TOP 11 Best Hard Drives (HDD 2.5"/3.5"/NAS)

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Yaroslav Dragun 11/25/2021

The best hard drives (HDD)

Large-capacity solid-state drives (SSDs) are still very expensive. Yes, and using them for storing data is problematic, since their service life is much shorter than that of HDDs. It is also problematic to use SSDs in network attached storage systems (NAS). That’s why mechanical hard drives won’t go into oblivion in the foreseeable future. Let fast SSDs be used for the needs of the operating system, programs and other things. But it is still more convenient to store a multimedia library and other data on the HDD. However, not all hard drives are suitable for storing data. It is worth remembering that there is never too much free space. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase a drive with a large capacity. You won't have to think about where to put all the necessary files.

HDD 2.5"

WD Blue 2.5"

Read also: TOP 12 Best external hard drives | Review of current models: choosing which one is better in 2019 + Reviews

No. 1. WD Blue 2.5” An advanced line from the legendary manufacturer Western Digital. WD products are extremely popular. And the Blue series of HDDs for laptops is distinguished by excellent reliability and good technical characteristics.

These hard drives have a fairly decent spindle speed of 5400 RPM. At the same time, the drives have a cache of 8 or 16 megabytes. This allows you to quickly search for the necessary files on the disk surface.

There are versions with volumes from 250 to terabytes. Of course, this is not 10 terabytes, but in most cases a laptop does not require huge volumes. But the price of such drives is quite reasonable.

PROS:

Excellent performance
They work very quietly
There is a choice of different volumes
SATA III connection interface
Terabyte models available
High quality workmanship
Adequate price tag

MINUSES:

Service life is not very long
Large volume models are very difficult to find

WD Black 2.5"

Read also: TOP 10 Best SSD drives for your laptop or computer. Choosing which one is better: SATAIII, M.2 or PCIe in 2022

No. 2. WD Black 2.5” “Black” version of the hard drive from WD for laptops. If the previous one was positioned as a simple and inexpensive device, then this hard drive belongs to the performance class. This is indicated by the technical characteristics of the HDD.

The spindle rotation speed here is already 7200 RPM, which is significantly higher than that of the previous model. Also, the cache size here is noticeably larger - 32 megabytes. It is the combination of these characteristics that improves hard drive performance.

Volumes ranging from 250 gigabytes to 1 terabyte are available for purchase. These drives are best suited for modern laptops. But only in conjunction with solid-state drives. The price of the discs is quite reasonable.

PROS:

High performance
Increased cache size
Wide range of volumes
High spindle speed
Exceptional reliability
High quality workmanship
Adequate price tag

MINUSES:

Very noisy at maximum speed

Seagate Barracuda 2.5"

Read also: TOP 12 Best memory cards for smartphones, cameras and DVRs | Review of popular models + Reviews

No. 3. Seagate Barracuda 2.5” Seagate Barracuda is a true legend in the world of HDDs. Disks from this manufacturer were extremely reliable and continued to work no matter what. Modern laptop models have good performance and exactly the same reliability.

This drive has a spindle that rotates at a speed of 5400 RPM. This is a standard result for modern state employees. But the cache size here is 128 megabytes. And in any model. This is an excellent result.

A wide range of models are available with different capacities: from 500 gigabytes to 5 terabytes. Such a huge volume will be sufficient for almost everyone. This drive also has very low noise levels even at high speeds. And the price is good.

PROS:

Good performance
Huge cache size
Very quiet operation
Large selection of volumes
There are versions for 2, 3, 4 and 5 terabytes
High quality workmanship
Incredible reliability
Adequate price tag

MINUSES:

Not detected

Toshiba L200 2.5"

Read also: SSD drive for a laptop: choosing the best option, review of popular models of 2022 + Reviews

No. 4. Toshiba L200 2.5” A good budget hard drive from the legendary Japanese manufacturer. Its characteristics are quite average, but it is almost inaudible and has good endurance. But first things first.

This mechanical drive can accelerate to 5400 rpm. Not a bad result for a budget employee. The cache size here is only 8 MB. This is quite enough, since this model does not have particularly large volumes.

