For those who chose a MacBook over an ordinary laptop must be short for some storage space, right? Well, upgrading storage space through apple is as costly as purchasing a new laptop. In this case, an external hard drive is less expensive and beneficial for storage requirements.
The Samsung T5 comes with the sheer built quality and lightning-fast performance. Shop Solid State Drives online or in store with brands such as Samsung, Toshiba and more. Enjoy our Price Beat Guarantee and free delivery on orders over $55.
You can switch your external hard drive from a Mac to a pc which makes data transfer for two different OS easier. Furthermore, external hard disks are less likely to get corrupted and are portable in nature.
Macbooks generally have SSDs which are capable of loading a program quickly but more likely to low on storage.
Furthermore, SSDs are quite costly and upgrading an SSD on a Macbook is definitely costlier than you could even imagine. Final cut price. An external hard drive is best for storing data such as photos, videos, movies, rendered projects and more.
Contents
- 1 Best External Hard Drives for MacBook in 2021
- 1.3 3. Seagate Backup Plus Slim (2 TB)
- 1.4 4. Western Digital My Book (8 TB)
- 1.5 5. Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt
- 1.6 6. G-Technology G-DRIVE USB 3.0 (4TB)
- 1.7 7. Adata SD700 External SSD
- 1.8 8. LaCie Rugged USB-C
- 1.9 9. Samsung X5 (1TB)
- 1.10 10. Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC external hard drive
- 2 What things to consider while buying External Hard Drive For Mac?
- 3 External Hard Drive Vs SSD: Which one is good for MacBook Pro?
Best External Hard Drives for MacBook in 2021
Although choosing an external hard drive is a complicated process but we have made a list of 10 best external hard drives for Mac that you should consider before your final decision.
1. Samsung Portable SSD T5
Starting off Samsung Portable SSD T5 which is an outstanding storage device, it can reach up to a speed of 550 MB per second for data transfer which is amazing. You can directly plug it into a USB-C port or USB-A port.
It contains no moving parts therefore chances of getting damaged due to mishandling are less. Even though SSD is costlier than a hard drive, the speed it offers is commendable. You will notice a significant boost in the overall performance while doing stuff that requires you to load large files and programs.
Overall, the SSD is fantastic but only if you can spare a few more bucks than your actual budget. You can get the SSD ranging from 250 GB to 2 TB from Amazon with some additional discounts.
2. Western Digital My Passport 4TB external hard drive
Western Digital My Passport 4TB external hard drive is the newest generation of external hard disks and is available in capacities from 1 TB to up to 4 TB. It offers cloud storage and 256-AES encryption alongside WD's software for backups.
The data transfer speeds won't disappoint you and the drive offers speed similar to what an SSD provides. If you are looking for a drive with good data transfer rate and maximum storage, consider Western Digital My Passport 4TB as a choice.
3. Seagate Backup Plus Slim (2 TB)
If you are looking for a reliable, portable, and affordable hard disk, Seagate backup plus slim is the thing you should have a look at. It supports Windows and Mac both and perfect for storing your essential data right away.
With the Seagate dashboard backup system, you can schedule backups and never lose your important files anymore. Backup automation can be set for daily, monthly, weekly or your desired time-frequency.
Also Check:
Alongside, Seagate also provides a two-month membership for adobe creative cloud photography plan and a one-year subscription to Mylio create to manage your photo library.
- Affordable price
- Metal body
- Supports USB 3.0
- Comes with an automation backup software
- Doesn't support USB 3.0 cables
4. Western Digital My Book (8 TB)
This Hard disk is probably for creators and organizations that require a lot of storage for various purposes. Faster data transmission rate will let you transfer data in the meantime, all thanks to USB 3.0 support.
It also offers 256 AES encryption for securing your data and makes sure your personal data is secured in the storage device. Even though it meets the requirements of a regular user, the only thing where Western Digital My Book (8 TB) lacks is portability.
Therefore, if you are looking for a hard disk for work purposes and if portability is not an issue, Western Digital My Book (8 TB) is definitely the right choice.
- High storage
- Data encryption
- Compatible with the time machine
- Requires power source to work
- Not portable
5. Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt
Buffalo MiniStation thunderbolt offers data transmission at a speed of twice of what USB 3.0 offers. You can enjoy this feature if your device has a thunderbolt port. Another good thing about Buffalo MiniStation thunderbolt is its price. It is affordable and portable.
