20 best hard drives

Hard drive or hard drive – one of the main elements of any modern computer responsible for the storage of information. The device consists of magnetic disks of aluminum or glass plates of circular shape and head reading/writing information. Basic qualitative characteristics of the hard disk is the storage capacity, read speed, and read data, the rotation speed, seek time, sector, level of noise and shock resistance at work (for HDD). In addition, for many users when buying a hard drive is a very important characteristic is the reliability and durability of the device.

The rankings of the best hard drives were taken into account the technical characteristics, the device's popularity, availability on the shelves, the optimal ratio of price and quality and real user reviews.

THE BEST HDD HARD DRIVES FOR DESKTOP 1-2 TB

HDD (Hard Drive Disk) is the most popular type of drive for the personal computer. These hard drives are available in the market for a long time and still are in high demand due to high capacity, affordable price and relatively long service life. The main drawback of HDD-ROM is the low resistance to mechanical damage. In particular, such devices are afraid of bumps and shaking during the operation. Therefore, choosing a reliable HDD, it is important to look at parameters such as shock resistance during operation and storage.

The most popular manufacturers of HDD hard drives for desktop computers are Toshiba (Japan), Western Digital (United States) and Seagate (USA).

3 WESTERN DIGITAL WD10EZRZ

The best HDD on 1 TB in terms of price and quality
Country: USA
Rating (2021): 4.6

Cheap Western Digital model WD10EZRZ takes the third place ranking HDD hard drives for personal computers. The drive has a capacity of 1 TB, with the affordable price that makes it quite popular in the market. Thanks to the support of sectors of 4 KB, the disk uses its useful volume as efficiently as possible. Read speed and write speed is the same and is 150 Mbps.

Among the advantages of the testimonials of customers indicate fast operation, low noise and small operating temperature. The device consumes little, only 3.3 watts, so it will not be necessary when installing the drive to replace the power supply. An important parameter of the storage time leaps between different tracks, which is 0.4 seconds, which provides high speed operation. The disadvantages include some difficulty settings.

2 SEAGATE ST1000DM010

Low price
Country: USA
Average price: 3 040 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.7

The silver medalist of the rating becomes very affordable model from Seagate. According to its characteristics it is very close to representative of WD, but at slightly lower cost, offers higher performance. Volume – 1 TB – best option for most home users. The claimed speed read and write 156 MB/s, but the user reviews say about even higher figures – up to 200 MB/s sequential read.

It also advantages include relatively low noise and minimal heat: under load, the disk is heated to 41 degrees, although the maximum allowed is almost a third higher. The only claim to Seagate too strict environmental control. Yes, the hard drive consumes 5.3 W, but due to the factory settings, the drive goes to sleep very quickly, which when you switch music tracks, for example, there is a tangible delay.

1 TOSHIBA HDWD120UZSVA

The largest volume (2 TB)
Country: Japan (made in China)
Average price: 4 554 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.8

The leadership category will give the most capacious hard drive. Model Toshiba with a capacity of 2 terabytes a few years ago might seem excessive and expensive, but today, in connection with increasing volumes of information and cheaper technology becomes quite relevant.

The device is made in 3.5’ form factor. The disc rotation speed of 7200 rpm that provides an acceptable speed of 150 MB/s on writes and reads. The manufacturer claims that while working the drive produces only 28 dB of noise, which is confirmed by users in reviews. Of the shortcomings – high heat. Temperatures easily reach 50 degrees, with a critical level of 65 C. of the nice features of note self-diagnosis function of the disc, which is designed to extend the life and maintain the speed at the initial level.

The manufacturer offers only a two year warranty, but users are saying about trouble-free work for 4-5 years, but because of doubts about the reliability arises.

The majority of users for personal use, it is enough 1-2 terabytes of memory. You can store all your files, music and even a collection of your favorite movies. But sometimes it takes much more memory. Videographers, editors and other professionals working with very large files, need 3-4, or even 10 TB of memory. For such people, we picked the four most capacious Winchester.

