External hard drives are indispensable devices that allow you to store large amounts of information without depending on a desktop computer. Today, there is a huge range of exteriors on the market. When choosing such a device, it is very important that it has a high degree of reliability. Therefore, we propose to the attention of readers to study the best external hard drives whose reliability rating for 2017 is lower. The drives included in the list have proven themselves well, and are in great demand among buyers.
opens the list of the most reliable external hard drives of this year. The gadget is made in a metal case, which provides it with an additional degree of protection in case of an accidental fall from a height. This device stands out from the following hard drives external type is simply a huge amount of memory for 8 terabytes. Another advantage of this model is the possibility of its location, both vertically and horizontally due to its shape. In addition, when buying this gadget, the user is provided with 200 gigabytes of Microsoft cloud storage for free.
freecom mHDD Slim has proven to be reliable external hard disk among users. It is made in aluminum alloy metal case and has good impact resistance. The connection interface is made using USB 3.0. This device has a good read and data transfer speed. The manufacturer provides a two-year warranty for this model and unlimited helpdesk support. The gadget is delivered to the market in two volume variations of 1 and 2 terabytes. The drive comes with a small but powerful free utility MHDD.
Seagate 5 TV Expansion is one of the most reliable external hard drives currently on the market. The hard drive provides fast data transfer with a USB 3.0 connection. Transfer via USB 2.0 is also supported. The manufacturer provides a two-year warranty for its device. The device has a large memory capacity of five terabytes, has excellent speed performance and will last a long time, as the manufacturer himself assures, providing a good warranty period.
Western Digital My Passport ranked among the top 10 most reliable external drives in 2017. It comes in a variety of memory capacities ranging from 1 terabyte to 4 terabytes. The unit comes with WD backup software. Among its competitors, the Western Digital My Passport 4TB boasts excellent read and data transfer speeds. Reviews about this external hard drive are mostly positive.
Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC positioned as one of the most reliable external hard drives. The first advantage of this drive is its increased impact resistance and moisture resistance. This external device is able to survive a fall of one and a half meters in height, and is also not afraid of dust and splashes. It is produced in two volume variations -1 and 2 terabytes. The drive can be connected via USB 3.0. The main disadvantage of the Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC, which users of this device highlight, is the low speed.
Toshiba Canvio Basics placed in the middle of this year's list of reliable external drives. The amount of memory varies from five hundred gigabytes to two terabytes. The manufacturer's warranty is up to three years, which is already an indicator of reliability. This model does not include any free software. Information transfer interfaces are supported by USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. The drive is intended for use with Microsoft and Mac. The disadvantage of this disk is more poor performance than the devices below in the list.
Rightfully included in the list of the most reliable external drives. There are five options on the market hard drive with various memory sizes that go up to four terabytes. The disadvantage of this device is the lack of software included. The model has support for both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. Like most drives, the Expansion comes formatted in NTFS, so it needs to be reformatted to be compatible with the Mac. The main advantage of this model is the high speed of writing and reading, which surpasses the rating leaders below.
It is one of the best external drives that you can trust to store important information. This model is completed with very high-quality software. Supplied HDD with four variations of memory capacity from five hundred gigabytes to three terabytes. A feature of this drive is the ability to use it remotely using a mobile application. Thus, the device also acts as a cloud storage of information. The device has excellent speed performance, both writing and reading. If you need to operate with a Mac, you need to install a special program.
Included in the list of the most reliable external drives. The hard drive is available in five variations with different memory sizes from five hundred megabytes to four terabytes. It can be purchased bundled with the Seagate Dashboard app. Power and data transmission is carried out using a USB cable. Two interfaces are supported - USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. Initially, the drive is formatted in the NTFS system, so to be able to work with the Mac, you need to install the appropriate driver or reformat the drive.
Deserves a leading position. The device is available with various memory sizes, starting from 500 gigabytes. This external drive is perfectly compatible not only with Windows, but also with Mac. To operate with the latter, you need to reformat the drive for the HFS + file system, since initially it goes to NTFS. The model comes complete with several utilities for comfortable work with the device. The software is fully presented on the official website of the manufacturer, from where it can be downloaded for free. The drive is password protected so your data is always safe with WD My Passport Ultra.
As 2016 draws to a close, we decided to wrap it up with a series of articles on the most notable products in several categories of our catalog. In this article, we will talk about hard drives and SSDs - external and internal.
