Increasing Hard Drive Space on Your PC: Internal HDD vs. External HDD

 

It is always advantageous to have more hard drive space in your computer. With a larger storage capacity, you can download and store more music files, videos, games, and other data. If you want to increase your computer’s hard drive space, you need to get another hard disk drive (HDD). You have two options on what type of HDD to purchase: an internal HDD and an external HDD.

Choosing between an internal HDD and an external HDD can be difficult. Each has its pros and cons. Here are some factors that you may want to weigh before buying an extra hard disk drive for your computer.

* Ease of Set Up

This is the factor that makes or breaks a decision for the computer user with minimal knowledge about computer components and how they are connected with each other. External hard disk drives are usually plug-and-play computer accessories. You simply connect your external HDD to your computer via its supplied USB cables, plug it into a reliable power source, install the appropriate drivers in your computer, and you are ready to go! You do not have to open up your computer and mess around with wires and cables in order to start using your external hard disk drive.

* Portability

This is another advantage that external hard disk drives have over internal hard disk drives. Unlike internal HDDs, you can easily transport external HDDs about and use them on different computers. You need only to unplug your external HDD from your computer and plug it into another computer. In this manner, external hard disk drives can act as bulky but high-capacity alternatives to CDs, DVDs, USB flash drives, and other storage media.

* Speed

Internal hard disk drives rule over external hard disk drives when it comes to speed. Internal HDDs are connected to the computer via busses that support faster data transfer speeds than the USB busses that external HDDs use.

* Cost

Cost is also another factor to consider when getting an extra hard disk drive. Since you need to get a casing for your external HDD in order to protect it from the elements, an external HDD is generally more expensive than an internal HDD.

Internal HDDs may be faster and more affordable than external ones but the inconvenience in installing them has prompted many a buyer to purchase an external HDD instead. If you know your way around computers and computer hardware, an internal HDD is an easy and cost effective solution for you. If the hassle of installing an internal HDD is too much for you, an external HDD can give you more hard drive space at the cost of lower data transfer speeds and a higher price tag.