Laptop hard drive review and rating of models. Description, specifications, pros, and Cons of the Best Internal Hdd For Laptop. Selection criteria for laptop HDD.
The advent of the SSD shattered the hard drive monopoly. Most laptops today come with solid-state drives.
At the same time, it is still too early to write off classic hard drives, in some cases installing HDD is preferable and more affordable.

List of Best Internal HDD For Laptop From 500Gb to 2TB
Best 500GB Internal Hard Drive For Laptop | |
1 | Western Digital WD5000LPLX |
2 | Seagate 500 GB ST500LM021 |
3 | Toshiba 500 GB HDWK105UZSVA |
Best 1TB Internal Hard Drive For Laptop | |
1 | Western Digital WD10SPZX |
2 | Toshiba 1 TB HDWL110UZSVA |
3 | Western Digital WD10SPCX |
Best 2TB Internal Hard Drive For Laptop | |
1 | Western Digital WD20SPZX |
2 | Toshiba 2 TB HDWL120UZSVA |
Which internal hard disk is best for laptop?
Important! Laptops support 2.5 inche internal HDDs. In addition, when choosing, you should pay attention to the following points:
- Connection interface.
The ancient IDE has remained only in very old devices.
Modern laptops are equipped with a SATA connector, most often the third version.
A SATA 3 hard drive will work in a SATA 2 laptop, but at a reduced speed. - Rotational speed.
The most common discs are 5400 and 7200 rpm (revolutions per minute).
The higher the spindle speed is, the faster the disk works.
But high-speed HDDs make a lot of noise, heat up and are expensive. - The amount of disk space.
Laptop HDD capacities can vary widely, starting from 256 GB.
The minimum option is suitable for installing an operating system, installing programs and storing a relatively small array of user data.
It would be more optimal for a laptop to purchase an HDD from 500 GB to 2 TB for all needs. - Read / write speed.
The higher this parameter, the faster the OS will load, start programs, copy and move files.
Manufacturers do not always indicate such data, but the results of independent tests for a specific model are available on the Internet. - The amount of cache memory.
The larger the cache buffer, the better.
This parameter has a positive effect on overall performance.
You may also like Best Ergonomic Keyboards For Laptop
what hard drive do i need for my laptop?
In addition to the form factor and other parameters discussed above, it is worth paying attention to the thickness of the media.
2.5-inch laptop hard drives come in a variety of thicknesses.
Note! Before purchasing, you should study the specification of a particular laptop to avoid problems with installing new media.
Can You Use A Laptop As A Monitor?
best 500GB internal hard drive for laptop
Models with a small capacity of 500 GB by modern standards are suitable for installing an operating system, programs, games, and storing user data.
TOP-3 rating of the Best Internal Hdd For Laptop of 500gb in terms of price-quality ratio.
Western Digital WD5000LPLX
A hard drive is an excellent choice when upgrading your laptop to improve system speed and responsiveness, or simply to increase the total storage capacity of your device.
This model supports SATA 3 interface with 6Gbps throughput.
Increased spindle speed has a positive effect on disk writing and reading.
The built-in cache optimally distributes information between the sectors of the Western Digital WD5000LPLX disk, keeping the highest priority data in memory.
This helps to increase the life of the device and prevents errors associated with the mechanical part of the HDD.

Key parameters:
- buffer capacity – 32 MB;
- rotation speed – 7200 rpm;
- shock resistance (work / storage) – 400/1000 G;
- noise level (idle / work) – 23/25 dB;
- power consumption – 2 W;
- overall dimensions (W × H × D) – 69.85 × 7 × 100.2 mm;
- weight – 92 g.
Pros
- lack of vibrations;
- lack of heating;
- compactness;
- long service life.
Cons
- long launch after falling asleep;
- clicks when parking heads;
- high price.
Recommended for you Best Hp Laptops For Gaming In Different Price Ranges
Seagate 500 GB ST500LM021
The model, specially designed for installation in laptops and ultrabooks, stands out not only for its ultra-compact dimensions but also for excellent indicators of speed, capacity and power consumption.