Users have access to hard drives of the L200 line with a capacity of 500 GB and 1 terabyte. Toshiba believes that nothing more is needed for laptops. Indeed, a terabyte should be enough. The price of such hard drives is quite reasonable.

PROS:

Good performance
High reliability
Excellent workmanship
Built-in shock protection
Sturdy and reliable body
Legendary Japanese quality
Very quiet operation even at high speeds
Adequate price tag

MINUSES:

Only two volume options
Cache is too small

The best solid state SSD drives for your computer

In the second selection, we will look at a fundamentally different type of hard drives for computers, which are not disks at all, and the term “disk” itself has remained simply as a kind of cultural heritage. In fact, solid-state SSDs are more like “large flash drives,” if we compare them very roughly. And here, too, there are not many real manufacturers and not every line released turns out to be successful. We have selected for you the most appropriate options in 2021, tested by both experts and numerous ordinary users.

Kingston A400 240 GB SA400S37/240G

Rating: 4.6

First in this part of the review we will look at the most inexpensive solid-state SSD drive from the well-known Kingston brand. The American private company Kingston Corporation has long become a kind of symbol of high-quality flash drives and, in general, everything related to computer memory.

In solid-state media, the direct dependence of price on memory capacity is even more pronounced than in mechanical HDDs. Therefore, if we are considering an inexpensive SSD, it is assumed that its capacity will be modest. This is true here, although a capacity of 240GB is still significantly more serious than the minimum 128GB. The line includes modifications of larger volumes, but the prices there are also appropriate.

Now let’s talk about what users are most interested in about SSD drives: speed. The maximums declared by the manufacturer - 500 MB/s reading and up to 350 MB/s writing, as is often the case with SSDs, in practice are not only not lower, but even higher, as shown by numerous tests. So, the read speed can reach up to 560 MB/s, and the write speed can almost double the declared speed - up to 540 MB/s.

Let us repeat, this is not a unique property of this model, but a fairly common phenomenon. The reason is most often a successful combination of the characteristics of the controller and the memory itself. Just in case, let us clarify that such a big difference is only possible during sequential write or read operations. In other modes the results are not as impressive.

This favorable picture with speed has a downside. When copying really large amounts of data, the controller may not be able to cope with the load, which is why short-term drops in speed occur almost to zero - up to 3-5 MB/s. And this can already be considered a disadvantage.

Advantages

metal case;
efficient controller;
read/write speed even exceeds the declared one;
the most affordable price in the selection;
three years manufacturing warranty.

Flaws

slowdown in speed when copying large amounts of data.

ADATA 256 GB XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro 256GB

Rating: 4.7

Now let’s look at an SSD with almost the same capacity as the previous one, but with a fundamentally different connection interface. Unlike the device described above, this model is connected via the M.2, PCI-E 3.0 x4 interface. This is the flagship product of the Taiwanese company ADATA Technology Co., Ltd.

The drive most attracts buyers due to its price-performance ratio. Users in numerous reviews on trading platforms in RuNet in unison claim that the price is really very comfortable for such a set of properties. Let's consider what these properties are.

Everything is obvious with the amount of memory, but not everything may be clear with its other characteristics. So, this model uses highly efficient TLC 3D NAND memory. Without going into deep details, let's say that according to the results of numerous independent tests, this drive demonstrated some of the best read and write speeds compared to dozens of alternative options from other manufacturers. And these results generally coincide with the characteristics declared by the manufacturer: reading - up to 3350 MB/s, writing - up to 1150 MB/s. Under certain operating conditions, the speed can be even higher.

What is also important in this model is minimal heating. Actually, the heating of the microcircuits themselves is significant during operation, but the radiator solves this problem. So even with the most intense workload, the temperature does not rise above 70 degrees, and such a figure is very rare. The rarest cases when the temperature can rise above this threshold occur only when there is a long and extremely intense data exchange in conditions of poor airflow of the case. But in this case, an emergency temperature protection mode is provided.

