This data is retained even when the computer is powered off. Desktop external hard drives are designed to sit in a home/office location, providing extra storage. Before we get to the various different types of hard drives, let's go through a brief session on what hard drives are. External hard drives come in a few different formats, though it’s very easy to reformat a hard drive if you happen to buy the wrong kind. Before we get to the various different types of hard drives, let's go through a brief session on what hard drives are. Portable external hard drives are designed to be more hardy, and can survive being moved from location to location. Previously known as hard disk drives, hard drives … In this chapter, we dive into more detail about one device in particular: the hard disk drive. Hard Disk Drives The last chapter introduced the general concept of an I/O device and showed you how the OS might interact with such a beast. Hard Drives In a computer, the Hard Drive (HDD) is used for storing and retrieving data such as the Operating System, programs, and user files. 2016.02.20 6:45 AM . The base consumer-level SSDs for desktop PCS come in a hard-drive-like chassis—just much lighter and smaller, with the most common size today being 2.5”. SATA drives are typically either one of two sizes: a 3.5-inch hard drive used for desktop computers and a small 2.7-inch version that is used for laptops. There are four main types used in Dell 9th generation servers and up. Western Digital offers a solid bargain with its line of WD Blue hard drives. They are also used for popular gaming consoles like the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One. These drives have been the main form of persistent data storage in Now from the first computer and hard drive that went along with it to now, there had been many advancements in hard drive technology. 05/02/2017; 7 minutes to read; In this article. External Hard Drives. Dell PERC (PowerEdge RAID Controller) and other controllers can support a variety of hard drive types. The second is an external model that does the same thing. 5. Toshiba: Toshiba offers a full range of different types of hard drives including external hard drives, internal hard drives, SSDs, and so more for an optimized storage experience of the users. This provides the benefits of the storage capacities of the hard … Continued use of our website indicates your consent to our usage of cookies. Hard drive formats are largely linked to the operating system that you’re going to be using the hard drive with. Types of Hard Drives. Learn methods of deploying Windows to different drives, including hard drives, solid-state drives (SSDs), or virtual hard drives (VHDs), and with different partition layouts, including with data and utility partitions.