Traditional hard disk drives and solid state drives function in essentially identical ways: storing information in dedicated channels for access at a later date. However, traditional hard disk drives use mechanical parts similar to old-school record players to read and write information, leaving them vulnerable to damage and file loss. Solid state drives store information in flash memory chips, making file storage and access much faster and stable, since there are no moving parts to worry about. This comes at a high price, though, since SSDs can cost hundreds of dollars for even small storage capacities. Many SATA hard drives include some sort of encryption software to protect your information as well as cloning software to make cloud-based copies of your boot or storage drives for easier transfer when replacing an old or damaged drive. We’ve rounded up our top picks below to help you decide which is perfect for your next upgrade or your first PC build. The 2TB size is perfect for most applications like typical office work, creative professional projects, and even gaming. Our reviewer liked how this drive gave the stability of traditional hard disks as well as the performance and speed of solid state models at an affordable price. The included 5-year warranty gives you additional peace of mind by protecting your data from accidental loss or corruption. This means you’ll be able to spend more time actually getting work done or playing games instead of sitting around waiting for Photoshop or Call of Duty to launch. Seagate offers a data recovery program that allows you to create cloud-based backups of your drive, protecting your work and personal data from accidental loss or file corruption. Integrated encryption software further protects your information from unauthorized access and theft. The 6TB model has extra cache DRAM for faster read and write speeds, and all models feature a dual-core processor to improve performance and cache loading. WD also uses their proprietary StableTrac technology to prevent damage to mechanical parts that may cause loss of files or corruption of data. You can read our full review to learn more about the WD Black hard drive. The Samsung Magician suite of software is also included, allowing you to monitor performance, drive health, and read/write speeds to catch and address problems before they cause any catastrophes. It’s compatible with both Apple and Windows-based computers, so no matter what your home or office uses, there shouldn’t be any issues with your PC recognizing the drive. Since this drive uses solid-state technology, it has a maximum read/write speed of 560MB/s; this means you can almost instantaneously access files and programs or transfer information from other storage devices. This SSD comes with step-by-step instructions for easy installation as well as Acronis True Image software for transferring files from an existing boot or storage drive. Zach Sweat has been writing for Lifewire since 2019. Previously, he’s been published on IGN, Void Media, and Whalebone Magazine. As an experienced writer, he’s reviewed many consumer technology products, including SSDs, HDDs, monitors, PCs, and other computer hardware. He liked the 2TB FireCuda SSHD for its mix of SSD and HDD elements. He also praised the Samsung Evo 860 SSD for being one of the best in its class.
What to Look for When Buying SATA Hard Drives
Speed
Although SATA (serial advanced technology attachment) hard drives are slower than SSDs (solid-state drives), you can still get a component with respectable speeds. The average speed for a desktop hard drive is about 7,200 revolutions per minute (rpm), but some high-performance models run up to 10,000 rpm.
Capacity
If you work in a technical or creative field, large capacity is likely important to you. Hard drive capacities have continued to grow over the years, and capacity on traditional SATA HDDs is very inexpensive. For backing up large media libraries, you’ll likely want to start your search in the 8-10TB range, though for everyday usage in a desktop, 2-5TB is is likely sufficient.
Form Factor
Because SATA hard drives have spinning parts, they can be only so small. For desktop devices, they generally measure 3.5 inches, and for laptops, 2.5 inches.
