Using an external hard drive has many benefits over relying solely on the internal hard drive of a computer. External hard drives provide more storage capacity, improved performance, greater reliability, increased portability, and better security for your important files and data.
More Storage Space
One of the biggest advantages of an external hard drive is the ability to dramatically increase the amount of storage space for files, photos, videos, music, and other data. The internal hard drives in most consumer laptops max out at 2 Terabytes (TB) of storage. Many desktop computers have more space, but are still limited compared internal storage vs. what’s available for external hard drives.
External hard drives are available in much higher capacities. For example, you can purchase external hard drives with 10TB of storage or more. This massively expands the storage potential for a user. Having more space allows you to store far more files and data before needing to delete or backup to another source.
More storage capacity is useful for collectors of media including photos, videos, and music. It also benefits gamers who have large game file sizes. Students and professionals alike can benefit from extra capacity for storing documents, presentations, projects, and other work materials.
Faster Read/Write Speeds
Most external hard drives connect to computers via the USB, Thunderbolt, FireWire, or eSATA interfaces. This allows the external drive to connect at extremely high data transfer speeds. For users moving large files or needing to quickly access data, this speed advantage makes a major difference.
For example, many external SSD (solid-state drives) can reach data transfer speeds of over 500 Megabytes per second via a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 connection. This is over 5 times faster than a typical SATA 3 internal hard drive. This means you can transfer gigabytes of data in just seconds instead of minutes.
Faster read/write speeds improve workflow efficiency when moving, copying, or accessing large files like uncompressed video. This performance advantage also benefits gaming, photo and video editing, and other intensive tasks.
Increased Reliability
Consumer internal hard drives have an annual failure rate estimated between 3-5%. Enterprise quality drives used in many external hard drives can be designed for much lower annual failure rates of 1% or less. This improved reliability is very important for protecting valuable data and files.
External SSD drives are even more durable with no moving parts. They offer failure rates of less than 0.5% annually. This extremely high reliability safeguards important data from loss.
Also, external drives that stay on your desk or in a drawer are less susceptible to drops, bumps, power surges and other environmental hazards that can damage internal drives fixed in a computer.
Greater Portability
A major advantage of external drives is their portability. Internal hard drives are fixed inside desktops and laptops to maintain their data connections. External hard drives can easily be disconnected and transported between different computers.
Large capacity models above 8TB might require AC power, but many smaller external SSDs and HDDs get all the power they need via USB. This means no external power bricks to transport. Just unplug the USB and take your drive with its data anywhere.
Besides moving data between home and work computers, this allows easy sharing of data locally for collaboration. It also provides simple data backup to external locations in case of system failures or other disasters.
Better Security
Keeping sensitive personal or business files and data on an internal hard drive can present security risks. If a laptop is lost, stolen, or compromised, internal files may be easily accessible. External hard drives allow users to keep this important data unplugged and locked away when not needed.
Most external hard drives also include software for encrypting data on the drive. This adds an additional level of security and prevents unauthorized access. It also safeguards files in cases of physical theft of the external drive.
More Backup Options
Backing up your computer files and data regularly is extremely important. External hard drives provide users with more options for comprehensive backup versus relying solely on internal drive space or flash drives for copies.
External hard drives often come with backup software like WD SmartWare and Apple Time Machine to automate copying files for recovery if needed. Keeping backups on an external drive allows safely storing data redundantly without cluttering up the primary computer.
Very large external drives also facilitate complete drive images and physical machine backups for disaster recovery. This is yet another backup advantage external storage provides.
Flexibility & Customization
External hard drives offer much more flexibility and customization for meeting diverse user storage needs compared to internal hard drives. Once your internal hard drive is installed, it’s fixed at that capacity and speed. External drives allow users to upgrade storage, speed, and connectivity as needs change.
If you need more capacity, just buy a higher capacity external drive. Faster transfer speeds? Get the latest external SSD. New connectivity tech comes along? Just use adapters or buy an external drive with the new interface. External drives allow easy future upgrades.
Easy Installation
Internal hard drives require opening up your computer case and configuring a SATA or M.2 interface. Installing a new internal drive with the operating system and migrating all your data can be complicated.
External hard drives are extremely simple to get up and running. You can just plug in any external drive via USB, Thunderbolt, etc. and be using the additional storage in seconds or minutes at most. No tools, no configuration, and no technical know-how required.
Works With Any Computer
External hard drives are compatible across many devices with USB, FireWire, Thunderbolt or eSATA interfaces. The same external drive can be plugged into desktops, laptops, tablets, routers, smart TVs, car entertainment systems, gaming consoles, and more. This provides easy access across all your devices.
Most operating systems including Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS, Android, Xbox, Playstation, etc. will immediately recognize and be able to utilize storage from an external hard drive.
Reduces Computer Clutter
Internal hard drives fill up computer bays and add to overall device clutter. External hard drives keep that bulk separate from your slick ultrabook, 2-in-1, or other computer. This allows minimizing the desktop footprint and keeping the computer area clean.
For travelers, external drives avoid taking up valuable space internally when storage is needed only occasionally. They can stay behind when hitting the road with a tablet or notebook.
Easy Troubleshooting
External drives allow easy troubleshooting and maintenance that is not possible on internal drives. Because they aren’t fixed inside the computer, you can do things like:
- Run diagnostics like scanning for bad sectors.
- Physically inspect connections, cables, and the port.
- Troubleshoot performance issues without opening up a computer.
- Quickly reformat, wipe, or manage partitions.
Overall, external hard drives are easy to scan, repair and troubleshoot in the event of issues. Internal hard drives require computer teardown for similar diagnostics and repair.
Disadvantages of External Hard Drives
External hard drives have clear benefits, but there are some downsides to weigh when comparing to internal hard drive storage:
- Larger physical footprint takes up desk space.
- Requires external power adapter on higher capacity units.
- Slower max speeds from USB/Thunderbolt than internal SATA.
- More connections means additional failure points.
- Less secure physically with more handling.
Maximum External Hard Drive Capacities
Here are the highest capacity external hard drive models currently on the market from leading manufacturers:
| Brand | Product | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Western Digital | My Book Duo | 20TB |
| Seagate | Backup Plus Hub | 14TB |
| LaCie | Rugged RAID Shuttle | 8TB |
| Samsung | T7 Touch | 2TB |
These represent the upper limit of storage available in external consumer hard drives today. Capacities will continue growing over time as technology improves.
Choosing an External Hard Drive
With so many great benefits, an external hard drive purchase may be in your future. Here are the most important factors to consider when choosing an external hard drive:
- Storage Capacity – How much storage space do you need today and in the future?
- Connectivity – Faster Thunderbolt, USB 3.0/3.1, and eSATA for quickest data transfer speeds.
- Drive Type – Traditional HDD vs. faster, more reliable SSD.
- Portability – Smaller sizes for easy transport if needed.
- Security – Look for encryption if storing sensitive data.
- Backup Software – Utilities for easy file copying and recovery.
- Cost – How much you can affordably invest in storage capacity.
- Brand Reputation – Stick with major brands for quality and support.
Conclusion
Adding external hard drives provide users amazing benefits over standalone internal storage. External drives open up vast new storage capacities while improving speed, reliability, portability, and security. They also greatly aid data backup and recovery.
For home users with large media collections or professionals with growing storage demands, external hard drives are a near essential investment. With huge capacity, blazing speed, rock solid reliability, and transportability, external drives are ideal for tackling today’s big data storage challenges.