Are you looking for the best HDD for backup? If so, this article will help you immensely. This guide will provide buying advice and list the best backup HDD to ensure you can get the excellent HDD for your needs and preference.
Before you choose HDD for your computer backup, you need to figure out some things about it.
We can know the definition of HDD from Wikipedia. HDD has been around for decades and is a computer's basic storage drive. The computer hard disk, such as a C drive or D drive, is often referred to as HDD.
Because of the high cost and capacity, HDD is a good choice for backup. And here are the pros and cons of HDD.
Pros
1. Inexpensive
Compared to SSD, HDD is low cost.
2. Large capacity
HDD has a large capacity for backup. It can be up to 2TB on a laptop and 10TB on a desktop.
3. Technology Validation
HDDs have been around for nearly decades and have more problems solved.
Cons
1. Slow speed
HDD will take a longer time to transfer and back up data.
2. Loud sound
HDD has rotating disks, which will generate noise when rotating.
3. Vulnerable to being attacked
HDD parts will easily wear out or break.
Although there are disadvantages of HDD, it does not affect the backup. HDDs are usually high-capacity storage devices that can meet various backup needs. Next, you will learn how to choose the Best HDD for backup.
If you want to use an HDD for computer backup, these are the factors you should consider when choosing a good HDD.
1. Capacity and price
The choice of HDD is mainly based on what you want to back up. There is no need to spend more money to get storage space that you don't need.
2. Performance and speed
Hard disk drives contain spinning disks or platters that can read and write data. If the platter is fast, the drive will also transfer data quicker.
3. After-sales Service
Because HDDs are consumable, choosing a hard disk drive with high durability is necessary. And it's necessary to choose an HDD with a long warranty period.
We already know the viability of HDDs as backup storage and important factors to consider when choosing an HDD. So, you can make your own choice in the market based on your needs. And after you choose a good HDD, you can also know how to clone HDD easily. In this article, I have compiled five of the best HDDs for backup and listed their advantages and disadvantages, which you can also use as a reference.
Seagate's BarraCuda product line is often mentioned. The drive combines 7,200rpm platters and high-density data, offering excellent gigabytes and speed to read data. Here is the detailed information about this HDD:
Seagate BarraCuda | ||
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Price | $58.99 | |
Capacity | 2TB | |
Price per TB | $29.5 per TB | |
Pros | Fast spinning disks: 7200rpm | Low cost |
Cons | Limited cache: 64MB |
WD Blue provides a relatively affordable price. And it offers a wide range of storage options from small 500GB to large 6TB. And the speed is also varying from 5400rpm to 7200rpm. So, it is suitable for almost any type of PC with a limited budget. Here are the price and cons:
Western Digital Blue | ||
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Price | 59.99$ | |
Capacity | 2TB | |
Price per TB | $30 per TB | |
Pros | Several storage options | Several speed options |
Cons | Short warranty: two years |
FireCuda focuses is on enhancing traditional mechanical drives, so this one is the best hybrid drive with embedded 8GB of NAND and up to 2TB of traditional storage. And you can get the information from the table:
Seagate FireCuda | ||
---|---|---|
Price | $98.86 | |
Capacity | 1TB | |
Price per TB | $98.86 per TB | |
Pros | Faster than traditional HDD | 5-year warranty |
Cons | Expensive and fewer storage options |
If you want to back up your games, then WD VelociPaptor is the best choice. With up to 10,000 rpm spin speed and 1TB capacity, it can store large game libraries and help games start and load quickly. Here is the pricing information:
Western Digital VelociRaptor | ||
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Price | $189 | |
Capacity | 1TB | |
Price per TB | $189 per TB | |
Pros | High speed: 10,000 rpm | Built-in cooler |
Cons | Too expensive and limited storage |
Toshiba has a lot to offer in the computer field. The high capacity and high performance of the Toshiba X300 can be one of the best HDDs. And it has 128MB of cache for higher speed. And there is more information about it.
Toshiba X300 | ||
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Price | $93 | |
Capacity | 4TB | |
Price per TB | $23.5 per TB | |
Pros | Large capacity | More cache:128MB |
Cons | Short warranty: two years |
The five best HDDs for Backup are described above, and by comparing their price and performance, we can conclude that:
And every kind of HDD has its advantages and disadvantages. When you are choosing, you should consider your budget and needs. After choosing your backup HDD, you should also know how to back up your PC to HDD. And next, I will recommend professional backup and software and give a step-by-step guide.
Qiling Backup Home is reliable and professional backup software for rapid backup and recovery. It allows you to backup files to HDD in Windows 11/10/8 and Windows vista/XP. And it's also available for system backup, partition backup, and disk backup to HDD. It's also easy to use as well as you download it. Here are the steps:
Step 1. Click the "File backup" button to start backup.
Step 2. Both local and network files will be listed on the left. You can expand the directory to select the files to be backed up.
Step 3. Follow the on-screen guide, select the destination where you want to save the backup.
Step 4. Click "Options" to encrypt the backup with password in "Backup Options". There are also many other options you can explore, customize the backup task according to your need.
Set the backup schedule and choose to start back up at certain event in "Backup Scheme".
Step 5. You can store the backup to local drive, Qiling's cloud service, and NAS.
Step 6. Qiling Backup enables users to back up data to both third-party cloud drive and its own cloud drive.
If you want to back up data to third-party cloud drive, choose Local Drive, scroll down to add Cloud Device, add and login your account.
Step 7. Click "Proceed" to start backup. After the backup task is completed, it will be displayed in the form of a card on the left side of the panel. Click the backup task to further manage it.
Besides backup files and systems to HDD, Qiling Backup is also available to clone PC to another PC. And it can also clone HDD to SSD. In short, it can meet your multifaceted needs:
This article introduces the five best HDDs. I hope it will help you make a perfect choice. And it provides reliable backup software, so you can easily backup even if you are not a professional.
In addition to the five HDDs above, here are some frequently asked questions.
1. Should I use an SSD or HDD for backups?
HDD is a preferred choice for backups. Although SSD performed better than HDD in speed, it can not support longer storage. And it is expensive for backup.
2. Which brand of HDD is most reliable?
In this guide, I recommend five reliable HDDs. Brands are very important for after-sales service, so you can choose HDD from Seagate, Toshiba, or Western Digital.
3. Can a hard drive last ten years?
HDD as a consumable can be used for more than five years under normal circumstances. If it is of very good quality and not often used, HDD can last ten years.