MaximumPC 2005 12

W

e get a lot of email from readers who are eager to add more

storage to their systems but aren’t sure whether to go the inter-

nal or external route. Some people don’t want to hassle with installing

a new internal drive; others bristle at the thought of running an external

drive with a relatively pokey USB 2.0 interface. (Sure, there are much-

faster FireWire 800 drives on the market, but that interface isn’t com-

mon on PCs these days.) There’s also the issue of cost: Bare drives

typically cost a lot less than a drive wedged into an external enclosure,

and it’s no secret that drive manufacturers make a pretty penny by

taking aged drives, dropping them into an enclosure, and then add-

ing $100 to the price tag. As is often the case when it comes to PC

component comparisons, finding the type of drive that’s best for you

largely depends on your particular needs.

Hard Drives: Internal vs. External

PERFORMANCE

This is no contest

really, as the naked drive riding the

ancient ATA133 interface spanks

the USB version like a latex-clad

dominatrix. In HD Tach we see the

bare drive averaging read speeds

across its dense platters in the

neighborhood of 55MB/s, while

the USB drive pokes along at a

smidge more than 30MB/s. That’s

just pathetic, but typical of the USB

interface. Although it’s theoretically

capable of achieving read speeds

of 60MB/s, during testing we’ve

found that USB barely scratches

the surface of its speed potential.

When it comes to CPU utiliza-

tion, the internal drive also ruled

the roost with its scant 2 percent

usage, whereas the external drive

required 11 percent of our CPU’s

attention during file transfers.

Access times for both drives were

exactly the same, but the internal

drive registered a 98MB/s burst

speed, whereas the external drive

rang up a laughable 35MB/s score.

WINNER: INTERNAL DRIVE

INTERNAL DRIVE:

Maxtor DiamondMax 10 250GB,

$95, http://www.maxtor.com

EASE OF USE/INSTALLATION

This is also no contest, but in favor of the external drive. Installation couldn’t be

easier: Just plop the drive onto your desk and plug in the power and USB cables. There are no

drivers to install, no jumpers to set, and no annoying cables to route. With our internal drive, on the

other hand, there’s the hassle of opening the case, sticking the drive into a drive cage, and making

sure the jumpers are set correctly. It’s not as much of a pain in the ass as swapping out a mobo,

but there is some elbow grease involved. Internal drives also require active cooling, whereas

external drives have the advantage of an enclosure that absorbs and dissipates the drive’s heat.

If you’re averse to monkeying inside your case (shame on you!), external is the only way to go.

WINNER: EXTERNAL DRIVE

head 2 headTWO TECHNOLOGIES ENTER, ONE TECHNOLOGY LEAVES

round 1

round 2

BY JOSH NOREM

16 MA XIMUMPC DECEMBER 2005