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.
Min (£20)
Max (£700)
External Hard Drive HDDs
Read more about External Hard Drive HDDs
Seagate Expansion 2TB USB A Portable External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 2TB
- Read Speed: 120MBps
- Write Speed: 120MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.0
- Warranty: 2 Years
SKU: STKM2000400
£
60.69
inc.
vat
£ 50.57 ex.
vat
WD My Passport 2TB USB A Portable External Hard Drive - Red
- Capacity: 2TB
- Read Speed: 120MBps
- Write Speed: 120MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.0
- Warranty: 3 Years
SKU: WDBYVG0020BRD-WESN
£
69.26
inc.
vat
£ 57.71 ex.
vat
WD My Passport 1TB USB A Portable External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 1TB
- Read Speed: 120MBps
- Write Speed: 120MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.0
- Warranty: 3 Years
SKU: WDBYVG0010BBK-WESN
£
53.98
inc.
vat
£ 44.98 ex.
vat
WD Elements 8TB USB A Desktop External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 8TB
- Read Speed: 120MBps
- Write Speed: 120MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.0
- Warranty: 2 Years
SKU: WDBWLG0080HBK-EESN
£
143.98
inc.
vat
£ 119.98 ex.
vat
Seagate Expansion 4TB USB A Desktop External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 4TB
- Read Speed: 120MBps
- Write Speed: 120MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.0
- Warranty: 2 Years
SKU: STKP4000400
£
88.78
inc.
vat
£ 73.98 ex.
vat
Seagate Expansion 10TB USB A Desktop External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 10TB
- Read Speed: 120MBps
- Write Speed: 120MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.0
- Warranty: 2 Years
SKU: STKP10000400
£
177.48
inc.
vat
£ 147.90 ex.
vat
Seagate Basics 4TB USB A Portable External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 4TB
- Read Speed: 85MBps
- Write Speed: 85MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.0
- Warranty: 2 Years
SKU: STJL4000400
£
89.08
inc.
vat
£ 74.23 ex.
vat
SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE ArmorATD 5TB USB C Portable External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 5TB
- Read Speed: 130MBps
- Write Speed: 130MBps
- Connectivity: USB C 3.2 Gen1
- Warranty: 3 Years
SKU: SDPH81G-005T-GBA1D
£
202.79
inc.
vat
£ 168.99 ex.
vat
Seagate Expansion 16TB USB A Desktop External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 16TB
- Read Speed: 120MBps
- Write Speed: 120MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.0
- Warranty: 2 Years
SKU: STKP16000400
£
287.56
inc.
vat
£ 239.63 ex.
vat
WD Elements 5TB USB A Portable External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 5TB
- Read Speed: 85MBps
- Write Speed: 85MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.0
- Warranty: 2 Years
SKU: WDBU6Y0050BBK-WESN
£
106.78
inc.
vat
£ 88.98 ex.
vat
LaCie Rugged Mini 5TB USB C Portable External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 5TB
- Read Speed: 130MBps
- Write Speed: 130MBps
- Connectivity: USB C 3.2 Gen1
- Warranty: 3 Years
SKU: STJJ5000400
£
151.05
inc.
vat
£ 125.87 ex.
vat
LaCie d2 Professional 10TB USB C Desktop External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 10TB
- Read Speed: 290MBps
- Write Speed: 290MBps
- Connectivity: USB C 3.2 Gen1
- Warranty: 5 Years
SKU: STHA10000800
£
287.15
inc.
vat
£ 239.29 ex.
vat
LaCie Mobile Drive Secure 2TB USB C Portable External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 2TB
- Read Speed: 130MBps
- Write Speed: 130MBps
- Connectivity: USB C 3.2 Gen1
- Warranty: 3 Years
SKU: STLR2000400
£
92.97
inc.
vat
£ 77.47 ex.
vat
WD Elements 12TB USB A Desktop External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 12TB
- Read Speed: 120MBps
- Write Speed: 120MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.0
- Warranty: 2 Years
SKU: WDBWLG0120HBK-EESN
£
232.78
inc.
vat
£ 193.98 ex.
vat
LaCie Rugged 5TB USB C Portable External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 5TB
- Read Speed: 130MBps
- Write Speed: 130MBps
- Connectivity: USB C 3.2 Gen1
- Warranty: 3 Years
SKU: STFR5000800
£
160.70
inc.
vat
£ 133.91 ex.
vat
WD Elements 20TB USB A Desktop External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 20TB
- Read Speed: 120MBps
- Write Speed: 120MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.0
- Warranty: 2 Years
SKU: WDBWLG0200HBK-EESN
£
359.90
inc.
vat
£ 299.91 ex.
vat
Seagate Expansion 6TB USB A Desktop External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 6TB
- Read Speed: 120MBps
- Write Speed: 120MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.0
- Warranty: 2 Years
SKU: STKP6000400
£
103.98
inc.
vat
£ 86.65 ex.
vat
Seagate Basics 1TB USB A Portable External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 1TB
- Read Speed: 85MBps
- Write Speed: 85MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.0
- Warranty: 2 Years
SKU: STJL1000400
£
44.38
inc.
vat
£ 36.98 ex.
