How to Select a Hard Drive
When investigating a new or replacement hard disk, consider both capacity and speed.
- If you own a computer, see how much space you’re using on your current hard disk. Buy a new disk that allows considerable room for programs you’ll add and files you’ll save.
- Realize that sound and video files, as well as applications, take the most room. Text files take up hardly any room.
- As a rule of thumb, select a new hard disk that holds at least 100 gigabytes (GB) of data.
- Buy a hard drive with a rotational speed of 7,200 revolutions per minute (rpm) or higher. Expect to spend much less for a 5,400-rpm drive.
- Look for an average seek time of fewer than 12 milliseconds (ms).
- Look for a data transfer rate of at least 15 megabytes (MB) per second.
- Be aware that the actual sustained speed of the drive will be less than the maximum “burst” speed.
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