Types of Hard Drives 2024 | Which One to Choose - EaseUS

What Is a Hard Drive

It is the main storage device that stores the operating system and other applications. All the important operating system files and applications in the computer will get loaded in RAM from the hard drive when users boot up the system or click the application. Therefore, a hard drive is crucial to computer operation. Today, laptops and computers still rely on hard disks to store files and photos, make a system clone, or backup and restore.

There are various types of hard drives with different capacities. If you buy a new drive or want to backup hard drive to another hard drive, you need to have a basic knowledge of different types of hard drives. Therefore, I will introduce four main types of hard drives to you.

What Laptop Hard Drive Size Should I Use [2024 Explanation]

What size of a hard drive do I need to choose for my laptop? 2.5 inch. The 2.5-inch hard drive is typically designed for laptops, while the 3.5-inch is for desktops.

What Are the Main Types of Hard Drives in 2024

People use various types of hard drives to backup and restore and divide them into four main types, and this part will respectively tell you their pros and cons.

1. Parallel ATA (PATA)

The PATA hard drive was first introduced to the market by Compaq and Western Digital in 1986. It can transfer data as fast as 133 MB/S with the highest capacity of 80GB. It uses a drive interface to connect devices and hard drives to the computer. Every PATA hard drive uses 40 or 80 wire ribbon cables and transfers data in 16-bit pockets in parallel. It did bring people great influence on the digital progress of modern society. However, its features can not meet people's demands now, so it is gradually out of date. 

Pros

• Allows two devices to attach to the cable at the same time

Cons

• Big and difficult to manage

2. Serial ATA (SATA)

Serial ATA hard drives are still thought to be the most common type of hard drive. They support almost all computer motherboards and operating systems.

They are rather cheap and often have a large storage capacity (terabytes). SATA drives usually have two sizes: 3.5-inch for desktop computers and 2.7-inch smaller hard drives for laptop computers.

Pros

• High Capacity
• Low price

Cons

• Limited data transfer speeds
• Mechanical parts have wear and tear

3. Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)

SCSI was invented in the 1970s and was first named Shugart Associates System Interface (SASI).

This hard drive connects hard drives and other devices to a computer with a 50-pin flat ribbon connector. It allows the connection and transmission of data between the computer and other devices such as scanners, CD drives, and printers. Do you know its cons and what makes small computer system interfaces so popular? It is listed below.

Pros

• An independent controller
• Widely applied
• Highly accessible

Cons

• Costly
• Difficult to configure
• Degrading with time

4. Solid State Hard Drive - SSD & NVMe

The solid-state hard drive is an advanced storage device made up of memory chips instead of rotating magnetic disks in conventional hard disks.

It does not have rotating disks or any other fragile parts. SSD stores data in the semiconductor chip, using the concept of flash memory. Therefore, people always move os to ssd since it is safe. But does it not have any cons? Of course, it does. 

Pros

• Rather fast
• Safe and durable without moving parts

Cons

• Costly
• Low capacity
• Besides, there is also another excellent hard drive I want to introduce to you. 
• NVMe

Nvme is a new SSD version that uses solid-state semiconductors to store data. It is the fastest possible interface between a CPU and an external device apart from the RAM. Its transfer speed could be 32Gb/s or 64Gb/s, but its high transfer speed also makes it extremely expensive. 

Even with such a high price, it has become popular in games, video editing, and other intensive fields. So its pros and cons are clear.

Pros

• The fastest reading and writing speed

Cons

• Costly

After knowing about the four main types of hard drives, do you know how to choose a suitable hard drive? Here, I list some features of hard disks you need to pay attention to.

How to Choose a Suitable Hard Drive?

When selecting a hard drive, are you disturbed by various slogans and advertisements? If so, you can follow these suggestions.

1. 1. Choose the proper interface.
2. 2. Choose a reasonable capacity.
3. 3. Choose an affordable price.
4. 4. Figure out the consumption and noise level.
5. 5. Life expectancy is also important.

Also, you may still be confused about HDD and SSD. So let's have a further comparison between HDD and SSD.

HDD VS SSD, What Types of Hard Drives Are Better for Your Needs?

Solid-state and hard disk drives have similar physical specifications, but they store data differently. Different types of hard drives have different advantages and disadvantages. Deciding to buy which type depends on your specific needs. Here is a table to respectively show you what their specific features are.

It is wise to choose a suitable hard drive after knowing its features. For example, choosing an SSD for a laptop is typical since it is non-mechanical and shock-resistant. HDD can meet your needs if you simply want to store extra data, movies, or music. But if you want to play games or store your operating system, SSD is a better choice.

Conclusion

To sum up, this page shows you different types of hard drives and elaborates on their features and differences, so you can learn more about hard drives and choose a suitable one for your needs. 

You may also like: