The most reliable hard drives of the year. Which hard drive is better to choose? The most expensive but proven model

Your choice must be taken with full responsibility, because the performance of your device and the safety of documents will depend on it.

When purchasing a HDD, you need to pay attention to various factors: reliability, manufacturer, technical characteristics (depending on the required tasks), compatibility with other components of your PC or laptop.

External HDD: basic parameters

Basically, when choosing external hard drives, you need to focus on the following characteristics: memory type, form factor, disk space, interface.

You also need to take into account the speed at which the disk rotates, the speed at which data is transferred, and additional functions (for example, the ability to recharge USB devices).

Let's look at the main ones.

External HDD: Form factor

The dimensions of the external drive are determined by the form factor.

• 3.5". The largest of the form factors. The main advantage: large capacity (up to tens of terabytes). The disadvantages include heavy weight and cost.
• 2.5". The most common type of disk at the moment. Pros: light weight, can be powered from a USB connector, capacity up to 500 gigabytes.
• 1.8". Today they are the most compact. The main advantage is small dimensions. The downside is that there is a small selection, since they began to be produced relatively recently.

External HDD: Interface

Interface HDD– this is a way to connect the disk directly to the computer (into which connector it is connected). The most common options are:

There are also combined systems (SSD is used for caching files, HDD is used for storing information).

• HDD is a classic of the genre. Best suited for long-term storage. Disadvantages include noise (due to moving plates).
• SSD – due to the fact that it is a solid-state drive, it does not (like an HDD) have moving parts. Main advantages: high data transfer speed, small size. One of the disadvantages is the relatively small amount of memory.

External HDD: major manufacturers

Several large companies specialize in the production of external HDDs. The most popular of them are:

Seagate (USA)

It is considered one of the largest manufacturers of external HDDs.

Among the advantages, it is worth noting the affordability, the disadvantages are reliability; most often, it is the disks of this manufacturer that are handed over to service centers.

Western Digital (USA)

A fairly well-known manufacturer that produces reliable disks that rarely break. Some models differ in their “tricks” (for example, “cool” disks with low disk rotation speed).

Transcend (Taiwan)

It is considered the most popular manufacturer of external HDDs in Russia and other post-Soviet countries. They bribe you with an affordable price.

The downside is low performance in various reliability ratings.

External HDD: the best drives of 2017

1 place. WD My Passport Ultra 1TB

The discs of this manufacturer have a well-deserved reputation for their reliability.

This model comes in five variants (depending on the capacity from 50 GB to 3 TB) and in four colors - white, blue, black and dark red.

Compatible with both PCs and laptops from .

Comes with three special utilities (WD SmartWare Pro, WD Utility, WD Security).

To work on a Mac, you will have to download a special Time Machine utility, which has a clear interface.

Main characteristics:

• Interface: USB 3.0; USB 2.0
• Volume: 500GB; 1TB; 1.5TB; 2TB; 3TB
• Write/read speed: 118MB/s, 120MB/s

Additionally: software that allows you to access cloud storage and special coding.

2nd place. Seagate Expansion 1 TB

A new model from this manufacturer, STEA1000400, has been released onto the market, which is available in five versions (depending on memory capacity): from 500 GB to 4 TB.

The only “minus” of this model is the lack of software included, but it is easy to find and download for free on the Internet.

The device is capable of supporting data transfer via USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. One port is used for power supply and receiving information; the color of the disk is black.

Main characteristics:

• Interface: USB 3.0; USB 2.0
• Volume: 500GB; 1TB; 2TB; 3TB; 4TB
• Write/read speed: 129 MB/s and 121 MB/s

Additionally: optimal ratio of cost to disk space

3rd place. Toshiba Canvio Connect II 1TB

This disk is compact, reliable and comes with good software, including the Pogoplug PC program, which costs $30 if you buy it separately from the disk.

Sold in four versions, depending on the amount of memory - from 50 GB to 3 TB. Available in five colors - black, red, white-gold, blue and white.