Below we describe the criteria that guided the selection specific models, and also list a dozen HDDs and SSDs that we consider the main ones this year - they most deserve your attention.
Criterias of choice
Modern hard drives and SSDs have long reached high enough speeds for most tasks, so we will consider reliability as their main characteristic - no one wants to suddenly lose part or even all of the information that is stored in the disk memory. All the models listed below have received high marks from experts and testers - they will last for many years and fail only when they are hopelessly outdated.
Despite the cost reduction SSD HDD still remain popular - their parameters are quite enough for most household tasks, and low cost allows you to get hard drive very large capacity. Therefore, we bring to your attention models that use both technologies.
SSD and HDD drives are used in different devices - desktop PCs, laptops, consoles, and how external drives. Therefore, our selection includes models that are suitable for all these use cases.
Seagate ST10000VN0004
From 1007 rubles | Purpose: desktop | Volume: 10 TB | Buffer: 256 MB | Rotational speed: 7200 rpm | Interface: SATA 6 Gb/s
One of the hard drive market leaders in terms of capacity. ST10000VN004 has as much as 10 terabytes of memory, which is enough to archive a huge amount of information - photos, movies in high quality. It will also fit a large number of games - those that do not require the use of SSD memory (there are quite a few of them, to tell the truth). Naturally, you will have to pay for these 10 terabytes, but if you need such a large volume, then this is one of the the best options for their money.
It is impossible not to mention the huge buffer size (256 MB!) and the presence of an error correction function, which makes the ST10000VN0004 a good option for home servers.
Western Digital WD60EZRZ
From 335 rubles | Purpose: desktop | Volume: 6 TB | Buffer: 64 MB | Rotational speed: 5400 rpm | Interface: SATA 6 Gb/s
The most that neither is a standard hard drive, which can become the main one in your new or old personal computer. Decent read and write speeds (175 Mb/s), enough large capacity and low price make it a great choice for those who are not looking for SSD performance.
The buffer size is quite high - 64 MB, but the spindle speed of the WD60EZRZ is not the highest - only 5400 rpm. For the latest games, we recommend using a faster drive.
Seagate ST4000DX001
From 305 rubles | Purpose: desktop | Volume: 4 TB | Buffer: 64 MB | Rotational speed: 5900 rpm | Interface: SATA 6 Gb/s
Surprisingly inexpensive and very capacious hybrid hard drive with 8 GB SSD inside. As you know, in many situations, such hybrids can show speeds that are almost comparable to those of full-fledged SSDs, and the cost of each ST4000DX001 gigabyte is several times lower. Seagate claims that this drive is five times faster than conventional HDDs with a 7200 rpm spindle speed.
This model, like the previous one, can be a great choice if you need a basic desktop drive. It has less memory, but it will cope well even with the latest in the gaming industry.
Seagate ST1000LM014
From 98 rubles | Purpose: | Volume: 1 TB | Buffer: 64 MB | Rotational speed: 5400 rpm | Interface: SATA 6 Gb/s
Another hybrid hard drive with an 8 GB SSD. Its main difference from the previous model is the 2.5" form factor, which allows the ST1000LM014 to be used not only in desktop computer, but also in a laptop or game console. If you want to improve the performance of the set-top box or add a terabyte of storage to your laptop, then this is a great and very cheap option.
The ST1000LM014 can also act as the main hard drive of a regular PC - in the event that you are not worried about its relatively small capacity and are pleased with the low price.
Western Digital WDBNFV0040BBY
From 351 rubles | Purpose: external | Volume: 4 TB | Rotational speed: 5400 rpm | Interface: USB 2.0, USB 3.0 | Data encryption
Very capacious, compact, stylish and, most importantly, not too expensive external hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra will not only cope with the transfer of large amounts of data, but also encrypt them so that in case of emergency important information did not fall into the wrong hands. In addition, buyers of this model get access to cloud-based data backup services using the WD Backup utility - it's easy and simple to transfer your data to Dropbox or Baidu servers.
With all this, the speed and convenience of working with this model remain at a decent level. For example, it can even be connected to old PCs and other devices that have USB ports of the old 2.0 standard.
