Best External Hard Drives in 2023

What do you use an external hard drive for?

Most electronic devices have some type of hard drive inside. It acts as storage for your operating system (OS) and anything you need to save. The problem is that it only has a finite amount of storage. As you keep saving files, you reduce the amount of available storage. This can make your computer run much slower than it ever did and cause problems when you try to play games or open multiple tabs on your web browser. An external hard drive is essentially a mobile version of your system’s hard drive.

It’s not just the saved files cluttering up your screen that reduce your storage space. Your PC needs a certain amount of storage just to run and operate properly. With an external hard drive, you get a piece of equipment that you can use with your computer and other devices like your game console or tablet. You can even connect the external hard drive to different computers and transfer information between them.

The only thing needed to use an external hard drive is a USB cable. Most come with either a USB-C or a USB-A cable that connects the hard drive to your system. Some even offer password protection and encryption where you add a password to the device. Unless someone else knows your password, they cannot view any of the files you saved on it or make any changes to your files. Take a look at some of the things you can use an external hard drive for and why it’s worth investing in one.

Extra storage

While shoppers have different reasons for buying external hard drives, the most common is storage. When you start running out of room on your hard drive, you have two options: buy more RAM or sign up for cloud storage. Buying more RAM can cost almost as much as buying a new computer does. If you don’t have a lot of tech experience, you risk damaging your PC when you try to install more memory. Paying someone to do the job for you can also cost a lot. There’s no guarantee that you won’t run out of storage again later either. Cloud storage is helpful because you can log in and access your files whenever you want. You need to pay for this storage though, which is often expensive. There’s also a chance that you might forget your password and lose your files. Other risks are that the server will crash and lose your data or the company might go out of business.

External hard drives are a better option. You can buy one that has all of the space you need today and room for files you create in the future. Though some of the cheaper models have just 500MB of storage, other external hard drives have 1TB or 2TB of storage, which is enough for thousands of photos and hundreds of hours of video. There are even some models that have 8TB of storage or more. Not only can you save files you don’t want to lose, but you can free up space on your computer when you transfer files to your external.

Data transfer

Another popular reason to invest in an external hard drive is for data transfers. Do you have files on an old computer that you want to snag but aren’t sure how to do it? It’s easy to connect your external to the computer. Most allow you to click and drag the files you want and then drop them onto the hard drive. You can then plug into your new computer and move the files over.

External hard drives also give you an easy way to share data with others. You might download a copy of a PC game that you take to a friend’s house to let them borrow it. If you have a client from work who wants to see some of the work you did, it’s just as easy to move the files to your external hard drive and download them onto your client’s computer. You can also use an external to share data with friends or classmates at school.

System backup

One of the worst feelings in the world is how you feel when you see a blue screen on your computer or a message that says the hard drive failed. Recovery companies can often find some of your files. Not only do they charge a lot for this service, but they cannot guarantee that they’ll find everything you stored on your hard drive. With an external hard drive, you can back up every file on your computer. We found models that do automatic backups every time you plug them into your computer because they automatically look for new files and make copies for you. You’ll also find some that allow you to schedule future backups at times that work for you. If your hard drive fails or you damage your computer, you can easily access all of your files.

Gaming

Gamers know just how much space a simple game takes up. Even if you buy a new desktop designed for gaming, you might find that it lacks enough hard drive space to download and play two or more games. One of the best things about external hard drives is that they are compatible with consoles like the PS5 and Xbox One. You can move games from your console’s hard drive to the external. When you plug in the external later, you have access to all of those games. It will also save your progress.

Digital editing

Though not as common as some of the other reasons, many people look for external hard drives for digital editing. Whether you need to edit videos or photos, you may not want to rely solely on your PC. The software you use can take up a lot of space and slow things down so much that it takes a few minutes or longer just to save a new file. With an external hard drive, you can store the software on it. When you need to do some editing work, move the files to the external hard drive and open the program. As long as you keep it connected to your computer, you can run that software.

Are there different types of external hard drives?