The Seagate 500 GB ST500LM021 device has a standard 2.5-inch form factor.
Low power consumption conserves battery power, allowing the user to focus on priority tasks.
The model is distinguished by high indicators of shock resistance.
When the device is turned off, the reading head instantly moves to a safe position, preventing various kinds of mechanical damage.
The declared lifespan of the hard drive is 2 years.
Key parameters:
- buffer capacity – 32 MB;
- rotation speed – 7200 rpm;
- shock resistance (work / storage) – 400/1000 G;
- noise level (idle / work) – 23/24 dB;
- power consumption – 2 W;
- overall dimensions (W × H × D) – 70.1 × 7 × 100.5 mm;
- weight – 95 g.
Pros
- low power consumption;
- high data transfer rate;
- 7200 rpm in a compact 2.5-inch design;
- affordable price tag.
Cons
- small amount of buffer memory;
- heating during operation;
- pretty noisy model.
Check it out Best Gaming Laptop Under 1200
Toshiba 500 GB HDWK105UZSVA
The hard drive, as a notebook model, is an ultra-lightweight and thin 2.5-inch HDD.
The Toshiba 500 GB HDWK105UZSVA model communicates with the motherboard through a high-speed SATA 3 interface.

This hard disk is distinguished by increased energy efficiency, sufficient disk space to accommodate large amounts of data, and a reduced spindle speed, eliminating strong noise and vibration during operation.
The service life of the model declared by the manufacturer is 2 years.
Key parameters:
- buffer capacity – 8 MB;
- rotation speed – 5400 rpm;
- shock resistance (work / storage) – 400/1000 G;
- noise level (idle / work) – 19/21 dB;
- power consumption – 1.5 W;
- overall dimensions (W × H × D) – 69.85 × 7 × 100 mm;
- weight – 92 g.
Pros
- very quiet operation;
- efficiency in terms of energy consumption;
- slim body;
- high speed of writing / reading according to tests.
Cons
- heating during operation;
- low service life;
- scanty buffer memory.
Best 1TB Internal Hard Drive For Laptop
With the best price / volume ratio, 1TB hard drives are the most popular HDD category in notebooks for office and home use .
Review of the best models not 1000 GB according to customer reviews and ratings.
Western Digital WD10SPZX
The model has an impressive amount of non-volatile memory and a 128 MB buffer, which guarantees reliable storage of digital data arrays and minimal response time.

The device is connected to the motherboard via a high-bandwidth SATA 3 interface.
Most laptops are equipped with this technology.
Made in a 2.5-inch format, the device can accommodate up to 1 TB of information.
The Western Digital WD10SPZX is very economical, consuming only 1.5W of power at maximum load.
Key parameters:
- buffer capacity – 128 MB;
- rotation speed – 5400 rpm;
- shock resistance (work / storage) – 400/1000 G;
- noise level (idle / work) – 19/21 dB;
- power consumption – 1.5 W;
- overall dimensions (W × H × D) – 69.97 × 7 × 100.2 mm;
- weight – 90 g.
Pros
- large amount of disk space;
- compact size;
- low power consumption;
- excellent volume / price ratio.
Cons
- noise and vibration during operation;
- not the most outstanding read and write speeds;
- small warranty period.
See also Best Laptop To Replace Desktop PC
Toshiba 1 TB HDWL110UZSVA
The terabyte hard drive in a compact 2.5 “format is a quality storage device that can be installed on any laptop.

