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Best External Hard Disk in India 2021: A Buying Guide

This is a complete buying guide to select the Best External Hard Drives. Read about types of hard drives, specifications, and things to keep in mind before purchasing.
By Amazon Business Editorial Desk Published on November 15, 2021

External hard disks are an extended arm to the internal hard disks. It helps computer or laptop users conveniently store data. Unlike the traditional internal hard drives, external hard drives are plug-n-play devices. The best external hard disks are easy to use, have a longer life span, and have high-frequency data transferring capabilities.

 

If you are looking to buy the best external hard drives for your employees, this could be your buying guide.

 

 

Top 10 Best Hard Disk in India to Consider

 

Based on the Speed

 

Based on the Budget

If budget is not a constraint, getting the best external hard disk in India is almost a cakewalk. Put a few filters, and there you have it – the best external hard disk appears in the search result for you to simply make a purchase.

However, if you are looking for economical options, here is a list for you –

 

 

Based on Gaming Performance

The reason behind anyone purchasing an external hard drive is portability or the shortage of in-device storage. Average users use external hard drives to store documents, files, videos, images, tracks, and so on. While accessing any of such files is simple, the story changes when it comes to accessing heavy applications or games. In that case, gamers need a high-speed data transfer rate from their external hard drives.

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For gaming, it’s recommended to purchase external SSDs or NVMe drives because they have much higher data transfer speed than conventional SATA drives. Here are our top picks –

 

 

What are hard disk and why do we need them?

Hard disk is the storage part inside a computer. Essentially, it is called a hard disk drive (HDD) because a disk inside the drive stores all the data – from excel files, programs, documents, applications to movies, songs, photos, recordings, and everything else. Arguably, without a hard disk drive, it is very difficult to save anything on a computer. 

While there are several types of flash drives, they could not replace the traditional hard drives until the arrival of SSDs.

Hard disks

Different types of hard disks

To know which hard disk is best, one must know how many types of hard disks there in the market are. The hard disk drives are primarily classified based on their configuration and storing process. There are mainly three types of hard disk drives available – SATA Drives, SSD Drives, and NVMe Drives.

 

SATA Drive

Hard drives connected through SATA or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment ports are called SATA drives. Most of the traditional hard disk drives are SATA drives. This is probably the most popular type of hard disk drive.

 

Features of SATA

SATA hard drives are cost-effective and can have massive storage capacity compared to other hard drives. A SATA hard disk can store between 500GB to 20TB of data. SATA drives with higher storage capacity have multiple spinning disks inside. Therefore, these types of HDDs are chunkier than SSDs or NVMe drives. Since the SATA ports are inexpensive (depending upon their storage capacity), all SATA HDDs are the best external hard disks.

 

 SSD Hard Drives 

Solid State Drives or SSDs are newer versions of SATA drives. There is a major mechanical difference between a SATA drive and an SSD drive – SSDs don’t have a rotating disk or plate inside the drive. Moreover, SSD hard drives do not have as many moving parts as conventional SATA drives. As a result, SSD drives have a longer life span.

 

Features of SSD

Compared to SATA drives, SSD drives have significantly faster data transfer speed. However, they have compact housing and have less storage capacity. Because of their design, SSDs are an ideal storage option for laptops. SSDs have gained popularity over the years. Despite the spike in their supply, the SSDs still cost two to four times higher than the SATA Drives.

 

NVMe Hard Drives  

NVMe Hard drives are the latest invention in storage devices, and these slots are the fastest among all the storage drives. NVMe drive has a 32Gb/s interface rate, higher than the 500 Mb/s read&write speed of an SSD. For comparison, traditional SATA hard disk drives have a 120Mb/s interface speed.

Another reason behind NVMe drives achieving such crazy speed is that they do not connect through any SATA or USB port. They are connected straight to the PCIe slot, which is meant for graphics card integration because of their high-speed data transfer capabilities.

 

Features of NVMe

Gamers like to use NVMe storage because of their high-speed data transfer capabilities. Besides having a 32Gb/s interface rate, it has a 3.9Gb/s throughput speed. However, there are some cons of NVMe drives –

  • They are very expensive
  • Booting the computer from NVMe is difficult
  • NVMe storage connects through PCIe slot, and therefore, one can not use it in laptops
  • The user may need to replace the motherboard to get the full benefit of an NVMe storage drive

 

SCSI Hard Drives

Small Computer System Interface or SCSI (pronounced as SKUH-Zee or Scuzzy) hard drives are advanced storage components. Primarily, SCSI hard drives are used in server computers for their high transfer speed.

Features of SCSI : SCSI Hard drives offer up to 10,000 or 15,000 RPM data transfer speed, which is a lot higher than the SATA drives. However, there is one caveat – SCSI drives come with relatively tiny storage capacities (300GB maximum).

 

SAS Hard drives

SAS drives or Serial Attached SCSI drives are advanced versions of SCSI drives. If the SCSI drive’s performance is not enough, one can use a SAS hard drive.

