The Best Internal Hard Drive For Desktop In 2024

Nicolas Ward By, Nicolas Ward
Updated
Best Internal Hard Drive For Desktop
Best Internal Hard Drive For Desktop

The Rundown

1. Best Overall: Seagate BarraCuda 4TB Internal Hard Drive HDD

With its solid state storage and proven reliability, this drive delivers the speed you need for your applications and games. It also has a variety of capacities and form factors so you can select the right solution for your space requirements. Read Review

2. Best Bang For The Buck: SAMSUNG Internal Solid State Hard Drive

With the new Samsung Internal Solid State Hard Drive, you can rely on performance that's enhanced in every way. This dependable hard drive is designed to be reliable and sustainable. With a boost capacity of 1TB, it has improved random access speed and sustained performance. Read Review

3. Best Reliable: Seagate BarraCuda 1TB Internal Hard Drive HDD ST1000DM010

Seagate Barracuda 1TB internal hard drive with SATA III provides a huge storage capacity, delivers performance and reliability you can trust and is simple to use. Store more, compute faster, and do it confidently. Read Review

4. Best Adjustable: WD_BLACK Internal Hard Drive HDD WD101FZBX

Optimize performance, increase reliability and optimize your storage with WD Black. Designed for 24/7 reliability, this durable, high-capacity hard drive provides the performance you need to keep up with your data demands. Read Review

5. Best Style: Seagate Internal Bare Drive ST1000DM003

Seagate desktop hard drives feature the latest in hard drive technology with a focus on high performance, reliability and exceptional value. The drives are optimized to be cost-effective and easy to use, while still providing a wealth of features like RAID support, Data Lifeguard Protection and AcuTrac servo technology. Read Review

When it comes to storing your personal files and operating system, you’ll most likely have a desktop computer that serves as your primary device. And because most of us keep our operating systems and programs on our computers, an upgrade to the internal hard drive can help speed up performance and reduce storage space requirements. Due to the increased importance of storage in today’s modern world, desktop hard drives have experienced a surge in demand over the last few years.

However, if you’re not careful, upgrading your internal hard drive can also be very costly—sometimes even more so than purchasing a new computer. Fortunately, there are some great options for upgrading your existing internal hard drive without breaking the bank. Let’s take a look at some of the best upgrades for your existing desktop hard drive from top manufacturers like Seagate, Western Digital, and Hitachi.

After doing extensive study and analysis over a 13 hours, We think the best internal hard drive for desktop is Seagate BarraCuda 4TB Internal Hard Drive HDD. With Dynamic Versatility and Multi-Tier Caching Technology, you'll have peace of mind knowing that your important data is safe. You can consider SAMSUNG Internal Solid State Hard Drive as an alternative if you're still undecided. Other suggestions on this list are definitely worth considering, and we've put up a useful shopping guide to help you decide!

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 Seagate BarraCuda 4TB Internal Hard Drive HDD
Our Score:
9.7
Seagate

Build a powerhouse gaming computer or desktop setup with a variety of capacities and form factors

The go to SATA hard drive solution for nearly every PC application from music to video to photo editing to PC gaming

Confidently rely on internal hard drive technology backed by 20 years of innovation; Max sustained transfer rate OD(MB/s): 190 MB/s

Store more, compute faster, and do it confidently with the proven reliability of BarraCuda internal hard drives

TOP Choice #2 SAMSUNG Internal Solid State Hard Drive
Our Score:
9.6
SAMSUNG

UPGRADE WITH EASE: Upgrading to 870 QVO is now easier than ever for anyone with a desktop PC or laptop that supports a standard 2.5 inch SATA form factor.SAMSUNG MAGICIAN SOFTWARE: Manage your drive and enhance its performance with tools that keep up with the latest updates and monitor the drive's health and status.FLASH MEMORY BRAND: All firmware and components, including Samsung's world renowned DRAM and NAND, are produced in house, allowing end to end integration for quality you can trust

GO BIG, DO MORE: The 870 QVO is Samsung's latest 2nd generation QLC SSD with up to 8TB of storage capacity

