Size
Rated capacity is one of the key parameters of a hard drive, which determines how much information can fit on it. For SSHD, this item indicates the capacity of only the hard drive, for RAID arrays, the total capacity of the array.
The volume of information in the modern world is constantly growing and require more and more capacious drives. So in most cases it makes sense to choose a larger disk. In fact, the question of choosing this parameter often rests only on the price: the cost of the drive directly depends on the volume.
If the question is in such a way that you need to choose a disk "smaller and cheaper, but that's enough" — it's worth evaluating the amount of information that you have to deal with and the specifics of use. For example, for an ordinary office PC, designed mainly for working with documents, an internal drive of
2 TB and even
1 TB will be more than enough, and an enthusiastic gamer will need
4 TB,
6 TB and even
8 TB will not be superfluous. If you use a disc for recording from camcorders, then you can get
a 10 TB,
12 TB,
14 TB,
16 TB,
18 TB or more HDD.
Data transfer rate
The speed of data transfer between the disk and client devices is determined by the type of drive, spindle speed, memory buffer size and connection connectors. The last parameter is the most important, since it is impossible to exceed the bandwidth of a particular interface.
Plates
The number of platters provided in the design of the hard drive.
Physically, a hard disk consists of one or more platters, on which information is recorded. Several plates can be provided in order to achieve the desired volume without increasing the form factor. At the same time, it is also necessary to install an appropriate number of reading heads in such a drive, which complicates the design, reduces its reliability, and increases the cost. Therefore, manufacturers choose the number of plates based on a reasonable compromise between these points, and for selection, this parameter is more of a reference than practically significant.
Operation power consumption
The amount of power consumed by the disk when reading and writing information. In fact, this is the peak power consumption, it is in these modes that the drive consumes the most energy.
HDD power consumption data is needed primarily to calculate the overall system power consumption and power supply requirements for the system. In addition, for laptops that are planned to be used often "in isolation from outlets", it is advisable to choose more economical drives.
Standby power consumption
The amount of power consumed by the disk "idle". In the on state, the disk platters rotate regardless of whether information is being written or read or not — maintaining this rotation takes the energy consumed while waiting.
The lower the power consumption while waiting, the more economical the disk is, the less energy it consumes. At the same time, we note that in fact this parameter is relevant mainly when choosing a drive for a laptop, when energy efficiency is crucial. For stationary PCs, “idle” power consumption does not play a special role, and when calculating the requirements for a power supply, it is necessary to take into account not this indicator, but the power consumption during operation (see above).
Reading noise level
The level of noise produced by the disk when reading and/or writing information. The source of sound in this case is the moving plates of the disk, as well as the mechanics that control the reading heads. The lower the noise level, the more comfortable the use of the device. The maximum noise produced by modern hard drives during operation is about 50 dB — this is comparable to the sound background in an average office.
Standby mode noise level
The amount of noise produced by a disk "idle", when no read and/or write operations are performed. The sound source in this case is the plates — they rotate all the time while the disk is on; since no other mechanics are involved, idle noise is generally lower than read/write noise. The lower the noise level, the more comfortable the use of the device. The maximum noise level of modern hard drives in standby mode is about 40 dB — this is comparable to quiet human speech.
MTBF
Guaranteed (minimum) number of hard drive on-off cycles after which it will remain operational. The higher this number, the more reliable the drive.