- Also Check: 10 Best Cooling Pads For MacBook Pro Reviewed
However, it is a hard drive, not a solid-state, therefore, the data transmission will definitely be high but the overall performance of your pc will remain unchanged. Lastly, if you don't have a thunderbolt port in your pc, you can use the traditional USB 3.0 port.
- USB 3.0 port
- Affordable
- Formatted for Mac
- Not a Solid State drive
6. G-Technology G-DRIVE USB 3.0 (4TB)
With the new products, Apple is on its way to completely shift to USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 ports but there are still some people who are using old hardware and for them, G-Technology G-DRIVE USB 3.0 (4TB) is going to work like a charm.
The body of the HDD is made up of metal which makes it durable and strong against accidents such as dropping off the drive on the floor or whatnot. It runs at a speed of 7200 RPM and can transfer data at a rate of 195 MB/s which is efficient for transferring music, videos and software.
- Metallic body for durability
- High data transmission rate
- USB 3.0
- Should be reformatted for Windows OS
7. Adata SD700 External SSD
Adata SD700 is an affordable External SSD which is IP68 rated which certainly makes it a water-resistant storage device. The overall performance of this SSD is commendable and as per our research, Adata SD700 External SSD is the only SSD with an IP68 rating.
You can expect faster transfer rates and better booting speed if you are planning to install an OS on the SSD. Don't worry about the storage space as it is available in 1 TB capacity also. The maximum read and write speed is up to 440 MB/S, all thanks to the USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface.
- Lightweight and portable
- Shock resistant
- Supports Android, Mac, and Windows
- 3 years of Warranty
- Mac users must format it to FAT32 to use this product
8. LaCie Rugged USB-C
Lacie rugged USB-C hard disk can be distinguished easily because of its unique rubber casing that makes sure your hard drive doesn't get damaged when it drops from up to 1.3 m height. It can withstand rain, dust and can even survive 1-ton pressure. This is certainly the best choice for content creators.
Alongside hard disk, you will also get access to a one-month subscription to Adobe creative cloud all apps plan. The company also provides 3 years of warranty for the device and will also help you to restore the data if lost.
Also Check:
In terms of speed, Lacie rugged USB-C hard disk is not very fast as it provides only 120 MB/s which is comparatively lesser than the HDDs mentioned in this listicle. However, there are various variants available for this hard disk on Amazon.
- Durability
- Affordable
- Resistant to water
- Lesser data transmission speed
9. Samsung X5 (1TB)
Samsung never disappoints with its amazing hardware capabilities. With Samsung X5, you can transfer data at a rate of 2,300 MB/s which is the fastest speed an SSD can provide you. The build quality is super amazing as it is made up of metal, making it stronger than storage disks that are made up of plastic bodies.
The shock-resistant capability can save up your drive from a fall of 2 meters. Alongside this, it comes with Thunderbolt 3 technology that is ideal for faster data transfer of up to 40 GB per second which is unbelievable. You can take full advantage of this SSD on your MacBook or Macbook pro without having to format anything.
- High data transmission rate
- Supports thunderbolt 3
- Shock-resistant up to 2 meters
- Heats up really quick
- Comparatively expensive than the other disks
10. Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC external hard drive
In terms of flexibility, Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC external hard drive is really good as it supports both Mac and windows out of the box. The disk doesn't get damaged due to dust and water which is again a positive point.
It encrypts the user data at 256 bit AES security which additionally makes everything on the drive, secure. Overall, it is a great drive for Mac owners as well as windows owners too.
- Secure for handling user data
- Protects from water and dust
- Low-speed data transfer
What things to consider while buying External Hard Drive For Mac?
So those were some of the best external hard disk drive solutions for Mac. However, you must be confused about which external HDD to choose. But not to worry, let me just point some of the key factors that you need to consider while buying an external hard drive:
1. Storage
One of the first and the most important thing that you need to consider is the storage space of your external HDD. As you already know that Macbook does not come with a huge space. Hence, you better choose something which offers you enough space to store all your files.
For many users, 1 TB of space should be good enough. But if you need to store a huge number of files and save them for a longer period of time, then getting 2TB of HDD would be an ideal choice.
Apart from 1TB and 2TB of storage options, you can also consider getting huge storage options like 4TB. But for a day to day work, 4TB of HDD does not help much. Also, they are quite expensive.
