Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Thunderbolt 4 is found on most new Macs and some new PCs, but drives that use it are not yet common.

System Compatibility - It can compatible with PC, Desktop, Laptop, MacBook, Chromebook, Xbox One consoles.How an external drive connects to your PC or Mac is second only to the type of storage mechanism it uses in determining how fast you'll be able to access data. The 2022 iteration of the LaCie Mobile Drive is a good choice for anyone who values capacity over speed, and who appreciates a rare touch of elegance in a platter-based hard drive. A few brave souls have also managed to extract a WD120EMFZ drive from Elements external hard drives. With a slew of protective features and boasting an impressive set of certifications, this PIN-authenticated external drive is easy for authorized users to access but impervious to attempts by outsiders to break in. I decided to set up a second Time Machine backup after WannaCry and I’m considering a third, Monthly backup with an old disk.

However, it is important to choose a reliable brand and take good care of the drive for increased reliability. I put mine on top of a piece of foam to stop the head motion from transmitting to the shelf it is on. As it will generally be used in an office or server room setting, it lacks any ruggedness features to speak of—the protection it offers is from human threats. Although we’re unsure if this discount is permanent or temporary, we believe it’s either way, an excellent value. These larger models are more expensive but also much more capacious—think 24TB or more (in that case, populated by two 12TB drive mechanisms).

If the drive includes only a single cable, you may need an adapter, depending on your computer's available USB ports. As a spinning (5,400rpm) platter drive, its speed can't compare with an SSD, but it should work well for travelers or mobile workers who need lots of capacity for the spend. External hard drives come in various storage space amounts any from 1 terabyte all the way up to 24 terabytes and almost everything between.