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Internal hard drives are installed in desktops, laptops, tablets, and mini PCs. However, they are also increasingly used in smart data storage (NAS) solutions and, of course, in servers.
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If you have enough space for two separate disks, the ideal choice would be to combine an SSD and HDD. You install the operating system, programs and games on the SSD, and the HDD serves as the storage space for movies, music, and photos. If you have space for only one disk, you can leave the storage function to an external disk or NAS, or get one larger SSHD that you can split into 2 partitions (two logical drives).
The absolute minimum for a system drive is 120GB. This capacity is enough if you want to install and run the operating system and most programs (applications) without trouble.
Indicative Comparison of Disk Capacity and Usage
Capacity | Video (DVD) | Music (MP3) | Photos (JPG) |
120GB | 25 movies | 24,000 tracks | 30,000 shots |
500GB | 106 movies | 100,000 tracks | 128,000 shots |
2000GB | 425 movies | 400,000 tracks | 512,000 shots |
Classic HDDs (hard drives) generally deliver 120-150 IOPS, SSDs reach up to 100,000 IOPS. Needless to say, the SSD format is a better solution for running the operating system and program applications.
The drive interface determines the maximum theoretical bandwidth throughput. The most commonly used internal drive interface is SATA; with SATA II you get up 300 MB/s, while SATA III offers up to 600 MB/s. Both versions are usually compatible with each other. The most common compatibility problem arises when someone wants to install a modern SSD on an old computer with SATA I interface (150 MB/s). In this case, installing a SSD doesn’t even make much sense and it’s better to just buy a new PC. Generally speaking, make sure to choose the interface your motherboard supports (that’s where you are going to mount the drive).
Interface |
SATA II | SATA III | SAS | M.2, U.2 (PCIe, NVMe) |
Max. throughput* | 300MB/s | 600MB/s | 1200MB/s | 3938MB/s |
*This maximum throughput is only theoretical. Real speed may be slower depending on the disc type, controller, driver, or the type of data being moved. One file, for example, gets transferred faster than a folder full of small files.
The internal hard drive is an important component of any notebook or desktop computer, storing your data such as family photos, your favorite movies and many others. In the following section, we'll provide you with a few tips to choose the right hard drive for you.
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