8 best laptop hard drives

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

Any new laptop is equipped with a hard disk initially, as well as other vital devices for the system. But with use, the user may want or even need to replace the hard media with a more productive or capacious model. Often, such changes to the configuration are made immediately after the purchase of the laptop itself. In this case, the hard drive must be purchased separately, while clearly understanding that the device must meet a number of requirements. The editors offer you a ready-made solution to the issue in the form of a rating of the most successful, in the opinion of our experts, models of hard drives for laptops.

How to choose a laptop hard drive

To begin with, we will guide you on the basic criteria that should guide you when choosing the right hard drive for your laptop.

HDD or SSD

The first and most obvious is the upcoming choice between the 'timeless classics' in the form of a mechanical HDD or the more advanced modern option – a high-speed solid-state SSD. Some restrictions on this choice can be imposed by the laptop itself – it may happen that the SSD in it will not become corny, then the question of choice is decided by itself.

If the choice allows any kind of variation, you need to understand that SSD with an equal volume with HDD will be disproportionately more expensive. However, its speed indicators also cannot be compared with mechanical hard drives; the difference for an unprepared user is simply stunning.

In most cases, the best solution would be to purchase a pair of disks – an inexpensive SSD with a small volume for installing an operating system and a large HDD for storing data. In some cases, a ready-made solution in the form of a hybrid SSHD disk may be suitable, and we will consider examples of such models.

Volume

This point partly overlaps with the previous one. Of course, there is never 'too much' disk space, but storage capacity tends to directly determine the cost, especially for SSDs. Therefore, if the budget is not dimensionless, the issue must be approached rationally. So, an SSD for an operating system should be purchased with a volume of at least 120 GB. A mechanical drive can already be looked after for practical reasons, but still it hardly makes sense to take less than 500 GB.

Connection interface

This is an important point on which the speed of the disk will depend, or even the ability to connect it to an existing laptop. The first step is to find out if the laptop supports the SATA III 6Gb / s interface. If this is not possible, and there is only support for SATA II 3Gb / s, then there is no point in overpaying for a more advanced disk – it will still work no faster than the interface bandwidth. If the budget allows, you can not bother, but immediately take SATA III 'for growth', since physically the interfaces are fully compatible, and the difference is only in speed.

Another important point is which connector is provided in your laptop for connecting a hard drive. It can be mSATA or M.2, or less often something else. Here the requirement is strict – the disk connector must match the existing laptop connector.

Performance

Having selected a number of disks according to the criteria described above, you also need to pay attention to performance. if we are talking about HDD, it is better that the spindle speed is 7200 rpm, and the buffer size is at least 16 MB. But often drives at 5400 rpm show very good results in terms of speed due to the use of innovations, general optimization, etc. Therefore, here it is advisable to see the results of independent tests.

For SSDs, the 'talking' parameter in terms of performance is random write speed (IOPS). It is desirable that this parameter be at least 50 thousand IOPS at a write / read speed of at least 250 Mb / s.

User reviews

And in conclusion, when it remains to make the final choice, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the reviews of real buyers on reputable resources. Positive reviews may not be very informative, but negative reviews, especially regarding any one drawback, received from a significant proportion of buyers, can warn against a bad purchase.

Rating of the best laptop hard drives

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
Best laptop HDDs	1	Toshiba HDWL120UZSVA	RUB 5,129
	2	Western Digital WD Black 500 GB (WD5000LPLX)	2 806 rub.
	3	Seagate ST500LM021	RUB 2,900
Best SDDs for Laptop	1	Crucial CT256M4SSD2	RUB 8 960
	2	Intel SSDMCEAC180B301	RUB 13,284
Best laptop hybrid drives	1	Western Digital WD Blue SSHD 1 TB (WD10J31X)	RUB 13,540
	2	Seagate ST95005620AS	RUB 9,430
	3	Toshiba MQ01ABD100H	RUB 10 270

Best laptop HDDs

Consider in the first selection of the rating the classic mechanical hard drives HDD. From the point of view of performance, as mentioned above, this is not the best option, but for a number of cases such a solution may be either optimal or even the only possible one. Our experts offered three models from three of the world's most famous manufacturers – the Japanese corporation Toshiba, American Western Digital and Seagate.

All three models presented are in a 'notebook' compact 2.5 “form factor, but their overall linear dimensions, although slightly, differ, and this may be important in the context of a particular laptop model. All of them also support the technology of large sectors of 4KB. Another common property is the same shock resistance, which is 400 G in operation and 1000 G in static.

Toshiba HDWL120UZSVA

Rating: 4.9

Let's start with the drive that has the largest storage capacity at 2 TB and therefore the highest cost. Its linear dimensions are 69.85×9.5×100 mm, net weight – 117 g. Customers note the increased reliability and safety of the packaging in which this hard drive is supplied, unlike many other models, for the safety of which one often has to fear during transportation.

In operation, the drive draws up to 1.65 W, warming up to a nominal temperature of 65 ° C with normal cooling. Compared to hard drives from other manufacturers, this model is warmer on average, hotter than almost all, but only by a few degrees. The declared noise in operation is no more than 24 dB, in idle time – up to 23 dB.

