External Hard Disk Drives

What is an external hard drive and why do I need one?

Backup your data securely

One of the main reasons to have an external hard drive is to back up your data securely. By regularly backing up your files, you can protect them from accidental deletion, hardware failure or other unexpected events. External hard drives offer ample storage space to accommodate all your important files, including documents, photos, videos and more. External hard drives of various capacities are available- from 500GB to 20TB

Expand your device's storage capacity

External hard drives provide an easy and convenient way to expand your device's storage capacity without having to replace the internal hard drive or delete any files.

Portable and convenient

External hard drives are designed to be portable and convenient. They are small and lightweight, making them easy to carry around wherever you go. With a simple USB connection, you can quickly access your files on any compatible device.

What is the difference between HDD and SSD when choosing a portable external hard drive to buy?

An HDD Hard disk drive is an electromechanical conventional drive, which has moving parts inside. A good example is the Seagate OneTouch Hub 18 TB HDD

An SSD or Solid State Drive, on the other hand, is composed of solid state devices or IC chips. SSDs use flash memory to store data, offering faster read and write speeds compared to traditional HDDs. This means that accessing and transferring files on an SSD is generally quicker and more efficient. Some SSDs have sensors to monitor the heating of the SSD and can shut off intermittently to cool down.

When it comes to capacity and price, HDDs usually offer larger storage capacities at a more affordable price per gigabyte. This makes them a cost-effective option for users who require a large amount of storage space. SSDs, on the other hand, are generally more expensive per gigabyte but are available in smaller form factors and offer faster performance.

What parameters should I consider in choosing my external hard drive for data backup?

Storage capacity

The most important parameter to consider would be the storage capacity. Are you going to store only documents and spreadsheets? Are you a photographer/videographer with heavy content that requires backup? Are you a programmer who will need to pull up your code from the external hard disk frequently? You should estimate how much content you need to back up at present plus how much more you wish the drive to hold in the future.

Read and write speeds

This refers to the speed at which the external drive can store and retrieve data. While the speed of an HDD may be around 160 MB/s for a 7200 RPM drive, an SSD can provide Read/Write speeds of over 300 MB/s and can go up to thousands of MB.

System compatibility

The external hard disk you choose must be compatible with the computers you intend to use alongside. This means you have to check the specifications to see if the external disk is preformatted to work with any specific operating system and if that matches your needs.

Accessory features

Some additional features to look out for are built-in security features to ensure that sensitive data is not corrupted at any point, compatibility with gaming requirements etc

How should an external drive be connected?

First connect the drive to your computer or laptop using the provided USB or Thunderbolt cable. Most external hard drives are automatically recognised by the operating system. However, sometimes you may need to install specific drivers or software to ensure compatibility. Once connected, you can access the external hard drive like any other storage device on your computer.

How should an external drive be handled to ensure its longevity?

• Always handle the drive with care, avoiding any physical shocks or drops
• Protect the drive from extreme temperatures and humidity
• Additionally, use a good quality surge protector or a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) to protect the drive from power surges and fluctuation
• Properly organise your data in folders and subfolders to make it easier to locate them in the future.
• Regularly check and manage the storage space on your drive.
• Make it a practice to routinely scan the external hard drive for viruses or malware using a good antivirus software
• It is also advisable to keep a backup of your data on a separate storage device or cloud storage to further safeguard your important files

Why should I shop at Kogan.com for my external hard drive?

Kogan.com would be your best place to purchase your external hard disk drive. As Australia's top online shopping destination for electronics and any products you can think of, we offer exceptional customer service, and fast delivery to your door. We showcase options from the best brands across the world such as Seagate, Verbatim, LaCie, Lenovo, WD My Passport, Toshiba, ADATA, Samsung and ASUS. Seagate offers FireCuda Gaming external hard drives that are specifically designed for an improved gaming experience. They provide fast loading times and smooth gameplay. SanDisk is known for their high-speed external SSDs that offer fast data transfer speeds. These SSDs are lightweight and portable, making them perfect for users who need to transfer and store data on the go. LaCie external portable hard drives feature USB 3.0 and USB-C interfaces, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of devices. They are extremely portable, making it easy to carry your data wherever you go. The Kogan Guarantee ensures you'll always get what you paid for.