The two types of external hard drives available include SSD and HDD models. A solid-state drive or SSD is pretty common in most computers, especially gaming setups. Hard disk drives or HDDs aren’t as common today. You can take a look at both types to get an idea of which one works with your budget and needs.

SSD

SSDs get their name because they do not have any moving parts. They use transistors with cells that detect electric pulses. Those pulses tell the drive when to save data. Many gamers prefer SSD external hard drives because of how fast they are. You can transfer one file in a few seconds and move bigger files within minutes. You should keep in mind though that they are expensive. Finding one for $100 or less is quite difficult.

HDDs

An HDD external hard drive has a series of magnetic disks inside that move and make noise as you save information. You will know if your computer uses one of these hard drives because you can hear it. Buying an HDD helps you save a lot of money because these drives usually cost around $50 to $100. The downside is that they take up a lot of room. You will find that they usually come in smaller sizes and that they are slower than SDD external hard drives, too.

What should you look for in an external hard drive?

Before you decide to buy one of the external hard drives that made our list, make sure you have a few ideas in mind about what you need. You won’t find one external that is suitable for everyone.

Overall size

Always consider the size of the external hard drive, especially if you buy one that you’ll use in places other than your home. Some weigh 2 to 3 pounds or more and are roughly the same size as a game console. While you can easily use one of these with your PC and other devices, it’s not as easy to move. The hard drive can take up a lot of room in your bag. Smaller externals are best for those who spend a lot of time on the go. You might pick one up that weighs 6 ounces or less and is small enough to fit in your pocket.

Storage space

Modern external hard drives provide as much storage as you once had with dozens of blank discs. One of the more important things to keep in mind as you consider all of your options is how much space you need. An external hard drive with 1TB of storage is around the minimum that most shoppers need. This gives you room for around 250,000 photos or up to 250 hours of videos and movies. If you need an external for gaming, look for those with 4TB to 8TB of storage to make sure you have room for all of the games you want to save.

Security features

External hard drives are sometimes so portable that users lose them. You might set it down on a desk in your classroom and forget to grab it before you leave or accidentally leave it behind in a drawer in your office. External hard drives now include security features that reduce the risk of someone finding and stealing your data. With software or hardware encryption, the external will protect your data when you’re on an open network. You’ll find some models that allow you to add a password and prevent anyone from viewing the files unless they enter the password. Several portable external hard drives also come with a tamper-resistant case.

Connections

As you look over our list of the best external hard drives, you might notice that they use USB cables. USB cables let you set up the hard drive in minutes with any device and use it with different systems. Some of the cheaper drives use USB 2.0 technology, which is still valid. When you expand your budget, you can bring home one that uses USB 3.0 technology. This technology is much faster and makes the drive compatible with most devices. You may want to look for one that comes with an adapter, too. There’s a good chance you have a few devices that use USB-C cables while the external uses a USB-A cable.

In addition to USB connections, external hard drives may offer a Thunderbolt connection. Thunderbolt cables work well with Apple products and offer fast transfer speeds. Externals that have a Thunderbolt 1 or 2 connection offer speeds of around 10 to 20Mbps. Newer externals work with Thunderbolt 3 cables that increase your transfer speed. Another option is an external hub. While it offers the same storage as a standard hard drive, it has multiple ports that let you connect other devices to it. You may even have the chance to charge one device with the external while you use another one.

Device compatibility

Never buy an external hard drive unless you verify that it’s compatible with your OS. Sony and Microsoft both make official externals designed for use with their PlayStation and Xbox consoles. If you buy one from a different brand, it may not work with your console. You also need to make sure that you can use it with either Windows or Apple devices as they use two very different operating systems.

Speed

External hard drives have both a writing speed and a reading speed. The reading speed refers to how quickly it can read a file and bring up the content inside it. When the drive is too slow, you may find yourself wasting a lot of time when you load a game or want to open a large image. The writing speed lets you know how quickly the drive will save your work. You want to make sure that it’s fast enough you can save data in a few seconds. Don’t forget to check the transfer speed either, especially if you need to move data with your new external.