which is better internal or external drive?

Question

I need a new hard drive. Should I buy an internal or external one? I've made a list of pros and cons
internal
pros:
cheaper
more reliable ? (up to 5 year warranty)
don't have to worry about problems running software on drive (mostly applies to games)
cons
have to open case to install
may cause problems w/ windows
external
pros
installing is much easier
no windows issues
cons
more expensive
no windows issues
cons
more expensive
may be less reliable (one-year warranties only)
problems running software (games) installed on drive ?

Answer 1

Buy an internal HDD. No need to take up a USB port to use it. You have those internal connections to use up so go for it. Problems with installing a HDD are slim to none if you have any experience. If you don't then get a friend who does. It takes 10 min.
If you really want an external you can get a cheap case and USB cable for less than $20. This will allow you to turn the HDD you just bought into an external for a lot cheaper than most pre-packaged externals. Those things are terrible rip offs.

Answer 2

The choice between an internal drive and an external drive really depends on what it will be used for. You simply have to look at the pros and cons of each and make your decision based on that. In that respect, I will address some of your pros and cons in more detail.

Reliability:
There is no need to worry about running games of either type of drive if compatibility is your concern.

Windows problems:
An internal drive can cause problems for Windows only if you do not know how to install the drive. IDE drives are configured by a jumper setting on the drive to determine which is the master and which is the slave. If you don't feel comfortable with this then I would suggest getting a professional to install the drive for you. Of course, this increases the price of the internal drive.

Reliability:
Both internal and external drives are just as reliable. The external drive is nothing but an enclosure with some electronics to interface an IDE or SATA drive with a USB or Firewire connection. Normally, when an external drive fails, it is not the hard drive but the interface which in in the enclosure. The enclosure can be replaced.

Installation:
The external drive is very easy to setup and install. The internal drive is considerably more difficult.

Price:
You are exactly correct on the price difference. You pay extra for the easy of installation and portability of the external drive.

Speed:
This is one that you did not mention of your list of pros and cons. An internal drive will be much faster than an external drive. You do not want to run any disk intensive application or game from an external drive.

Recommendation:
From reading your message, I will assume that you are not very comfortable taking the cover off of your computer. As such, installing an internal hard drive might not be your best option. I would suggest getting an external drive since it is so easy to install and use. Since you obviously want to play games, I would suggest keeping your games on the internal drive. You should move other things such as music, videos, and documents to the external drive. This will avoid any speed related issues introduced by the external drive.

Answer 3

one of the good things about a external hard drive is that you don't need to keep it on all the time, which in turn might make it last longer

Answer 4

it depends on the purpose.

If you just want to backup your data or if you want to use your haddisk as a portable storage, use external.

but, if you want to extend free space on your computer for gaming purposes etc., use internal.

Answer 5

all drives need to be installed