ENHANCED IN EVERY WAY: With an expanded, SATA interface limit of 560/530 MB/s sequential speeds, the 870 QVO improves random access speed and sustained performance

RELIABLE AND SUSTAINABLE: The capacity of the 8TB 870 QVO increases reliability up to 2,880 TBW using a refined ECC algorithm for stable performance

BOOST CAPACITY: The 870 QVO is available in 1, 2, 4 and 8TB

Confidently rely on internal hard drive technology backed by 20 years of innovation

Enjoy long term peace of mind with the included two year limited warranty

Build a powerhouse gaming computer or desktop setup with a variety of capacities and form factors

Store more, compute faster, and do it confidently with the proven reliability of BarraCuda internal hard drives

The go to SATA hard drive solution for nearly every PC application from music to video to photo editing to PC gaming

Desktop performance gaming hard drive

An industry-leading 5-year limited warranty | See official Western Digital website for warranty details.

Performance storage available in up to 10TB capacities | As used for storage capacity, 1TB = one trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment.

Designed for gamers, system builders, and creative professionals.

Western Digital’s StableTrac and Dynamic Cache Technology increase reliability and optimize performance

Ideal for everyday desktop and computing storage

1TB capacity stores 120 HD video, or 200,000 photos, or 250,000 songs

Store data faster with SATA 6GB/s interface

7200 RPM

Available in capacities ranging from 1-14TB with support for up to 8 bays | As used for storage capacity, 1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment.

Small or medium business NAS systems in a 24x7 environment

NASware firmware for compatibility

Supports up to 180 TB/yr workload rate | Workload Rate is defined as the amount of user data transferred to or from the hard drive. Workload Rate is annualized (TB transferred ✕ (8760 / recorded power-on hours)). Workload Rate will vary depending on your hardware and software components and configurations.

3-year limited warranty | See official Western Digital website for regional specific warranty details.

12TB so you can save and build your Xbox gaming collection up to 300 games. (As used for storage capacity, one gigabyte (GB) = one billion bytes and one terabyte (TB) = one trillion bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment.) (Number of games based on a 36GB average per game. The number of games will vary based on file size, formatting, other programs, and factors.)

Purpose-built for gamers based on WD_BLACK quality and reliability.

Two 7.5W USB Type-A charging ports to charge your gaming gear and accessories.

1-Month membership of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate included with purchase. (1-Month trial offer of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for new Xbox Game Pass members only. Limit: 1 per person/account. Available for a limited time. See product packaging for full details.)

7200RPM drive with active cooling technology and speeds up to 250 MB/s. (Based on read speed and internal testing. As used for transfer rate, megabyte per second (MB/s) = one million bytes per second. Performance will vary depending on your hardware and software components and configurations.)

Bare Drive

Seagate technology - st500dm002 - seagate hdd st500dm002 500gb s3 ds 7200rpm 16mb 6g

Perfect for Desktop PC/Mac, NAS Network Storage, RAID Storage System, Surveillance System

Bare Drive Only, Single Pack, (No Screws, Cables or Accessories included) -Friendly Reminder- Please FORMAT HDD on system in order to be detected/shows on system.

7200RPM Rotation Speed, 256MB Buffer Size, 3.5in Internal Hard Drive

Internal Desktop Hard Drive - 12TB Capacity

3 Year Warranty from Reseller, Worry free Return! 100% Full Refund

7200 RPM 64MB Cache

SATA 3.0Gb/s, Average Latency 4.16ms

Ideal for Servers

Product Images, Product Titles, Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

What to Look For in a best internal hard drive for desktop?

Size Of The Disk

I understand that you are buying the hard disk in order to eliminate the need to delete some files when you install a new game or add modifications. Also, at a time when a single game can take up to 100GB, Call of Duty WWII is 90GB; it only makes sense that you select the hard disk that will allow you sufficient storage space.

Cache Memory

This is a cache that functions much like Computer RAM Memory. It stores important files temporarily so that it takes less time to access them on the disk. The larger the cache size, the faster the hard disk will be. However, the difference is not major, and as such, this should not be the biggest determiner.