ADATA SE730
From 325 rubles | Purpose: external | Volume: 250 GB | Flash type: MLC 550 Mb/s / 450 Mb/s | Interface: USB 3.1 Type-C
A very compact yet very fast external SSD drive that photographers and videographers are sure to love. This is a real pocket rocket, with which you can read a movie in UHD resolution in just a few seconds. In addition, the case of this model is reliably protected from water and dust - it received the IP68 certificate.
For all its advantages, the ADAA SE730 is also quite inexpensive, the main thing is to make sure that its latest interface does not cause problems when connecting to old devices (you will need an adapter to a regular USB, which is included).
Transcend TS1TESD400K
From 921 rubles | Purpose: external | Volume: 1 TB | Flash type: MLC | Read/write data speed: 410 Mb/s / 380 Mb/s | Interface: USB 3.0
If you need a much larger external SSD than the ADATA SE730, then this is your option. The TS1TESD400K is slightly slower (but don't think it's slow - it's still a modern and very fast SSD!), and it connects via the old USB 3.0 standard, but it offers a whole terabyte of memory. And all this terabyte fits in a very thin case weighing only 56 g!
For obvious reasons, you will have to pay much more money for an SSD of this size - apparently, you will have to wait for flash memory to become cheaper to the level of memory in hard drives we'll have at least a few more years.
Samsung MZ-75E2T0BW
From 1388 rubles | Purpose: for desktops, laptops and consoles | Volume: 2 TB | Flash type: 3D V-NAND | Read/write data speed: 540 Mb/s / 520 Mb/s | Interface: SATA 6 Gb/s
Samsung is a recognized leader in the SSD market, and the MZ-75E2T0BW is one of the most popular high capacity SSD models. All these 2 terabytes in most tests outperform competitors in speed and reliability due to the use of proprietary 3D V-NAND technology, so we can safely call this drive an excellent choice if you have the appropriate budget - both for desktop PCs and for laptops or even consoles ( however, in this case, its speed will not change much).
Naturally, a high-speed 2-terabyte SSD simply cannot be cheap. If you cannot afford a flash drive of this capacity, we recommend that you pay attention to the following model.
Kingston SKC400S37/512G
From 410 rubles | Purpose: for desktops, laptops and consoles | Volume: 512 GB | Flash type: MLC | Read/write data speed: 550 Mb/s / 530 Mb/s | Interface: SATA 6 Gb/s
Fantastically fast SSD of fairly large capacity at a fairly low cost. Due to its characteristics, SKC400S37 will be an ideal choice as system disk for any modern personal computer or laptop. If you do not need terabytes of free space, then this model is almost ideal.
Plextor PX-128M8PeG
From 213 rubles | Purpose: for desktops and laptops | Volume: 128 GB | Buffer: 512 MB | Flash type: MLC | Read/write data speed: 2000 Mb/s / 900 Mb/s | Interface: M.2 PCI-E 3.0 x4 (NVMe)
One of the few SSD drives in our catalog that have an M.2 form factor, are connected via PCI-Express bus and support NVMe technology. If you suddenly lack the speed of conventional SSD drives, then this model will definitely satisfy all your needs. For example, for any modern games, this model fits perfectly.
The only negative of PX-128M8PeG is a very small capacity. If you need both maximum speed and a relatively large amount of memory, we recommend that you pay attention to OCZ RVD400-M22280-1T. True, you will have to pay almost five times more for it.
AT modern world the amount of information needed by users has long crossed the line of tens and even hundreds of gigabytes, and the question is increasingly acute: where to store all this information and how to exchange it. One of the best options for this task is an external hard drive. Modern models allow you to store terabytes of information and at the same time are compact and lightweight, so you can always take the hard drive with you to work or visit a friend. As for compatibility, these devices work via a USB port, so they can be used as a simple "flash drive" and connected not only to a computer, but also to other devices, such as a TV or multimedia systems. AT this review we have considered various options that are able to satisfy the needs of even the most demanding client.
Characteristics for comparison
Memory size
When purchasing an external hard drive, first of all, you need to determine the volume internal memory. Basically, at the moment, manufacturers offer their models with 500 GB of internal memory and above, up to 5 TB. It all depends on how much information you are going to store. If this is a large collection of films or all family photos, then a large capacity is needed accordingly. It should be understood that with an increase in volume, the price per gigabyte decreases.
