Internal hard drives are located inside your computer. Unlike an external hard drive, these drives are not portable and only be used by the computer they inhabit.

External hard drives are not located inside your computer like internal hard drives. Rather, they provide a means for external, portable storage by connecting to your computer via USB.

Although internal and external hard drives are similar in many ways, there are also key benefits to having one or the other. Depending on your ultimate goal, one may be more suited to your lifestyle than the other. 

Internal hard drives are always connected to your computer.

Internal hard drives are not portable and must remain fixed inside one computer, unlike an external hard drive. They also require installation if they are replaced or upgraded, which means the person installing the hard drive must be comfortable with the inner workings of the computer.

External hard drives are portable. Perfect for those who travel often, external hard drives can be easily transported and are very lightweight.

External hard drives can be connected to multiple computers. Since they are portable, you can take these drives with you and connect them to any computer — without any special formatting.

An external hard drive does not require any special installation, so even those who are unfamiliar with internal hard drive installation can expand their computer’s hard drive storage.

Because of the different ways that internal and external hard drives connect to your computer, users may see differences in performance.

Which one is right for you?

When choosing between an internal hard drive and an external hard drive, the most important question to ask yourself is: “What do I need?” If you need a portable solution for data storage, go with an external hard drive. If you need massive amounts of storage, choose the internal drive. You really can’t go wrong with either one, as both provide great benefits. Just make sure that your computer is compatible with whatever drive you choose to purchase.

If you like the idea of a more portable hard drive, then an external hard drive may be a great choice for you. If it’s more convenient for you to install a hard drive inside the case instead of using a USB interface, then an internal hard drive is probably what you’re looking for.

We prefer internal hard drive.  It's more convenience.  We just power up our arcade gaming PC to play games and not have to deal with an extra external device.

GAME ON !!!