External Vs. Internal HDD

The main advantage of external hard disks is their portability. Which also makes them perfect backups in case your PC is compromised. Desktop PCs allow you room to add extra hard disks, but if you are using a laptop or other gaming device, you will have to replace your existing hard drive.

Speed

HDDs, or hard drives, contain spinning disks that read and write your data. The faster these disks spin—rated in rotations per minute (RPM)—the faster the drive can access data and transfer it to your computer.

Performance

Transfer speed is the feature that most people notice on a daily basis. We evaluated each drive with tests that replicated different real-world uses, and we focused on the drives that consistently outperformed the other contenders. Drives that did well on some tests but failed others were unreliable and not worth purchasing.

Reliability

All hard drives eventually die, and there’s no definitive answer on when that day will come. We recommend replacing your backup drives between the third and sixth years of use, if possible. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get metrics on which hard drive models are more reliable over the long run, and even so, there will always be outliers and failures that occur sooner than expected.

Rotation Speed

Did you know that hard drives store information on spinning magnetic plates? The faster these plates spin, the faster the load and access time. The rotation is measured in RPM (Rotations per Minute), and although we recommend hard disks with 7200RPM, 5400RPM is still a good option.

FAQs

What Hard Drive Should I Get For Gaming?

When choosing the right hardware for your gaming, it is important to take into account your requirements and the type of games you wish to play. It is also important to consider the console you are using. You need to be selective about picking out the right tool for your needs.

What Is The Reason Why My Data Transfer May Sometimes Stop Mid-process?

If you are using a USB 3.0 external hard drive, it may require more current than a similar USB 2.0 device. So it is possible that the USB 2.0 connection will not deliver the required amount of power. If this happens, use both connectors on the Y cable to connect the drive to two USB 2.0 ports, in order to ensure adequate power for the USB 3.0 device.

Do I Need 2 HDD For Gaming?

The main purpose of the hard drive is to improve the storage space in your computer or any other device. Normally, a single hard drive should be enough. You can add an external hard drive for your game storage if you want to make it portable in nature. However, it is important to have adequate space for your needs. Many people consider having an external hard drive with an internal hard drive which makes it 2 drives for storage. It can be a good option.

Is It Better To Install Games On A Separate Hard Drive?

Every PC or Laptop setup comes with an inbuilt storage option. However, it is limited. Obviously, storing games and software on the same drive would impact the performance of your PC. You might experience some lag time while playing online games. Instead, an external HDD or a second hard disc is a better solution. It has the ability to save data from memory storage.

Black Screen And Can't Boot. Is This The Hard Drive?

It is very likely that the hard drive or motherboard is going bad or is dead. If you can access your drive from another computer (slaving) and retrieve your data, now would be a good time, however, if this isn't possible and the drive is dead, you will need to have your data recovered professionally. Please see Drive Saver's information on the home page for more information.

How Often Should I Backup?

Backup your data all the time. realistically, it depends on your workload or the sensitivity of data. If your data is general data like pictures, mp3's, documents, etc., but you only add to them occasionally, backing up at least once a month would be a good starting point. If you are daily adding to your library of files, doing a daily backup is necessary.

Is A Hard Drive Good For Gaming?

Hard drives are relatively good for gaming. Multiple storage devices help to expand the memory. However, there are some hard drive models that have enough capacity to store games. Today, most modern games can consume a lot of space. As a result, it will become difficult to keep it in some regular hard drive models.

It's time to start buying when you've determined the best types of best internal hard drive for desktop and the characteristics you want. It's important to remember that you needn't rush out to a certain store or browse internet discounts just soon. You may quickly discover your pal thanks technological advancements, particularly the proliferation of selling sites.

Try to keep an eye on our site's regular to guarantee the latest deals best internal hard drive for desktop passes our standards. As a result, you'll be able to close the gap with them. Could you kindly provide us with feedback so that we can satisfy you guys, our customers? Wish you a great shopping experience!


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About Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward is an elite author with many years of experience in the music field and the owner of many engaging articles at TheAudioInsights. He studies music production and has many years of passionate research into sound systems. Appearing in many popular newspapers, Nicolas Ward provides useful knowledge and the latest information on music and sound.