“ Like the WD Elements, this isn't the fastest drive on the list, despite
it's USB-C port, and it's speeds are largely
the same as what you'll get with the WD Elements, though you'll have to spend a bit more money to
get the My Passport Ultra for Mac. Despite its low price point, It has a rather high price per terabyte owing
to its limited capacity options, with its max capacity topping out at just 2TB.
Whereas one drive might have the lowest price per terabyte (Seagate Expansion) or the
best warranty (like the LaCie Rugged Mini), they generally have steeper shortcomings that offset those advantages, like being more expensive, or being a worse overall value.
While its performance is solid, surpassing many non-SSD competitors in read and
copy speeds, it comes at a high cost per terabyte. However, its
lack of portability, due to the need for an external power source,
and a high purchase price are drawbacks. Despite its higher price per terabyte, limited capacity
options, and a 1-year warranty, its performance
loading and transferring games make it a compelling choice, particularly the 5TB version which often goes on sale, offering
an even better value.
Our components editor, John Loeffler went hands-on with all HDDs featured in this guide, using
industry-standard benchmarking tools and custom scripts to gain insights into how well each external drive performs in real-world settings.
USB-C connectivity offers higher transfer speeds
whilst older HDDs use micro-USB. Plus, no moving parts means they’re
way faster and let you access and transfer files much
more quickly than HDDs. SSDs, or solid-state drives, have no moving parts, making
them much more durable and shock-resistant. An HDD hard disk external
uses a spinning disc to store data.
With plenty of storage capacity at a reasonable
price, the WD My Passport is our top choice external hard drive for students.
The best external hard drive will boost storage
space, offer fast transfer speeds, and all the portability
you need to take with you on the go. If you only want to use your external
hard drive for long-term storage of files, photos and
videos, then this will meet your needs. All external hard drives are tested with 1TB models,
on a laptop running Windows 11. Simple to use, bundled with extra software, and plenty of features
that set this apart from other external hard drives - all at a very
reasonable price. The best external hard drive for
students needs to combine plenty of storage - especially if you're creating content - at a good price. ”