A recently published guide has listed what it says are the best storage devices for multiple uses.
The guide, from the SecureData Recovery blog, is written by T.J. Burlee, a content writer for the SecureData Recovery services company headquartered in the US. SecureData has labs located across the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia to help customers retrieve their data. It lists the products by category.
All Purpose
For “all-purpose” workloads for home desktops, Burlee recommends both the 2 TB WD_Black SN770 from Western Digital and the 2 TB Samsung 970 EVO Plus solid-state drives (SSDs).
“Around 2 TB of space is enough for most people to store their operating system, personal data, and favorite applications,” says Burlee.
“The 2 TB WD_Black SN770 packs a punch at a reasonable price. The compact drive can execute routine tasks, transfer files, and load most games in a flash.
“Though more expensive, the 2 TB Samsung 970 EVO Plus is another contender for an all-purpose device. The drive offers lightning-quick speeds and enhanced bandwidth,” he says.
Secondary Storage
For secondary storage, Western Digital’s 4 TB WD Blue (HDD) and the 4 TB Toshiba X300 Pro (HDD) products are recommended.
“Some choose to include more than one drive in their machine. A second storage device allows users to distribute data, often improving performance,” says Burlee.
“The 4 TB WD Blue offers ample storage space for documents, movies, music, and more at a much lower cost per gigabyte. In the same vein, the 4 TB Toshiba X300 Pro is great for storing less-accessed files and media libraries,” he adds.
External Drives
As an external drive, the 2 TB Toshiba Canvio (HDD) and the 2 TB Samsung T7 (SSD) are the preferred options.
“Many people use external drives to create local backups and transport data between places. External SSDs are smaller, lighter, quicker, and quieter than external HDDs. They are also more efficient and durable due to their lack of moving parts,” Burlee says.
The 2 TB Samsung T7 offers read and write speeds of over 1,000 MB per second, speeds that are “almost ten times faster than the average external HDD”, says Burlee.
The 2 TB Toshiba Canvio is an alternative for those who want a cheaper external hard drive though.
Gaming
For gaming, the guide lists the 2 TB WD Black SN850X (SSD), and the 2 TB Samsung 980 PRO (SSD)
“Some gamers even put a pair of high-end SSDs in a RAID 0 system for peak performance. However, this configuration is often overkill and requires far more user intervention than a typical setup,” Burlee says.
A single 2 TB WD Black SN850X can still deliver a “seamless experience” on intensive video games, he says. The SN850X “devours data” with sequential read speeds of 7,300 MB per second. It also has predictive loading and adaptive thermal management.
The 2 TB Samsung 980 PRO is another SSD for “next-level gaming”. “Samsung optimized the model to handle the most immersive, stunning games from prominent publishers,” says Burlee.
Professional Design
For professional design and editing, the 2 TB Crucial T700 (SSD) product is listed.
“Editing high-definition video, creating high-resolution images, or developing 3D models requires a drive with breakneck speeds,” says Burlee.
The T700 from Crucial features sequential read and write speeds of 12,400 and 11,800 MB per second, “making it one of the fastest SSDs around”. Crucial estimates the drive can write about 1,200 TB of data “before exhaustion”.
The T700 is one of the first PCIe 5.0 SSDs. As a result, many motherboards will not support the drive. “Ensure all hardware is compatible with the interface before placing the device in your computer,” Burlee warns.
Data Processing
When it comes to data processing, it’s the 16 TB WD Ultrastar DC HC550 (HDD) for the guide.
“Users need a reliable, spacious drive with a massive cache to manage unstructured data and gather insights from it.”
The 16 TB WD Ultrastar DC HC550 is a “powerhouse in this environment”. It has a 512 GB cache to store temporary data and frequently accessed files. “This sizeable disk buffer improves response times on concurrent read and write requests.”
The helium-sealed drive has cooler temps and less vibration than consumer HDDs, reducing the risk of data loss. The Ultrastar DC HC550 recorded just a 0.3% annualized failure rate across 21,607 drives in a Backblaze 2023 report.
Enterprise
For the enterprise, it’s the 16 TB Seagate Exos X16 (HDD). “Enterprise HDDs are defined by their performance in a few categories. They must store large amounts of data in a compact size. They must also have a robust design and low failure rates despite constant usage. And they must provide better speeds than traditional hard drives.”
The flagship 16 TB Seagate Exos X16 is a helium drive that fulfils each requirement for these environments.
In 2023, the device had a 0.7% annualized failure rate across 27,433 disks, according to Backblaze.
Surveillance
In surveillance, the 2 TB Seagate Skyhawk (HDD) is the option.
“Surveillance cameras often have 24/7 workloads. As a result, they need a hard disk drive that can withstand the stress of real-time recording.”
The 2 TB Seagate Skyhawk is a “reliable option” for DVR or NVR system users. Seagate optimized the Skyhawk to store footage from dozens of cameras and minimize frame drops. It also has built-in sensors to perform in multi-drive bays.
Security
For general data security, the SecureDrive (HDD or SSD) portfolio is listed, maybe not surprisingly, considering the products are built and supplied by the SecureData brand, the guide’s publisher.
“Some users feel unsafe storing critical files on an external hard drive or SSD. That is because the financial fallout of exposing sensitive data can be devastating. But there are encrypted external drives users can trust to transport data,” says Burlee.
SecureDrive products can offer 250 GB to 20 TB capacities, and can provide hardware-based encryption. SecureDrive BT allows users to authenticate themselves with a mobile device and perform remote management through a web portal.
SecureDrive KP features a keypad, PIN, and an auto-wipe mechanism to deter brute-force hacking attempts. SecureDrive DUO combines both approaches in one drive for complete protection.
The full guide can be accessed here.
