disksExternal vs internal drives
An internal drive lives inside your PC; an external drive plugs into a USB port. The right choice comes down to whether you value convenience or raw value and speed.
Choose external if…
- You want plug-and-play with no screwdriver — ideal for laptops and consoles.
- You need to move data between machines or store backups off the PC.
- You want a portable SSD for speed on the go, or a portable HDD for cheap capacity.
Choose internal if…
- You're upgrading a desktop or building a PC — internal drives give the best £/TB and, for NVMe, the fastest speeds.
- You're filling a NAS, which takes internal 3.5" drives.
A useful trick
Many external drives are simply an internal drive in a USB enclosure. Some people buy a cheap external HDD purely for the drive inside ("shucking") — though it can void the warranty, so weigh the saving against the risk. Either way, our tables rank both external and internal options by real cost per terabyte.