Features of SAS hard drives: SAS drives are faster than SCSI drives. They offer up to 6Gbit/s as compared to 5Gbit/s of SCSI drives. Moreover, SAS drives are more linkable to SATA drives. Owing to their thinner appearance, SAS drives fit into more compact devices.

 

Hybrid Storage Hard Disk Drive

Hybrid storage hard drives are nothing but a combination of HDDs and SSDs – amalgamating the best of both worlds. Many laptops these days come with hybrid storage hard drives, but if you want to buy a hybrid drive for you desktop, Seagate FireCuda 1TB Solid State Hybrid Drive can be decent product.

 

Features of Hybrid Storage Drives: Since the hybrid storage hard drives is a mix of HDDs and SSDs – they bring the best of both the products.

  • They offer fast data transfer rate like the SSDs
  • They offer larger storage space like HDDs

 

How to identify the type of your current Hard Drive?

There are many ways to check what type of storage you are using in your desktop computer/ laptop.

Process 1:

  • Press Ctrl + R to invoke the Run window.
  • Type dfrgui, and click OK.
How to identify the type of your current Hard Drive?
  • On the next pop-up window, the hard drive details will appear under the Media Type window (the image below).

 

 

Steps Hard Drives

Process 2:

  • Press Ctrl + R to invoke the Run window.
  • Type msinfo32, and click OK.
Step 3
  • On the next pop-up window, navigate to (in the left pane) Components > Storage > Disks in the left-pane. In the right-pane, you will find detailed information about the Hard Disk installed on your computer.
pop-up window

These are the easiest way to identify the type of hard drive inside your computer. There is another way, which we have shown below.

 

Process 3:

  • Right-click on Start button and click on PowerShell (Admin).
Right-click on Start button and click on PowerShell (Admin)
  • On the PowerShell screen (image below), type Get-PhysicalDisk and press the Enter key on the keyboard.
2. On the PowerShell screen (image below), type Get-PhysicalDisk and press the Enter key on the keyboard.
  • Once the command is executed, it will list the Hard Disk type on your computer under Media Type column (see above image).

Specifications to Consider while making a purchase

 

At this point, we know what the main types of hard disk drives are available in the market. We know what different features they have and their respective pros and cons. While this information is primarily on internal hard disks, they prove equally important while shopping for the best external hard disk.

If you are planning to make a bulk purchase of external hard disks, consider the following aspects –

 

Storage Capacity

All the types of HDDs mentioned in this article have varied storage capacities. For buyers seeking higher storage capacity, conventional HDDs shall be the best external hard disk for that purpose. They are relatively cheaper and offer a maximum storage space (highest in the segment). The Seagate One Touch 2TB External HDD is an excellent choice for it has a decent transfer speed yet costs a lot lower than a 2TB SSD.

 

Transfer Needs

 If you intend to assemble computers for work that requires a high-speed data transfer rate, you should focus on SSDs or NVMe drives. As we mentioned earlier, NVMe drives have an industry-leading interface rate of up to 32Gb/s. However, SSDs are a more practical and feasible choice for many reasons. They are a lot faster than the SATA hard disks and easier to install than NVMe drives. WD 2TB My Portable External Hard Drive is, for example, a 2TB storage drive that connects using USB 3.0.

 

 Cache Space

 When two components inside a computer transfer data, they use a buffer or cache memory. Generally, modern-day HDDs have 8MB to 256MB cache memory, but you should always buy the one offering a higher cache. Higher the cache memory, smoother gets the data transfer.

 

Access Time

Some may emphasize access time, but all of the modern-day hard disks have marginal differences. Therefore, access time is not a decisive parameter in choosing the best external hard disks.

 

Failure Rate

 Like any other internal component inside a computer, hard disks may also fail after some period. They have moving parts inside the drive that face wear and tear. Some HDDs fail after a year, while others keep going for several years. The key is to choose the best external hard disk from popular brands.

Amazon Business, for example, only lists premium quality external hard disks from industry-leading brands like Seagate, Toshiba, Dell, Samsung, and many others.

 

Compatibility

 Device compatibility should always be on the buyer’s checklist while searching for the best external hard disk. The best external hard drive is the one that supports Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems.

 

Additional Features that you can Consider

Apart from the features mentioned above, if you also add the following pointers to your checklist, you can get the best hard disk in India.

  • Speed
  • Connection Type
  • Cost
  • Physical Size
  • Durability
  • Energy Efficiency
  • External Hard Drives Vs Internal Hard Drives

 

External Hard Drives Vs Internal Hard Drives

 

As the names suggest, internal hard drives are internal components of a computer. In contrast, external hard drives are portable alternatives, and that’s the only fundamental difference between these two types. Now, if someone wants to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of internal and external hard drives, here is a quick look at it.