The model stands out with a reduced spindle speed, which guarantees no noise during operation, and a solid amount of cache memory.
The speed characteristics allow the device to be used as a system disk.
Winchester Toshiba 1 TB HDWL110UZSVA has a standard case thickness and low weight. The declared service life of the model is 4 years, the warranty is 2 years.
Key parameters:
- buffer capacity – 128 MB;
- rotation speed – 5400 rpm;
- shock resistance (work / storage) – 400/1000 G;
- noise level (idle / work) – 19/24 dB;
- power consumption – 1.5 W;
- overall dimensions (W × H × D) – 69.85 × 7 × 100 mm;
- weight – 92 g.
Pros
- quiet work;
- lack of critical temperatures;
- large buffer memory capacity;
- affordable price.
Cons
- 2 year warranty;
- unpresentable packaging;
- low speed of work.
Western Digital WD10SPCX
Possessing an impressive amount of internal memory of one terabyte, the model allows you to install several operating systems, place their backups and install countless programs.

Reduced spindle speed has a positive effect on the quiet operation of this disc.
At the same time, parking of the reading head and access to information here are much faster in comparison with analogs.
A smart bad sector search system bypasses and blocks bad clusters, ensuring that there is no risk of losing information on the disk.
Western Digital WD10SPCX model interacts with the motherboard via SATA 3 interface.
Key parameters:
- buffer capacity – 16 MB;
- rotation speed – 5400 rpm;
- shock resistance (work / storage) – 350/1000 G;
- noise level (idle / work) – 20/21 dB;
- power consumption – 1.7 W;
- overall dimensions (W × H × D) – 69.85 × 7 × 100.2 mm;
- weight – 90 g.
Pros
- relative noiselessness;
- slim slim body;
- an impressive amount of disk space;
- low power consumption.
Cons
- frequent head parking;
- rather slow HDD according to tests;
- decent price tag.
Best 2TB Internal Hard Drive For Laptop
The impressive 2TB capacity in this category of laptop HDD can store a large amount of data, including high-definition video files.
Western Digital WD20SPZX
best internal hard drive for gaming.
The super-large drive designed for use as part of a laptop has not only a solid amount of memory but also excellent read and write speeds.

The drive is connected to the motherboard via SATA 3 with a bandwidth of 6 Gb / s.
This hard drive, with 2 TB of disk space, boasts a fast and spacious buffer memory of 128 MB.
All elements of the device are mounted in a 2.5-inch metal case. The Western Digital WD20SPZX device has a standard service life of 2 years.
Key parameters:
- buffer capacity – 128 MB;
- rotation speed – 5400 rpm;
- shock resistance (work / storage) – 400/1000 G;
- noise level (idle / work) – 23/24 dB;
- power consumption – 1.7 W;
- overall dimensions (W × H × D) – 69.85 × 7 × 100 mm;
- weight – 90 g.
Pros
- volume – two terabytes;
- good sequential read / write speed;
- compact size;
- low energy consumption;
- excellent cost / volume ratio.
Cons
- drop in speed when writing random blocks;
- not suitable for torrents;
- pretty noisy model.
Toshiba 2 TB HDWL120UZSVA
The 2.5-inch drive, thanks to a significant amount of disk space, allows you to store a large amount of data, including photos, videos and large file archives.

The 9.5 mm model is compatible with notebooks designed for mounting drives with the corresponding dimensions.
With a spindle speed of 5400 rpm, huge disk space, 128 MB buffer capacity, SATA 3 connection, low power consumption and high shock resistance, the device can be considered one of the best in its class on the market.
The MTBF of the Toshiba 2 TB HDWL120UZSVA device is 600 thousand hours.
Key parameters:
- buffer capacity – 128 MB;
- rotation speed – 5400 rpm;
- shock resistance (work / storage) – 400/1000 G;
- noise level (idle / work) – 23/24 dB;
- power consumption – 1.65 W;
- overall dimensions (W × H × D) – 69.85 × 9.5 × 100 mm;
- weight – 117 g.
Pros
- affordable price;
- large storage capacity;
- compact dimensions;
- high quality workmanship.
Cons
- vibration and noise during operation;
- slow writing of blocks;
- quite heavy for a laptop.
Reviews
If you have used the internal hard drives that were discussed in our rating of best internal hdd for laptop, please leave a review in the form below.
Your review will help someone make a choice. Thank you for sharing your experience!