

The most important feature on an external hard drive is how much storage it has, so prioritize capacity and get the biggest drive you can afford. Here’s a cheat sheet to the most important differences between models.

It can be a challenge to tell different external hard drives apart. When in doubt, get the biggest drive you can afford. Before you start shopping, take an inventory of how much space you currently have or need so you’re certain to get a drive with enough space. The big question with external hard drives is always how big you should go, and we believe that bigger is better. How much storage do you think you’ll need? For example, hard drives that can work with the Xbox One are usually branded or contain explicit “works with Xbox One” language in the product title or description. If you’re buying an external hard drive specifically for video games, search for models that are explicitly compatible with your setup. Using an external hard drive with a gaming PC or a video game console can be a little tricky because games need fast access to a lot of data and it can be tough to find one that’s up to the task. If you’re unsure which external hard drive to buy, answering these questions can help narrow your search considerably: Will you be using your external hard drive for gaming? For more information, search the web for different ways to encrypt your files. If you buy a portable external hard drive, make sure to password protect any sensitive files on it in case the drive is ever stolen or lost.
