that lives inside the computer. It has spinning disks inside where data is stored magnetically. The HDD has an arm with several “heads” (transducers) that read and write data on the disk. It is similar to how a turntable record player works, with an LP record (hard disk) and a needle on an arm (transducers). The arm moves the heads across the surface of the disk to access different data.
Who is this for – Hard Drive comparison?
- Enthusiast multimedia users and heavy downloaders: Video collectors need space, and you can easily get to 8TB or much more space cheaply with a hard drive.
- Budget buyers: Ditto. Plenty of cheap space. SSDs are too expensive for buyers of $300 PCs.
- Graphic arts and engineering professionals: Video and photo editors fill up and wear out storage faster than most other folks. Replacing or adding a 2TB hard drive will be cheaper than replacing a 500GB SSD, though that gap is closing.
- General users: These folks are a toss-up. Users who prefer to download or stash large amounts of their own media files locally will still need a hard drive with more capacity; SSDs get expensive quickly for big video and music collections. But if you mostly stream your music and videos online, buying a smaller SSD for the same money will give you a better experience.
Toshiba Hard Drive comparison
| S300 Surveillance (3.5 inch) | N300 NAS (3.5 inch) | X300 Performance (3.5 inch) | L200 Laptop PC (2.5 inch) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application(2) | Office Surveillance system, sDVR, sNVR | Small Office / Home Office Network system | Gaming, Graphics, Photo/Video Editing | Mobile Computing, Console Gaming |
| Capacities(1) | 10TB, 8TB, 6TB, 4TB | 14TB, 12TB, 10TB, 8TB, 6TB, 4TB | 14TB, 12TB, 10TB, 8TB, 6TB, 4TB | 2TB, 1TB |
| Interface | SATA 6 Gbit/s | SATA 6 Gbit/s | SATA 6 Gbit/s | Up to SATA 6 Gbit/s |
| Recording Technology | CMR | CMR | CMR | Drive-Managed SMR |
| Rotational Speed | Up to 7200 RPM | 7200 RPM | 7200 RPM | 5400 RPM |
| Cache Size | Up to 256 MB | Up to 256 MB | Up to 256 MB | Up to 128 MB |
| Drive Bays Supported(5) | Up to 8 | Up to 8 | ||
| Cameras Supported | Up to 64 | |||
| 24/7 Operation(9) | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Workload Rate(6) | Up to 180 TB/yr | Up to 180 TB/yr |
Toshiba vs Seagate hard drive comparison
| Toshiba X300 12TB Performance & Gaming Internal Hard Drive | Seagate BarraCuda 8TB Internal Hard Drive HDD | Seagate Exos 7E8 8TB Internal Hard Drive HDD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cache Memory Installed Size | 256.00 | 256.00 | 256.00 |
| Digital Storage Capacity | 12 TB | 8 TB | 8 TB |
| Hard Disk Rotational Speed | 7200 rpm | 5400 rpm | 7200.0 rpm |
| Hard Disk Size | 12 TB | 8 TB | — |
| Hard Disk Form Factor | 3.50 inches | 3.50 inches | 3.50 inches |
| Hardware Interface | SATA 6.0 Gb/s | SATA 6.0 Gb/s | SATA 6.0 Gb/s |
| Item Dimensions | 5.79 x 4.00 x 1.03 inches | 5.79 x 4.00 x 0.79 inches | 5.79 x 4.01 x 1.03 inches |
| Size | 12TB | 8TB | 8TB |
Toshiba vs Western Digital hard drive comparison
| Toshiba HDWR21CXZSTA X300 12TB Performance & Gaming Internal Hard Drive 7200 RPM SATA 6GB/s256 MB Cache 3.5 Inch | Western Digital 6TB WD Black Performance Internal Hard Drive – 7200 RPM Class, SATA 6 Gb/s, 256 MB Cache, 3.5″ – WD6003FZBX | |
|---|---|---|
| Cache Memory Installed Size | 256.00 | 256.00 |
| Digital Storage Capacity | 12 TB | 6 TB |
| Hard Disk Rotational Speed | 7200 rpm | 7200 rpm |
| Hard Disk Size | 12 TB | 6000 |
| Hard Disk Form Factor | 3.50 inches | 3.50 inches |
| Hardware Interface | SATA 6.0 Gb/s | SATA 6.0 Gb/s |
| Item Dimensions | 5.79 x 4.00 x 1.03 inches | 5.79 x 4.00 x 1.03 inches |
| Size | 12TB | 6TB |
Detailed hard drive comparison – what is the best HDD?
Seagate FireCuda Mobile – Best laptop hard drive
Adds more pep to a laptop than an HDD
SPECIFICATIONS
Interface: SATA 6GbpsCapacity: 500GB – 2TB + 8GBCache: 64 MBRPM: 5,400
REASONS TO BUY
+Multiple capacity options+Performance above a standard HDD
REASONS TO AVOID
-Flash storage comes at a premium
Upgrading the storage in a laptop can be tough, since the hard drives are much smaller. There aren’t a lot of impressive 2.5-inch hard drives, as anything fast comes with a serious markup, but Seagate’s 2.5-inch FireCuda hybrid drive strikes a nice balance. It offers an easy way to add loads of storage to a laptop while also giving it a speed boost thanks to 8GB of flash storage. A five-year warranty on the drive will also help ensure it lasts a long time.
