All electronic devices need storage. PC storage is essential not just for casual end-users, but also for content makers, gamers, HTPC users and others. Some may not need a lot of storage as long as there’s good enough speed for quick boot and application load. Some need a lot of storage for archiving where speed isn’t really needed. Some need both and beyond. I’ve seen many types of users simply installing the cheapest possible option just to get things running which, unfortunately, does not give them the best speed that allows them to enjoy their system to its fullest potential. To understand which type of storage drives give what kind of advantage will help you to choose the right for yourself.
All storage drives need a way to store and retrieve data that we need. This is referred to as a ‘file system’. The ones that are typically used in PC systems is NTFS (New Technology File System) while many flash drives and memory cards use FAT and exFAT.
In a nutshell, different types of storage devices for particular purposes use a particular type of file systems. This helps the user to access or store data. Some formats enable compatibility with multiple devices while taking advantage of the performance of the storage unit. This guide will cover the hardware aspect since it’s a much larger topic for the PC users.
This guide is not limited to internal drives, but it will start from two types of storage type you can get your hands on.
Connectivity Options
External and Internal hard drives have their own respective ways to connect with a system. They are as follows:
| Internal | External |
| SATA, mSATA, M.2, PCIe, SATA Express | USB, FireWire, eSATA, Thunderbolt, Ethernet |
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