External hard drives come in all shapes and sizes, from portable to more compact but fixed secondary storage devices. Of course, the best external hard drive will be the one that best suits your needs!
In general, SSDs will outperform HDDs , but hard drives are still king when it comes to storing large amounts of data at an affordable price. External hard drives come in all shapes and sizes, from portable to compact but more fixed secondary storage devices. Of course, the best external hard drive will be the one that best suits your needs!
SanDisk Professional G-Drive
The SanDisk Professional G-Drive tops the list because it solves all the problems. Aside from needing a power source, it has very few drawbacks. For example, you have a wide range of storage options, from just 4TB to 22TB. With a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port and read/write speeds up to 280Mbps, the SanDisk Professional G-Drive won't require you to check your speed as often as with a traditional HDD.
The anodized aluminum casing protects all those delicate mechanical components, giving the SanDisk Professional G-Drive the durability it needs on the go.
LaCie Mobile Drive
There's always room for a conventional hard drive, and the LaCie Mobile Drive fits that criterion perfectly. Not only do you get plenty of storage for everyday use, but you also get it at a pretty good price. Outwardly, the LaCie Mobile Drive is incredibly durable thanks to its aluminum casing. That's more than enough to protect the mechanical components every time you toss the HDD into a crate.
When in use, the LaCie Mobile Drive's USB-C port will operate, maintaining a stable read and write speed of 130Mbps. This is especially useful if you decide to back up your data. You can easily do this using LaCie's intuitive software, LaCie Toolkit.
Western Digital My Book
Expanding storage doesn't have to be complicated, and Western Digital My Book is one such option. With just a power supply and compatible cables, My Book is ready to use right out of the box.
With Western Digital My Book, you get up to 22TB of storage, making it a great option for storing large video files and other content. And even if that's not enough, you can opt for the Western Digital My Book Duo, which includes two drives for a total of 44TB.
Western Digital Elements
If you're setting up your own media server NAS but aren't tech-savvy or just want a quick and easy setup, the Western Digital Elements is a great option to consider. All you have to do is plug it in, then connect the USB cable to your PC, and it's ready to go. It offers storage capacities up to 22TB!
The best thing about Western Digital Elements is that it's compatible with both Windows and Mac. The HDD is formatted for Windows right out of the box, but with just a few clicks, you can reformat it for Mac. You'll also appreciate the compact size of Western Digital Elements computer hard drives. It's roughly the size of a modem in both height and width, so finding a place to put it will be no problem.
ADATA HD710 Pro
Whether you're a frequent traveler or a very clumsy person, the ADATA HD710 Pro is the number one choice. It has three layers of hard drive protection – an outer silicone layer, a shock-absorbing cushion, and a plastic casing surrounding fragile components.
What's particularly impressive is the shock-absorbing design of the ADATA HD710 Pro. In addition to preventing damage, the drive also features vibration sensors. When you drop the drive, these sensors will brake the mechanical parts, preventing permanent damage.
You can also rest assured knowing that the ADATA HD710 Pro will still function properly even if it gets slightly wet or exposed to dust. With its robust waterproof port cover, the HD710 Pro can withstand being submerged in water up to 2 meters deep for up to 60 minutes.