 

Internal hard drives

  •  Offer higher storage option
  • Constantly connected to your PC or laptop
  • Very cost-effective

 

External hard drives

  •  Portability is a big plus point
  •  Easy connectivity through USB ports
  • Good storage capacity on offer
  •  Compatibility across devices enhance further enhances portability

 

Top brands to consider for Hard Disks

 

Amazon Business lists the best external hard disks from premium brands. It allows customers to rest assured of the product quality. Moreover, it substantially reduces the products' failure rate. Some of the top brands producing the best external hard disks are –

 

  •  Seagate
  • Western Digital
  • A-DATA
  •  Generic
  • Toshiba
  • Generic
  •  LaCie
  •  OWC

Accessories for Hard Disk

Once you buy the best hard disk in India, you may require a handful of accessories. Without the necessary accessories, the hard drive may not churn out its best performance. So, here is a list of essential accessories that you might need. –

  • SATA Cables
  • Mounting Brackets
  • Enclosures
  • Docking Stations

 

How to purchase the best hard disk in India? – Drawing the conclusion

We hope this buying guide for the best hard disk in India precisely addresses your pain-points. The best external hard disk in India has to be the one that strikes a perfect balance between speed and capacity, compact design and seamless connectivity, last but not least, durability and portability. When these many factors vary, it’s only you who can decide the best. 

With that said, if you choose to buy from our list of recommendation, you can rest assured of quality and performance.

However, to point you in the right direction here is a tip – you can choose any of the products mentioned on our list. Any of them would be the best hard disk in India, once you wisely choose them based on your requirement. You can also browse through the electronics and accessories category on Amazon Business to find the best hard disk in India that suits your purpose. 

For those who would like to know, shopping from Amazon Business can save a lot of money for corporate houses. All the products on Amazon Business are listed with GST Invoice. It allows buyers to save up to 28% by claiming input tax credit. Not only just external hard disks or electronics, but the offers are also available across the categories. So, get your office supplies checklist ready.

 

Explore our Buying Guides

 

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FAQs

  • Most of the external hard disks work on a similar mechanism. If you purchase an external hard disk from a reputed brand, the odds of product failure are very thin.

  • First, we need to know the purpose behind buying an external hard drive. For example, if you need a big storage capacity, you can go for a SATA hard disk and save some money. Otherwise, you may need to spend some extra to purchase external SSDs that may offer less storage space but high data transfer speed.

  • There might be a difference of opinion on the internet, but, broadly speaking, hard disks and hard drives both mean storage devices in a computer or laptop. The apparent fundamental difference could be the construction of hard disk drives.

    The term hard disk might have been originated to address the fact that traditional hard disk drives have a spinning disk inside.

  • Hard disk is the storage device inside a computer. Essentially, it stores data. All of your movies, songs, files, documents, everything is stored inside a hard disk.

     

  • Yes. When the storage space runs out, the operating system itself may struggle to perform properly. Many applications may fail or shut down abnormally because of a lack of space. They cannot save new data and crash.

  • There are mainly three types of hard disk drives available: SATA Drives, SSD Drives, and NVMe Drives.

  • If you are using a laptop, the configuration detail should have the storage details (HDD/SSD). You can also check the website of the laptop manufacturer to know the storage type. Once you know the storage type, you can check the compatibility on the internet.

  • SSDs with SATA connectivity should be compatible with motherboards that have SATA ports.

  • A pen drive or USB flash drive is lightweight and ultra-portable as compared to any hard disk drive. However, the HDDs or SSDs are more durable than pen drives and offer better sequential read and write speed than USB flash drives. Besides, the external hard disks or hard disk drives are conventional storage devices that offer more convenience and tech support than pen drives.

  • It totally depends upon the number of SATA ports you have on your motherboard. If you have 5 SATA ports, you can connect up to 5 hard disk drives, given you do not connect and DVD drive. 

  • Before replacing the hard drive, format the new hard drive to your preference. Then, make sure you have backed up all data to the new hard drive. 

  • If you hear a grinding sound, the chances are there is a head failure. You should turn off the computer to power down the hard drive. Otherwise, the damaged head will keep scratching the platter and erase all the beyond recovery. With that said, some light clicking noise is normal.

  • If you are formatting an old drive, make sure your data is backed up.

    Windows users can –

    ·       Plug in the drive and open Windows Explorer

    ·       Right-click the drive and choose Format from the drop-down menu

    ·       Choose your preferred file format – FAT32, NTFS, HFS+, exFAT

    ·       Give your drive a name under the Volume label

    ·       Make sure the Quick Format box is checked

    ·       Click Start, and the computer will reformat your drive

  • The world is divided on the argument of whether it is better and safe to keep the external hard drive on all the time. There are some advantages and disadvantages –

    Advantages

    ·       It is convenient to keep the external hard drive on 24/7

    ·       It is necessary for automatic backup

    Disadvantages

    ·       Chances of virus and malware attacks

    ·       Damage due to fire or theft

    ·       Damage due to sudden power cuts

    So, there might not be any extreme danger to the device, but it is not recommended to keep the external hard drive connected and on all the time.

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