Capable of working with both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, however, users note possible difficulties with the first connection option.

Initially in the NTFS system, for use with Apple equipment you need to install the special program Tuxera NTFS for Mac.

Main characteristics:

• Interface: USB 3.0; USB 2.0
• Volume: 500GB; 1TB; 2TB; 3TB
• Write/read speed: 98 MB/s, 100 MB/s

Additionally: there is the possibility of automatic backup; if necessary, you can configure access from any gadget to files in Canvio Connect II.

4th place. Seagate Backup Plus/Slim 1 TB

This HDD is available in five versions, depending on the memory capacity: from 500 GB to 4 TB.

A nice bonus: after registering the disk on the manufacturer’s website, you can get 200 GB of Microsoft OneDrive for free (if you buy separately, you will have to pay $95 for this).

However, hurry up, this promotion ends on June 30th. The Seagate Dashboard application is also included with this HDD.

This device is offered in two versions: Buckup Plus Slim (thickness - 0.5 inches, memory capacity - up to 2 TB, four color options) and Seagate Buckup Plus (thickness - 1.3 inches, memory capacity - 4 TB, black only ).

Main characteristics:

• Interface: USB 3.0; USB 2.0
• Volume: 500GB; 1TB; 1.5TB; 2TB; 4TB
• Write/read speed: 125 MB/s and 120 MB/s

Additionally: free 200 GB (storage period - 2 years).

5th place. Toshiba Canvio Basics USB 3.0 1 TB

This HDD comes in five versions, depending on the memory capacity: from 500 GB to 2 TB.

For an unknown reason, the manufacturer provides different warranties for its devices, depending on the disk size: from 1 to 3 years.

The main disadvantage: the disc is sold without software, which you will have to download yourself.

This HDD is powered and transmits information using the same USB port.

The performance of this HDD is lower than that of its competitors: with a read speed of 95 MB/s, the write speed is only 89 MB/s.

Main characteristics:

• Interface: USB 3.0; USB 2.0
• Volume: 500GB; 750GB; 1TB; 1.5TB; 2TB
• Write/read speed: 95 MB/s and 89 MB/s

Additionally: the device has a built-in shock sensor, and technology has been introduced to reduce vibration during operation.

External HDD is not detected: what to do

Sometimes users encounter a problem when a laptop or computer does not see the external HDD.

The reasons may be different, let's look at the most common ones.

In most cases, they help to cope with the problem without involving a specialist in solving it.

To begin (after installing the external HDD), go to computer management.

Go to the Control Panel

To do this, you need to select the control panel, go to system and security settings.

You need to pay attention to the column on the left. It contains a menu called “Disk Management”. Go here.formatted

In this case, the order of your actions is as follows.

First, check the USB port to which you are connecting the external HDD.

To do this, just connect a regular one to it. If the flash drive is detected, then the problem is not with the USB port.

In this case, go to the device manager (click “Control Panel”, go to the “System and Security” tab, then select “Device Manager”.

We look at two tabs: disk devices and other devices.

This screenshot shows that the operating system did not see the drivers for the external HDD, which is why the computer did not find it.

There are two ways to correct the situation:

1. First, click the “Update hardware configuration” tab; after activating it, the drivers are installed automatically.

If the necessary drivers are not on your computer, one of the special driver search programs, of which there are many on the Internet, will come to the rescue, or search for the required driver on the manufacturer’s website.

2. The second option is preferable, since you may accidentally download the wrong driver and the device will still not work.

conclusions

An external HDD is a useful purchase for those who want to significantly expand the memory of their smartphone, laptop or computer.

The choice depends on the technical requirements for the device, the preferences of the person himself, and, ultimately, financial capabilities.

When choosing an external HDD, also pay attention to where the product is purchased.

In branded stores, devices may cost more than “on hand”.

However, the higher price will be paid off by such a “trifle” as a guarantee from the official manufacturer, which will allow you to exchange or return the faulty device for quite a long time.

