Desktop External Hard Drive Review

Imagine having a backup source for your pictures, music and personal documents – a place where your content is safeguarded with password protection and hardware encryption, is backed up daily and can transfer up to 480MB per second. Well you can stop imagining, we’re there. All of these features and more are obtainable in desktop external hard drives available on the market today. Desktop external hard drives are different from portable hard drives in size and portability. Choose a desktop hard drive if you want a sturdy storage dvice. Stop deleting items on your PC’s hard drive to make room for new content and invest in a 1TB external storage solution. We’ve researched the top USB external hard drives, and while the selection is diverse, we’ve sifted out the top 10 products for your consideration, allowing you to compare external harddrives side by side. We also have articles on desktop external hard drives as well. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™

Desktop External Hard Drives: What to Look For

Once you’ve reached the point of needing a desktop external hard drive with 1TB of storage space, you’re a bona fide digital content connoisseur. Make sure the hard drive you decide to be the holder of that precious content lives up to a certain expectation by following the specifications we’ve outlined. Our favorites among the bunch were Western Digital’s My Book Essential, Seagate’s FreeAgent GoFlex and the Toshiba Desktop External Hard Drive.

Performance
Remember when 25GB seemed like a ton of storage space? So do we. But now with downloadable movies, high-resolution images and PC gaming permeating everyday life, our data storage need has skyrocketed. Enter extraordinary capacities unthought-of five years ago, some hard drives offering up to 3TB of storage. The more storage-capable a hard drive is, the more digital content can be stored without filling up your PC’s hard drive.

Don’t settle for anything less than a 1TB external desktop hard drive that can transfer up to 480MB of content per second from device to device. Some of the best desktop external hard drives are outfitted with USB 3.0, making their transfer speeds dramatically increase in comparison to the standard USB 2.0. If you’re a data storage guru, keep your eye on products equipped with USB 3.0.

Security
When you’re in the business of securing data and files, an external hard drive’s security features make or break the product. Look for the ability to secure the hard drive with a password and for automatic backup settings. Additionally, built-in diagnostics and hardware encryption are must-have features. Many of the USB external hard drives are simply empty storage space waiting for content, but have no method of securing the data. While we can see the draw to this kind of product for home use, it is unacceptable for business purposes. Those hard drives with little security features received low rankings in our reviews.

One of the biggest risks of purchasing such a portable piece of equipment is the ease in which someone could walk off with it. The best USB external hard drives feature a security slot that allows you to physically bind the hard drive in place. Removal of the lock without the designated key would cause damage to the exterior of the hard drive.

Ease of Use
We find the idea of entrusting our most sensitive documents and data to a device we don’t know how to use worrying. What’s the use of securing your documents if even you can’t access them? Hence, ease of use should be a huge factor in your purchasing decision. Look for a desktop external hard drive that has a customizable backup option, the ability to retrieve backed-up files and online technical support. Be wary of taking the term “plug and play” at face value. Many desktop external hard drives boast plug-and-play connectivity while including software needed for many security features. Our suggestion is to look for a good balance between security-based software and a quick initial setup process.

Design may also have a hand in your decision process, but we believe that performance, security and ease of use are the most important aspects when looking for a desktop external hard drive. Research carefully and cautiously, but when you find the best desktop hard drive, go for it. Delaying the backup of your digital content can’t wait. If on the hunt for portable hard drives, check out our portable hard drive reviews.