Computer Storage

Computer storage comes in many different shapes, sizes, and capacities. As part of the computer system, computer storage allows for the storage of data in the form of files. Computer storage devices are often referred to as hard drives or hard disks. Such devices come in different interfaces, speeds, and configurations. In this article, you will learn about the different options available to you in computer storage.

Computer Storage Interfaces

There are two different kinds of computer storage interfaces. The first is called IDE, or integrated drive electronics, which was created in 1986. This is an older kind of computer storage interface that features bulky wires and connectors. Since 2003, most IDE interface devices have been replaced by SATA, or serial advanced technology attachment. This interface makes use of slim wires with small connectors, while performing faster than the older IDE interface. Today, almost all computer storage devices are manufactured with the SATA interface.

Important Computer Storage Specifications

Computer storage comes in different capacities and speeds. Depending on your needs, you can choose computer storage devices with capacities ranging from 20 gigabytes (GB) to 1 terabyte (TB). To put things into perspective, 20 GB computer storage can fit hundreds of songs, while 1 TB drives can fit up to thousands more.

Speed is also crucial to computer storage. Since computer storage devices have to be read through spinning the disk, the speed of the hard drive is proportional to the speed at which your computer can retrieve data from the drive. Computer storage manufacturers offer hard drives in four different speeds. These are 5,400, 7,200, 10,000, and 15,000 rotations per minute (rpm).