A regular flash drive is not suitable for moving a large number of files due to the small amount of memory. . An external drive comes to the rescue, which can be used to store important data, backups and other files. Let's talk about which external hard drive is best to buy in 2019.

How to choose an external hard drive

Before purchasing, you need to pay attention to the drive parameters.

Advice! For long-term data storage, it is better to use HDD.

Memory

It all depends on your requirements. For some, 120 GB is enough, and for others, 5 TB is not enough. The larger the memory capacity, the more expensive the device.

Users have access to a variety of sizes from 80 GB to 14 TB.

Read/write speed

One of the most important parameters. Directly depends on the disk rotation speed and affects the speed of operation, copying and other operations.

• 5400-5900 rpm - used on simple laptops. Don't expect high performance.
• 7200 rpm - shows excellent performance. Typically the read/write speed is 180 MB/s. Not bad parameters for HDD.
• 10,000 rpm and more is a very fast, but noisy option. Write speed is about 200 MB/s. An ideal solution for transporting large volumes of data.

Solid state drives (SSDs) are also popular. Their speed is significantly higher than HDD, but so is their cost. A high-quality “solid state” can produce up to 850 MB/s on read/write.

Interface

If your computer or laptop has an outdated connection interface, then there is no point in buying high-speed drives. Let's look at the types that can be found now.

• SATA is a slow connector that is usually used to connect an internal drive.
• USB is the most popular option. USB 2.0 is significantly slower than USB 3.0. When choosing a drive, you need to take the second option.
• Thunderbolt is a high-speed standard developed by Apple. Increasingly used by third party manufacturers due to its very high throughput.

The best external memory drives

Now let’s take a closer look at each of the models described above in more detail.

HDD

Let's look at popular hard drives that can be called the best in their category.

The main feature of My Passport ultra is advanced management through proprietary utilities. The manufacturer claims that this is ideal for:

• creating backup copies;
• long-term data storage;
• file encryption;

Both Windows and MacOS are supported. The device comes with a 3-year warranty, which confirms its reliability.

High speed, compact dimensions and advanced control - this is how My Passport ultra can be characterized.

The matte body with a textured surface looks unusual, although it cannot be called compact. To operate, the HDD must be connected to a 220 Volt power source via the supplied adapter.

In terms of speed, everything is at the highest level - about 200 MB/s. During operation, the Expansion is noisy and vibrates due to its high speed.

The best option for those who plan to use the drive in extreme conditions. The case is protected according to the military standard MIL-STD-810G 516.6 + IP68. You can swim with it, fall and not be afraid of losing data.

Read/write at 120 MB/s is a good indicator for a HDD with this number of revolutions. If you are constantly on the go, then this is the option for you.

SSD

Solid state drives are significantly faster than their hard drive counterparts. They cost accordingly.

When you first get acquainted with the device, you can’t even believe that such a small case can accommodate a huge amount of files. To connect, use a USB type C - type C or USB type C - type A (3.1) cable.


When connected to a PC via USB-C, speeds reach 530 MB/s for reading and 483 MB/s for writing. If you use USB 3.1, then 425 MB/s and 429 MB/s, respectively. There is support for connecting to Android smartphones.

Through a special utility you can set a password for accessing files.

An ultra-fast SSD, which the manufacturer called “faster than fast.” Read/write speed reaches 850 MB/s. The device is connected to the computer via USB 3.1.

The durable case will protect your files if they fall from a small height. There is encryption support (based on 128-bit AES encryption technology).

To be honest, we had doubts whether it was worth summing up the development of hard drives this year. Mechanical drives themselves will not soon cease to exist even in home computers, not to mention storage of large volumes of information, but the general public has long lost interest in how HDD manufacturers are gradually increasing the density of magnetic recording and producing devices of ever larger volume. However, at least for now, it seems to us that the tradition is worth continuing. Over the past year, the industry has mastered one of the key technologies needed to conquer new frontiers of capacity, TDMR (Two Dimensional Magnetic Recording), and is now on the cusp of a significant transformation associated with the introduction of thermomagnetic recording.