2. Transfer speed
After the storing capacity, transfer speed is the second most important thing that you have to consider. You don't want to get an external hard disk drive for Mac, which takes too long to copy files. Instead, you need something that can get the job done as quickly as possible.
So the first thing that you must do is avoid USB 2.0 powered external HDD. As they are outdated and not fast enough. Instead, you should get an external HDD with USB 3.0, 3.1 Gen 1 or USB 3.2 Gen 1. All of these are capable of offering an exceptional transfer speed. On the other hand, I would like to recoomend you to buy the best external SSD for Mac that offers good transfer speed.
3. Compatibility
The next thing you need to check its compatibility. External HDD formatted for Windows 10 may have connectivity issues with Mac OS and vise versa. So since you are using a Mac powered machine, I would recommend you to get an external HDD with Mac OS compatibility.
Although there is no need to focus on the compatibility part way too much. Since you can always format your external HDD using a Windows Computer with exFat Format. So you can easily use the HDD with your Macbook. But yes, if you get a pre compatible external hard disk drive then it saves you from extra work and headaches that you have to face.
4. Security
If you are someone who takes security really seriously, then you must look for security features. Most of the manufacturers do ship security software and backup software. So you can easily encrypt your drive or take a backup of it. Even, if you don't consider the encryption feature, the backup feature is something that you must and should consider.
Even to make sure your HDD stays safe, they use strong casing from physical damage. So you can consider getting such external hard disk drives that save you from every side.
External Hard Drive Vs SSD: Which one is good for MacBook Pro?
Whenever it comes to a primary storage solution for computers, HDD and SSD's are the only solutions we have. However, in the last couple of years, the usage of HDD has dropped drastically, and people are not moving to SSD's for better performance.
But there are quite a lot of users who are still unaware of the difference between a hard disk drive and a solid state drive or SSD.
However, not to worry, let me just draw a quick difference between both and help you to understand better.
1. Storage Capacity
HDD's are a great option if you want something for storage. HDD's are available in a wide range of storage capacities from 500GB to 12 TB. Even, for enterprise uses, you will find a large capacity of HDDs.
SSDs are also available with large capacities. However, when it comes to the costs of an SSD and an HDD, SSDs are quite expensive. Hence, if your main goal is to store a huge amount of data, HDD is an ideal choice.
2. Speed
Whenever it comes to speed, SSDs are a better option. Since a hard disk drive uses a round plate with a layer of magnetic material. And the data is stored on this magnetic layer only. So the disk spins and the magnetic head is used for reading and writing data.
Also, the speed that the disk spins is measured in RPM. And on average, an HDD has about 5,400 RPM, and it will have a read/write speeds of around 100 MB/s.
However, when it comes to SSD's, there are no moving parts. As a result, it offers you a much faster data transfer rate. On average, it offers you around 550 MB/s and 520 MB/s of data transfer rate.
3. Reliability & Durability
There are quite a lot of factors that determine the lifespan of drivers. However, you should know that an SSD can sustain a limited number of write cycles compared to HDD which has no read/write limits.
But you should know that SSD has a write cycle limit between 3000 and 10,000 which is a high number. So it would not be a problem for you.
Also, SSD's are lesser affected by any sort of damages compared to HDD. Since there are no moving parts in SSD, they tend to survive more. While HDD's might stop working if it encounters any physical damage.
3. Cost
Finally, let's talk about pricing. Well, if you look at the cost of both HDD and SSD, you would happily pick up an HDD. Why? Because SSD's are expensive. When you choose an HDD, you will get a large amount of capacity for a lesser price. But on the other hand, if you choose an SSD, it would cost you 3-5x of an HDD price.
In the end, the conclusion is HDD's are a better option when it comes to storing data. Of course, SSD's are faster and more reliable. But they do come with a high price. But on the other hand, if you take care of your HDD in a good manner, it will offer you great performance for years.
Wrapping it up:
So, these were the 10 best external hard drives for Macbook Air and Pro. Every disk mentioned in this article has its own pros and cons, we have tried our best to list out the good and bad in every product. For Mac users, external SSD can be really helpful for storing content and transferring it to a different place.
Related posts:
Summary :
To get the maximum performance on one computer, a great many users want to use SSD and HDD at the same time. Openshot add voiceover. Can I use SSD and HDD at the same time? How to organize SSD and HDD at the same PC? This post of MiniTool will provide you with a full guide.