vat
LaCie Mobile Drive Secure 5TB USB C Portable External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 5TB
- Read Speed: 130MBps
- Write Speed: 130MBps
- Connectivity: USB C 3.2 Gen1
- Warranty: 3 Years
SKU: STLR5000400
£
144.93
inc.
vat
£ 120.77 ex.
vat
LaCie d2 Professional 24TB USB C Desktop External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 24TB
- Read Speed: 290MBps
- Write Speed: 290MBps
- Connectivity: USB C 3.2 Gen1
- Warranty: 5 Years
SKU: STHA24000800
£
614.52
inc.
vat
£ 512.10 ex.
vat
WD Elements 26TB USB A Desktop External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 26TB
- Read Speed: 120MBps
- Write Speed: 120MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.0
- Warranty: 2 Years
SKU: WDBWLG0260HBK-EESN
£
595.66
inc.
vat
£ 496.38 ex.
vat
WD My Book 22TB USB A Desktop External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 22TB
- Read Speed: 120MBps
- Write Speed: 120MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.2 Gen1
- Warranty: 3 Years
SKU: WDBBGB0220HBK-EESN
£
452.37
inc.
vat
£ 376.97 ex.
vat
Seagate One Touch Hub 4TB USB A Desktop External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 4TB
- Read Speed: 120MBps
- Write Speed: 120MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.2 Gen1
- Warranty: 2 Years
SKU: STLC4000400
£
101.88
inc.
vat
£ 84.90 ex.
vat
WD My Book 18TB USB A Desktop External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 18TB
- Read Speed: 120MBps
- Write Speed: 120MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.2 Gen1
- Warranty: 3 Years
SKU: WDBBGB0180HBK-EESN
£
502.37
inc.
vat
£ 418.64 ex.
vat
WD Elements 16TB USB A Desktop External Hard Drive
- Capacity: 16TB
- Read Speed: 120MBps
- Write Speed: 120MBps
- Connectivity: USB A 3.0
- Warranty: 2 Years
SKU: WDBWLG0160HBK-EESN
£
289.17
inc.
vat
£ 240.97 ex.
vat
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:
Storage Range | Ideal For | Typical Use Cases |
---|---|---|
Under 2TB | Students or casual everyday users | Storing word processing files, photos, and some media files |
2TB - 6TB | Professionals, content creators, or gamers | Handling larger RAW files and high-resolution images/videos |
8-10TB | Power users, small businesses, or semi-professional content creators | Large media libraries and multiple system backups |
Over 10TB | Users requiring vast storage capacity | Video production and extensive AAA gaming libraries |
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
How many games can you store on an external hard drive?
How many games a hard drive can hold will vary depending on the size of the game - with the latest AAA titles taking up considerably more storage space (up to 100GB) than older titles (20GB). If you're looking to store modern titles, the following capacity hard drives could roughly hold:
- 1TB HDD: 25 games
- 4TB HDD: 100 games
- 10TB HDD: 200+ games
Is buying a hard drive still worth it?
Although SSD and cloud storage solutions have become increasingly popular, there are definitely still benefits to purchasing an external HDD. HDDs can offer incredible capacity for very low costs compared to SSDs - making them a great choice for budget-conscious users and those needing bulk storage.
Additionally, unlike cloud storage, external HDDs offer complete control over your data without relying on an internet connection. For many users, especially those with large media libraries or those needing a portable solution that won't break the bank, an external hard drive is a great choice.
External Hard Drive FAQs
How much can a hard drive hold?
How much a hard drive can hold will depend on the capacity of the drive and the size of your files:
Storage Capacity | Images | Games | HD Video | 4K Video |
---|---|---|---|---|
1TB | 200,000 images | 25 games | 250 hours | 50 hours |
4TB | 800,000 images | 100 games | 500 hours | 100 hours |
10TB | 1.5-2.5 million images | 200+ games | 1000+ hours | 200+ hours |
Does an external hard drive need a power supply?
Most external hard drives are powered through their direct connection to the computer, such as USB. However, larger drives may require an external power supply to function properly. Be sure to check the specifications before purchasing.
Are external hard drives compatible with all computers?
Most external hard drives are compatible with both Windows and Mac systems. However, ensure the drive is formatted correctly (NTFS for Windows, HFS+ for Mac) or consider reformatting it to exFAT for cross-compatibility.
How long does an external hard drive last?
With proper care, external hard drives can last anywhere from 3 to 5 years, or with light usage potentially even longer. Things like usage and the quality of the drive can impact its longevity. Regular backups and reducing wear and tear can extend the life of your hard drive.
Are hard drives slow?
While traditional hard drives (HDDs) can be slower than SSDs in terms of read/write speeds, they offer plenty of performance for most users, especially for tasks such as backing up files, storing photos, and gaming. If speed is a top priority, consider an SSD. But if you're looking for sheer capacity at unbeatable value, HDDs are the way to go.
Why buy from ebuyer?
Buying your new external HDD from ebuyer is a safe and reliable choice. With a huge range of external hard drives to choose from, we offer fast and secure delivery options, and flexible payment options - supporting thousands of happy customers with their new tech.
- Fast delivery
- Secure and safe delivery of computer parts
- Excellent customer reviews
- Flexible payment options