2018 allowed hard drives to reach a capacity of 15 TB using tile data recording (SMR - Shingled Magnetic Recording), and devices based on standard PMR (Perpendicular Magnetic Recording) are available in a 14 TB configuration. In addition, there has been renewed progress in thin 2.5-inch SATA HDDs, which have reached 2 TB without the help of SMR. At the same time, entire families of hard drives, which were produced earlier, but no longer meet the needs of the buyer, spoiled by solid-state memory, have retired. Let's take a closer look at what the magnetic storage market landscape looks like today.

⇡ Server HDDs of 3.5-inch form factor

Nearline hard drives are at the forefront of the fight for storage density and achieve new capacity levels year after year. At the end of 2017, Toshiba conquered the 14 TB mark with the MG07ACA drive series, but then its catalog was replenished only with similar models under the MG07SCA brand with a capacity of 12 and 14 TB, perhaps with a SAS interface instead of SATA. However, Toshiba has paved the way for the market with the latest Showa Denko platters with a usable capacity of 1.55 TB using standard perpendicular recording technology, which have already found their way into consumer devices.

Seagate and Western Digital took the baton of innovation this year. Thus, Seagate introduced the Exos X14 Nearline drive with a capacity of 14 TB. Unlike Toshiba's similar offering, the Exos X14's sealed helium-filled chassis houses eight platters with a capacity of 1.75TB each. Such a high data storage density was achieved through the use of so-called two-dimensional magnetic recording, although in this case it is more correct to talk about reading. TDMR (Two Dimensional Magnetic Recording) is one of the technologies that we have been waiting for for several years to be introduced into commercial hard drives. This technique in itself does not lead to an increase in recording density, but it makes it more reliable to read data from closely spaced tracks. TDMR increases the signal-to-noise ratio by using an array of heads that process one or more tracks simultaneously. In the new Seagate model, it works “on top” of standard perpendicular magnetic recording, and more sophisticated methods - SMR or HAMR (Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording) - are not used. The extremely high platter capacity combined with a spindle speed of 7200 rpm should make the Exos X14 not only Seagate's highest-capacity magnetic drive, but also the most productive among Nearline class offerings, although the manufacturer has not yet disclosed specific specifications of the new models.

Server HDDs manufactured by Western Digital underwent a complete rebranding last year as a result of the integration of the legacy of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies into the united corporation. The life of the mass of small-capacity Nearline models that used to appear on the HGST website has officially ended, and even the very mention of HGST has completely disappeared from the name of hard drives.

Thus, drives based on the HelioSeal platform with capacities from 8 to 12 TB are now concentrated under the new WD Ultrastar DC HD500 brand (with the exception of WD Gold, which still retains a separate brand). The company has expanded this series with the DC HC530 drive, which, like Seagate's Exos X14, contains eight 1.75 TB platters with a total capacity of 14 TB. This model also features TDMR technology combined with perpendicular magnetic recording. Unlike Seagate, Western Digital has published detailed specifications for its advanced drive. It is known that the new generation two-stage actuator in the Ultrastar DC HC530 carries two read heads, and the sustained linear read/write speed reaches 267 MB/s. To speed up random write operations, a 512 MB DRAM buffer and the so-called Media Cache are used - a system of reserve zones distributed over the platter area.

While Seagate has long lost interest in tiled magnetic recording (Seagate's most recent HDD has a capacity of 8 TB), and Toshiba has not produced drives with SMR at all, Western Digital continues to use this technology to conquer capacity boundaries not yet available within the standard perpendicular recording, albeit with TDMR support. The latest SMR drive bearing the HGST name (Ultrastar Hs14, 14 TB) is now sold under the Ultrastar DC HC620 brand, along with a new 15 TB drive. The younger model of this series is equipped with eight 1.75 TB platters, and the older one is equipped with the same number of 1.875 TB. Their maximum sustainable performance in linear read/write operations is 233 and 255 MB/s, respectively.