Quick Navigation :
Can I use SSD and HDD at the same time? Lots of people are confused about this question especially when building a computer for gaming. As a user on forums.anandtech.com reports his issue, he is not sure how to use SSD and HDD together.
Hello. I have a SSD and a HDD. So I was wondering can I use both at the same time. I was thinking to install ALL my steam games onto my HDD and others like anti-virus and Microsoft office etc. onto my SSD? Is that a good idea? I have ALOT of games right now and I have like 20GB left on my SSD. I have a Samsung EVO SSD btw and I'm on a MSI laptop. May someone guide me through this if this is possible? Really appreciate the help!https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/can-i-use-my-ssd-and-my-hdd-at-the-same-time.2389059/
You can follow the several effective tips below to use SSD and HDD together. Besides, a full guide will be provided to organize SSD and HDD combo.
Can I Use SSD and HDD at the Same Time
Can you have an SSD and an HDD in the same computer? The answer is absolute yes. It is an excellent idea to use SSD and HDD at the same time. An SSD boasts many distinctive merits such as fast loading speed, low power consumption, and etc. So, lots of people want to install an SSD with existing HDD.
Using SSD and HDD at the same time can take advantage of the fast speed of an SSD and the large capacity of an HDD. However, the large capacity SSDs are more expensive than a usual HDD with the same space, so many people can only buy an SSD with a relatively small capacity.
Then, how to use SSD and HDD at the same time? Which drive should be used to install OS? Which drive should be used to store personal data? Please keep reading to get the answers.
What does PCIe 4.0 NVMe mean? What's the best NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD? How to upgrade to SSD and know its real disk performance? Get all these answers from the post.
Tips to Use SSD and HDD Together on One PC
How to organize SSD and HDD effectively? In order to get the best performance, here we summarize the following 5 useful tips for you.
- Should be reformatted for Windows OS
7. Adata SD700 External SSD
Adata SD700 is an affordable External SSD which is IP68 rated which certainly makes it a water-resistant storage device. The overall performance of this SSD is commendable and as per our research, Adata SD700 External SSD is the only SSD with an IP68 rating.
You can expect faster transfer rates and better booting speed if you are planning to install an OS on the SSD. Don't worry about the storage space as it is available in 1 TB capacity also. The maximum read and write speed is up to 440 MB/S, all thanks to the USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface.
- Lightweight and portable
- Shock resistant
- Supports Android, Mac, and Windows
- 3 years of Warranty
- Mac users must format it to FAT32 to use this product
8. LaCie Rugged USB-C
Lacie rugged USB-C hard disk can be distinguished easily because of its unique rubber casing that makes sure your hard drive doesn't get damaged when it drops from up to 1.3 m height. It can withstand rain, dust and can even survive 1-ton pressure. This is certainly the best choice for content creators.
Alongside hard disk, you will also get access to a one-month subscription to Adobe creative cloud all apps plan. The company also provides 3 years of warranty for the device and will also help you to restore the data if lost.
Also Check:
In terms of speed, Lacie rugged USB-C hard disk is not very fast as it provides only 120 MB/s which is comparatively lesser than the HDDs mentioned in this listicle. However, there are various variants available for this hard disk on Amazon.
- Durability
- Affordable
- Resistant to water
- Lesser data transmission speed
9. Samsung X5 (1TB)
Samsung never disappoints with its amazing hardware capabilities. With Samsung X5, you can transfer data at a rate of 2,300 MB/s which is the fastest speed an SSD can provide you. The build quality is super amazing as it is made up of metal, making it stronger than storage disks that are made up of plastic bodies.
The shock-resistant capability can save up your drive from a fall of 2 meters. Alongside this, it comes with Thunderbolt 3 technology that is ideal for faster data transfer of up to 40 GB per second which is unbelievable. You can take full advantage of this SSD on your MacBook or Macbook pro without having to format anything.
- High data transmission rate
- Supports thunderbolt 3
- Shock-resistant up to 2 meters
- Heats up really quick
- Comparatively expensive than the other disks
10. Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC external hard drive
In terms of flexibility, Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC external hard drive is really good as it supports both Mac and windows out of the box. The disk doesn't get damaged due to dust and water which is again a positive point.
