How to choose a laptop hard drive

The laptop has become an essential device for a huge number of users. Mobility and high technical characteristics make it attractive for those who work for it, and for those who use for leisure. During operation, it happens that the device starts 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 a computer.

Types of Hard Drives

The following types of hard drives are available:

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. Cons are low speed, sensitivity to minimal mechanical stress, high noise level.
2. SSD Data is stored on microchips. Storage devices of this type are not cheap, they work about 3 times faster than HDDs, they do not make noise, they tolerate vibration and gentle shocks to a sufficient degree. The number of data write cycles is limited.
3. SSHD Such drives are often called hybrid due to the fact that this is 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 size and is used to store frequently used information, the rest is stored on the HDD. Such drives do not tolerate vibration and shock due to the presence of moving parts in the structure.

Criteria for choosing a hard drive for a laptop

The main parameters that should be considered when choosing a hard drive:

1. Reliability. Due to the fact that laptops are rarely located in one place, and, as a rule, accompany their owner in different conditions, this particular part of the computer crashes more often than others. This is due to the design of the disc - the reader is located directly above the surface and may be damaged by a slight jolt or vibration. In newer models, the read head is retracted to one side upon termination of operation, minimizing the risk of equipment damage by simply moving the computer.
2. Speed ​​of execution of operations. It is an important indicator for all computers, both stationary and mobile. The increased value of speed of operation is due to the limited battery life of portable devices. This parameter is affected by the cache size. General recommendation, the larger the cache, the faster the computer runs.

Important! Choosing an internal drive for a laptop, you need to consider a few more points. Inside the device are 2.5-inch drives. Different models have different thicknesses of the hard drive. This is important, since a disk with a larger thickness may not fit, and a thin one will not hold firmly, as a result of which it will fail earlier. Another compatibility option is the connection interface. As a rule, the latest models are equipped with drives with SATA connection type, older devices may have an IDE standard. Between themselves, they are not interchangeable.

Which manufacturer’s hard drive should I 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 not tell you anything. The latter often differ in relatively low cost.

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

The leading manufacturers of this type are Samsung, Intel and Kingston. This option may not be suitable for users with old devices that they are not going to change. Most HDD drives are made 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 access user reviews. Carefully study the opinions of those who are dissatisfied with the acquisition on the basis of considerations that ordered negative reviews are written much less often than positive ones.

The functions performed are the main thing that you need to build on when choosing a hard drive. If data storage is important, an inexpensive magnetic storage device should be preferred. 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, often this is 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, then you can ask them on computer forums, there are certainly sections dedicated to the discussion of different components.