BuySellRam.com breaks down the different types of hard drives, how to identify you have, and outlines how (and where) to sell yours.
There are four types of Hard Drives:
- PATA
- Serial ATA (SATA)
- SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)
- SSD (Solid-State Drive)
PATA was introduced in 1986 by Western Digital, and are capable of data transmission of up to 133 MB/S. Two PATA drives can be connected using a single cable in a configuration. Since most motherboards can have two channels for IDE connections, up to four PATA drives can be connected to a single motherboard. Here’s the thing about PATA drives: they are obsolete. If you walk into any computer store today, it would probably be very unlikely for you to find any PATA drives. The main reason for this obsolescence was the development of its successor – the SATA drive.
Introduced in 2003, SATA (or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) is the default interface for most desktop and laptop hard drives. They are referred to as SATA hard drives, but they are actually rotary hard drives with spinning platters and a moving needle that writes data to consecutive sectors on each platter. SATA hard drives are incredibly fast compared to their predecessor, the PATA hard drive, and can write to the disk with an interface rate of 6 Gb/s with a throughput of 600 MB/s.
SCSI– Small Computer System Interface- was developed in the 1970s and was first called Shugart Associates System Interface (SASI) after the company founded it. It uses a 50-pin flat ribbon connector to connect hard drives and other peripherals to the computer. With standard interface technology, 7 to 15 devices are allowed to connect to a single motherboard. Although it is generally believed that SCSI is outdated, the SCSI can still be found in some low-end computers. Modern SCSI cables can transfer data at up to 80 MB/s.
Finally, we have the best and newest type of hard drive- SSD (Solid State Drive). These disks don’t have any moving parts. Instead, all of the data is stored on non-volatile flash memory. That means that there isn’t a needle that has to move to read or write data and that they are significantly faster than SATA drives. It’s difficult to find an exact speed because it varies by manufacturer and form factor, but even the lower-performing drives are comparable to SATA drives.
The downside is that these drives are significantly more expensive and don’t come in as many sizes. SSD drives range from about 120 GB to 2 TB, and are about 2-4 times the price of a SATA hard drive of the same size. Since there are no moving parts, these drives are also a lot more durable, and there are form factors built specifically for laptops, making them ideal for storage on the go.
How do I find out what type of hard drive I have?
One of the best methods for determining additional information about a hard drive is to obtain information directly off the hard drive. The majority of hard drives have a sticker on the top of the drive that contains complete information about the drive.
I still need more information on how to sell my hard drive– and to where.
No sweat- the folks at BuySellRam.com are here to help! If you have bulk hard drives you’re looking to sell for cash, just give us a buzz at 321-972-6633. One of our dedicated customer service reps is here to help!