It encrypts the user data at 256 bit AES security which additionally makes everything on the drive, secure. Overall, it is a great drive for Mac owners as well as windows owners too.
- Secure for handling user data
- Protects from water and dust
- Low-speed data transfer
What things to consider while buying External Hard Drive For Mac?
So those were some of the best external hard disk drive solutions for Mac. However, you must be confused about which external HDD to choose. But not to worry, let me just point some of the key factors that you need to consider while buying an external hard drive:
1. Storage
One of the first and the most important thing that you need to consider is the storage space of your external HDD. As you already know that Macbook does not come with a huge space. Hence, you better choose something which offers you enough space to store all your files.
For many users, 1 TB of space should be good enough. But if you need to store a huge number of files and save them for a longer period of time, then getting 2TB of HDD would be an ideal choice.
Apart from 1TB and 2TB of storage options, you can also consider getting huge storage options like 4TB. But for a day to day work, 4TB of HDD does not help much. Also, they are quite expensive.
2. Transfer speed
After the storing capacity, transfer speed is the second most important thing that you have to consider. You don't want to get an external hard disk drive for Mac, which takes too long to copy files. Instead, you need something that can get the job done as quickly as possible.
So the first thing that you must do is avoid USB 2.0 powered external HDD. As they are outdated and not fast enough. Instead, you should get an external HDD with USB 3.0, 3.1 Gen 1 or USB 3.2 Gen 1. All of these are capable of offering an exceptional transfer speed. On the other hand, I would like to recoomend you to buy the best external SSD for Mac that offers good transfer speed.
3. Compatibility
The next thing you need to check its compatibility. External HDD formatted for Windows 10 may have connectivity issues with Mac OS and vise versa. So since you are using a Mac powered machine, I would recommend you to get an external HDD with Mac OS compatibility.
Although there is no need to focus on the compatibility part way too much. Since you can always format your external HDD using a Windows Computer with exFat Format. So you can easily use the HDD with your Macbook. But yes, if you get a pre compatible external hard disk drive then it saves you from extra work and headaches that you have to face.
4. Security
If you are someone who takes security really seriously, then you must look for security features. Most of the manufacturers do ship security software and backup software. So you can easily encrypt your drive or take a backup of it. Even, if you don't consider the encryption feature, the backup feature is something that you must and should consider.
Even to make sure your HDD stays safe, they use strong casing from physical damage. So you can consider getting such external hard disk drives that save you from every side.
External Hard Drive Vs SSD: Which one is good for MacBook Pro?
Whenever it comes to a primary storage solution for computers, HDD and SSD's are the only solutions we have. However, in the last couple of years, the usage of HDD has dropped drastically, and people are not moving to SSD's for better performance.
But there are quite a lot of users who are still unaware of the difference between a hard disk drive and a solid state drive or SSD.
However, not to worry, let me just draw a quick difference between both and help you to understand better.
1. Storage Capacity
HDD's are a great option if you want something for storage. HDD's are available in a wide range of storage capacities from 500GB to 12 TB. Even, for enterprise uses, you will find a large capacity of HDDs.
SSDs are also available with large capacities. However, when it comes to the costs of an SSD and an HDD, SSDs are quite expensive. Hence, if your main goal is to store a huge amount of data, HDD is an ideal choice.
2. Speed
Whenever it comes to speed, SSDs are a better option. Since a hard disk drive uses a round plate with a layer of magnetic material. And the data is stored on this magnetic layer only. So the disk spins and the magnetic head is used for reading and writing data.
Also, the speed that the disk spins is measured in RPM. And on average, an HDD has about 5,400 RPM, and it will have a read/write speeds of around 100 MB/s.
However, when it comes to SSD's, there are no moving parts. As a result, it offers you a much faster data transfer rate. On average, it offers you around 550 MB/s and 520 MB/s of data transfer rate.
3. Reliability & Durability
There are quite a lot of factors that determine the lifespan of drivers. However, you should know that an SSD can sustain a limited number of write cycles compared to HDD which has no read/write limits.
But you should know that SSD has a write cycle limit between 3000 and 10,000 which is a high number. So it would not be a problem for you.
Also, SSD's are lesser affected by any sort of damages compared to HDD. Since there are no moving parts in SSD, they tend to survive more. While HDD's might stop working if it encounters any physical damage.
