5 Things to Look for in a Hard Drive for Gaming
A number of factors should be carefully considered when it comes to choosing the right storage device for your computer. One of the most important considerations is the purpose of these storage devices. Different tasks require different functions, and gaming computers need extra power on their hardware to be able to execute tasks at lightning speed and provide a seamless gaming experience for everyone.
With the rise of Solid State Drives or SSDs, gamers have greater options that they can look into when it comes to choosing the right storage device for their computers. Although SSDs offer an advanced level of performance and energy efficiency, hard disk drives or HDDs still emerge as the winner with its lower cost per gigabyte, larger storage capacities, and greater reliability and durability.
Although different hard disk drives in the market are advertised very similar specifications, not all of them are created equal. Learn more about the five things that you should look for the best HDD for gaming and start playing your favorite computer games with an extra boost of storage capacity.
Large Capacity
The capacity of the hard drive that you will be buying should depend mainly on your gaming needs. If you only play a couple of games, a few hundreds of gigabytes of storage will do. But if you are planning to build a game library and you also wish to keep live streams and to record your own 4K videos, hard drives greater than 1 TB is highly recommended. Take note that the price per unit of storage capacity also becomes cheaper as you buy larger sized HDDs.
High Speed
When it comes to gaming hard drives, it is also important to pay attention to its speed. Unlike fixed SSDs, hard drives contain moveable components in the form of disks in which data is stored and accessed for future use. To load game files in an instant, you need a hard drive with faster disc rotations. Standard HDDs spin at around 5400 RPM (rotations per minute), while more powerful ones clock at 7200 RPM.
Great Portability
Most HDDs can be connected to the computer using SATA III with transfer speeds that can reach up to 6 gigabits per second. But if you are looking for greater portability, then you should buy hard drives that are compatible with USB ports. Also, take note of the type of USB connection that an HDD has. USB 2.0 can reach only up to 480 megabits per second while USB 3.0 can handle up to 5 gigabits per second.
Reputable Brand
It goes without saying that it is important to consider the brand when buying a hard drive or any other component of gaming computers. Seagate, Hitachi, Western Digital, Toshiba, and Samsung are just some of the best gaming hard drive brands that you can trust. Yes, you can buy some pretty decent hard drive at cheaper prices; but the risk that you are taking may not be worth it if you are not getting the same warranty and long-term reliability from your trusted brands.
Price
Buying an expensive hard drive does not always assure you of a good performance and durability that will last for a long while. Instead of looking directly at the price, check if the extra features are worth the money that you will be spending.