| |
| |
|
Hardware Information |
|
|
|
How to Choose a New Hard Drive for Your Computer
If you are running out of space on your computer or find that programs load a little slow, or that big files take a long time to open, it may be time for a new hard drive. Making a more careful decision about the hard drive can mean a much longer working life for the hard drive. Better reliability, allowing the hard drive to run for many years without mechanical failures or the worst of all, losing your precious data to errors on the drive. Obviously the main thing that people think about when getting a new drive is size. Although a 400GB drive sounds great, there are very few people who actually use this much space. Only if you save DVD movies to your hard drive, or if you do serious amounts of video editing will you need this much space. The smallest size drives available today are about 40GB and will suffice for all your needs. However if you want the latest technologies, bigger sizes are inevitable. Over the years the speed at which hard drives work has increased. One of the main technologies to improve is the connection between the hard drive and the rest of the computer. It passes the information back and forth from the hard drive, the faster it is the faster information can be passed, and so speeding up the programs you use and the files you use. There are 2 main varieties for this connection: The old IDE kind, which comes in 4 flavors: ATA33, ATA66, ATA100 and ATA133, each number corresponding to the transfer rate in MB/s, the bigger the faster. This type is pretty standard. If your computer is older, you may only be able to use this kind, and depending how old will determine which speed. SATA is a newer kind. It uses a different cable and allows much faster information transfer. The slower kind is 150MB/s and the faster is 300MB/s, so they are much faster than IDE. A newer technology called Native Command Queuing (NCQ) speeds up how fast things are found and done on the hard drive. Just briefly, it orders the read and write commands given to it in such as way as to get the tasks done quicker and with less delay. Drives are most often separated by their size and this is a big factor in the pricing of a drive. The smallest drives today are around 40GB, you can get a little smaller, but no point really. The largest of 400GB will be enough for a really long time. The other thing that affects pricing is the rotation speed, which is the speed at which the big disk spins inside the disk drive. The faster it spins the faster information gets found. Look for rotation speeds of 7200RPM as standard and 10000 for the fast end. With all of this it may be hard to decide, but here are my suggestions. For a main drive, which has your Windows and programs on it, go for something faster, but bear in mind that even for me my ATA66 drive is fast enough for my uses. But a faster one will speed up how fast your programs go. It might be a good idea just to go for one big, fast drive. Brand name drives are often worth getting, as manufacturers like Seagate, Maxtor and Western Digital are well known for long lasting quality products, which will not make any difference in the short term usually, but will pay off with long life and reliability. If you want or need two drives the second one can sacrifice speed for size, as that's what's most often needed for a second drive, which usually stores all your information. You should now have enough to make a smart choice in your next hard drive purchase. A good one can be kept for a very long time and minimize any hassles in the future. Peter Stewart is a computer enthusiast, his interest in computers and focus on practicle down to earth advice inspired his two websites. http://www.computer-buying-guide.com - Practical buying tips http://www.computer-reviews.net - Fair and honest reviews and opinions
MORE RESOURCES:
Hardware - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
3 Easy Step To Locate A Real Bargain On Laptop Batteries Looking for a real bargain on laptop batteries? How do I know the batteries are running good as advertised? Which merchants are offering quality rechargeable cells? Where can I get the bargain? Where to buy?Many of you have some of these questions? Certainly!!. We surely want to saving our hard to earn $$ and only buy quality cells. What Can You Do With A Mac Mini? If you have not seen the newest addition to the Macintosh line, it is worth taking a look. It is a very small computer that is only 6. Motherboard Basics A recent Tech Tip covered the basics of selecting a computer case and made mention of the various sizes that correspond to motherboards of different form factors. A few people wrote in expressing interest in understanding more about the basics of motherboards, and that's exactly what this Tech Tip intends to address. How to Check Your IP So you need to check your IP address, for whatever reason. Maybe you're playing an online game with a friend, or you need to access your PC remotely. Rackmount Computer Keyboards The other piece of vital equipment to accompany the rack mount computers and the monitors are the rack mount computer keyboards. Rackmount computer keyboards are built with durability and reliability in mind. The Printer Cartridge Wars: Generic or Remanufactured Cartridges Right for You? OverviewAs "generic", "remanufactured", and "new compatible" inkjet printer cartridges and laser toner cartridges creep deeper into the printer accessories market, the choices become varied and often confusing. It is estimated that by the year 2004 the aftermarket share of the inkjet and toner cartridge market will exceed 11% of the estimated 12 billion dollar printer accessory market [source: CART magazine, March 2001] Here's a look at what all these terms mean, and an examination of the upside and downside of using non-"brand name" printer cartridge products in your printer. A Guide To Bar Code Reader Downloads Bar code readers have proven themselves to be essential tools in modern day business. Establishments, both big and small, have started to rely on bar code readers to make their operations quicker, more convenient, and more efficient. Special Events Recording in DVD Players Age The proliferation of portable DVD players has dramatically changed the videography approach.Digital era prompted people to make critical choices. LCD Vs. CRT When buying a new computer, or upgrading your monitor, you may be in somewhat of a conundrum deciding between an LCD or CRT monitor. That's understandable because for most people the difference is just size. Where Can I Find The Best Case Mods Online and Save Money? Are you captivated by the stunning Case Mods you've seen online but shell shocked at some of the prices.What is a case mod, some of you may ask? Have you every wanted to spice up that boring bland box you call your computer?Well you can and there are lots of people online with fantastic clever ideas on themes, gee whiz lights, sounds, and much much more. Batteries for Your Laptop With technology advancing more every day, electronics have become smaller and more mobile. This includes computers. The Importance Of Current Sense Resistor In Switch Mode Power Supply Current sense resistor is usually located in the switch mode power supply section. Newer version of monitor-the b+ (boost) circuit also have this current sense resistor. How to Save Money With Cheap Computers We all know that computers change more then any other type of technology. There constant changing can also leave are wallets completely empty. Portable MP3 Player Based Education A revolution in learning technology has taken place. Actually, it took place a few years ago, and I'm only just now catching up. Five Band Resistor Color Code-What Does The Last Band Of White Color Represent? In electronic repair, most of the time i came across five band resistor color code. The purpose of using the five colour band resistor in a circuit is that it provide a more accurate value compare to the four color band. What is Blu-Ray DVD Video technology has increased significantly over the past years, and is continuing to grow at an incredible rate. Digital Video Disc's aka DVD's are the most likely the last big jump in consumer video technology that everyone is familiar with. Personal Asset Preventive Maintenance Software Personal asset preventive maintenance software exists to help people manage and maximize the value of their assets. Common types of personal asset preventive maintenance software deal with taxes and investments. Printer Cartridge Economics -- Four Ways To Make Your Ink Last Longer Printer cartridge overheads can be a major expense for any busy office -- and even if you're working at home, it's important to factor in the amount you spend on your printer ink when assessing the cost of running a home-based business. And what you spent on that bargain-priced printer may turn out to be only a fraction of what you pay annually in printer supplies. Video Cards: Is AGP Dead? If you've been looking to upgrade your computer video card you've probably heard a great deal about PCI Express and SLI. Don't run out and buy a new computer just yet and take that AGP motherboard you just threw away out of the trash. The Importance of Ergonomic Products Interestingly, ergonomics though sounds to be a modern and trendy phenomenon, its principles are based on primitive life style. It is a known fact that earlier generations did not have to face a whole lot of medical complications that our generation is facing.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
