hdd internal or external?

[diklan]

i need to upgrade my memory.
which should i go for internal or external what are the pro's and con's?

i have a dell E521 do i have to modify my pc to put in an extra drive?

i see sata 2 a lot, is this good?

i dont need super fast transfer rates, will it just be easier to get external?

help!!!!!! :confused:

thanks in advance.

[mjc]

1. Hard drives are not memory...they are long term storage devices. Memory is for use by running applications/operating system.

2. If it is going to be just for data storage and not to be used for installling software to, then an external will be fine.

[astoroth88]

Well, if you go external you won't need to worry about SATA, it'll be USB 2.0. MJC is right, if you only wanna use it for a secondary storage and won't be using it as your main, external will suffice, plus you won't have to do anything to your computer other than plug the usb cable in. If you want a faster drive and plan on using the new one for your primary, go with a sata internal if your pc is sata capable.

Internal Pros
Much faster than external (assuming it's going to be sata)

you don't have to worry about something taking extra room up on your desk

install it and forget it, after you plug everything in properly you won't have to mess with it anymore

Internal Cons
You can't just unplug it and take it on the go (atleast I wouldn't, too much of a hastle)

You can't slap it into some1 else's computer and it just works.


External pros
Portability

You can share your stuff with your friends n family just by plugging it into their USB drive

External Cons
You gotta unplug and plug it back in if you use it at other locations than your house

It takes up more space on the desk

It's not as fast as an internal sata HDD

something extra to carry around with you