Toshiba X300 – Best for high capacity
Big drives at nimble speeds
SPECIFICATIONS
Interface: SATA 6GbpsCapacity: 4 – 8TBCache: 128MBRPM: 7,200
REASONS TO BUY
+Massive storage+High speeds
REASONS TO AVOID
-Short warranty
Even if its laptops aren’t as popular as they used to be, Toshiba is still a huge name in computing, and has a lot to offer. When it comes to the best hard drives, the Toshiba X300 is a high-capacity, high-performance champ worth taking a look at. The X300 drives boast great gigabyte-to-dollar value without sacrificing on performance. These drives all spin at 7,200 rpm and include 128MB of cache for higher speeds. The only downside is the warranty only lasts two years, which feels short for a drive meant to store so much important data.
Seagate BarraCuda – Best hard drive
High RPM and storage at a low price
SPECIFICATIONS
Interface: SATA 6GbpsCapacity: 2 – 3TBCache: 64MBRPM: 7,200
REASONS TO BUY
+Low cost+Fast spinning disks
REASONS TO AVOID
– Limited cache
It’s almost impossible to talk about hard drives without mentioning Seagate’s BarraCuda lineup – it’s a force to be reckoned with. And, it’s not hard to see why, Seagate BarraCuda drives offer a great gigabyte-per-dollar ratio and speed benefits to top it off. The 2TB model hits a sweet spot by balancing high performance and affordability. Since this drive combines 7,200rpm platters and high density data, computers outfitted with this drive will be able to read data extraordinarily fast.
WD Blue Desktop – Best budget hard drive
Heavy on storage, light on price
SPECIFICATIONS
Interface: SATA 6GbpsCapacity: 500GB – 6TBCache: 64MBRPM: 5,400 – 7,200
REASONS TO BUY
+An option for every budget+Faster option available
REASONS TO AVOID
-Less value from smaller drives
Western Digital offers a solid bargain with its line of WD Blue hard drives. With a wide variety of storage options from a small 500GB to a capacious 6TB, the WD Blue is a viable pick for almost any type of PC build that’s sticking to a budget. The best value comes from the larger drives – they’ll give you much more storage per dollar spent. And, if you’re looking for a bit more speed, there are also 7,200rpm models available that don’t come with too much of a price hike.
WD VelociRaptor – Best gaming hard drive
Faster spinning, faster gaming
SPECIFICATIONS
Interface: SATA 6GbpsCapacity: 250GB – 1TBCache: 64MBRPM: 10,000
REASONS TO BUY
+Insane HDD speed+Built-on cooler
REASONS TO AVOID
-Priced like an SSD
When it comes to PC gaming, it’s better to be fast than capacious. So, if you’ve been resisting the allure of an SSD, and looking to kick it old school with one of the best hard drives, the WD VelociRaptor should be up your alley. Not only does this drive have a whopping 10,000 rpm spin speed, but you’re going to want to pay attention to it. With capacities up to 1TB, the VelociRaptor drives are ready to store large game libraries, and the super fast platters will help your games launch and load quickly.
Seagate Firecuda Desktop – Best hybrid hard drive
Faster than a HDD, cheaper than an SSD
SPECIFICATIONS
Interface: SATA 6GbpsCapacity: 1TB – 2TB + 8GBCache: 64 MBRPM: 7,200
REASONS TO BUY
+NAND-boosted performance+An already fast platter
REASONS TO AVOID
-No competition
SSDs are incredibly popular, and it’s not hard to see why. But, if you need a lot of fast storage, and you don’t have a vault of cash, hybrid hard drives are a great option. The SeaGate FireCuda is the best hybrid hard drive on the market. It can fit up to 2TB of data, and then its 8GB of solid state cache storage learns which data you use most, so that you can access it quickly. That speed boost is even sweeter when you consider that this drive spins at 7,200rpm. With a 5-year warranty and an approachable price tag, it’s easy to see why this is one of the best hard drives you can buy today.
G-Technology G-Drive : Best external hard drive
Life in spinning disks
SPECIFICATIONS
Interface: USB 3.1 (Type-C)Capacity: 4 – 10TB
REASONS TO BUY
+ Fantastic performance + USB Type-C V2
REASONS TO AVOID
– Bigger than expected
A lot of people seem to think that the best hard drives are ancient and dead technology in 2020. However, with devices like the G-Technology G-Drive, you can show the naysayers in your life that spinning disks have their own place in the future. Not only does this external hard drive offer huge amounts of storage – up to 10 TB – but thanks to Thunderbolt 3 compatibility, it can even charge your laptop while you work. If you have a MacBook Pro, it’s hard to think of a better work companion.
Seagate IronWolf NAS – Best NAS hard drive
Storage-galore for the network
SPECIFICATIONS
Interface: SATA 6GbpsCapacity: 6 – 12TBCache: 256MBRPM: 7,200
REASONS TO BUY
+Ready for RAID+Faster than smaller options
REASONS TO AVOID
-Pricier than non-NAS drives
It’s a little unfortunate that the Seagate IronWolf NAS drives come at a premium, but they aren’t priced much more expensively than a standard hard drive at their capacity. However, their native NAS optimization makes that premium totally worth it. These drives are capable of running at a fast 7,200rpm spin rate 24/7 without having to worry about drive failure. Really, if you have one of the best NAS devices for your business or home, the Seagate IronWolf NAS really is your best bet.
WD My Book – Best game console hard drive
For when you need to fit all the games
SPECIFICATIONS
Interface: USB 3.0Capacity: 3 – 20TB
REASONS TO BUY
+Massive storage options+Simpler upgrade solution
REASONS TO AVOID
-Potentially slower
Game consoles hard drives fill up fast with massive libraries. And, like laptops, the upgrade path for 2.5-inch hard drives isn’t all that great, but that’s where an external drive comes in. The WD My Book strikes an amazing balance of storage and price, offering enough room for massive game libraries. Running on USB 3.0, it may not be quite as fast as an internal drive upgrade, but it will run games and offer more storage at a cheaper rate.