The 15TB Ultrastar DC HC620 is the "largest" hard drive the industry has produced to date, but let's not forget that SMR technology causes an extremely large performance hit when deleting and rewriting data due to the need to perform RMW (Read-Modify) -Write). However, in the latest Western Digital models this factor is compensated to some extent by the absence of test reading of a block of tracks during each RMW operation. In addition, the Ultrastar DC HC620 is a so-called host-managed drive (unlike older Seagate offerings). This means that the operating system must organize the command flow in such a way as to minimize the number of RMW operations, but most operating systems do not have such features.

Before WD got rid of the HGST name in the hard drive labeling, HGST Ultrastar 7K6 and Ultrastar 7K8 drives managed to hit the market, which were then assembled into the Ultrastar DC HC300 series. A distinctive feature of these HDDs is the extremely high recording density achieved using “pure” PRM without the help of SMR or TDMR technology. WD used four 1.5TB platters in the 6TB model and five such platters in the 8TB model, the top member of the family. Due to the relatively small number of plates, the Ultrastar DC HC300 developers did without a sealed case filled with helium, and the high recording density ensures a stable linear data access speed of 255 MB/s.

Western Digital has cleared its HGST catalog of many legacy small capacity models. Only the Ultrastar DC HC200 series, introduced in 2016 under the name Ultrastar 7K2, remains in service. It includes HDDs with a SATA interface of 1 and 2 TB with a sector size of 512 bytes - the latter characteristic is important for certain applications that are not adapted to modern 4 KB block layout.

⇡ Server HDDs of 2.5-inch form factor (SFF)

Hard drives with spindle speeds of 10-15 thousand rpm are gradually leaving the scene under the pressure of solid-state drives. The HGST Ultrastar C10K1800 and Ultrastar C15K600 drives have disappeared from Western Digital's list of current offerings, although some remnants can still be found on sale. Only Seagate and Toshiba remained in the game, but over the past year neither company has introduced new models of high-performance HDDs of the SFF form factor.

Seagate still offers Exos 10E2400 devices with a spindle speed of 10 thousand rpm and a maximum capacity of 2.4 TB, as well as 15 thousand-ton Exos 15E900 devices with a capacity of up to 900 GB. Nearline drives are constantly growing in capacity, but throughput per second is stagnant, which means that Seagate SFF models remain in demand, especially thanks to a complex buffer system that includes Flash memory for caching read operations and reserve areas on the surface of the platters to speed up recording. In addition, Seagate has a family of 2.5-inch entry-level server drives, the Exos 7E2000: these are devices up to 2 TB with a spindle speed of 7200 rpm, which come only with a SATA interface.

An alternative to the 2.5-inch Seagate server HDDs are new 2017 products from Toshiba from the AL15SEB (10.5 thousand rpm) and AL14SXB (15 thousand rpm) series with capacities up to 2.4 TB and 900 GB, respectively.

⇡ HDD for desktop PCs and NAS

Every year, consumer HDDs are becoming more and more similar to the Nearline models of the corresponding manufacturers. Desktop series are being discontinued or have not been updated for a long time, but NAS drives of various types are thriving and are not inferior in basic characteristics to their server prototypes.

Thus, most Seagate consumer models are now available in 14 TB capacity. Among them, the BarraCuda Pro, IronWolf (models from 6 to 14 TB), IronWolf Pro and SkyHawk Pro have a spindle speed of 7200 rpm, and only SkyHawk drives without the word Pro in the name are content with a speed of 5900 rpm. It is not difficult to guess that the debutants are based on a hardware platform first tested in the Exos X14 corporate hard drive. They are made in a sealed case filled with helium and contain eight magnetic plates with a useful capacity of 1.75 TB with TDMR technology. Despite the increased recording density (compared to last year's 12 TB new products), the maximum sustainable linear read/write speed has not increased and is 255 MB/s. Seagate drives for NAS and workstations differ from the server prototype in the type of host interface (SATA instead of SAS), buffer capacity (256 instead of 512 MB) and the absence of specific functions, such as internal encryption. Despite the common platform, Seagate consumer drive series are designed for specific use cases with different load intensities and are characterized by different fault tolerance data.