4 WESTERN DIGITAL WD BLUE DESKTOP 4 TB (WD40EZRZ)

The best option for home archive
Country: USA (made in China, Malaysia)
Average price: 8 200 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.6

Open category rather modest hard drive of the infamous Western Digital. Official disk capacity of 4 TB, in fact, users complain about the availability only of 3.63 TB. On the other hand, the average cost allows you to forgive many of the shortcomings.

Disk rotational speed 5400 rpm cache only 64 MB. Because of this, the overall performance of the low – with sequential write/read speed is kept at 149-155 MB/s. But such modesty is allowed to make WD Blue Desktop 4 Tb maximum cool and quiet. In operation, the noise level does not exceed 28 dB, vibration is almost completely absent, and the temperature even at maximum load of not crossing the mark of 40 degrees. This allows you to build a very quiet reliable computers with multiple drives assembled a couple of HDD in RAID 1 and you can not worry about data safety.

3 SEAGATE ST3000DM007

Affordable price
Country: USA (made in Thailand)
Average price: 6 690 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.7

The three leaders HDD for desktop computers entered the model of bar BarraCuda from Seagate. The price per terabyte than the previous party, but most casual users probably more interested in what the bronze prize-winner. Capacity 3.5’ disk 3 TB. This is more than enough for storing the personal archive of photos, music and TV shows.

About the reliability of information from customers virtually no. Officially claimed the life of 1800 days (5 years), warranty 720 days.

2 WESTERN DIGITAL 6 TB WD BLACK (WD6003FZBX)

Highest speed of work
Country: USA (made in China, Malaysia)
Average price: 480 19 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.8

If the ruler is Blue from Western Digital is designed for home use, the “WD Black” is positioned as a tool for professionals. A 6TB capacity model. Such volumes are useful, for example, operators and editors who have to deal with "source code" with a volume of several tens or even hundreds of gigabytes.

The disc rotates at a speed of 7200 rpm which in combination with the buffer on 256 MB provides speed writing and reading at the level 225-230 MB/s – this is a record performance in the class. You will have to put up with high noise levels: during operation, the disc gives 36 dB in idle – 29 dB. Also, the user will have to provide good ventilation in the PC case, because the temperature range is small (5 to 55 degrees), and the level of heating due to the high speed high. Power consumption of 9.1 watts.

In addition to high speed the manufacturer guarantees the maximum reliability. Official warranty 1800 days. What are the disadvantages? High cost. 1 TB of memory on this disk is worth one and a half times more expensive than the competition (3250 RUB.)

Best price for 1 TB
Country: Japan (made in China)
Average price: 20 228 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.8

In contrast to the previous caller, the proposed model with a minimum storage cost. For 10 TB you will have to pay only 17-18 thousand rubles. The scope of the model is the same – storing and processing video of high quality. Of course, you can watch and model the larger capacity – other manufacturers offer for home use hard drives with capacity up to 14 TB – but the cost of one terabyte of memory in this case will be much higher.

Besides, our leader can boast not only quantitative but also qualitative indicators. The disc rotates at a speed of 7200 rpm cache size 256 MB speed reading and writing has been as high as 200 MB/s. Model undoubtedly relates to noisy even in idle the noise level reaches 34 dB. Unfortunately, due to the novelty of the HDD, opinions about its reliability, but the manufacturer provides 730 days warranty and claims 600 000 hours MTBF – an excellent result.

THE BEST HARD DRIVES, HYBRID HDD + SSD

Hybrid hard drive is considered as a better storage device, as it combines the positive sides of HDD and SSD drives. Hybrid drive first saves data to the flash memory and then transfers them to a magnetic drive. It increases the speed of information transmission, increasing the life of the vehicle and reduced energy costs. The only significant disadvantage of a hybrid is the high price.

3 SEAGATE ST1200MM0129

Server hybrid drive
Country: USA
Average price: 13 750 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.7

Overview of hybrid hard drives will start with the model of "not for everyone". Model ST1200MM0129 from Seagate – in fact, the only manufacturer of hybrid drives at the moment – belongs to a class of server disks. The device can be safely used in consumer desktops. The format is 2.5”, but due to the thickness of 15 mm to use the drive in the laptop fail. The volume is not a record, only 1200 GB. But the volume of flash memory is 16 GB, which means the vast majority of files will be transferred at the maximum speed. The disk also affects the speed spindle speed 10 000 rpm. Great result to which the majority of competitors are not even close selected. Also worth noting is work through the SAS interface, providing a theoretical data transfer rate of 1,200 MB/sec. Finally, the advantages include low latency – only 2.9 s – one and a half times lower than that of other winchesters.

