The Best Pc Gaming Hard Drive For 2024

Harlan Ellison By, Harlan Ellison
Updated
Best pc gaming hard drive
Best pc gaming hard drive

The Rundown

1. Runner Up: Seagate Portable 5TB HDD

Store and access all your content on the go with the Seagate portable drive. With a sleek, ultra-portable design, the Seagate portable drive is an outstanding laptop hard drive that easily fits in your bag for on-the-go storage. With its USB 3.0 interface, it’s also compatible with Windows or Mac computers. Read Review

2. Best Convenient: Toshiba Canvio Basics 2TB HDD

Transfer your data quickly and securely with the Toshiba Canvio Basics 2TB Portable External Hard Drive. We've packed all the storage you need in this sleek, compact design, and it's USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 compatible so that you can take it anywhere. Read Review

3. Best Speed: Seagate BarraCuda 8TB HDD

Whether you're a creative or an enterprise user, Seagate BarraCuda 8TB Internal Hard Drive HDD is the drive that can keep up with your needs. With the proven reliability of this 8TB internal hard drive, you can work on multiple applications at once and store your data in peace, knowing that it's safe. Read Review

4. Best Quality: Western Digital 2TB HDD

The Western Digital 2TB HDD is a reliable and robust storage solution for everyday needs. It offers a large 2TB capacity, allowing you to store all your essential data in one place. Read Review

5. Best Technology: WD_BLACK 5TB HDD

The WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive is the perfect solution for gamers who need to take their game library on the go. This 5TB HDD features a sleek metal top cover and a portable form factor, making it easy to store and transport. Read Review

Hard drive prices are steadily decreasing, not just because of increased production costs. Drives are gettinger because they have gotten more efficient. Today's hard drives can read from tiny magnetic particles on the inner tracks and write to them with even tinier ones on the outer tracks.

This means the same amount of data can be recorded as before but for a more nominal cost per bit. The best pc gaming hard drive goes beyond price alone, though. It also needs to comfortably hold your games, videos, images, and other files with enough space for future expansion. To help you find the right one, we've listed some of our favorite options below—from affordable mechanical drives that won't break the bank to premium models that offer excellent performance without breaking the bank, either.

Before making our recommendations, our specialists spend substantial time researching and analyzing customer feedback. Then we found the best pc gaming hard drive is Seagate Portable 5TB HDD. Designed to work seamlessly with your laptop or desktop computer, this 5TB external hard drive has a USB 3.0 interface for easy data transfer. It is the most excellent choice for its high quality. If you're looking for another one, consider Toshiba Canvio Basics 2TB HDD.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 Seagate Portable 5TB HDD
Our Score:
9.8
Seagate

With this Seagate portable drive, you can now quickly store and access 5 TB of content while you are on the go. This drive is an excellent accessory for the hard disc in your laptop. This drive may be used with computers running Windows or Mac operating systems, and it is also compatible with android.

Because this portable hard drive is so small, you can easily back up both yesterday's memories and today's documents, even when you're away from your computer. To get everything set up, all you have to do is drag and drop and then connect the portable hard drive to a computer to install the automatic identification software required to take advantage of the plug-and-play simplicity offered by the supplied 18-inch USB 3.0 cable. However, considering that the shell does not have any sort of drop protection built-in, the case is necessary in order to keep the drive safe from being dropped or subjected to shock.

TOP Choice #2 Toshiba Canvio Basics 2TB HDD
Our Score:
9.6
Toshiba

The plug-and-play functionality of this device gives you access to one of the simplest methods available for increasing the amount of storage space on your computer. It enhances your storage with up to 4 TB (1) capacity, saving your extensive photo, audio, and video collections while allowing you to continue adding to them and playing your games smoothly.
This Canvio Basic is a solid portable hard drive since it is easy to carry around and put in any pocket or bag thanks to its sleek, matte-black design that is more compact than ever. It is ready to use with your laptop, and there is no need to install any software. Just dragging and dropping files to and from your laptop or desktop is intuitive.
The compatibility between USB 3.0 and 2.0 enables high-speed data transfer without requiring an additional AC power cord. However, this device could become quite warm when transferring massive files.

TOP Choice #3 Seagate BarraCuda 8TB HDD
Our Score:
9.5
Seagate

You can store more data, do computations faster, and do it with total peace of mind thanks to the proven reliability of this BarraCuda internal hard drive. This storage device is perfect for creative professionals who use multiple programs in the course of their work, such as graphic designers, musicians, photographers, and video editors. You may choose from a variety of capacities and form factors, and you won't have to worry about performance drops because of these solutions' efficient read/write caching technology.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of your data processing and retrieval, you should consider upgrading to this dependable family of Barracuda drives at a great prices. With a continuous transfer rate of 190MB/s, increased productivity offers immediate access to data, which speeds up the loading times of games and the launch times of programs. This drive may make some noise initially, but it settles into a quiet routine after a while. Moreover, this drive is not ready for gaming. 