3. Cost
Finally, let's talk about pricing. Well, if you look at the cost of both HDD and SSD, you would happily pick up an HDD. Why? Because SSD's are expensive. When you choose an HDD, you will get a large amount of capacity for a lesser price. But on the other hand, if you choose an SSD, it would cost you 3-5x of an HDD price.
In the end, the conclusion is HDD's are a better option when it comes to storing data. Of course, SSD's are faster and more reliable. But they do come with a high price. But on the other hand, if you take care of your HDD in a good manner, it will offer you great performance for years.
Wrapping it up:
So, these were the 10 best external hard drives for Macbook Air and Pro. Every disk mentioned in this article has its own pros and cons, we have tried our best to list out the good and bad in every product. For Mac users, external SSD can be really helpful for storing content and transferring it to a different place.
Related posts:
Summary :
To get the maximum performance on one computer, a great many users want to use SSD and HDD at the same time. Openshot add voiceover. Can I use SSD and HDD at the same time? How to organize SSD and HDD at the same PC? This post of MiniTool will provide you with a full guide.
Quick Navigation :
Can I use SSD and HDD at the same time? Lots of people are confused about this question especially when building a computer for gaming. As a user on forums.anandtech.com reports his issue, he is not sure how to use SSD and HDD together.
Hello. I have a SSD and a HDD. So I was wondering can I use both at the same time. I was thinking to install ALL my steam games onto my HDD and others like anti-virus and Microsoft office etc. onto my SSD? Is that a good idea? I have ALOT of games right now and I have like 20GB left on my SSD. I have a Samsung EVO SSD btw and I'm on a MSI laptop. May someone guide me through this if this is possible? Really appreciate the help!https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/can-i-use-my-ssd-and-my-hdd-at-the-same-time.2389059/
You can follow the several effective tips below to use SSD and HDD together. Besides, a full guide will be provided to organize SSD and HDD combo.
Can I Use SSD and HDD at the Same Time
Can you have an SSD and an HDD in the same computer? The answer is absolute yes. It is an excellent idea to use SSD and HDD at the same time. An SSD boasts many distinctive merits such as fast loading speed, low power consumption, and etc. So, lots of people want to install an SSD with existing HDD.
Using SSD and HDD at the same time can take advantage of the fast speed of an SSD and the large capacity of an HDD. However, the large capacity SSDs are more expensive than a usual HDD with the same space, so many people can only buy an SSD with a relatively small capacity.
Then, how to use SSD and HDD at the same time? Which drive should be used to install OS? Which drive should be used to store personal data? Please keep reading to get the answers.
What does PCIe 4.0 NVMe mean? What's the best NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD? How to upgrade to SSD and know its real disk performance? Get all these answers from the post.
Tips to Use SSD and HDD Together on One PC
How to organize SSD and HDD effectively? In order to get the best performance, here we summarize the following 5 useful tips for you.
# 1. Install OS and Apps on SSD
It is obvious that most SSDs are much faster than a conventional HDD when reading data. If you want to get fast speed when loading some large programs such as Steam and Photoshop, you would better install them on the SSD.
In addition, it is highly recommended that you install OS and frequently-used programs on the SSD, which enables your computer to work much faster.
# 2. Store Personal Data on HDD
As mentioned above, many users choose a small-capacity SSD due to its high price. An SSD that doesn't have enough free space will not be able to work as fast as before. This is because the SSD without enough free space will have to repeatedly write, which will damage the blocks in use.
Thus, you'd better store the infrequently used personal files on HDD, such as videos, movies, music, photos, and other large files.
# 3. Enable SSD TRIM Feature
As you might know, TRIM plays an important role in making an SSD work faster than an HDD. It can help OS precisely detect the data location that you want to move or delete. Once a file is deleted, the TRIM feature will command your drive to thoroughly clean the file from the sectors. That means new data can be written into the drive faster.
Therefore, make sure the SSD TRIM feature is enabled on your PC. Here's how to enable TRIM for SSD.
Step 1. Press Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box, and then type cmd in it and hit Enter to open the Command Prompt.
Step 2. Type the fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify command and hit Enter.
Step 3. If the Command Prompt displays NTFS DisaleDeleteNofity = 1, it means the TRIM is disabled for your SSD. For that, you can run the fsutil behavior set disabledeletenotify 0 command to enable TRIM.