Cons as well. The most noticeable – the price. For the bronze medalist will have to pay about 13.5 thousand rubles. Also note the fact that to connect this need SAS HDD or SAS/SATA cart. A normal SATA cable will not fit! However, the disadvantages kompensiruet high work rate and a five-year manufacturer's warranty.

2 SEAGATE ST2000LX001

The most capacious hybrid hard drive
Country: USA
Average price: 6 790 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.7

Most recently, we were surprised on presentations hard disk 1-2 TB, and today we look at the model ST2000LX015 capacity of 2 TB and a thickness of only 7 mm! The form factor is 2.5”, so Winchester can be used in all types of devices – desktop PCs, monoblocks and compact laptops. The speed of rotation of the spindle, for the sake of quiet and low-power consumption, 5400 rpm. the Manufacturer stated the speed of communication at 140 MB/s. Actual measurements are very close to this figure.

But in the long run the HDD should work even faster, because there is 8 GB of flash memory, which automatically uploaded the most popular files for faster access. To assess directly the effectiveness of this solution difficult, but the feedback users report improved performance after some time from the beginning of use. The cost differs slightly from the classic competitors.

1 SEAGATE ST1000LX015

Best hybrid hard disk format 2.5’
Country: USA
Rating (2021): 4.8

The leader of the rating is another representative of the series hybrid drives Seagate. Form factor of 2.5. This is suitable for installation not only in desktop, but in laptop. The hard disk capacity is 1 TB, 8 GB carries a flash drive. Disk rotational speed is only 5400 rpm, which can hardly be called a good result. Speed sequential read and write at 140 and 110 MB/s respectively.

Acoustic comfort, according to the manufacturer, just excellent – only 22 dB at work. However, some users report some noise in the positioning of the head. Though in everyday use you will hardly pay attention to it.

BEST HARD DRIVES FOR NOTEBOOK

3 WESTERN DIGITAL WD5000LPLX

Best price. Popular HDD drive for laptop
Country: USA (made in China, Malaysia)
Average price: 3 350 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.6

Opens three of the best hard drives for laptops 2019 model Western Digital WD5000LPLX. Thanks to the popular form factor 2.5” it will fit in the absolute majority of portable computers. Storage capacity – 500 GB, which is enough for storing large amount of documentation. Technology HDD prolongs the life of the vehicle and allows you to operate it for several years without resorting to replacement.

The advantages of this model in the reviews buyers include a good rate of exchange, guarantee for 5 years and a reasonable amount of cache. External data transfer rate 600 Mbit/s, which allows you to quickly display the requested documents. Among the weaknesses of this device – the heating of the intensive work and high level of noise when reading from the drive.

2 SEAGATE ST1000LM048

Excellent ratio price/capacity. The quietest model
Country: USA (made in Thailand)
Average price: 3 590 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.7

Silver medal categories give models from Seagate. Winchester is about halfway between competitors as to price and performance. Capacity of 2.5’ drive is 1 TB is the optimal solution for most users. The spindle speed of 5400 rpm Along with cache of 128 MB it provides a sequential read speed of 125 MB/s write 88 MB/s.

Separate attention are important for mobile computers temperature and noise. If you believe the reviews, the disc is heated up to 27-28 degrees. It is worth considering that this figure can vary greatly depending on the laptop model, namely, ventilation. With the noise still good. In operation, the volume does not exceed 22 dB – will only hear in the quietest room. Finally, the shock resistance at work ST1000LM048 can withstand overloads up to 400G!