The spindle speed here, unfortunately, is not the most outstanding – 5400 rpm, but the data density, optimization and a huge 128 MB buffer partly compensate for this shortcoming. The average delay time is 5.56 ms.

The device is connected via a high-speed SATA 6Gbit / s interface. External data exchange speed – 600 MB / s. The drive also supports NCQ technology, which is designed to improve the performance of SATA devices.

The MTBF for this hard drive is set at 600 thousand hours. We remind you that this parameter makes sense almost exclusively for server systems, where dozens or hundreds of hard drives work together. If you are buying a drive just for a laptop, this characteristic can be neglected.

Advantages

• high security packaging;
• support for NCQ;
• buffer 128 MB;
• the largest volume in the group.

disadvantages

• slow spindle rotation.

Western Digital WD Black 500 GB (WD5000LPLX)

Rating: 4.8

The second position in the first selection of the rating is a half-terabyte disk from Western Digital. This model is half the price of the previous one, which is dictated by the significantly lower capacity.

The physical dimensions of the device are 69.85x7x100.2 mm, the net weight is 92 g. In operation, it consumes up to 2 W of electric power. Nominal noise in operation – no more than 25 dB, in idle – no more than 23 dB. As you can see, in terms of noise levels, this model is almost similar to the previous one, but many independent reviews say that “in life” the hard drive is even quieter, and significantly. The same goes for heating – the model almost never overheats.

The buffer volume in this case is not as impressive as in the previous model, but this is not necessary due to the smaller volume. Plus, the spindle turns are already 'decent' here – 7200 rpm. The SATA 6Gbit / s interface also has a positive effect on performance. All these characteristics combine to give a speed that users praise emphatically.

The manufacturer's warranty for this hard drive is 60 months.

Advantages

• quieter than the noise declared by the manufacturer (according to user reviews);
• high speed of work;
• low heating;
• 60 months warranty.

disadvantages

• no pronounced disadvantages were noted.

Seagate ST500LM021

Rating: 4.7

Rounding out the 'mechanical' selection of the best laptop hard drives according to the version is the Seagate model with the same capacity as the previous example.

The dimensions of the hard drive are 70.1x7x100.55 mm, the net weight is 95 g. In operating mode, even at maximum load, it consumes no more than 1.8 W of electricity, especially without warming up – on average, the operating temperature varies about 40 degrees. The operating noise figure declared by the manufacturer does not exceed 24 dB, the idle noise is no higher than 23 dB. The independent reviews are practically unanimous in their positive assessment of the quietness of the work.

The parameters of the buffer memory are the same as in the previous model – the volume is 32 MB. The access speed is also exactly the same – 7200 rpm, as well as the connection interface – SATA 6Gbit / s. The real (not 'external') data exchange rate reaches 135 MB / sec. The access time for reading is 11 ms.

The manufacturer's warranty for this hard drive is 24 months.

Advantages

• quiet work;
• almost perfect for Sony PlayStation (according to user reviews);
• sufficiently high data exchange rate.

disadvantages

• relatively short warranty, but individual points of sale may be longer than the manufacturer.

Best SDDs for Laptop

The second best hard drive selection from the list is SDD solid state drives. In this case, our specialists took into account a number of factors, including affordability, so the capacity of the device was not a determining factor. As part of this particular review, we will consider two SDD examples with the most successful combination of important characteristics: one from the Crucial brand (parent brand – Micron Technology, USA) and the other from the 'own' company Intel.

Crucial CT256M4SSD2

Rating: 4.9

The Crucial Ballistix brand was spun off from the parent Micron brand as recently as 2016. The products are manufactured by Crucial, a subsidiary of Micron Technology. Many Crucial media lines have received many positive reviews from independent experts around the world.

The SDD CT256M4SSD2 hard disk is made in a case with dimensions of 69.85×9.5×100.5 mm, which conditionally corresponds to the 2.5 “form factor. Net weight – 75 g. The level of power consumption is up to 0.16 W.

Based on a combination of factors, this model is recommended for use in gaming PCs and laptops. Its capacity is 256 GB, MLC type flash memory is used, large sectors of 4 KB are supported. The maximum read and write speeds are 260 and 500 MB per second, respectively. Random write is about 50K IOPS.

The device is connected via the SATA 6Gbit / s interface. The data exchange is controlled by the Marvell controller, which is highly regarded in professional circles. Another plus to the performance of this model is support for NCQ technology.

The mechanical shock resistance values ​​correspond to 1500 G for both operating mode and static conditions. As part of server systems, the MTBF is up to 1.2 million hours.

This hard drive has a manufacturer's warranty period of 36 months.

Advantages

• controller Marvell;
• high speed of work even in comparison with equivalent SSD;
• support for large sectors;
• support for NCQ.

disadvantages

• extremely sensitive to sudden / incorrect power off.

Intel SSDMCEAC180B301

Rating: 4.8

The second drive to be included in the list of ratings presented is a 180 GB SSD from production Intel. Unlike the above example, there is an integrated data encryption function, and in some cases this is a serious advantage.