Speed and Interface
The speed of writing and reading data is the most important indicator when choosing, characterizing the performance of a hard disk. The speed depends on which USB interface standard is used. USB 2.0 can provide data transfer rates up to 480 Mbps, while USB 3.0 up to 5 Gbps. At the same time, the highest speed of reading and writing files is achieved only if the computer also has USB 3.0. The performance of the drive is also affected by the spindle speed, the higher it is, the faster the HDD will work. It is better to pay attention to models with a rotation speed of at least 5400 rpm.
Compatibility
Everybody external rigid disks can have a different file system, which determines compatibility with operating systems. The most common operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS and Linux can work with different file systems including exFAT, FAT, FAT32, NTFS, ext4. In the event that after purchase, when connecting external hard disk you have compatibility problems, just format it with the appropriate file system.
Dimensions
HDD dimensions and weight are determined based on its form factor. At the moment, there are three main formats: 1.8, 2.5 and 3.5 inches. The smaller the drive form factor, the smaller and lighter it is, respectively. At the moment, the most popular are 2.5-inch drives, which are usually powered by USB and boast high portability.
REALLY CAPACIOUS
For those users who need a really large capacity, this external drive is the best fit. With 4TB of storage, you can store a large collection of movies, all your family photos, videos and more. In addition, this manufacturer provided the opportunity to purchase a model with 5 TB of memory.
The external hard drive from LaCie has a 3.5" form factor and differs in its dimensions from competitors with a 2.5" form factor. This drive measures 178 x 123 x 39mm and weighs 870g.
The case of the disk is completely made of aluminum, which looks very elegant, while your data will be reliably protected. The surface is matte, thanks to which micro-scratches and fingerprints are not visible on the hard drive, which is important considering the mobile use of the accessory. It should also be noted that there are special support elements that connect the components of the hard drive, which also serve to reduce the vibration load on the sensitive filling.
UNIVERSAL MODEL
Speaking about the interface of the LaCie Porsche Design Desktop Drive portable drive, it should be noted that it is different from most competitors. This hard drive adopts USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 1 interface, which can transfer data up to 5Gbps.
Separately, it must be said that two cables for connection are supplied with the accessory at once - one to USB Type-C, and the other to the usual USB Type-A. Many new laptops and ultrabooks are equipped with USB Type-C connectors in order to reduce the thickness of the case, not to mention laptops from Apple. Having these two cables at hand, you will forget about problems with connecting a hard disk.
SOFTWARE INTERFACE
The LaCie Porsche Design Desktop Drive portable hard drive has a pre-recorded software for data backup and comes with it. Even if you accidentally delete the installation file, you can find and download it yourself on the manufacturer's website. With this software, you can format the drive and even, if necessary, split it into two sections, which is very convenient. The LaCie software suite includes utilities for regular backups, encryption management, and formatting.
NUTRITION FEATURES
Unlike other models of hard drives that do not require a separate power supply and receive it via USB, the LaCie Porsche Design Desktop Drive 4TB is powered by 220V, so consider this when purchasing.
Additional Information
SIMPLICITY AND NOTHING EXTRA
Like all Toshiba products, the Canvio Ready portable hard drive is also of high quality. It is made in a compact 2.5" form factor and is made entirely of plastic. However, do not rush to think that the plastic case has somehow influenced it. strength and reliability, and we will talk about this a little lower.
The surface of the case is matte and somewhat rough due to the fine texture. There are practically no fingerprints left on it, and the dust is erased quite easily. There is a logo on the case, and an activity indicator in the upper right corner.
The storage capacity of the drive is 3 TB, which is quite a lot considering the compactness of the device. This volume will allow you to store a large amount of information. Of the advantages of the drive, it is necessary to note the USB 3.0 connection interface, which provides excellent data transfer speed - up to 5 Gb / s. The hard drive does not require a separate power supply, the connection cable is included. Toshiba Canvio Ready comes with file system NTFS and can be formatted as HFS+ for full compatibility with Mac OS.
HIGH DEGREE OF PROTECTION
As we mentioned above, the plastic case of the drive at first glance does not seem to be particularly protected, but this does not mean anything. The secret lies in the application of a number of solutions, due to which the developers managed to achieve a high level of protection.
The hard drive is made using Ramp Load technology, which is responsible for the safety of data during transportation. In other words, the design of the drive has special ramps designed to absorb and mitigate shock when falling, as well as reduce vibration. In addition, the portable drive is equipped with a built-in shock sensor, which serves as an emergency power off if the device is dropped, which will help you save your data.
