One thing that no one tells you but you really should know about computers is that hard drives don't last very long. And if you are like me, you have your important work and some not so important but nonetheless precious musics, pictures, and videos stored on your computer, then the short lifespan of a hard drive can be a real problem.
I learned my lesson the hard way the last time my hard drive failed, and I lost all my data. Since then, I've had a disposable hard drive that I use everyday, and then a backup hard drive that I back everything up to from time to time whenever I remembered.
Today, what most casual users do is backing up their data on the cloud. The cloud provider company makes sure your data is always secure, and you don't have to worry about dealing with technologies or hard drive failures. And with 5G, retrieving and backing up data will be a breeze. Still, it requires an internet connection, and you have to pay a monthly premium. If your data is in the terabyte territory, this can get quite expensive and slow.
If you just store photos, you'll probably never need that much space as you'll never have the time to look at all those photos. But if you do work such as video editing, you'll want a more local solution.
This is where a backup hard drive comes in handy. However, this means you'll need to maintain the hard drive and replace it before it fails.
Recently, I was shopping for a new backup hard drive, and the question came to my mind whether I should buy an expensive one and hope it last longer or buy a cheap one and replace it often.
To answer that question, let's look at a few considerations.
Buying a more expensive HDD can, on average, last longer than cheap ones. But it is not guaranteed. A hard drive can fail for any number of reasons on any day, it all depends on your luck.
As long as your HDD is not used daily and stored properly, it should last a long time. This gives you a durable and fast hard drive for daily use, but also a large space to store all your data that minimizes the chance of failing.
This is a bit extreme example, but in most cases, it means you wouldn't be able to enjoy the faster speed that newer technology brings which could save you a lot of time, if you don't actively maintain and upgrade your backup storage hard drive.
I learned my lesson the hard way the last time my hard drive failed, and I lost all my data. Since then, I've had a disposable hard drive that I use everyday, and then a backup hard drive that I back everything up to from time to time whenever I remembered.
Today, what most casual users do is backing up their data on the cloud. The cloud provider company makes sure your data is always secure, and you don't have to worry about dealing with technologies or hard drive failures. And with 5G, retrieving and backing up data will be a breeze. Still, it requires an internet connection, and you have to pay a monthly premium. If your data is in the terabyte territory, this can get quite expensive and slow.
If you just store photos, you'll probably never need that much space as you'll never have the time to look at all those photos. But if you do work such as video editing, you'll want a more local solution.
This is where a backup hard drive comes in handy. However, this means you'll need to maintain the hard drive and replace it before it fails.
Recently, I was shopping for a new backup hard drive, and the question came to my mind whether I should buy an expensive one and hope it last longer or buy a cheap one and replace it often.
To answer that question, let's look at a few considerations.
The Average Lifespan of A HDD
The average lifespan of a HDD is 4 years. If you have a SSD, the lifespan is much longer (decades). This is all assuming normal daily usage. But for backup purposes, you want to have a large space which can be too expensive in a SSD.Buying a more expensive HDD can, on average, last longer than cheap ones. But it is not guaranteed. A hard drive can fail for any number of reasons on any day, it all depends on your luck.
Cold Storage Lifespan
The good news, however, is that HDDs do last very long if you just archive data in it and don't use it everyday, provided that it is stored in a climate controlled environment and you take it out for a spin every year or so. If you are using it for archiving data, you would ideally use it at a set interval anyways.Ideal Setup
Given how SSD can last much longer than HDD in daily usage, and HDD can last a long time as archiving storage in a climate controlled environment. The ideal setup would be to have a SSD for your daily usage, and any data that you are not currently using but want to keep, store it in the HDD.As long as your HDD is not used daily and stored properly, it should last a long time. This gives you a durable and fast hard drive for daily use, but also a large space to store all your data that minimizes the chance of failing.
Technology Changes
Just like how connection interfaces went from serial port to USB, and now USB 3 and thunderbolt, technologies change fast. Your storage hard drive and the way it connects to computers can become obsolete fast. Imagine your parents giving you a floppy disk and said it contained important information that they want you to have. Even if the disk survived, you wouldn't be able to find a computer that can use it.This is a bit extreme example, but in most cases, it means you wouldn't be able to enjoy the faster speed that newer technology brings which could save you a lot of time, if you don't actively maintain and upgrade your backup storage hard drive.
Comments
Post a Comment