1 WESTERN DIGITAL WD BLUE MOBILE 2 TB (WD20SPZX)

The biggest hard drive for laptops
Country: USA
Average price: 5 800 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.8

For fans to store all your files on the hard drive model of the series Blue from Western Digital capacity 2 TB. This series drives the middle class. Version WD20SPZX made in 2.5” form factor and has a minimum thickness of only 7 mm. due to this, it can be installed even in the most compact laptops or desktop, not to mention the huge desktop PCs. The spindle speed of 5400 rpm. Maximum performance so can not be achieved, but power consumption (1.8 W) and noise (24 dB at work) don't bother.

Technical characteristics nothing outstanding. Read and write disk gives around 125-130 MB/s. When the space velocity is halved, as it should be in theory. In the end, we have before us a simple but high quality, quiet and very large hard drive for any problems.

BEST EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES

4 SEAGATE EXPANSION PORTABLE DRIVE 5 TB

The most capacious external hard drive
Country: USA
Average price: 7 773 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.6

What is the volume of your flash drive? And the computer store? Whatever you answer, almost certainly all of them will fit on a single external hard drive from Seagate. The capacity of this monster nearly 5 TB. Devices HDD communicates through USB 3.0 with a maximum throughput of 500 MB/s. Actual figures will be kept at the level of 120-140 MB/s.

The minimalistic design of the device - rectangle with rounded corners is diluted by a polygonal pattern on the top face. Pleases the eye a narrow strip of status indicator - stylish and functional. Note a sufficiently large thickness of the disc, 20 mm, but with such a capacious storage in any way. Also, the user reviews complain of slim Flex case. Perhaps it is a consequence of the pursuit of weight reduction.

3 TOSHIBA CANVIO 1TB READY

Best value
Country: Japan
Average price: 3 980 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.5

The third place of the ranking of the best external hard drive is a Toshiba Canvio 1TB Ready. This model has the lowest cost among the competitors at the Top, however, the characteristics are not inferior to them. As the drive is used HDD capacity of 1 TB, which copes with the storage of large files. The USB 3.0 interface is achieved good data transfer speeds up to 500 Mbps. Practical plastic case is perfectly resistant to mechanical loads and securely retain the contents.

The advantages of this model in reviews users include small dimensions, low weight and high reliability. In addition, the drive has sufficient protection against bumps and drops. Competent software allows you to match the media with a variety of media devices. Among the shortcomings – a short cord and a non-standard connector for connecting from the hard drive.

2 WESTERN DIGITAL MY PASSPORT WIRELESS 2 TB PRO

The most versatile external HDD. Support WiFi
Country: USA
Average price: 14 777 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.8

Silver medalist of the competition seems insanely expensive, but the cost is more than kompensiruet set of features. First and foremost, you should pay attention to the storage capacity from 1 TB to 4 TB depending on the version. In addition to the standard external HDD with USB 3.0 interface, the device supports Wi-Fi. With it, My Passport Wireless Pro can communicate simultaneously with multiple devices - computers-for Windows, MacOS and Linux, as well as with the popular mobile OS. Moreover, no external power supply required - inside, in addition, there is a battery of 6400 mAh that provides up to 10 hours of battery life. Finally, transfer information and without connection to a PC or mobile device - on the body there are slots for SD card and USB flash drive for automatic file migration.

With all the richness of functionality we have a pretty compact device with dimensions 126х126х24 mm. the design on the fan, but to call it boring language does not turn. In conclusion, I would like to note that the model is perfect for photographers and operators.

1 ADATA DASHDRIVE DURABLE HD650 USB 3.1 1 TB

The optimal ratio of price and quality
Country: China
Average price: 3 560 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.8

The best external hard drives 2019 is ADATA DashDrive Durable HD650 1TB. This drive is 1TB is one of the most popular available today in the market. Thanks to the USB 3.1 connection provides data transfer rate up to 500 Mbit/s Standard form factor 2.5” drive makes a fairly compact (weighs only 201 grams.) In the storage device HDD 1 installed.

Among the strengths of this model in the reviews users give off a pleasant appearance, good speed and shock-resistant housing. The engineers paid special attention to safety devices as external drives are quite often subject to physical influences. The drive is compatible with most modern devices, ranging from laptops and smartphones, and ending with TV. The disadvantages include a short cord and low build quality.