PLUG AND PLAY SUPPORT
To work with the Toshiba Canvio Ready hard drive, you do not need to install any additional applications or programs. In order to get started, simply connect the drive to your computer, after which you can immediately begin transferring or writing data.
EXCELLENT STABILITY
To prevent the drive from slipping, there are four rubberized feet on the bottom of the case, which provide excellent stability to the device on almost any surface.
Additional Information
PORTABLE AND COMPACT
Looking at the Seagate Backup Plus Portable Slim external hard drive, I immediately want to say that it is an extremely compact accessory. The word Slim in the name of the drive is present for a reason, since the dimensions of the device are only slightly larger than the 2.5-inch hard drive itself, which is installed inside. To be precise, the dimensions of the device are 113.5 x 76 x 12.1 mm, which is comparable to SSD solid state drives. At the same time, the hard drive weighs only 135 grams.
The upper part of the body is made of aluminum, which shows traces of grinding. There is also an activity indicator. As for the bottom, it is made of ABS plastic. In addition to silver, the drives are available in red, blue and black, so you can choose the one that suits you. capacity hard The disk is 1 TB, which will be enough to share a large amount of data with other users. If suddenly this volume seems not enough for you, then you can purchase a model with 2 TB of memory.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE DEVICE
The real highlight of the Seagate Backup Plus Portable Slim hard drive is the proprietary Seagate Dashboard software that comes with the device. The software has a nice and modern interface in which absolutely everyone can understand without problems. Thanks to this utility, available for both Windows and Mac OS, you can backup data from a disk. You can also use it to download media files directly to the drive from your Facebook and Flickr accounts. The reverse process is also no problem - you can upload photos and videos to Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.
SAVE DATA FROM YOUR MOBILE DEVICES
It is also worth noting that, if necessary, you can create backup data from a smartphone or tablet Android control or iOS. For this operation, you will need to install mobile app Seagate backup. In this case, data transfer can be carried out in two ways: the first is through local network, in which a computer with a connected drive and directly mobile device should be in one WiFi networks. The second one is using Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive cloud storages.
CONVENIENT MANAGEMENT
Another plus of this drive is the possibility of convenient management using the same Seagate Dashboard utility. In a special "Management" tab, you can select the mode of the LED, perform a check and test of the hard drive, and even set the time to enter sleep mode.
Additional Information
Western Digital My Passport WDB
BRIGHT SOLUTION
This portable hard drive is an upgrade from the My Passport line. The main innovation is the case design, and, of course, increased reliability. This model is available in several colors, including white, red, black, yellow and blue. And all the colors are very bright and juicy.
The body looks original and consists of two parts with different textures. One half of the body has a textured shape in the form of longitudinal recesses, the second is completely even and smooth. The entire body is made of plastic, which has a positive effect on the weight of the device - it is only 170 grams.
1TB drive capacity, with 2TB, 3TB and 4TB models also available. The USB 3.0 storage interface allows data transfer at speeds up to 5 Gbps. When tested in Crystal Disk Mark 2.2, the actual read speed was 118.4 Mbps, and the write speed was 121.5 Mbps. To connect the device, the kit includes a cable, which, by the way, is painted in the color of the case.
AUTOMATIC BACKUP
One of the benefits of a WD My Passport hard drive is the ability to automatically back up your data. Using the WD Backup utility, you can set up backups to the drive's memory or, if necessary, to cloud storage Dropbox. Setting the parameters does not require any special knowledge, everything is quite simple. Here you can also set up a backup schedule - for this you need just choose the time and frequency.
PASSWORD PROTECTION
Well, for those who need reliable data protection from unauthorized access, we want to inform you that the WD Security utility is the best suited for such a task. It ensures complete confidentiality of the data stored on the drive, as it provides the ability to set a password. Also, you can add a "return if found" message - it will displayed when prompted for a password and can be useful in case of loss of the hard drive. However, we want to warn you: if you forget the password and the displayed hint does not help you remember it, all data will be permanently lost, since the only way to get rid of the password is by formatting the disk.
KEEP YOUR DEVICE STABLE
To check the status of your drive for errors and potential problems, you can use the dedicated WD Drive Utilities utility. Its functionality allows you to check the probability of a drive failure, to conduct a quick test of the drive, which usually takes no more than two minutes, and a full test to detect bad sectors, which can take up to several hours.
