Backup is never superfluous: TOP-5 available external hard drives

External hard drives remain the most popular means of storing large volumes of data. One of the best options in the "fast and inexpensive" category is Verbatim Store'n'GO. A compact and fairly lightweight disk can store up to 500 GB of information and does not take up much space in a bag or backpack. In addition, it is a pure unisex product, as it comes in 7 different colour options: from strict black to pink and sky blue. The only disadvantage of the appearance is that the glossy plastic is quite branded and quickly collects prints.

Verbatim Store'n'GO is powered by a USB 3.0 port (and is compatible with USB 2.0), it is equipped with a 60 cm long cord to connect to a computer or laptop. Everything is familiar here. But then pleasant surprises begin in the form of several useful utilities from Verbatim. The first one, called Green Button, allows you to automatically turn off the power during prolonged inactivity, prolonging the life of the disk. The second — VHD Formatter allows you to quickly format the disk for the desired system, because out of the box the file system is FAT32.

The third feature called Nero Backup is probably the most useful. As everyone knows, backups are terribly boring, and Nero Backup allows you to automate the process of reserving the necessary files and do it at a certain time on certain days. If, for example, you are engaged in installation and finish work on Friday, Nero Backup can be configured to backup the working folder for this week on Friday evening.

At the end of 2016, the well-known manufacturer of Seagate hard drives decided to return the Maxtor line from oblivion. Among the new models was the hero of today's review of the Segate Maxtor M3 Portable with a volume of 500 GB, in which the manufacturer emphasized the convenience of backup and data security.

This is reflected in the proprietary software Segate Drive Manager with several useful utilities. AutoBackup helps in backing up information from a computer or laptop. In principle, many manufacturers equip external hard drives with similar utilities, but the AutoBackup application is a bit trickier. For the first time, the user is asked to create a full backup of the hard disk, after which the utility monitors all updates in the system and copies only the changed data. And with the help of the SecretZone utility, these backups can be protected from outsiders using a password system.

The disk itself is hidden in a patterned protective casing made of dark-coloured plastic. It works on USB 3.0, but supports the older USB of the second version. The cable length in the kit is about 45 cm, and this is quite enough for convenient use. A longer cable can get in the way and twist on the table. The hard drive itself has a spindle rotation speed of 5400 revolutions per minute and shows good speed indicators in tests, thanks to which it received 91.7 points out of 100 possible in the review of the iChip publication with a recommendation for purchase. As a nice bonus, a 3-year warranty.

For the good compactness of ultrabooks, you often have to pay for a lack of disk space. Apacer offered its solution to the problem by presenting a high-speed external hard drive AC233 in an elegant glossy case. However, you will have to pay for this grace: the case is branded and instantly collects prints. Therefore, it is advisable to carry a pack of wet wipes in a bag with a disk or buy a protective cover for it.

Inside the protective casing is a laptop hard drive manufactured by Western Digital with a volume of 500 GB, which operates at a speed of 5400 rpm and has 8 MB of cache. What's nice is that in the disk tests, the indicators were higher than officially stated: in the Crystaldiskmark benchmark, the read speed was 112 MB/sec, and the write speed was 109 MB/sec. One of the features of the AC233 is an intelligent power management system, thanks to which the disk will automatically switch to power saving mode if data is not transmitted for 10 minutes. This prolongs the life cycle of the disk.

The disk itself is connected to the computer using the USB 3.1 interface, which provides the maximum data transfer speed, but if necessary, it can also work with the USB of the second version. When connecting to the AC233 information source, a two-colour LED indicator is used, which signals a specific type of connection. This can be useful if there are several ports of different versions in a laptop or motherboard at once, but it is not possible to remember their position in any way.

Gradually, external hard drives are being replaced by virtual "cloud" information storage, on which data cannot be lost by accidentally dropping the disk or forgetting it in a taxi. However, it is not always convenient to upload backups to the cloud, because the Internet speed may be low, the cloud will run out of space, etc. To this end, Toshiba engineers have created an external hard drive Canvio Ready, which will meet two basic requirements — simplicity and reliability.

There are no additional utilities or drivers included with the Toshiba Canvio Ready, and it is instantly "picked up" by the computer when connected to a USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 port. At the same time, it is equipped with a built-in shock sensor that stops power supply to protect data in case of shocks or shaking. For example, if the disk accidentally falls to the floor during copying. It is also worth noting the support of Ramp Load technology, which prevents damage to the disk when carrying.

The idea of maximum reliability also affected the appearance of the Toshiba Canvio Ready, which is hidden in a durable casing made of interesting structured plastic. It is not only pleasing to the eye, but also helps not to accidentally let the disc out of your hands, as it happens with a glossy coating. Inside this casing, a 500 GB hard disk with a rotation speed of 5400 rpm and good speed indicators at the level of 109 MB/sec for writing and 110 MB/sec for reading is hidden quite usual for this class.

External hard drives with a high-speed USB 3.0 interface remain the most popular means of storing large volumes of data that do not fit on the internal drive of a laptop or PC. One of the most interesting options among inexpensive and reliable"vneshnikov" is WD Elements Portable 3.0.

The case of the drive is made of strong plastic, in which the front side is matte with a small border, and the backdrop is more rough, so that it does not slip on the surface of the table or in the hands. Externally, the disc looks quite restrained, not without originality. Connection to the computer is carried out using the USB ports of the second and third versions.

Inside Elements Portable there is a 500-gig HDD of the company's own production with a rotation speed of 5400 rpm, 8 MB of cache and decent read and write speeds. In the Crystaldiskmark test, the disk showed the same results in 108 MB/sec for both reading and writing.

Among the small bonuses, it is worth highlighting the Auto Local & Cloud Backup utility, which allows you to configure data backup, including by making a copy to the Dropbox cloud service. And the WD Security application allows you to use hardware encryption to protect data on the disk or simply "password-lock" it. As they say, caution is never superfluous. Also, the drive itself is initially formatted as a single volume with the NTFS file system, which ensures its compatibility with Windows operating systems.