Portable Hard Drive or Desktop Hard Drive when building a computer?

[apathoic]

Hey guys, so I'm thinking about building a computer, and I'm trying to choose the type of storage I should get for my new computer. I've been thinking about these two drives, but one's portable and one's desktop, what's the difference and what's the best when building a computer?

https://www.amazon.ca/Blue-Desktop-Hard-Disk-Drive/dp/B013QFRS2S/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1480299095&sr=1-2&keywords=hard+drive

https://www.amazon.ca/Seagate-Portable-External-Storage-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1480299095&sr=1-1&keywords=hard+drive

Thanks.

 

[ArtPog]

Neither one.

In my opinion you would be much better served by purchasing a USB external enclosure + a HDD for your backup strategy rather than a commercial "one-piece" unit.

The advantages of doing so are significant. First of all, virtually any USBEHD enclosure you purchase will accommodate both 2 1/2" & 3 1/2" drives. That's a real advantage. Then you can purchase the hard drive YOU want, not the HDD that's installed in the commercial product. Rest assured the drive you purchase will invariably prove superior to the commercial product. And you can select whatever disk capacity YOU want. Another advantage is that the HDD (or SSD) you install in the USBEHD can always be easily removed and installed internally in a PC should that need arise.

Still another significant advantage is the fact that by using a separate USBEHD enclosure + HDD you will have UNLIMITED capability to utilize any number of different HDDs/SSDs for whatever purpose(s) you deem necessary or desirable.

(I'm not certain the links I've provided below are current and I'm too tired & lazy to check them out now, but you'll get the idea...)
All in all there are really no downsides to purchasing a USBEHD + HDD in comparison to purchasing a commercial one-piece product. And you will have an enormous choice as to the USB enclosure that appeals to you. One type is the so-called "docking station", see for example http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=blacx&N=-1&isNodeId=1

There are plenty of other types of enclosures. Right now, as an example, we're using the ORICO 6518US3-V1-US model, a USB3.0 external USB 3.0 device that accommodates both 2.5" & 3.5" drives. See...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1DS0FR8421&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=EXPRESS072316&cm_mmc=EMC-EXPRESS072316-_-EMC-072316-Index-_-HardDriveEnclosures-_-9SIA1DS0FR8421-S2A1D
Newegg has had this model on sale for $14.99. And there are many others to choose from.

And it's child's play to install and/or reinstall a HDD in & out of a USB external enclosure - whatever the type.

I should mention that many users employ a SATA-to-USB adapter device for connecting a SATA HDD or SSD to a USB port. Here's a sampling of those type of devices...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=sata+to+usb+adapters&N=-1&isNodeId=1
Although I'm aware of many users who are satisfied with this type of device frankly, we're not. By & large our experience with these type of devices has been quite negative - we've found them to be defective or erratic in operation. We just don't use them any more. But I have to say we find that many users are perfectly satisfied with these devices.