BEST HARD DRIVES FOR THE SERVER

Hard drives for servers have increased reliability and speed (rotation speed up to 15000 rpm). To connect server use parallel disk (SCSI) and serial (SATA, SAS) interface. The uptime of such devices, as a rule, exceeds 1 million hours. The most common width of the (form factor) hard drives for the server is 3.5 inches, but the increasing popularity began to acquire the device is 2.5 inches. It is known that the smaller the width, the more economical is the hard disk.

3 WESTERN DIGITAL WD20EFRX

Great value and quality
Country: USA
Average price: 6 861 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.6

The leader of the rating of the best hard drives for the server model from Western Digital WD20EFRX. The drive has a capacity of 2 TB, and thanks to the SATA 6GB/s interface delivers maximum data transmission speed of up to 600 Mbit/s. uptime, according to the manufacturer is 1,000,000 hours, which indicates the high reliability of the device. Successful engineering solutions allow you to store the disk in temperatures from -40 to 70 °C.

In many reviews users are saying about quiet operation, increased warranties and the absence of vibrations, as the strong sides of this model. Thanks to the unique technology NCQ, the drive can handle multiple commands at once, which positively affects its performance. Regarding the neighbors on the Top, it is the most economical – the consumption of just 4.4 watts. The disadvantages of this device include the inflated cost and strict requirements ambient temperature during operation.

2 SEAGATE ST4000VN008

Excellent value of value and volume
Country: USA
Average price: 8 113 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.7

The server hard drive from Seagate can be classified as normal. Nothing outstanding, but its work the unit performs perfectly. The price is a little more than 8 thousand rubles, with the volume to 4 TB gives a very "tasty"price per 1 GB of memory. Speed consistently good. Around 130-140 MB/s. spindle Speed is slightly above the standard 5900 rpm.

The reviews praised Winchester for the low level of noise and vibration. The model is designed for use in NAS, but in the ordinary desktop computer, it will take root. At the moment there is no information about the experience of long-term use ST4000VN008, but for the year, according to the users, no incidents occurred. Also gives confidence Google before failure of 1,000,000 hours. Not a record for server technology, but the average user is enough.

1 WESTERN DIGITAL ULTRASTAR DC HC530 14 TB (WUH721414ALE6L4)

Best capacity (14 TB). Record time to failure
Country: USA
Average price: 27 930 ₽
Rating (2021): 4.8

Finally, a record many indicators hard disk. First, the model sports a 14 GB internal space. This capacity was achieved by filling the hull with helium. Speed performance is also encouraging. For reading and writing the disk is given approximately 270 MB/s - unattainable number for most of Winchester. Even when the space on the Board ends, the rate drops to only up to 130-140 MB/s. the temperatures outside reach 45 degrees when placed in a desktop enclosure should attend a good blowout.

Acoustic comfort means different things to users. Some reviews complain of excessive noise, others praised for the silence compared to competitors. Information about the reliability a bit, but to doubt the security of the data is not necessary, because even the manufacturer of the chip with the firmware duplicated for greater reliability. Sorry only official five-year warranty from the manufacturer not working in our country.

How to choose the best hard drive

Hard drive, at first glance, not the most important part of your computer. Yes, the "wrong" model, your PC will still work. But in order to choose a quality drive, pay attention to our tips.

• The type of drive. To begin, decide what type of drive will suit you: HDD, SSD or HDD+SSD. Detailed information about them in the summary table above.
• Manufacturer. Information is the main value of the modern world. So your data is preserved for years to come, choose the products trusted manufacturers. For example, those we have listed above.
• Capacity. For the OS and programs is a 250 GB. Store a lot of photos and music, 1 TB of your choice. Not raise a hand to remove your favorite TV shows and movies – see the "screws" from 2 TB and above. The larger the volume, the higher the price.
• Form factor. Notebook installed hard disk drives 2.5 minutes in a desktop PC is 3.5’. Be sure to ask what format is supported by your device.
• The speed of rotation of the spindle. Can be from 5400 to 10,000 rpm. Higher the score – the better the speed. The best option are the models with a speed of 7200 rpm.
• Noise. Many users collect maximum quiet cooling system. Because of this, the crackling of the hard disk may become audible. To check this in advance will not work – just know that this situation is the place to be.

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