The heatsink along with the board is enclosed in a case that also features a bright gaming design, so the drive will look very impressive in an open desktop PC case.

From a review by a Yandex.Market user with the status “Level 5 IT specialist”: “High speed of work (corresponds to the declared one). Doesn't overheat. The best SSD in terms of price-volume-speed ratio! High durability according to tests (group, different manufacturers) of wear resistance.”

Advantages

flagship product;
almost record high read and write speeds;
Suitable for both desktop PC and laptop;
minimal heating thanks to the radiator;
spectacular design in a gaming style.

Flaws

No obvious flaws were found.

Samsung 860 EVO 250 GB MZ-76E250BW

Rating: 4.8

Let's return to the 2.5-inch form factor and the SATA 6Gb/s interface. Now we will look at an SSD drive for a computer, which is rightfully considered one of the record holders in terms of sales volumes, both in Russia and throughout the world.

Let's make a brief explanation that will eliminate questions about the crushing difference in speeds between this model and the previous one. Here we have a maximum read and write speed of about 500 MB/s. This disc costs even a little more. The question arises about the meaning of such an acquisition.

The fact is that the SATA 6Gb/s interface itself has a bandwidth limitation of 600 MB/s. Indeed, with the advent of SSDs of this type like the previous one (NVMe drives in M.2 version), SATA drives began to lose ground in the market, since they physically cannot compete in speed. However, this is still a mass segment and it is still too early to write off SATA. And this is confirmed by the policy of the largest manufacturers, such as Samsung, Western Digital, Micron and Intel, who are not going to curtail the production of SSDs on the SATA interface.

This model uses new generation TLC 3D V-NAND flash memory with a 64-layer design. This gives two advantages at once - the ability to maximize access speed and increases the specific density of information storage per unit area of the chip, and this, in turn, significantly reduces the cost.

Not only the new generation of memory itself has become the key to high performance and, as a result, explosive demand for this drive. Another important factor was the improved MJX controller. This is Samsung's own controller, which is an adapted version of the MARU controller, which is used in server drives.

The reviews from the longest-standing SSD users of this line from Samsung are noteworthy. Many of them report the ultra-reliability and ultra-durability of these drives, which last for many years. Here, of course, the architecture is completely different than in the same 840pro, but the product still inspires confidence. However, the 5-year manufacturing warranty clearly hints at this.

Advantages

one of the best-selling SSDs in the world;
fourth generation TLC 3D V-NAND flash memory;
advanced MJX controller;
reliability and durability;
5-year manufacturing warranty.

Flaws

No obvious disadvantages were identified.

Western Digital WD Blue SATA 500 GB WDS500G2B0A

Rating: 4.8

Another solid-state drive with a SATA 6Gb/s interface, this time made by Western Digital. This is a representative of the famous Blue line, which includes both mechanical HDDs and solid-state drives of various capacities. We will consider the 500GB option, but this is a convention - there are modifications in the line up to 2TB, but their cost, of course, is prohibitive.

The main thing that is good about this SSD drive is everything that was in the previous one from Samsung, that is, the combination of a new generation of TLC 3D NAND memory and an effective controller. Here the controller is a four-channel Marvell 88SS1074. By the standards of the computer industry, this solution is relatively old, but only by relative “age”. Since in terms of the totality of characteristics it surpasses the new developments of Silicon Motion or Phison, and the test of time is also an advantage.

Everything described about the memory and controller gives the disk its main advantage - data exchange speed, which is very close to the throughput of the interface itself. So, if the maximum interface speed is 600 MB/s, then the maximum declared read and write speed of the drive is 560 and 530 MB/s, respectively.

Users in their reviews are unanimous in their positive opinion about the speed of the device, low degree of heating, reliability and durability. The latter is indirectly confirmed by the guarantee - the manufacturer is not afraid to give a 5-year brand guarantee for the entire model range.

Advantages

new generation 3D NAND memory;
efficient, time-tested controller;
high read and write speed, almost equal to the speed of the interface;
reliability and durability;
5-year manufacturing warranty.

Flaws

no fundamental disadvantages were identified.

Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500 GB MZ-V7S500BW

Rating: 4.9

And the review of the best hard drives for a computer in 2021, according to Expertology, will conclude with the most interesting solution in its class among more or less affordable ones. This is a representative of the same EVO line from Samsung that we reviewed above, but only a whole generation newer.

This, as in the case of the Samsung 860 EVO, is an NVMe drive with an M.2 connector. This means that here you can expect significantly higher read and write speeds than in any SSD on the SATA 6Gb/s interface. And so it really is.

The combination of the latest 3D V-NAND memory, a high-performance eight-channel Samsung Phoenix controller with five ARM cores and a fast interface gives incredible performance. The stated read speed is 3500 MB/s, write speed is 3200 MB/s.

Here we will make a small explanation for complete understanding. In 2021, 3D V-NAND memory is already used by many manufacturers of solid-state drives, and it is gradually becoming a definite standard. However, production technologies are still different. The TLC 3D V-NAND memory used in this SSD is fundamentally different from similar solutions from other manufacturers. Samsung engineers managed to realize the growth of 96-layer crystals within a single technical process, while other manufacturers take a simpler route, assembling 96-layer crystals from a pair of 48-layer blanks. It was this approach that enabled Samsung to introduce a number of important improvements into its fifth-generation memory while maintaining an affordable price.

From a review by a Yandex.Market user with the status “Level 3 IT specialist”: “Excellent speed, stability in speeds. Working with virtual machines or large files in (CAD) is a pleasure. Availability of software from the vendor for monitoring the condition and conducting tests.”

Advantages

Latest and improved 3D V-NAND memory;
powerful eight-channel controller;
fast interface;
top read and write speeds;
five years official warranty.

Flaws

no fundamental deficiencies were identified.

NAS

Western Digital Red Nas 3.5”

No. 10. Western Digital Red Nas 3.5” This line includes drives from Western Digital designed for use in network storage. It is as part of a NAS that they will fully manifest themselves. NAS drives must be extremely reliable. And WD Red has this characteristic.

The spindle of these hard drives operates at a speed of 5400 revolutions per minute. This is quite enough. The cache size is 256 megabytes. The latter is of utmost importance for such models.

The user has options only with 8 and 10 terabytes of storage space. The smaller capacity options are useless in a NAS. That's why they are not released. And yes, WD Red has a quite adequate price tag (considering all its features).

PROS:

Good performance
Large storage volumes
Impressive cache size
High reliability
Excellent build quality
Adequate price tag

MINUSES:

Useless on a regular PC

Seagate IronWolf Pro 3.5"

No. 11. Seagate IronWolf Pro 3.5” Another hard drive for NAS from Seagate. It has high reliability, a huge resource and decent technical characteristics. However, its price is quite high.

The spindle of such hard drives spins at a speed of 7200 rpm. The cache size directly depends on the storage capacity. There are options with 32, 64, 128 and 256 megabytes. In general, these drives have enough performance.

There are models with capacities from 2 to 14 terabytes. The latter are used for small businesses. But they are also available to ordinary users. If you have enough finances. The drives are distinguished by good shock protection and the highest quality workmanship.

PROS:

Very high performance
There are options with a decent amount of cache
Wide range of models (according to storage capacity)
High spindle speed
Excellent impact protection
There are 14 terabyte versions
Special technology to protect IronWolf files
Exceptional reliability
Impressive resource

MINUSES:

High price

What type of hard drive to choose

The most common today are classic HDDs. They are distinguished by a very low cost per gigabyte of capacity, which allows such drives to remain highly popular among buyers. And in terms of durability, they often surpass SSDs, which have a limit on rewrite cycles. True, hard drives are quite slow, so some buyers prefer an alternative in the form of SSHD.

Such devices contain an additional SSD module, thanks to which access to frequently used files (for example, when loading the OS) is faster. The solid-state cache may also be assigned other tasks. So, it can be used to record to a hard drive, which speeds up this procedure. However, these drives cannot compare in speed even with simple SSDs. But their price tag per GB remains very “tasty”.