4 Western Digital 2TB HDD
Our Score:
9.4
Western Digital

This WD Blue internal hard drive offers dependable performance for the general office, online apps, and storing your favorite games you play daily. This device is developed as a primary storage drive in desktop computers. Also, when you carry this drive from one location to another, its no-touch ramp load technology protects the drive more securely, reducing wear on the recording head and media.

With the help of the Acronis True Image program, which can be downloaded for free from the Western Digital Support website, you will not lose any of the essential files you have stored on your computer when you copy them to the new WD drive. This hard drive also allows you to keep your power consumption low by providing cutting-edge seeking algorithms and innovative power management capabilities. However, with all the great features, the only downside of this drive is that it is a little noisy.

5 WD_BLACK 5TB HDD
Our Score:
9.2
WD_BLACK

The more games you own, the more likely it is that some of your favorites will get pushed to the side. This great WD BLACK P10 Game Drive can store up to 125 games in its massive 5 TB storage space. You can take your whole game collection and all essential documents with you everywhere you go thanks to the WD BLACK P10 Game Drive's portable design, which has a sleek metal top covering for instant access to your ever-expanding library of games while still leaving room for old favorites and new releases.

It has a SuperSpeed interface of up to 5Gbps and a USB Type-A to Micro-B connection of 18 inches (457mm) (Cable length may vary). This hard drive is compatible with Xbox Series X/S (play and store Xbox One games, archive Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S games) and PlayStation 5 (play and store PS4 games, archive PS5 games) consoles. The only negative point of this device is that it does not come with any backup solution.

6 Toshiba Canvio Advance 4TB HDD
Our Score:
9.0
Toshiba

Using Toshiba's, this device can increase your storage capacity to 4TB. With this, you'll be able to bring your whole photo, audio, and video library with you wherever you go. This portable storage device may be as unique as you are, with a choice of vivid colors and a sleek textured surface.

The ability to create a custom password and set up automatic backups makes it simple to keep your vital documents safe and sound and play your games smoothly. In the meantime, you can quickly back up your data with the help of Toshiba's Storage Security and Storage Backup software. 

Your ever-expanding media library can rest easy knowing it has access to up to 4 terabytes(1) of storage space. High-speed data transfer is possible thanks to USB 3.0 and 2.0 compatibility; an extra AC power cord is unnecessary. The only downside of this device is that while in operation, this device makes a bit of noise. 

7 Seagate BarraCuda 2TB HDD
Our Score:
8.8
Seagate

By virtue of its time-tested dependability, this BarraCuda internal hard drive allows you to store more data, do computations more quickly, and do so with complete peace of mind. This drive is ideal for designers, musicians, photographers, and video editors who frequently work in an environment where they must switch between various apps. These solutions provide performance that is not interrupted, optimized read/write caching technology, and a selection of capacities and form factors in picking.

Upgrading with this reliable family of cost-effective Barracuda drives will improve the efficiency of your data processing and retrieval. Increased productivity grants prompt access to data, which expedites the loading times of games, accelerates the rate at which applications launch, and quickens the pace at which you may transmit files. However, at first, this drive might create a little noise, but after some time, it starts to run perfectly smoothly.

8 Seagate (STGD2000100) 2TB HDD
Our Score:
8.6
Seagate

You will no longer need to delete games from the PS4 system in order to make room for new ones since with this portable hard drive storage unit that has 2 TB; you can keep more than 50 games. This drive is an officially licensed PS4 product, which ensures its compatibility and smooth operation with the console. This game drive for the PS4 provides performance with no lag, as well as a rapid step-by-step setup and plug-and-play functionality.

In addition, this drive enables simple connectivity with USB 3.0 and does not require an additional power cord of any kind. The classic black and blue color scheme of the PlayStation 4 is featured on this accessory, making it the ideal addition to any gaming setup. Its small size and readiness for travel also mean that the adventure can take place anywhere, as the portable and lightweight design of the device makes it simple to bring the entire collection along. But the device you need for playing games on your PS5 is not this one.

