Which is Better When Buying an External Hard Drive: HDD or SSD?

External storage units play a very important role when it comes to backing up or transferring data from one computer to another, providing additional storage space, and avoiding the limited capacity of the internal hard drive. Most types of external hard drives can be easily connected to a computer via USB or Firewire cables, with variations in size, cost, and data transfer speed. When users are in need of buying a new external hard drive, they often find themselves confused about whether to buy an old HDD or a relatively newer SSD. The answer to this question lies in understanding the factors that determine the type of external hard drive suitable for purchase and use. In this article, we help you understand the key differences between HDD and SSD units, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and determine which one would be the best choice for an external hard drive.

Data backup is essential for storing important files and avoiding their loss due to computer malfunction, theft, or damage. External storage units are commonly used for data backup and sharing between devices. Despite various other methods available for data backup and sharing, such as cloud storage services, external storage units can be used without the need for an internet connection. They are lightweight, making them easy to carry while traveling, and they provide additional storage space to prevent performance issues due to limited internal storage capacity.

Unlike HDDs, SSD units do not contain any moving parts. They consist of a controller connected to NAND flash memory chips, capable of storing data even when not connected to a power source.