Sometimes, deciding on the best external hard drive for PC or Mac can be a hard decision. In this day and age, external hard drives are extremely important in securing important photos, videos, and other files. Without a good external hard drive, all of your favorite files are at risk. As of recently, hard drives have become more and more mainstream which results in the decrease in prices of many bigger hard drives. Important aspects include the speed of file transfer, the hardware look, warranty, and customer support. With all of those in mind, we have created a review list of the best external hard drives that are Mac and PC compatible.
- External Hdd Compatible With Mac And Pc Gaming
- Best External Hdd
- External Hdd Compatible With Mac And Pc Computer
Typically, an external hard drive that works on a Windows PC uses an NTFS file system. And an external hard drive that works on a Mac is in HFS+ format. The faster SSD drives on a Mac may well use an APFS file system. To check, right click on the external hard drive. HFS+ Mac OS X's native file system is HFS+ (also known as Mac OS Extended), and it's the only one. There are two File Systems that can be both supported by Mac and PC Operating System: FAT32 and exFAT. FAT32 is more compatible. Besides Windows and Mac, it can also compatible with various devices like PS3, PS4, Xbox One, etc. However, you cannot store large files over than 4GB on FAT32 formatted USB drive and the volume has 2TB restriction. Here are the best Mac hard drives and external storage options. Find out which hard drive can help increase your storage or safely back up your Mac. There's a standard USB 3.0 port on the back. Discover the world of external hard drives for Mac. Compare portable, USB and external hard drive models for office and home and shop online.
External Hdd Compatible With Mac And Pc Gaming
Pros:
- Huge size and color selection, 1-8 TB
- PS4 and Xbox One compatible
- Compact, sleek design, lightweight
- Come included with free online drive space
Cons:
- Some report defective HDDs, Seagate does provide a warranty though
- PC orientated, Macs will have some problems loading files on
Pros:
- Works with any PC or Mac with USB 3.0
- Speed optimized for fast file transfers
- Compact, lightweight design
- Good overall harddrive
Cons:
- Bad cables, easily broken so in order to use this products for extended periods of time one must buy a replacement
- Edges are a bit sharp, it can scratch some surfaces
Pros:
- USB 2.0 and 3.0 compatible, works with PC and Mac
- Perfect for various consoles such as PS4 and Xbox One
- Fast connection for quick uploads and downloads
- Multiple sizes of harddrives
Cons:
- Newer models don't seem to be PS4 compatible, check the age of the model if being used for PS4
- Some report slow transfers, but preformatting the hard drives seems to speed up the process
Pros:
- Sleek, desktop design
- Bigger size capabilities
- Console compatible (Xbox One and PS4)
- Plug and play optimized
Cons:
- Plastic coated which keeps in heat and can degrade the drive over time
- Warranty is only a year, although seagate is a good company, 1 year is slightly shorter than normal
Pros:
- Extremely durable, drop tested and built for people on the go
- USB 3.0 compatible
- Fast speeds in file transfers
- Cheaper alternative to premium harddrive choices
Cons:
- Due to drop protection, the device is naturally bigger and bulkier
- Comes formatted to FAT32, if transferring large files NTFS is recommended
Pros:
- Great external hard drive for consoles (PS4 and Xbox One)
- Solid build and design, nice desktop design
- Added protection against hard drive failure
- USB 3.0 compatible
Cons:
- Formatting is required for console use
- If left idle, the drive can disconnect automatically
Pros:
- One of the biggest harddrives available
- Built in software that tells you when or if the hard drive will fail
- Optimized for professional use
- Long warrenty for added support (2 1/2 years!)
- Great customer support
Cons:
- When setting up for the first time, the drive was a bit hard to configure
- Slightly expensive for what you get, but overall a fair price
Pros:
- Plug and play optimized
- For its size, it packs a lot of memory
- Faster than conventional hard drives
- Wide variety of sizes of the hard drive
- USB 3.0 compatible
Cons:
- Short USB 3.0 cable out of the box
- Warranty reduced from 3 to 2 years, still above average though
While you can physically connect a Mac hard drive to a Windows PC, the PC cannot read the drive unless third-party software is installed. Because the two systems use different file systems for storage: Macs use the HFS, HFS+, or HFSX file systems, and PCs use either the FAT32 or NTFS. Luckily, if the drive type (e.g., SATA, IDE, or SCSI) is compatible with your motherboard, there are a few solutions to this dilemma.
NoteNTFS and FAT drives open natively in macOS. How to free up space on a mac hard drive.
Formatting a partition
Best External Hdd
You can delete a Mac-based HFS, HFS+ or HFSX partition and format it to be usable with a PC. If there are any files you want to keep, copy them from your Mac hard drive to another storage device, then review the page linked below.
- Plastic coated which keeps in heat and can degrade the drive over time
- Warranty is only a year, although seagate is a good company, 1 year is slightly shorter than normal
Pros:
- Extremely durable, drop tested and built for people on the go
- USB 3.0 compatible
- Fast speeds in file transfers
- Cheaper alternative to premium harddrive choices
Cons:
- Due to drop protection, the device is naturally bigger and bulkier
- Comes formatted to FAT32, if transferring large files NTFS is recommended
Pros:
- Great external hard drive for consoles (PS4 and Xbox One)
- Solid build and design, nice desktop design
- Added protection against hard drive failure
- USB 3.0 compatible
Cons:
- Formatting is required for console use
- If left idle, the drive can disconnect automatically
Pros:
- One of the biggest harddrives available
- Built in software that tells you when or if the hard drive will fail
- Optimized for professional use
- Long warrenty for added support (2 1/2 years!)
- Great customer support
Cons:
- When setting up for the first time, the drive was a bit hard to configure
- Slightly expensive for what you get, but overall a fair price
Pros:
- Plug and play optimized
- For its size, it packs a lot of memory
- Faster than conventional hard drives
- Wide variety of sizes of the hard drive
- USB 3.0 compatible
Cons:
- Short USB 3.0 cable out of the box
- Warranty reduced from 3 to 2 years, still above average though
While you can physically connect a Mac hard drive to a Windows PC, the PC cannot read the drive unless third-party software is installed. Because the two systems use different file systems for storage: Macs use the HFS, HFS+, or HFSX file systems, and PCs use either the FAT32 or NTFS. Luckily, if the drive type (e.g., SATA, IDE, or SCSI) is compatible with your motherboard, there are a few solutions to this dilemma.
NoteNTFS and FAT drives open natively in macOS. How to free up space on a mac hard drive.
Formatting a partition
Best External Hdd
You can delete a Mac-based HFS, HFS+ or HFSX partition and format it to be usable with a PC. If there are any files you want to keep, copy them from your Mac hard drive to another storage device, then review the page linked below.
Third-party software
Through the use of third-party software, Microsoft Windows can be configured to read a Mac hard drive. Free programs are available, but they have fewer features and are not as easy to use. One of the best free programs is HFSExplorer. If you are willing to pay, MacDrive and TransMac cost about $50. They do a good job of allowing users to view the contents of a Mac hard drive on a PC due to their user-friendly interfaces. There is also a $20 solution from Paragon called HFS+ for Windows.
External Hdd Compatible With Mac And Pc Computer
Additional information