Basic level HDDs for desktop PCs (BarraCuda) from Seagate are still limited to 8 TB at a spindle speed of 5400 rpm, but the FireCuda hybrid drive is a clear candidate for departure: the manufacturer has removed all modifications of this SSHD (Solid State Hard Drive) from sale ) volume above 2 TB.

In 2018, Western Digital introduced only one consumer-class hard drive - WD Purple for video surveillance systems with a capacity of 12 TB (spindle speed 7200 rpm). It contains eight platters with a usable capacity of 1.5 TB in a sealed package and provides sequential data access at a speed of 235 MB/s. The remaining HDDs for NAS and DAS (WD Red at 5400 rpm and Red Pro at 7200 rpm) are still available in volumes of no more than 10 TB. The development of drives for desktop PCs in the WD Blue and WD Black series has long been frozen, stopping at 6 TB. Additionally, the reorganization of the lineup that was previously available under the HGST brand has resulted in the disappearance of Deskstar's boxed products, including the WD Red Pro-based Deskstar NAS series.

Toshiba has increased its presence in the retail internal storage market in recent years. Based on the MG07SCA series, which achieved the industry's first 14 TB capacity using standard PMR technology, the Japanese company first introduced two OEM models MN07ACA with a capacity of 12 and 14 TB with a spindle speed of 7200 rpm. Then similar devices appeared in the X300 and N300 families, designed for desktop PCs and NAS/DAS, respectively. HDDs under the MN07ACA and N300 brands, as well as server devices of the MG07SCA series, contain an unprecedentedly large stack of magnetic platters (up to nine platters with a usable capacity of 1.55 TB in the 14 TB model). Compared to corporate HDDs, they are not characterized by such high fault tolerance, but are still ready to work 24/7. The X300 series does not have this feature. The sustained data access speed in the N300 and X300 reaches 260 MB/s.

The retail name S300 was given to Toshiba hard drives for video surveillance systems of the MD06ACA-V series. This family includes models with capacities up to 10 TB, and, despite the large number of plates (up to seven, each with a useful capacity of 1429 GB), they all do without helium. Other parameters of this family of hard drives include a spindle speed of 7200 rpm and sustained throughput up to 248 MB/s.

Simultaneously with the S300, the Japanese introduced the related Toshiba V300 series, which is designed for use in entry-level video surveillance servers and set-top boxes. It includes drives ranging from 500 GB to 3 TB on platters with a usable capacity of 1 TB, and the spindle speed does not exceed 5940 rpm. And finally, there are still Toshiba P300 devices that are ready to work as a boot disk for an office “typewriter”: the volume is within 3 TB and the spindle speed is 7200 rpm.

⇡ 2.5-inch HDDs with SATA interface

Advances in data density have been slowest to spread to hard drives for mobile PCs and portable storage. To achieve a capacity of 1 TB in “flat” HDDs with a thickness of 7 mm, it was previously necessary to use two plates, but in the L200 series devices (as well as their OEM counterparts under the code MQ04ABD200), Toshiba made do with one thanks to ninth-generation Showa Denko technologies. As a result, dual-platter models in 9.5 mm cases now reach capacities of 2 TB. The spindles in these drives rotate at a frequency of 5400 rpm, but speed data has not been published.

In the past, such recording densities were only possible using SMR technology. Devices that rely on this technology include 7mm Seagate BarraCuda, FireCuda hard drives, as well as an inconspicuous new product for 2018 - WD Blue. All these models contain two SMR plates with a useful capacity of 1 TB and are characterized by a spindle speed of 5400 rpm. The remaining HDDs on the market in 7 and 9.5 mm cases are based on 500 GB PMR platters and do not exceed 1 TB in nominal capacity.

