Selecting a New Hard Drive For Your Computer

It is hard to imagine that anyone could fill up one of the huge hard drives that are included in most computers today, but considering that almost everything is in multimedia format these days, all that music, those photos and multiple videos can consume space pretty quickly. And if you work with graphics or any type of labor intensive software, then you may find yourself out of hard drive space sooner than you think.

When you are selecting a new hard drive for your computer, it is important to choose carefully to ensure that your hard drive works well and lasts longer. In this case, cheaper is definitely not better. When you are choosing a new hard drive, the most important factors are quality and reliability. In this way, you make certain that your hard drive does not experience any unnecessary mechanical failures or losses of data.

Of course, when you are running out of space on your current hard drive, one of the things that you will be comparing with different hard drives is the storage capacity. When you are considering how much space you need for your new hard drive, you need to think about how you actually use your computer and what types of files you actually store. Someone who just stores the minimum amount of information does not need a 1000 GB hard drive. However, if you are storing full length movies or doing some serious video editing, a hard drive with 500 GB or more of storage space is not out of the question. Keep in mind also that the newest hard drives with the latest technology are going to include more storage space than you will probably need. So weigh your options.

Hard drives transfer in one of two ways – either via an IDE or SATA connection. IDE hard drives are older and transfer data at the rates of 33, 66, 100, and 133 MB/s. If you have an older computer, then you may only be able to upgrade to the max in this range. The newer SATA hard drives transfer data at much higher speeds – 150 and 300 MB/s. Hard drive technology is always changing and evolving, so be sure to do your research beforehand.

What you pay for your new hard drive will depend on a number of factors – one of the biggest factors being storage capacity. Another factor that will affect how much your new hard drive costs is the rotation speed. Faster rotation speeds indicate how much more quickly your information will be found. You should look for a hard drive with at least 7200 RPM rotation speed.

With so much information to review, it can be pretty difficult to decide which hard drive upgrade is best for you. If you can afford it, a faster hard drive with a couple hundred gigabytes of space will probably be what you need and a bit more. Well known brands such as Seagate and Maxtor are definitely worth considering as these companies are known for producing top quality products that last.

Making a good choice when selecting your new hard drive will ensure that you have enough storage space and that you can access your information quickly. You can also take comfort in knowing that you have chosen a product that will hopefully last you for a while to come.

written by By Dave Page
- MFA Corp