The 10 Good Hard Drives Of 2024, Tested By Our Experts

Nicolas Ward By, Nicolas Ward
Updated
Good Hard Drives
Good Hard Drives

The Rundown

1. Best Of The Best: Seagate 2TB Hard Drive

Seagate 2TB external hard drive provides the smoothest operation possible by using the included 18-inch USB 3.0 cable to connect to your computer, and it comes with a convenient carry pouch that makes it easy to take your files with you on the go. Read Review

2. Best For The Price: Toshiba 2TB Hard Drive

Toshiba 2TB Hard Drive is perfect for adding storage capacity to your PC and other compatible devices. It's USB 3.0 compatible with no external AC power cord needed and USB 2.0 compatible as well. This hard drive is perfect for many desktop users. Read Review

3. Best Capacity: WD_BLACK 5TB Hard Drive

WD Black Hard Drive is so easy to use, you can put it in your pocket. It's compatible with Xbox Series X and S, and the sleek metal top cover protects against damage from bumps or spills. With capacities up to 5TB, you'll have plenty of space for storage. Read Review

4. Best Quality: Maxone External Hard Drive

Maxone External Hard Drive is designed to be compatible with your PC or game console. With a plug-and-play design and a large capacity, it's easy to add storage space. It features a USB 3.0 cable, which is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 ports. Read Review

5. Best Connectivity: Silicon Power 2TB Hard Drive

The Silicon Power hard drive is designed with military grade shockproof and water-resistant protection. It is compatible with Xbox and PS4, so you can enjoy your games without delay. You can also store all of your data in the massive 2TB capacity storage device. Read Review

Computers are being used more and more as digital storage devices. This means you need to have fast and reliable hard drives in order to store digital files. Hard drives are the gatekeepers of your digital life. Everything from your photos, videos, music, documents, and operating system files all reside on your drive. If your hard drive ever goes bad, you’ll feel it immediately. Your system will slow down as the operation of reading and writing files takes longer than usual.

A hard drive is an essential part of your PC. Without one, your system will not be able to store and retrieve files. You need multiple hard drives so you can have more space for saving your data or using an operating system such as Windows 10 that requires a large amount of storage space in order to function properly. It’s important to get hard drives that are good-quality and durable. In this article, we review some of the best options available on the market today.

Following extensive study and analysis, We think the good hard drives of 2024 is Seagate 2TB Hard Drive. This 2TB external hard drive provides the smoothest operation possible by using the included 18-inch USB 3.0 cable to connect to your computer, and it comes with a convenient carry pouch that makes it easy to take your files with you on the go. However, it is not the only thing on our list. We also show a full buyer's guide and a number of different options are available to help you find the most suitable.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 Seagate 2TB Hard Drive
Our Score:
9.9
Seagate

Easily store and access 2TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive

This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable

To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required

TOP Choice #2 Toshiba 2TB Hard Drive
Our Score:
9.7
Toshiba

Quickly add more storage capacity to your PC and other compatible devices

Compatible devices: Desktop

USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 compatible with no external AC power cord needed

TOP Choice #3 WD_BLACK 5TB Hard Drive
Our Score:
9.6
WD_BLACK

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

Portable form factor with sleek metal top covering that provides fast access to your growing game library

Available in capacities up to 5TB that can hold up to 125 games, so that you can save old favorites and still have room for new titles (As used for storage capacity, one terabyte (TB) = one trillion bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment. Number of games based on a 36GB average per game. The number of games will vary based on file size, formatting, other programs, and factors.)

Comes with an 18-inch (457mm) USB Type-A to Micro-B cable with SuperSpeed interface up to 5Gbps (Cable length may vary.)

