Storage Guide

1. What it is and what it covers

Computer storage covers the devices used to retain operating systems, applications and personal files. The main choices are solid-state storage and mechanical hard drives^★, with internal and external formats serving different roles.

2. Key facts and specifications

Compare capacity, interface, form factor, sequential throughput, random performance, endurance, cache, warranty and intended workload. NVMe SSDs use PCIe; SATA storage uses the older SATA interface. M.2 describes a physical form factor rather than automatically meaning NVMe.

3. Practical guidance

Use an SSD for an operating system^★ and applications where responsiveness matters. Use HDDs where high capacity and cost per gigabyte are priorities. External drives are useful for backup and portability, but important data should not exist on only one device.

4. Suitability, choices and limitations

SSDs are faster and have no moving heads, but capacity can cost more. HDDs can offer large capacities economically but are slower and more sensitive to shock while operating. External drives add portability but introduce cable, connector and loss/theft considerations.

5. UK-specific considerations

UK consumer rights apply to storage devices purchased from traders. Electrical product rules can also apply to powered external equipment. Keep proof of purchase and follow manufacturer warranty conditions.

6. Safety, risks and cautions

Back up important data before upgrading or replacing a drive. Avoid dropping HDDs, disconnect external drives safely where the operating system requires it, and do not assume a new drive is a backup until data has actually been copied and verified.

7. Current sources and research

Kingston's current storage documentation explains the difference between M.2, SATA and NVMe and highlights compatibility issues caused by shared ports or unsupported protocols.

8. Shopping^★ and buying considerations

Choose storage by workload: capacity, speed, endurance and portability should be considered together. For important data, consider a backup strategy using more than one copy and preferably more than one physical location.