Mini Test

Store more photographs, and store them securely, in one of the six external hard drives we’ve got on test

Now that even entry-level Nikon D-SLRs are capable of producing 24.2-megapixel RAW files, it’s only a matter of time before your computer’s hard drive starts feeling the strain. But you needn’t break out the screwdrivers and attempt to upgrade it. External desktop hard drives offer immense amounts of storage, and in many cases cost little more than a standard internal drive. What’s more, while desktop drives aren’t exactly pocket-sized, they’re fairly portable and are usually compatible with both PCs and Macs.

A separate mains adaptor typically provides power and USB is still the data connection of choice for most desktop drives, but these days you won’t have to put up with slow transfer rates. USB 3.0 will allow even the fastest external hard drive to perform to the max. Many external hard drives also include software to automate the tedious task of backing up your photos, and others offer nifty features like data encryption!

Here, we’ve gathered together six drives at a variety of price points, and all with at least a three-terabyte capacity.