What
manufacturer do you recommend when it comes to hard drives?
We always recommend
Western Digital and Seagate HDD drives to our customers for their
excellent warranties, customer service, and easy RMA processes.
What
is the difference between a laptop and desktop hard drive?
The primary difference
between a desktop and laptop hard drive is the physical size of the
drive. Desktops typically use 3.5" wide hard drives while laptops use
2.5" wide hard drives. Given that desktops use larger drives they are
typically less expensive per GB than a laptop hard dive. The SATA
interface between a desktop or laptop hard drive is almost always
identical even though the drives are of different dimensional sizes. IDE
interfaces vary, however. An IDE Desktop hard drive has 40-pins. An IDE
laptop hard drive has 44-pins. To interface between the two you can buy
a converter or use a dock or drive enclosure.
What type of drive do I need -
IDE, SATA, or SATA2?
This will depend on
your available interfaces. In general if you have the choice between the
three, always go with a SATA II drive. If you must choose one then you
are tied down to what your motherboard can support. When checking your
motherboard remember that IDE connectors are a series of needle-like
pins (40pins on a desktop / 44pins on a laptop) and SATA & SATA2
connectors are typically two small L-shaped plugs - one being power and
the other being for data. The data SATA connector is physically smaller
than the SATA power connector.
What is better for me - an
internal or external hard drive?
Internal hard disks typically run faster than external drives and
are usually cheaper per GB. External hard drives are often much easier
to install and offer you maximum portability in taking your data with
you. Choose an internal drive if you're looking to buy on cost and are
comfortable with doing an internal installation of your drive. Note that
if you are replacing a drive with an internal one then you'll have to
re-install your operating system as well. Choose an external hard drive
if you want an easy installation and the option to take your data with
you as you go to a different computer.
Is there a difference
between hard drive speeds? What is 5400RPM or 7200RPM?
Your hard drives rotational spin rate (measured in RPMs) gives you
some information on how fast your data access times will be. With all
other things equal, always go for the fastest drive you can. Speed of
data access is measured using RPMs (revolutions per minute). Typical
drives range from 5400RPM to 7200RPM. A faster rotational speed means
greater performance whether you're loading your operating system or
playing a game. Choosing a lower spin rate typically leads to less heat,
less noise, and less energy consumption.
What is the difference
between ATA, PATA, and IDE?
These are just multiple names for the same interface. ATA stands for
"Advanced Technology Attachment", while IDE stands for "Integrated Drive
Electronics". PATA or Parallel ATA has become a popular name reference
given the emergence of SATA (or Serial ATA). The "P" is added to accent
the difference between PATA and SATA drives. While the name doesn't
matter, when choosing an IDE drive make sure you note that IDE laptop
drives and IDE desktop drives are incompatible sizes/interfaces and that
a SATA drive is incompatible as far as the interface.
Is
there a difference between
SATA 1 and SATA 2?
Yes and no. SATA1 (also called Serial ATA, SATA, or SATA 1.5Gb/s)
and SATA2 (also called Serial ATA 2, SATA II, or SATA 3.0Gb/s) devices
operate at different speeds. SATA I operates at a rate of 150Mb/s or
1.5Gbit/s. SATA 2 operates at speeds of up to 300Mb/s or 3.0Gbit/s. The
good news is that SATA2 drives auto-negotiate or "adjust" themselves
down to match SATA I interfaces. Given that both SATA and SATA2 use the
same connectors & cables, what this means is that you can safely buy a
SATA2 drive and use it no matter what type of SATA your system supports. |
