How to choose a hard drive for a laptop

The laptop has become an essential device for a huge number of users. Mobility and high technical characteristics make it attractive both for those who work behind it and for those who use it for leisure. During operation, it happens that the device begins to work slowly. In the vast majority of cases, the source of the problem is the hard drive. In this article we will talk about some nuances that will help you make the right choice when replacing a part or adding and expanding the capabilities of your computer.

Types of hard drives

There are the following types of hard drives:

1. HDD. Data is stored on magnetic media. Its advantages are low cost compared to other types of drives, information can be recorded an unlimited number of times. The disadvantages are low operating speed, sensitivity to minimal mechanical influences, and high noise levels.
2. SSD. Data is stored on chips. Drives of this type are not cheap, work about 3 times faster than HDDs, do not make noise, and are fairly resistant to vibration and mild shocks. The number of data recording cycles is limited.
3. SSHD. Such drives are often called hybrid because they are a kind of symbiosis of the first two types. An SSD is built into a regular hard drive.The built-in disk has a small volume and is used to store frequently used information, while the rest is stored on the HDD. Such drives do not withstand vibration and shock due to the presence of moving parts in the design.

Criteria for choosing a hard drive for a laptop

Key parameters to consider when choosing a hard drive:

1. Reliability. Due to the fact that laptops are rarely placed in one place, but, as a rule, accompany their owner in different conditions, it is this part of the computer that fails more often than others. This is due to the design of the disk - the reading device is located directly above the surface and can be damaged by a slight shock or vibration. In new models, the reading head is moved to the side when it stops working, minimizing the risk of equipment damage when simply moving the computer.
2. Speed ​​of execution of operations. It is an important indicator for all computers, both desktop and mobile. The increased value of speed is due to the limited battery life of portable devices. This parameter is affected by the cache size. The general recommendation is that the larger the cache, the faster the computer runs.

Important! When choosing an internal drive for a laptop, you need to consider a few more points. The device contains 2.5-inch drives. Different models have different hard drive thicknesses. This is important, since a thicker disk may not fit, and a thin one will not hold securely, as a result of which it will fail sooner. Another compatibility parameter is the connection interface. As a rule, the latest models are equipped with drives with a SATA connection type; older devices may have an IDE standard.They are not interchangeable with each other.

Which hard drive manufacturer is better to choose?

In stores selling components, you can find both hard drives of well-known brands and drives, the name of the manufacturer of which will tell you nothing. The latter are often relatively inexpensive.

Every company has more and less successful hard drive models. First you need to decide on the type of drive. Most experts advise choosing SSD models. Such drives will cost more, but you will immediately feel a qualitative improvement in the performance of your computer.

The leading manufacturers of this type are Samsung, Intel and Kingston. This option may not be suitable for users with older devices that they do not intend to replace. Most HDD drive models are produced by Seagate, Toshiba, Hitachi.

Next, you need to find out what type of interface your laptop supports. In the case of SATA, it makes no sense to overpay for those properties and functions of the new hard drive that will not work properly on the old interface.

The next step is to turn to user reviews. Carefully study the opinions of those who are dissatisfied with the purchase based on the consideration that custom negative reviews are written much less often than positive ones.

The functions performed are the main thing you need to consider when choosing a hard drive. If data storage is important, you should give preference to an inexpensive magnetic drive. If the priority is the speed of startup and operation of the operating system, then you should pay attention to hybrid and SSD drives.

Do not chase the maximum amount of memory; this is often achieved by reducing reliability.Pay attention to power consumption; its low level will increase the battery life of the laptop. If you have any specific questions, you can ask them on computer forums; there are always sections dedicated to discussing various components.