A hard disk does not have to be inside the PC! Any hard disk, in fact, can be both external and internal according to our needs and based on the type of connection used (SATA or USB). Obviously, however, when buying a new hard disk, it is better to know if you intend to use it as an internal or an external one because what changes is the presence or absence of a case that in the case of an external one must be resistant and beautiful to look at.
We discover in this guide the best external hard drives that we can connect without problems to our PC (fixed or portable), the best HDD cases that we can use for internal disks and some of the most useful accessories when we use a portable hard disk.
In the first part of the guide we will provide you with some valid indications on what the external hard disk should be and what features to observe, while in the second part we will show you the best products that we can buy online, so as to obtain great savings compared to purchases in physical stores.
READ ALSO: Buying a new PC Hard Disk, 5 things to consider
External hard drive features
An external hard disk is convenient and useful for at least three purposes: to make a backup copy of important files, to connect it to the TV to watch movies and to carry large files (such as game and program ISOs) with you.
The hard disks are completely similar to those found inside a PC (same mechanics and same capacities) but with the difference that to connect them it is sufficient to use a USB cable, so as to place it in any device equipped with this port.
Obviously the disk is kept in a case (or case) that protects it from shocks and shocks, so as to avoid damage to the files.
In addition to the actual external disks, there are also empty houses on the market (called HDD enclosures) in which we can insert any internal hard disk to turn it into an external one, very useful if we want to recycle old disks to be disposed of.
In the current state of things we must take into account that solid state drives (SSD) still offer little space in relation to costs and last less than hard drives traditional, so we focus on the latter when we decide to have an external hard drive.
Just like for internal discs, various formats are available: from 3.5 inches or smaller and lighter from 2.5 inches, in addition these discs can have different capacities, it's up to us to choose the most suitable one.
READ ALSO: Best portable external SSDs
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best external portable drives
Below we have collected the best external hard drives that can be used via USB cable.
- Toshiba Canvio Basics 1 TB USB 3.0 (46 €, the cheapest)
- WD Elements Portable 1TB USB 3.0 (€ 50)
- Maxtor Seagate 2 TB USB 3.0 (64 €, best value for money)
- Western Digital Elements 2 TB USB 3.0 (€ 69)
- Toshiba Canvio Basics 3 TB USB 3.0 (€ 92)
- Maxtor M3 4 TB USB 3.0 (98 €, the largest)
Prices are very varied, but you can spend less than € 50 to get a fast and snappy 1000 GB (1 TB) disk, ready to be carried around or to be stored in a safe place.
If we need more space we recommend the purchase of the 2 TB Maxtor, which boasts the best value for money, or the 4 TB Maxtor M3, a very high capacity suitable for any scenario where you need to store or move rows of big dimensions.
All the discs included in the list offer USB 3.0 connection, suitable for offering very interesting read and write speeds: we are far from the speeds offered by the SATA connection, but if we use a modern USB 3.0 port we will always have at least 40-50 MB / s during transfers; if we use a USB 2.0 port instead, the disk will still be recognized but the transfer will be limited to 10-20 MB / s.
Convert internal disks to laptops
What if instead of buying an external hard drive we convert an internal to external one?
In this case it is sufficient to obtain the right HDD case and insert the hard disk in our possession inside it.
Obviously HDD cases are available for both 3.5-inch disks (for disks coming from a fixed PC) and for 2.5-inch ones (smaller and more manageable, suitable for hard disks coming from laptops), it's up to us choose the one suitable for the type of disc we have.
The best HDD cases for 3.5-inch drives are:
- Logilink External Case for 3, 5 "HDD (19 €)
- Salcar - USB 3.0 external case for 3.5-inch hard drives (€ 20)
- UGREEN 3.5 '' Hard Disk Case (23 €)
- Orico Aluminum case for 3.5-inch HDD (25 €)
- POSUGEAR Transparent External Case for 2.5 "Hard Drive, USB 3.0 (8 €)
- Sabrent EC-UASP 2.5 "HDD / SSD Enclosure (€ 9)
- Verbatim 53100 2.5 '' disc case, USB 3.0 (12 €)
- UGREEN Case Hard Disk 2.5 '' USB 3.0 (13 €)
- Inateck Case External Optimized for 2.5 '' Hard Drive (€ 14)
These HDD cases have good read and write speeds, although much depends on the type of disc we insert inside: the faster the disc is, the better the transfers will be.
Also in this case, the connection is via USB cables, so you can use them anywhere without worries.
Accessories for external hard drives
In addition to external disks and HDD enclosures, we can also use other types of accessories to accompany the use of these disks or to place an external hard disk in a specific point of the room (for example next to or near the PC).
For example, if we are looking for external HDD boxes, we can focus on one of the following models:
- VulTech GS-35U3 External Box for 3.5-inch disks, USB 3.0 (22 €)
- TooQ TQE-3527B 3.5 "HDD Box with USB 3.0 (26 €)
If, on the other hand, we want to carry a 2.5-inch external hard drive or an HDD case of the same shape, we can have a special protective case, such as those available below:
- AmazonBasics Hard Case for External Hard Disks (€ 7)
- UGREEN 2.5 inch Hard Disk Bag (11 €)
- Carrying case for external disks (13 €)
With the latter, it will not be a problem to take your disks on the road without fear that they will be damaged during the journey.
READ ALSO: External backup disk: which one to buy