- GTX 1060 Gigabyte GAMING for PENIES ">New arrival - GTX 1060 Gigabyte GAMING for PENIES
- GTX 1070 in XPERT.RU - the coolest non-refs from 33 tr
You can mark sections of text that interest you,
which will be available through a unique link in the address bar of the browser.
Comparison of the reliability of hard drives from major manufacturers
storelab.ru 08.06.2010 16:51 | print version | | archive
Introduction
Choosing when buying computer hard disk, people most often do not think about its reliability. Capacity, price and write speeds - these characteristics are given importance, and the life of the device is measured only by the duration of the warranty. As it turned out, in vain. The fault tolerance of hard drives varies greatly depending on the manufacturer. At a similar price and capacity, drives from one company can serve properly for more than 3.5 years, while another one is highly likely to fail in the first 1.5 years. And if for home computer it is not so painful - at most the archive of photos from last year's tour will “burn out”, then the dead hard drive of the corporate server will paralyze the work of the entire company and “give” problems for several months in advance. Even if the firm is defending backup data, then all the same, buying short-lived hard drives, she will incur losses associated with their frequent replacement and downtime for repairs. The Storelab.ru information recovery laboratory decided to determine whose hard drives usually last the longest.
Measure of durability
Most hard drives come from 6 vendors: Fujitsu/Toshiba, Hitachi, Samsung, Seagate and Western Digital. To determine who produces the most reliable devices, we analyzed the statistics of the arrival of failed hard drives. More than 4000 devices were considered: from personal computers(3.5”) to laptops (2.5”).
The data of the conducted analysis were compared with the market shares of the companies. Obviously, the more hard drives of a certain brand were sold, the greater the percentage of failed. Popular models come to the information recovery lab more often than rare ones. And only a significant difference in revenues and market share can indicate a relatively high or low level of reliability.
It turned out that the two groups of data correlated only partially. The main difference is that the percentage of failed devices at the market leader Seagate is almost 2 times higher than its share: 56.1% versus 31%. You can make an adjustment for Russian specifics: according to Seagate's own data, its share in the domestic market is more than 40%. But this fact does not fundamentally change the situation: the percentage of "dead" disks received is much higher than the market share. This indicates the lower reliability of Seagate hard drives compared to other manufacturers. All other vendors have revenue shares below market share, with Western Digital and Hitachi accounting for a nearly 11% difference. Thus, the devices of these companies are more fault-tolerant.
The second important indicator is the average age of hard drives at the time of failure. It, again, differs depending on the manufacturer of the disks and often depends on the "success" of the model. At the development stage, it is difficult to determine the durability of a hard drive. Having developed the device, the company can only conduct laboratory tests: for temperature, pressure, vibration, etc. But this study, as a rule, does not show all design defects. The real test of durability is time. Flaws become apparent within a year and a half. If most of the manufacturer's hard drives have survived this milestone, the products can be considered reliable.
As can be seen from the table, Hitachi has become the leader in terms of life expectancy of hard drives. Its devices lasted an average of 5 years, a year and a half more than the next most reliable Western Digital with a capacity of up to 500 GB.
Typical hard drive failures
"CC fly" bites Seagate
Seagate's performance is spoiled mainly by the 7200.11 series of Barracuda hard drives with high capacities - from 500 GB to 1.5 TB. It can hardly be called the most successful, since the 11th one accounts for 65% of all “dead” Seagate hard drives received by Storelab.ru. The design of the devices of the series was created as if in a big hurry, it is distinguished by weak nodes. In addition, the percentage of marriage has been increased in the series. Many of the hard drives stopped working in the first 1.5 years after purchase, that is, they did not even serve their warranty period.
This is surprising considering the quality of Seagate hard drives from other series. Old Seagate hard drives are much more reliable. Devices up to and including 7200.10 series (35% of the total number) received by the laboratory worked for 3 years or more.
The most common malfunction of the 11th series is a firmware failure. When executed via the terminal, it issues a hexadecimal error code, which is preceded by the message LED: 000000CC. Because of him, the glitch in the slang of engineers was called the "SS Fly". Typical symptoms of the appearance of "Flies": the computer starts to "slow down" or freeze, and after a reboot, the hard drive is no longer detected by the system. Its microcode self-destructs.
