Purchasing a software application or program can be a big consideration, especially when purchasing advanced and usually expensive programs such as Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop. When considering purchasing these programs it is important that you or your staff be familiar with the program and are sure it's going to be capable of what you need it to do.
Hardware
HDD
When purchasing a hard drive, it is important to understand and verify the hard drive is suitable for your uses and has or does not have the options you may or may not need. Unfortunately, with hard drive technologies frequently changing, it is can sometimes be confusing and frustrating when looking to purchase a hard drive.
This document covers all considerations you should think about when thinking about upgrading or buying a new computer hard drive.
If you are adding a new hard drive because you need more disk space, and you have a desktop computer, a new hard drive can be added without replacing the old drive.
The benefit of adding a new hard drive is that you gain additional storage without having to erase any of your existing files or reinstall any of your programs.
If you have a laptop computer or want to replace an older hard drive (HDD) with a new solid state drive (SSD), keep in mind that anything on the drive will be lost. While it is possible to transfer all of the data from one drive to another drive, we recommend doing a fresh install to prevent any future problems and to clean all of the junk software.
Before replacing a hard drive make sure you:
When looking to purchase a hard drive, the first and foremost important consideration is the interface the hard drive uses to connect and communicate with the computer. Below is a listing of each of the available interfaces with information how they may or may not apply to your computer.
In addition to the interface, it is also important to look at the transfer rates of the hard drive. Long transfer rates can reduce the overall speed of your computer. There are two types of hard drives: Solid-State Drive (SSD) and the traditional Hard Disk Drive (HDD).
SSD - An SSD is much faster than a traditional hard drive. If your computer is capable of accommodating an SSD, and cost and total space is not as much as a consideration, we highly recommend an SSD.
HDD - With traditional hard drives the speed is measured inRPM (Revolutions Per Minute). An example of this would be a speed of 7,200 RPM. The higher the RPM, the faster the hard drive, in general. In other words, 7,200 RPM is faster than 5,400 RPM.
Hybrid - Hybrid hard disk drives are drives that combine the above two technologies into one drive.
Below is a listing of some other important considerations to look at when purchasing a computer hard drive.
Warranty - How long is the warranty and what does it cover.
Included components - Verify that the hard drive comes with all the needed components. Most hard drives should include an extra cable and instructions. However, if you need a mounting bracket to mount a smaller drive in a larger bay, make sure you also purchase one of these with the drive.
Support - Is the technical support number a free number and is it open 24 hours, seven days a week.
S.M.A.R.T. - S.M.A.R.T. is a technology used to help warn the computer user of possible problems with the hard drive.
The price can vary depending upon the type of hard drive (SSD or HDD), the interface, capacity of the drive, and speed of the drive. In general, drives can range from $70.00 to $300.00 (U.S.).
If after reviewing the above information you believe you are ready to make a purchase of a new hard drive, verify that the source you are purchasing the hard drive is a reputable source.
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