9 WD 16TB HDD
Our Score:
8.4
Western Digital

Plug-and-play ready for Windows PCs

WD quality inside and out

High-capacity add-on storage

Fast data transfers

10 Seagate IronWolf Pro 20TB HDD
Our Score:
8.3
Seagate

You can harness the power offered by the IronWolf Pro 20TB hard drive, which has been tuned for NAS and provides brisk performance, a high workload, and an unrivaled capacity to assist SMBs. Designed to last and always ready to go, with conventional magnetic recording technology (CMR) to store and safeguard vital data and AgileArray firmware to ensure superior RAID stability and NAS compatibility.  This drive has rotating vibration sensors built right in, so you can save your data without worrying about latency or interruptions.

With a user rate of 300 terabytes per year and accessibility 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to store and safeguard essential data, you can rest easy even when faced with the most demanding workloads. This drive is ready to work with high spin speeds of 7200 RPM once appropriately configured. However, when this drive is in sleep mode, it makes a weird ticking sound.

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What to Look For in a best pc gaming hard drive?

When selecting a suitable best pc gaming hard drive, a variety of factors have been found. Information sources are available in a wide range of forms.  As a basis, we are doing it to support, inform, and solve your demands.

Please keep these things in mind before selecting the best pc gaming hard drive:

Size Of The Disk

I understand that you are buying the hard disk in order to eliminate the need to delete some files when you install a new game or add modifications. Also, at a time when a single game can take up to 100GB, Call of Duty WWII is 90GB; it only makes sense that you select the hard disk that will allow you sufficient storage space.

Performance

Transfer speed is the feature that most people notice on a daily basis. We evaluated each drive with tests that replicated different real-world uses, and we focused on the drives that consistently outperformed the other contenders. Drives that did well on some tests but failed others were unreliable and not worth purchasing.

Reliability

All hard drives eventually die, and there’s no definitive answer on when that day will come. We recommend replacing your backup drives between the third and sixth years of use, if possible. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get metrics on which hard drive models are more reliable over the long run, and even so, there will always be outliers and failures that occur sooner than expected.

Cache Memory

This is a cache that functions much like Computer RAM Memory. It stores important files temporarily so that it takes less time to access them on the disk. The larger the cache size, the faster the hard disk will be. However, the difference is not major, and as such, this should not be the biggest determiner.

Rotation Speed

Did you know that hard drives store information on spinning magnetic plates? The faster these plates spin, the faster the load and access time. The rotation is measured in RPM (Rotations per Minute), and although we recommend hard disks with 7200RPM, 5400RPM is still a good option.

Speed

HDDs, or hard drives, contain spinning disks that read and write your data. The faster these disks spin—rated in rotations per minute (RPM)—the faster the drive can access data and transfer it to your computer.

External Vs. Internal HDD

The main advantage of external hard disks is their portability. Which also makes them perfect backups in case your PC is compromised. Desktop PCs allow you room to add extra hard disks, but if you are using a laptop or other gaming device, you will have to replace your existing hard drive.

FAQs

What is a hard drive for PC gaming?

A hard drive for PC gaming is a storage device that stores all of the data and files necessary to run your PC games. It is usually an internal component of the computer and is usually a large capacity drive (1-2 TB).

What are the benefits of using a hard drive for PC gaming?

Using a hard drive for PC gaming can provide faster loading times, improved game performance, and increased storage capacity for all of your games. Additionally, hard drives have a much longer lifespan than other types of storage, making them an ideal choice for PC gaming.

What type of hard drive should I use for PC gaming?

Solid-state drives (SSDs) are the best choice for PC gaming, as they offer faster loading times and improved game performance. Additionally, they are more reliable and have a longer lifespan than traditional hard disk drives (HDDs).

How do I install a hard drive for PC gaming?

Installing a hard drive for PC gaming requires opening up the computer case and connecting the hard drive to the motherboard. To do this, you will need to use a Phillips screwdriver, a SATA cable, and a power cable. Detailed instructions for installing a hard drive can be found in your computer’s manual.

What is the difference between an HDD and an SSD?

Hard Disk Drives (HDD) are traditional spinning disks that use magnetic storage to store data. They are typically cheaper and slower than Solid State Drives (SSD). SSDs use flash memory to store data and are usually more expensive but offer faster read and write speeds.

With new information arriving, our editor will usually update the best pc gaming hard drive frequently. Please constantly check our site for the most up-to-date material.

We will try our best to help you with more best pc gaming hard drive. You are supposed to be free to ask for assistance with your problems.


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About Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison is a writer and audio equipment enthusiast. He's particularly interested in home theater HiFi audio, and he has been the editor of The Audio Insights since its inception. Harlan is known for his sharp wit and scathing critiques, but he also has a great love of music and audio gear. When he's not writing or editing, Harlan can be found listening to music or watching movies with his wife.