Top 10 External Hard Drives

Choosing an external hard drive is very important to ensure all data is secure. Not all external hard drives are created equally, so careful comparisons need to be made before purchasing. These 10 external hard drives have been evaluated for price, storage capacity, and the supported interface.

Hammer Morespace

This drive has a storage capacity of 1000 gigabytes (GB), or 1terabyte (TB). The drive itself has a boxy design, which is not attractive to all buyers, but the inclusion of a power switch is a definite plus. It connects to a computer system with USB 2.0 connectivity with a 16 megabyte (MB) buffer size and a speed of 7200 RPM. When purchasing this drive, expect to spend around 12 cents per GB, for an average cost of $120, depending on the vendor.

1.5TB Velocity2 Series Redundant Backup System

1.5TB of space is enough to back up more than one complete system, and is very valuable in case of an internal hard drive failure. The drive connects with either external SATA-300 or USB 2.0. It has a buffer size of 16 MB, and a speed of 7200 RPM. This external hard drive costs around $700 depending on the vendor, so while the storage capacity is good, it is an overpriced option for many at around 47 cents per GB.

Seagate Maxtor One-Touch IV Plus

This drive holds 500 GB. The cost per gigabyte is around 30 cents, or $150 total, depending on the vendor. This external hard drive has two options for connecting to a computer system: USB 2.0 or FireWire 400, but it lacks an eSATA interface. A plus to this drive is the one touch backup feature, making it very easy to back up entire systems. The drive has a buffer size of 16 MB, and a speed of 7200 RPM.

Simple Tech Redrive

This external hard drive is an eco-friendly option for those concerned with the environment. The storage capacity for the Simple Tech Redrive is 500 GB. The drive connects to a system using only a USB 2.0 interface, and has a 16 MB buffer size along with a 5400 RPM speed. The cost of the drive averages around 28 cents per gigabyte, or $140.

WiebeTech ToughTech FS

This 500 GB drive connects to a computer with USB 2.0, external SATA-300, or FireWire 400. The average price is $206, or 41 cents per gigabyte. The drive has a buffer size of 16 MB, and a speed of 7200 RPM. Though this drive comes without any bundled software, it has an advantage over other drives because it is easy to access the chassis with tools.

Western Digital's My Book

This is a reasonably priced 1TB drive at $210, or 21 cents per gigabyte. It connects to a computer via USB 2.0, external SATA-300, or FireWire 400. The drive has a buffer size of 16 MB, and a speed of 7200 RPM, though it does not have the performance markers of some of its competitors.

LaCie d2 Quadra

For $170, or 34 cents per gigabyte, this hard drive has a storage capacity of 500 GB and comes with the following connectivity options: USB 2.0, external SATA-150, and FireWire 400 or 800. The price is slightly higher than other competitors, but it is worth it for the additional connectivity options and flexibility. The buffer size for this drive is 16 MB and it runs at a speed of 7200 RPM.

EZ BUS Desktop SATA

This drive has 500 GB of storage capacity for 26 cents per gigabyte, or $129. The backup, file-copy, and encryption utilities bundled with the hard drive make it a great choice for many. The drive connects via USB 2.0 and external SATA-300. The buffer size is 8 MB and the speed is 7200 RPM.

DUO Pro Drive

For $280, or 28 cents per GB, this drive offers 1000 GB of storage capacity, 16 MB buffer size, 7200 RPM, and connects via USB 2.0 or external SATA-300. The design of the external hard drive and its bundled software make it well worth the money.

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1TB Velocity2 Series Backup System

The best external hard drive is cost effective at just 18 cents per gigabyte. 1000 gigabytes for $181 is an excellent deal. With USB 2.0 and external SATA-300 connectivity, a bootable hard drive option, and backup options, this is a great hard drive for anyone. The buffer size for this drive is 16 MB and it runs with a speed of 7200 RPM.

External hard drives are available in a large variety of storage capacities, but these external hard drives are all large enough to backup an entire system. Because a computer system can go down at any moment and data can be lost, an external hard drive is a very smart investment.

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