Motor spindle wedge
Another common problem is the motor spindle wedge. Hard drives from all manufacturers regularly fail for this reason. Jamming most often devices with increased capacity, which use 3 or more magnetic plates (or "pancakes"). Additional “pancakes” increase the load on the hard drive axle, and in order for it to bend slightly and then stop rotating, it is enough to drop the device from a height of 20 cm. The spindle wedge can be identified by increased vibration of the hard drive and a sharp noise similar to squealing.
In the 7200.12 series, Seagate uses new technology and new components, but it is not yet clear whether it will be more reliable than the previous one - breakdown statistics have not yet been accumulated.
Delicately covered by Western Digital
Among non-working Western Digital hard drives, 59% had a capacity of up to 500 GB and an average age of 3.5 years. The remaining 41% are drives with a capacity of more than 500 GB. Due to the additional "pancakes" they are less reliable and for the most part lasted less than 1.5 years.
For WD drives, the failure of the magnetic head unit (HMB) is typical. This happens due to overheating (WD heads are capricious at temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius), as well as due to physical impact. The design feature of WD makes these hard drives particularly sensitive to shock and pressure. Unlike other suppliers, WD does not fix the axis with the magnetic head block with a separate screw, but with a device cover. Therefore, if you press hard on the hard drive case, the cover can move and change the angle of inclination, then the magnetic heads will come out to the "pancakes" at the wrong angle. This is enough to disable the device. By the way, due to the fastening of the engine axis by the WD hard drive cover, it is almost impossible to disassemble and assemble such a device at home. The clamp of the cover bolts changes slightly - and the disk no longer rotates.
Except for this vulnerability, WD drives are quite reliable in terms of both mechanics and electronics.
Washed down "pancakes" at Toshiba/Fujitsu and Samsung
The non-working hard drives that came from Toshiba/Fujitsu were exclusively 2.5-inch, for laptops. The average service life of such a device was 2 years.
Toshiba specific disease - jamming of the engine axis due to a malfunction of the liquid bearing. The most common cause of breakdowns is the ravages of time. The cover that covers the axis in the Toshiba HDD is thin and often deformed. Through small gaps, the bearing grease evaporates in it. Gradually, friction increases, burrs appear in the bushing, and finally, one fine day, the axle stops rotating. Here you can wave goodbye to the hard drive. An engine wedge is one of the most serious malfunctions, even recovering data after a wedge is not always possible.
In addition, laptop hard drives often fail from falls; during an impact, the so-called sticking of the magnetic head block occurs. The fact is that the magnetic plates in the hard drive are very precisely polished, so precisely that if you connect them together, then you can no longer disconnect them by pulling in different directions. The molecular attraction is strong enough that an adult can only stretch the disks along. The same attraction glues the plates and the magnetic heads that read information from them. Under normal work hard disk heads hover above the surface of the "pancakes". They, like a wing, are lifted by the air flow from the rotation of the disks.
But with a strong blow, the force of the air is no longer enough to prevent contact. As soon as the BMG touches the “pancakes”, the hard drive engine will no longer be able to separate them and return them to their working position.
When the disks start spinning, the heads scratch them until they fail completely and information is lost. At the same time, the user hears only a quiet buzz, the hard drive is detected in the BIOS, but does not work.
In Samsung hard drives, the contact of the block of magnetic heads and "pancakes" happens without the "help" of the user. The hard drive head of this manufacturer is designed in such a way that sometimes it spontaneously strikes on the surface of the magnetic plate. Therefore, damage to the BMG is the most common cause of failure of Samsung drives.
Conclusion
The manufacturer of the most reliable hard drives is Hitachi Corporation. Of the more than 200 non-working devices of this company that arrived at the Storelab.ru laboratory, there was not a single one with factory defects or weak nodes. All malfunctions are caused by the physical effects of users. Together with the longest service life and the best ratio of market share and failure rate, Hitachi hard drives can rightly be considered a leader in fault tolerance.
The market leader in sales Seagate, on the contrary, is inferior to other manufacturers in terms of device durability, mainly because of the 7200.11 series hard drives. Data collection on the reliability of the new series of hard drives.12 is ongoing.
The material was prepared by the company's specialists Storelab.ru.
- IPhone 6 - a merciless drain in Citylink! Still in Top 100"> IPhone 6 - a merciless drain in Citylink! Still top 100
- Sea RX 580 in XPERT.RU. Prices went down, lower nowhere
- GTX 1070 cheaper than 30 tr in XPERT.RU