The dimensions of the device are quite modest – 50.8×29.85×3.8 mm, the net weight is minimal – only 10 g. In operation, it consumes no more than 0.30 W of electric power. Controlled by the Sand Force SF-2281 controller.

Also, like the previously considered example, this drive is recommended in particular for equipping gaming laptops, modern game consoles or, in some cases, gaming desktop personal computers. It also supports large 4K sector technology and uses multilevel type flash memory – MLC. The speed characteristics are even better than that of the above-described solution – 520MB and 550MB per second, respectively. Random write in 4KB blocks – about 60K IOPS.

Mechanical shock resistance is 1000 G for operating mode and storage mode. The drive is connected via a SATA 3rd generation (6Gb / s) connection via a compact mSATA connector.

The warranty period of service provided by the manufacturer is 36 months.

Advantages

• high speed of work (even in absolute terms);
• suitable for a complete set of gaming PCs and laptops;
• built-in data encryption function;
• minimum dimensions and weight.

disadvantages

• not marked.

Best laptop hybrid drives

In the third, final selection of our rating, we will consider the so-called hybrid hard drives, the form factor of which allows them to successfully complete laptops. These devices combine the properties of a mechanical HDD and a solid-state SSD in a single system. Our experts identified three interesting models – two American Western Digital and Seagate and one Japanese from Toshiba.

Western Digital WD Blue SSHD 1 TB (WD10J31X)

Rating: 4.9

Let's start with a model produced by the world famous American company Western Digital. This is a 1TB mechanical storage medium with an additional 8GB of solid state memory on board.

The dimensions of the device are 69.85×9.5×100.2 mm, which corresponds to a compact form factor of 2.5 “. Net weight – 120 g. In operation it consumes up to 1.65 W of electrical power. The declared noise figures are 24 and 25 dB in idle and in operation, respectively. in operation – up to 400 G, in storage – up to 1000 G.

The performance indicators (100 MB / s for writing and reading) make it possible to successfully use this model as part of gaming computers or consoles such as Sony PlayStation. Large sectors of 4KB supported, using 'advanced' MLC flash memory. The buffer size is 64 MB.

The disk is connected via a high-speed SATA 6Gbit / s interface. The spindle rotates at 5400 rpm. Otherwise, this would be a disadvantage, but the device is sufficiently optimized for data transmission and equipped with a sufficiently large buffer to compensate for this circumstance.

The manufacturer's service warranty period is three years.

Advantages

• game, well suited for consoles of popular modern models;
• spaciousness;
• speed;
• reliability.

disadvantages

• no distinct flaws were noted.

Seagate ST95005620AS

Rating: 4.8

The second “American” in the list of hybrid hard drives, a representative of the well-proven Momentus XT line. The capacity is half that of the above model – 500 GB of mechanical part and 4 GB of flash memory.

The device is also made in a 2.5 “form factor with exact physical dimensions 69.85 × 9.5 × 100.35mm. Net weight – 110 g. Consumes up to 1.10 W of energy power. The declared noise level is almost equal to the previous solution in the list – 23 and 25 dB. Impact resistance indicators – 350 G in use and 1000 G in storage.

In terms of operating speed, everything is noticeably better here than in the previous solution, starting from the spindle speed of 7200 rpm. The buffer is half as much – 32 MB, but the NCQ technology is supported. The estimated access time for reading – 11 ms, writing – 13 ms, average latency – 4.17 ms.

The disk is connected, like all the previous ones, via the SATA 3Gbit / s interface. External bandwidth – 300 MB / s. Independent tests show maximum heating in operation up to 55 degrees with adequate cooling.

The warranty period of service provided by the manufacturer is 24 months.

Advantages

• extremely high speed of work;
• low heating;
• minimum noise.

disadvantages

• some are annoyed by the pronounced sound of heads parking.

Toshiba MQ01ABD100H

Rating: 4.7

And the selection of the rating of hybrid carriers and, at the same time, the whole review is completed by a solid 'Japanese' from Toshiba. This drive has 1 TB mechanical capacity (on two platters) and additional 8 GB flash memory. Suitable for gaming systems as well as the previous two models.

The form factor is the same compact, 'laptop' – 2.5 “, exact linear dimensions – 69.85×9.5×100 mm, net weight – 117 g. Declared noise level – 23 and 24 dB in idle and in operation, respectively. Shock resistance – 400 G in operation and up to 900 G in storage.

The spindle speed is not high here – 5400 rpm, but other characteristics effectively compensate for this. So, for example, this hard disk supports large sectors of 4 KB, the disk is connected via a high-speed SATA 6Gbit / s interface. The average reading access time is 12 ms. The buffer size is 32 MB.

The warranty period of service provided by the manufacturer is 24 months.

Advantages

• speed of work;
• low noise and complete absence of vibrations;
• minimum heating;
• suitable for a complete set of gaming systems, including consoles from Sony

disadvantages

• point claims of a subjective nature in customer reviews.

---

Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.