# 4. Back up Your Data to Another Storage Device
Backups play an important role in data recovery. No matter what types of drives and how many drives that you use on the computer, it is always recommended to make a regular data backup. You can back up data to another storage device. Here external storage is highly recommended out of data security. For instance, if your laptop lost accidentally, you still can restore the system and individual data from the external drive.
# 5. Never Defrag SSD
As you know, the files on an HDD is fragmented and stored in multiple locations. If the HDD is used for a long time, it will take much time to locate the files when reading and writing. In order to speed up the hard drive and improve performance, you can defrag it with Disk Defragmenter.
However, disk defragmentation is only suitable for HDD. Since SSDs have a different structure from HDD, defragmentation can't improve SSD's performance. In addition, it will shorten the lifespan of an SSD.
How to organize SSD and HDD on the same computer? After reading the above tips, I believe that you already have an overall understanding. Please keep reading the following part to get more professional solutions for using SSD and HDD together on one PC.
RAID 0 vs RAID 1, what's the difference and which one is better? If you are also trying to figure them out, you can learn all these answers from this post.
How to Use SSD and HDD Together on One PC
As mentioned above, you should install OS and Apps on the SSD and store personal files on the HDD. It gives rise to a question – how to install SSD with existing HDD? This part will introduce you a full guide to install OS on SSD and other effective ways to manage the drives.
Migrate OS and Apps to SSD
To install OS on the SSD with existing HDD, you can utilize a professional tool - MiniTool Partition Wizard. It is an all-in-one partition manager. This software boasts many powerful features like Convert MBR to GPT, extend partition, align partition, and so on. You can manage SSD and HDD together on the same computer in an effective way.
Using the Migrate OS to SSD/HDD Wizard feature, you can move the previous operating system and all programs installed on the HDD to SSD. To do so, follow the detailed steps below.
Taupe colour lipstick. Step 1. Connect the SSD that you prepared to the same computer and launch this software to get its main interface.
Step 2. Select the existing HDD and click on the Migrate OS to SSD/HD Wizard feature at the left pane.
Step 3. Select the Option B in the pop-up window, which will copy the system required partitions only. After that, click on Next to go on.
Step 4. Select the SSD and click on Next to continue. Then you will see a warning message saying all the data on the target disk will be destroyed. Click on Yes to confirm this operation.
Step 5. Review the changes that have been made and click on Next to continue.
Step 6. Click on Finish button in the next window.
Step 7. Click on Apply to execute the pending operations.
Now, you have installed the SSD with existing HDD and you can use it as a boot drive. Here comes another question – how to effectively use the HDD as storage? Please keep reading.
Store Personal Data on HDD
After installing OS on the SSD, you can use the HDD as storage. To make full use of an HDD, you can categorize the personal files and place them in different partitions. For example, you can store the game data in a partition, and place the videos and movies to another partition.
MiniTool Partition Wizard can help you manage your partitions effectively. Now, let's see how to use this tool to manage your personal data.
Create Partitions:
First of all, you can create different partitions on the hard drive based on your needs. Here's a full guide for you.
Step 1. Right-click the unallocated space and select Create from the pop-up menu.
Step 2. In the pop-up window, you can specify the parameters of the partition including File System, Cluster Size, Partition Label, and so on. For example, you can create a partition named Game. After that, click on OK button to confirm the changes.
Step 3. Click on Apply to execute all the pending operations.
Then, you can follow the above steps to create other partitions to store your personal data.
Move/Resize Partitions:
In addition to creating partitions, you can use this powerful software to further manage your partitions. For instance, you may need to extend or move the partition so as to create more space. Here's how.
Step 1. In the main interface, select the partition that you want to adjust and click on Move/Resize Partitions from the left pane.
Ssd Or Hdd External Hard Drive
Step 2. Drag the tangle rightward to extend a partition or you can drag the whole partition handle towards unallocated space to move a partition. After that, click on OK to confirm the changes.
Step 3. Click on Apply to execute the pending changes.
Bottom Line
Can I use SSD and HDD at the same time? Absolutely yes! You can follow the effective tips given by this post to use SSD and HDD together on one computer. In addition, this post provides you with detailed steps to manage your SSD and HDD.
If you have any questions about MiniTool Partition Wizard, please send us an e-mail via [email protected]. We also appreciate any ideas about this topic left in the comment area.
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