Price and Time
First and foremost, you should consider how much money you’re willing to spend on the new drive. That, in part, depends on the expected lifespan of the device. For example, if you’re looking to purchase a new computer in two years’ time, the drive you purchase will be replaced as well. Don’t spend a lot of money on a hard drive that you might replace in the near term. On the other hand, if you plan on keeping your computer and the drive for an extended period of time, consider spending a bit more to get additional capacity you’ll need as you accumulate more data.
Capacity
How much space do you need for your data? How many videos, photos and raw data are you expecting to load onto the drive? If you’re expecting to load rich media, such as high-res photos that demand a lot of space, then you should look at a hard drive that has more capacity than your current drive. If you want to use the drive for a long period of time, then go with a much larger HDD than what you originally planned for—capacity is cheap.
Performance
Performance isn’t just about rotations per minute (RPM). It’s how each HDD is laying media down on the platter. Check out review sites that do benchmark analysis against the same capacity points. One of the measurements I look at is the PC mark. Another measurement to be considered is the average user general profile. Don’t just rest on the fact that faster is better. 7200 RPM may be faster than 5400 RPM, but the applications you plan to use may not require a high rotational speed.
Manufacturer
It is important to consider which HDD manufacturer you’re purchasing from because the storage industry is consolidating at a rapid pace. If you buy a drive from a vendor who will no longer be in business in just a few years and have a question down the road about the product, you will have a hard time fixing any problems that come up. Toshiba has been committed to the HDD industry for many years, and has been growing its storage business at a steady rate. It’s a company that has been in business for a long time and will continue to remain for many years to come.
When buying a new hard drive, think of it as your data investment. Where do you stand as an investor and in whose hands are you going to place your valuable digital content?
The views expressed on this post are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TAEC or Toshiba.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.