2.5-inch hard drives with a thickness of 15 mm using standard perpendicular data recording exist in configurations up to 4 TB, and the largest model that can be purchased separately remains the Toshiba MQ03ABB series based on four platters with a usable capacity of 750 GB. A more capacious 5 TB HDD is offered only by Seagate in the BarraCuda family, but this is already a “tiled” hard drive. By the way, the manufacturer has already retired hybrid devices of this volume with a thickness of 15 mm under the FireCuda brand.

⇡ Plans for the near future

With the integration of TDMR into commercially available hard drives, we can tick yet another technology off the list of magnetic recording innovations that tech experts write about year after year. Extracting data from closely spaced tracks using multiple read heads has already allowed Seagate and WD to increase the usable platter capacity of a 3.5-inch HDD to 1.75 TB. Showa Denko, whose products Toshiba uses, is also currently capable of producing wafer sizes up to 1.8 TB. Toshiba has already demonstrated the ability to pack up to nine platters in a hard drive enclosure, theoretically allowing it to reach 16 TB in the near future (with TDMR support).

However, 2D reading alone cannot radically increase data density. This is just preparation for the introduction of more sophisticated recording methods on magnetic plates. The next big step in the development of HDDs is associated with the introduction of HAMR (Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording) technology, without mentioning which the final article on hard drives has not been complete since manufacturing companies first placed it on their road maps. As we have written many times, HAMR allows data to be stored on a substrate that better holds the charge of the magnetic grain compared to currently common alloys, and the laser beam makes a section of the platter more susceptible to magnetization as it passes the recording head. The theoretical data density limit using HAMR is estimated to be 50 Tbit/in. 2 , which gives a capacity of 80 TB per 3.5-inch hard drive platter.

In December 2018, Seagate announced the start of internal testing of drives with HAMR support. The experimental models have a capacity of 16 TB, but the company keeps other parameters (primarily the number of platters) secret. Contrary to concerns about the high power of devices that constantly use a laser, Seagate says they are interchangeable with typical HDDs. After internal tests yield satisfactory results, Seagate plans to begin commercial shipments in 2020, but by then HAMR will allow the drive to reach 20 TB. Further plans involve an annual increase in recording density by 30% - up to 6 Tbit/inch 2. For comparison: in modern HDDs with platters with a usable capacity of 1.5 TB, the recording density is 923 Gbit/inch 2.

At the same time, Western Digital is working on an alternative technology called MAMR (Microwave-Assisted Magnetic Recording). According to the company, its approach has several advantages over its competitor's solution: MAMR is cheaper to implement in production, and microwaves do not heat the wafer as much as a laser. By the way, the latter circumstance not only affects the energy consumption of disks with HAMR, but also necessitates the use of wear leveling mechanisms. According to the latest WD plans that we know about, the start of production of drives using MAMR is scheduled for 2019, and the recording density achievable in the foreseeable future is considered to be 4 Tbit/inch 2 .

Choosing an external hard drive is not an easy task, but we decided to help you with this by preparing a rating of the best HDD drives of 2018-2019. They are ideal for storing information, music, movies and games. If you have a budget, then it is better to buy an SSD, but at the moment they are very expensive, so when it comes to large amounts of memory - 1, 2 or even 4 TB, there is nothing else to do but buy a HDD. So let's figure out which HDD is best for purchase in 2018-2019.

Rating of the best external hard drives to buy in 2019

Transcend TS1TSJ25M3S

Our rating of the best external hard drives opens with a model from Transcend, which is sold in a single modification with 1 TB of memory. The reading speed is standard - 5400 rpm. The data transfer rate is always the same and does not depend on the synchronization method. It reaches 500 Mb/sec. To connect to a computer, use a modern USB 3.1 cable, which is included with the device. The device has standard dimensions of 2.5 inches, but at the same time is lightweight at 185 grams. Due to this, it is convenient to carry it with you, always having the necessary information at hand.