Premium HDD with 3-year limited warranty, purpose-built for gamers based on WD_BLACK quality and reliability

4 Maxone External Hard Drive
Our Score:
9.5
Maxone

✔ Plug and Play: This external drive is ready to use without external power supply or software installation needed. Ideal extra storage for your computer and game console

✔ Improve PC Performance: Powered by USB 3.0 technology, this USB hard drive is much faster than - but still compatible with - USB 2.0 backup drive, allowing for super fast transfer speed at up to 5 Gbit/s

✔ What's Included: Portable external hard drive, 19-inch(48.26cm) USB 3.0 hard drive cable, user's manual, 3-Year manufacturer warranty with free technical support service

5 Silicon Power 2TB Hard Drive
Our Score:
9.3
SP Silicon Power

ALL-ROUND DATA PROTECTION: Military-grade shockproof and IPX4 water-resistant protection,

NO MORE MISSING CABLES: Cable-carry design for easy cable storage, Supported OS: Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP, Mac OS 10.5.x, Linux 2.6.x,

PS4 / XBOX COMPATIBLE: Ideal for gaming enthusiasts Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim (PS4 System Software version 4.50 or higher)

6 Seagate 4TB Internal Hard Drive
Our Score:
9.1
Seagate

Store more, compute faster, and do it confidently with the proven reliability of BarraCuda internal hard drives

Confidently rely on internal hard drive technology backed by 20 years of innovation; Max sustained transfer rate OD(MB/s): 190 MB/s

Build a powerhouse gaming computer or desktop setup with a variety of capacities and form factors

The go to SATA hard drive solution for nearly every PC application from music to video to photo editing to PC gaming

7 WD 10TB Hard Drive
Our Score:
9.0
Western Digital

Plug-and-play ready for Windows PCs

WD quality inside and out

High-capacity add-on storage

Fast data transfers

8 Toshiba 2TB Hard Drive
Our Score:
8.8
Toshiba

Designed for PC, Mac, and Tablet (check compatibility at Toshiba's Consumer HDD website).

USB-C ready, USB 3.0 compatible.

Versatile design. Includes USB-C and USB-A cables.

9 LaCie 4TB Hard Drive
Our Score:
8.4
LaCie

Shock, drops up to 4 feet, dust and water resistant for all-terrain use

For Mac compatibility this Hard Drive requires reformatting. Refer to Application Guide for more details

Password protection built in. Maximum speed is 130 mb per second

10 SanDisk 5TB Hard Drive
Our Score:
8.3
SanDisk Professional

Premium, anodised aluminium enclosure for strength you can feel

USB-C (5Gbps) drive for quick file backup and storage

Triple-layer shock resistance for added protection,Rain-and dust-resistant (IP54) enclosure with a 1000lb crush resistance.Note-Please update your Mac OS

Product Images, Product Titles, Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

What to Look For in a good hard drives?

Some of you may be reluctant to select one of the good hard drives, to be honest. The main reason is that you didn’t study that before. There are pretty lots of factors that must be considered when investing in good hard drives. You are expected to count on our expertise in good hard drives to make the right choice. 

So now we move on to the significant factors related to good hard drives you must keep in mind:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

FAQs

What is a hard drive?

A hard drive is a physical storage device used to store files, programs, and data. It is typically composed of one or more rotating platters made of rigid magnetic material, and an array of read/write heads which move across the platters, allowing data to be written or read from the drive.

How do I install a hard drive?

Installing a hard drive is relatively straightforward. First, you will need to open up the computer case and locate the hard drive bay. After that, you will need to connect the hard drive’s power and data cables to the corresponding headers on the motherboard. Finally, you will need to secure the drive in place with screws, and then boot up the computer to start using the new drive.

What is the difference between an internal and external hard drive?

An internal hard drive is a drive that is installed directly inside of a computer. An external hard drive is a drive that is designed to be connected to a computer via USB or some other type of connection. Internal drives are typically faster and more reliable, but external drives are easier to use and transport.

How do I know if my hard drive is failing?

If you notice your computer is running slower than usual or you hear strange clicking or buzzing noises coming from the hard drive, it may be failing. Other signs include files being corrupted or not opening, or blue screen errors.

Can I recover data from a failed hard drive?

You may be able to recover data from a failed hard drive depending on the type and extent of the damage. In most cases, you will need the help of a professional data recovery service to attempt the process.


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About Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward is an elite author with many years of experience in the music field and the owner of many engaging articles at TheAudioInsights. He studies music production and has many years of passionate research into sound systems. Appearing in many popular newspapers, Nicolas Ward provides useful knowledge and the latest information on music and sound.