Hard Disk Drive Buying Guide
Computer hard drive buying guide, purchasing recommendations & FAQ.
Updated May 29, 2010 10:36 PM PST
Introduction – Comptuer Hard Disk Drive Size and Speed
Selecting a hard drive is one of the easiest choices you will have to make when buying a desktop computer, for the most part choosing a hard drive really only comes down to the size and speed of the drive.
Hard disk drive size is definitely something you want to get right during the time of purchase, after all everything including your family photos, favorite music tracks, and every other digital treasure is going to be stored on the hard drive. You don’t want to buy a desktop computer and then run out of space a year down the road. Thankfully even mainstream desktops now come with ample storage space so selecting the perfect sized drive is easier than ever.
In today’s advanced digital age it’s not uncommon to find terabyte (1TB) hard drives in mid-range PCs that cost less than $700, in systems upwards of $700 you will almost always find 1TB or larger hard drives, and in entry-level general purpose machines you’ll even find ample 320GB or 500GB hard disk drives.
As a general rule of thumb it is best to purchase a desktop computer with at least a 500GB hard disk drive.
500GB hard drives offer ample storage space for the vast majority of computer users.
Smaller 320GB hard drives are however perfect for basic computers like those being used for Internet and word processing only.
1TB hard disk drives on the other hand are the sweet spot, offering plenty of storage for current and future digital storage needs for just about anyone. Hard drives larger than 1TB are ideal for power users, digital media enthusiasts, gamers, or anyone who stores mass amounts of data.
Speed is also an important hard disk drive specification that can make or break a computer purchase. Luckily these days most hard drives pretty much run at 7200rpm, so selecting a drives speed is about as easy as it gets.
At the minimum you will want to purchase a desktop computer with one of these 7200rpm drives. 7200rpm drives are perfect for just about any computing chore.
5400rpm drives of yesterday have pretty much disappeared, though if you do encounter a desktop offered with one, we advise you look elsewhere for they are just too slow for the digital age we live in.
And while uncommon in the majority of computers and often only found in expensive high-end computer systems, you may also find super fast 10,000rpm hard disk drives offered.
10k hard drives are quote unquote ridiculously fast, usually reserved for 3D gamers and high-end digital media enthusiasts.
You may also encounter what’s called a solid-state drive (SSD). Solid-state hard disk drives use memory chips to store data instead of spinning magnetic platters. These drives are fast though solid-state drives do cost much more per GB than the traditional spinning platter drive so you won’t see them often. In our opinion it is best to hold off on solid-state drives at the moment until storage capacities increase and prices decrease.
Hard Drive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What size and type hard disk drive should I buy?
Determining what size and type of hard drive you should look for in a computer really depends upon what type of tasks you will be using the computer for. Different tasks have different storage size and performance requirements.
Because hard drives are at record low prices, size and speed of the typical hard drive has increased over the years to the point where most systems including entry level systems offer ample storage space and speed for their intended market.
As a general rule of thumb 500GB is a solid starting point for most computer users, though 1TB or more is ideal, especially for power users and gamers. Entry level users that are going to be using a basic computer for Internet and word processing only can however get away with a 320GB hard drive.
Here are some general guidelines listing common computing tasks and their corresponding minimum recommended hard disk drive size and speed:
- Word Processing: 320GB to 500GB – 7,200rpm
- Web Browsing: 320GB to 500GB – 7,200rpm
- Digital Music: 750GB to 1TB or higher – 7,200rpm
- Gaming: 750GB to 1TB or higher - 7200rpm or 10,000rpm
- Graphics Editing: 750GB to 1TB or higher – 7,200rpm or 10,000rpm
- Digital Video: 1.5TB or higher – 7,200rpm or 10,000rpm
Remember though these are just general guidelines for the associated computing tasks, most of you will be performing a combination of these tasks so you will want to keep that in mind when buying a desktop computer. If you have to pay a small price premium to get 1TB or more we highly recommend it, honestly you can never have too much storage space.
At the time of this article in fact, 1TB hard disk drives offer the best bang for your buck. And by purchasing a hard drive with at least 1TB of storage capacity this will give the majority of you enough storage space for your current needs and future growth.
What is a hard drive cache or buffer?
