External Hard Drive HDDs

Coming in nifty plug-and-play devices, external HDDs are perfect for anyone who needs a flexible or interchangeable storage solution, allowing you to manage everything from critical documents to large media libraries on the go. Coming in a range of different capacities, from entry-level 500GB - 1TB drives to high-capacity 6TB+ HDDs, you're sure to find an external hard drive to suit your specific needs here.

External hard drives (HDDs) are a brilliant solution for expanding either your PC or laptop's storage capabilities.

What is an external hard drive (HDD)?

An external hard drive (HDD) is a type of permanent storage device that connects to your desktop or laptop via a computer port. HDDs utilise moving magnetic disks to store data, instead of flash memory.

External hard drives allow you to expand your computer's non-volatile memory and are particularly beneficial for use as backup storage or bulk storage of media libraries. Additionally, because of their portability, external hard drives are also ideal for transferring data between devices and for users who need access to large datasets on the go.

External HDDs offer increased flexibility over internal HDDs, which are drives designed to be installed inside your computer's case, plugging directly into the motherboard. External HDDs are available as portable hard drives, or special external desktop hard drives.

What's the difference between an internal and external hard drive?

Both HDD types function using the same technology and are used for the same purpose - to expand your device's storage capacity. The main difference is how they are installed.

Internal hard drives are built into your computer's motherboard and are not designed to be easily removed. They offer advantages for certain users such as being protected from damage by the computer case and slightly faster read/write times for data transfer. However, they can be tricky to install and require opening up your computer case and slotting them into the motherboard.

External hard drives are designed for portability and plug into your computer via a port, usually either a USB-A or USB-C port. They can be connected with ease and without any PC build knowledge. External hard drives are better for those who need a simple, on-the-go storage solution like professionals and students.

What size hard drive do I need?

Choosing the Right Storage Capacity

Here's a quick overview to help you choose the ideal storage capacity based on your needs:

Students or casual everyday users

Storing word processing files, photos, and some media files
Basic needs without breaking the bank

Professionals, content creators, or gamers

Handling larger RAW files and high-resolution images/videos
Ample space for projects and backups

Power users, small businesses, or semi-professional content creators

Large media libraries and multiple system backups
High-volume RAW photos and 4K/8K video projects

Users requiring vast storage capacity

Video production and extensive AAA gaming libraries
Enterprise-level data backup and archiving

How many photos can a hard drive hold?

How many photos a hard drive can hold will depend on your images' file size - for example, a RAW file will take up considerably more space than a JPEG. If all of your images were 5MB, the following capacity hard drives could hold:

• 1TB HDD: 200,000 images
• 4TB HDD: 800,000 images
• 10TB HDD: 1.5 million+ images

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