• Light weight;
• Build quality and case materials.

• The surface of the case quickly becomes covered with scratches.

Samsung Portable T5

The model is among the top best hard drives due to its compact size and light weight, which makes it ideal for carrying. The memory capacity varies depending on the selected modification - 250, 500, 1 or 2 TB. The gadget meets all current trends, so it received a USB 3.1 Type-C port. Due to this, the hard drive easily connects to any PC or laptop at the highest possible speed. Data transfer speed is within 500 Mb/s. This is the best hard drive not only in its parameters, but also in appearance. It is made of high-quality and reliable plastic, painted blue or black.

• Price;
• Reliable design;
• Modern USB 3.1 connector;
• Large selection of ports.

• Easily scratched.

Transcend TS2TSJ25H3P

The model made it into the top 7 best external hard drives due to its low cost - only 6,500 rubles for 2 TB of memory and 8 MB of buffer, which is a record figure in this price category. The device has a bright design designed to highlight the individuality of the owner. There is a place on the case for status indicators, and the connection is made using a regular USB 3.0 cable. The only disadvantage of the drive is its large size, which makes it difficult to carry.

• One of the cheapest models with 2 TB of memory;
• Durable silicone case;
• Data transfer speed of 500 Mb/s.

• Weight and dimensions.

Seagate STEA1000400

This is the best external hard drive of 2018-2019, which looks very expensive and modern. The case is made of high-quality materials with a textured surface of the top cover and painted black. There is no need to choose the amount of memory - there is only one modification on sale with 1 TB of memory, but this is enough to store music, movies and games. In some tests, the hard drive produces almost flagship results, providing very high data transfer speeds.

• Quiet operation;
• USB 3.0 port;
• Good data transfer speed.

• There is only one modification with a terabyte of memory.

Silicon Power Armor A15

When figuring out which external hard drive is better to buy, you should consider the Silicon Power Armor A15 with three capacity options - 512, 750 or 1 TB. This is not the drive's strongest point, but it has a high data transfer speed. When connecting using USB 3.0, you should expect 5 Gb/s, and in the case of outdated USB 2.0 - 460 Mb/s. The case has a strict and very brutal design. It is made of soft-touch plastic - a practical and durable material that protects the drive from damage.

• Data transfer rate;
• Moisture protection;
• Ability to work with devices running all popular operating systems.

• Small amount of memory;
• Price. For a modification with 1 TB of memory they ask for over 4,000 rubles.

ADATA HD720

This is the best external HDD drive in terms of reliability and customer reviews, which is made of durable materials and protected according to all modern standards. This is an expensive, but at the same time popular model, combining the advantages of all other representatives of the rating. Memory modifications on sale are 3 - 500 GB, 1 or 2 TB. This is the best choice for those who lead an active lifestyle, because the body is protected from any influences. The design is recognizable and original, and soft-touch plastic, pleasant to the touch, was chosen as the assembly material. The port is protected by a silicone pad. But this model has one significant drawback - the use of an outdated USB 2.0 port, which is why the data transfer speed is not as high as that of other representatives of our top.

• Housing protected from any influences;
• Modern design with many color options;
• Can be used with any operating system.

• USB 2.0 port;
• Price.

Seagate STEL6000200

When choosing the best external hard drive in terms of reliability, price and parameters, you should pay attention to the Seagate STEL6000200, which costs much less than its competitors. This price was offered thanks to the transition to a more economical data recording system - SMR. Another undoubted advantage is the luxurious package, which includes not only a USB cable, but also a charger with a pair of adapters. The case is made with perforation, which avoids overheating due to good air circulation.

• Two interfaces;
• Cheapest price;
• Data transfer rate;
• Not susceptible to overheating.

• No Linux support.

Our rating was created to make it easier for you to choose which external hard drive is best to buy in 2019 so that it is fast, compact, reliable and inexpensive. If you disagree with anything or are ready to offer your own options, we will be glad to see your opinion in the comments.