A hard disk drive cache or buffer is a small chunk of memory in the hard drive that stores program instructions for faster access. Basically data is fetched off a hard drives slower mechanical spinning platters and stored in the cache/buffer where it can be accessed much faster.
Cache size is a very important hard disk drive specification, but even so, spindle speed should still be more of your focal point when purchasing a computer. Of course like spindle speed the higher the cache the better, and collectively a fast spindle speed coupled with a large cache is ideal.
If you do have the option to choose a hard drive with a bigger cache always go for it, a hard drive cache can and will make a difference in performance.
What is a solid state hard drive?
A solid state hard drive is a newer type of hard drive that stores information on a special type of flash memory, similar in fact to a digital camera memory card. Solid state hard disk drives do not have mechanical moving parts like a traditional hard drive.
Solid state drives at this time are more often found in laptop computers because of the various benefits they offer like lower power consumption and shock resistance. Because solid state hard drives don’t have mechanical parts there is no need for a spindle motor to drive platters, what this does is lower the power requirements of a solid state drive and make them more durable, perfect for the power conscious and mobile laptop computer.
Of course in the future we can almost certainly expect a solid state hard drive or even more advanced hard disk drive to be standard in desktops and laptops, but until then solid state drives aren’t quite worth the price premium for the majority of computer users, the average cost per MB for solid state drives is vastly higher than a traditional hard drive.
What is RAID?
RAID stands for redundant array of inexpensive disks and it is a method of using multiple hard drives for better performance, data reliability or both.
RAID has existed in the PC world for some time now, especially in the enterprise environment, though it is really only now starting to make its way into more and more consumer desktop PCs.
At a technical glance, RAID features and functions are determined by what’s called a RAID level. You will see different RAID levels like 0, 1, 5, 0+1, 1+0 or 10, etc. Most computer users on the other hand will never have to make RAID configuration choices since they will not find RAID in mainstream consumer desktops.
RAID is however often found in high-performance gaming desktops offered by companies like Alienware, Falcon Northwest, Voodoo, etc. If RAID is offered, these companies will normally give you a nice little breakdown of each RAID level offered to help you select the best RAID option for your needs, so it’s not exactly necessary that you understand every RAID level inside and out.
What is the difference between standard ATA/IDE and Serial ATA?
Serial ATA is the newer of the two hard disk drive technologies that offers a number of new features. Faster transfer rates, better cable management, easier drive setup, and hot swapping capability are all among some of Serial ATAs top new features.
Of course the fundamental differences between the two technologies really lie in how data is transferred. Traditional ATA/IDE devices transfer data in a parallel fashion over multiple channels/wires simultaneously. This parallel transfer method is why standard IDE is often called parallel ATA. Serial ATA in comparison transfers data over a single control channel in a serial (one bit at a time) fashion, hence the name serial ATA.
With traditional IDE hard disk drives data is transferred via cumbersome flat cables called ribbon cables which contain anywhere from 40 to 80 small wires side-by-side. A major problem with the way data is transferred over these small wires is that as transfer rates increase so does electrical interference between these wires. Serial ATAs one bit at a time transfer method is not impacted this way, and on top of this Serial ATA cable size has been greatly reduced making cable management superior.
Traditional IDE also require multiple devices to share the same ribbon cable which also slow data transfer down a bit. And in order to share the ribbon cable each drive also has to be setup as either a slave or master via small jumper pins. This requirement in combination with cumbersome ribbon cables make setting up IDE finicky compared to Serial ATA.
So to address these issues and to keep up with the ebb and flow of technology, technology companies designed Serial ATA which not only addresses traditional IDEs shortcomings, but also introduces a slew of new benefits and features.
Here are some of the key benefits that a serial ATA hard drives offer over old school parallel ATA:
- Increased speed
- Scalable performance
- No master/slave settings
- Better cable management
- Drive hot swapping capability
Hard Drive Buying Guide Conclusion:
We hope you've enjoyed our computer hard disk drive buying guide. If you have any questions or you would like free purchasing advice, please Ask the computer tech.
Want to learn more about buying a desktop computer? Click any of the buttons below to jump to various desktop buying guide pages for additional purchasing information and advice.
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