which is better : using one 320GB hard disk or two160GB? and why?

Answer 1

If you're going to install the OS on the hard drive, go with two hard drives, so as to give the OS its own HDD. I don't generally like the idea of having an OS on one partition and the other partition used for whatever. I like the OS to have its own HDD.

If just for backup though ... It doesn't really matter all that much. Use the 1 HDD for backup.

Answer 2

There is a performance cost w/ the 2 drive scenario, but it may be minimal. Also, you are introducing another hardware interface, so your chance of failure increases. Hard drives are finicky.

I would have just one, but backup important files to a solid state drive or other medium. You could also backup to a service provider, but that has its own risks (cost, security).

If you need 320GB, then you have a large data need. To me, the bigger the data need, the more important the data is as a whole. Thus, I would backup to another source.

Now, your question doesn't ask about backing up, so it may just be you are concerned with performance. I think the performance is negligible for a PC system. Of course, a system w/ multiple applications running simultaneously and requiring high i/o may benefit.

Answer 3

Much of deciding which is "better" is to understand how the computer is used and what kind of applications are used.

As a general rule, I like the 2x160gb because it allows you to use the second for storing data, leaving the first drive for the operating system, programs, and settings.

Then again, there are arguments available from many different aspects in addition to how the computer is used and what kind of applications are used. For example, the speed of the hard drives might have an impact, and the rate of data transfer.

What I would not do is partition the 320 gb into separate partitions.

Answer 4

Two HD's are better than one because you can put the os on one disk and save all your programs and files on the other. If something happens to the os and you need to recover it, your files won't be lost.

Answer 5

my friend told me that 2 hard drives with RAID configuration is better cuz it splits the data between the two so a 20MB file would only occupy 10MB per hard drive and so forth..