How To Choose Between Different Types Of Internal Hard Drives

120 GB SSD Solid State Hard Drive SATA 3 III 6.0 Gb/s 2.5 Inch with TRIM Support & Sandforce...

$152.95

Solid state drives are a pretty new type of drive. In 2011, they'll probably become very affordable, and if you're thinking of an upgrade for your computer's internal hard drive, they're worthy of consideration. Solid state drives don't have any moving parts at all, as opposed to standard hard drives which use spinning platters and constantly moving read/write heads.  Hard drives break down over time due to their mechanical operation, but SSD units can last a long time.  Solid state drives are much more expensive per gigabyte, but for that money, you'll get an incredibly fast and dependable drive that isn't susceptible to damage due to physical shock.  A solid state drive is a great long-lasting choice if you've got the money to spend.

Adaptec (2148900) 73 GB SCSI Ultra320 Hard Drive

from $227.99

SCSI drives like this model from Adaptec are faster than IDE drives. They also tend to be pretty inexpensive compared to SSD drives. However, there are a few limits; you'll need a special SCSI card in order to use a SCSI hard drive. Be sure to check your computer and make sure that you've got SCSI capability or buy a SCSI card along with your hard drive. Look at the spin speed of the drive, too, as you won't really get a huge speed benefit from a 5400 RPM SCSI drive as compared to a 7200 RPM EIDE (and if that sounds like Greek, just realize that faster is better).   

Seagate ST980815A-RK 80 GB...

One of the most common types of hard drives is the EIDE drive.  It's "Enhanced IDE," so it's faster than a typical IDE unit. They're cheaper than a lot of alternatives and they work with just about any desktop computer in the world. The major manufacturers of EIDE drives include Seagate, Western Digital, and Maxtor. Start with this type of hard drive if you don't know what to buy (although you should always check to make sure you're buying a drive that will work with your computer). Make sure that you're buying a drive with a low seek speed and a high RPM.

500GB Laptop Hard Drive for...

Laptop hard drives are--you guessed it--made for laptop computers.  They're built to be a lot thinner than desktop hard drives, so they're more expensive as a result. When you buy a laptop hard drive, you should look at the speed, of course, but also the noise level. There are green laptop drives available which save on energy, and they tend to be very quiet, too. Remember to make sure that you know how to remove the hard drive in your laptop before buying a replacement drive.