10+ Differences Between Fixed And Removable Disk Drives

The computer system consists of fixed and removable disk drives, also called “Internal and External Disk Drives”.

These devices are essential to a computer system for better performance and functionality.

These disk devices are used for storing, sharing, and transferring data from one location to another.

Fixed drives are fitted inside the system called “Internal Disk Drives” whereas the removable disk drives are considered “External disk drives”.

There are significant differences between fixed and removable disk drives and fixed vs removable disk drives that have been discussed in the article. 

Let’s get started…

What is Fixed Disk Drive in Computer System?

A fixed disk is also a hard disk drive or HDD. They are a type of non-volatile memory as the data and information are not lost when there is no power or electricity.

The data can be accessed anytime whenever requested or demanded by the user.

The fixed disk is also referred to hard disk drives, fixed storage, and fixed media.

The hard disk or fixed disks are permanently mounted inside the computer cabinet. To change or Upgrade complete system has to be disassembled.

The platter present inside the hard disk is called the "Fixed Disk".

They are compact and can store or hold incredible data, therefore, gained immense popularity and became a leader in their industry.

The data is secure, and their performance is highly rated.

Types of Fixed Disk

• Serial ATA (SATA),
• Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA),
• Solid State Drives (SSD),
• Small Computer System Interface (SCSI).

Uses of Fixed Disk

• They are used in storing massive amounts of data and information
• The data and information can be accessed and retrieved whenever needed or required.
• Fixed disks are also used in software development, Application development, website designing, and development.
• Data and Information Sharing.
• Gaming
• Plays a vital role in networking for sharing data.

What are Removable Disk Drives?

The removable disk drives are external drives like USB Hard Disk Drives, Pen drives, and thumb drives.

They can be used as portable devices and attached to another computer, laptop, or device.

They are far more efficient and reliable than their counterparts.

They are also used for additional backup storage. The removable disk is often called "External Disk Drives".

Examples of Removable Disk Drives

• USB Hard Disk Drives.
• USB CD / DVD.
• Pen Drives.
• Memory Cards.

What are Non-Removable Disks?

Non Removable disk drives are a computer system’s essential components and hardware and are used and utilized for data and information storage.

A removable disk can also be named a removable drive, removable storage, or removable media.

These non-removable disk drives are fitted or installed inside the computer case or laptop, which is not easy to remove or upgrade. 

To remove, change, or upgrade these devices the user needs to disassemble the machine completely, computer, or laptop.

Non Removable disks are non-volatile and do not lose data and information when there is power loss.

Some Examples of Non-Removable Disk are

• Hard Disk Drives
• DVD RW
• CD RW

The performance and speed of non-removable are far better than removable disks.

Standard HDDs [SATA | PATA] are inexpensive compared to SSDs [Solid State Device].

4 Types of Non-Removable Disks

• Hard Disk Drives.
• Floppy Disks
• CD [Compact Disk]
• DVD [Digital Versatile Disk]

4 Types of Removable Disk Drives

• USB Hard Disk Drives.
• USB CD / DVD.
• Pen Drives.
• Memory Cards.
• Tape Drive cartridges.
• USB Thumb Drives
• SD Cards

Differences Between Fixed And Removable Disk Drives in Tabular Form

Differences Between Fixed And Removable Disk Drives With Infographic

5 Advantages of Fixed Disk 

• They are inexpensive compared to SSDs. 
• They are readily available in the market.
• Can store a considerable amount of data and information almost permanently
• They are portable and non-volatile and can be shifted from one location to another.
• They are permanently mounted in the computer case, so there is no need to fear losing them.

5 Disadvantages of Fixed Disk

• Slow in accessing data and information compared to modern SSD.
• Less time span.
• More power consumption than other storage devices.
• It makes sounds while processing data.
• They are damaged easily and have to be used with care.

5 Advantages of Non-Removable Disk Drives in Points

• They are compact.
• They are plug-and-play devices.
• The performances of non-removable disk drives are far better than removable disks.
• To remove or upgrade these overall devices system has to be disassembled.
• The data and information are highly secure.

5 Disadvantages of Removable Disk Drives in Points

• The data and information are not secure.
• They are prone to get damaged and corrupted by humidity, light, dust, liquids, and magnetic fields.
• The risk of stealing and losing them is a significant disadvantage.
• The cable and wire get damaged easily, which helps connect the drives to the computer system.
• The removable disks are a bit slow compared to non-removable disk drives.
• The Removable disk drives are portable and can be carried from one location to another.

Different Types of Input Devices of Computer Systems

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Scanner
• Trackball
• Joystick
• Light Pen
• Touch Screens
• Optical Card Reader (OCR)
• Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)
• Optical Bar Code Reader (OBR)
• Voice Recognition Devices
• Optical Mark Reader (OMR)

Different Types of Output Devices of Computer Systems

• Monitors
• Touch Screens
• LCD Monitors or LED Monitors
• Printers
• Speakers
• Headphones
• Sound Cards
• Plotters
• Projectors

Types of Internal Storage Devices

• Read-Only Memory [ROM].
• Random Access Memory [RAM].
• SDRAM
• DRAM
• SRAM
• PROM
• EPROM
• EDORAM
• DDR SDRAM

Types of External Storage Devices

• Hard Disk Drives (HDD).
• Solid-State Drives (SSD).
• External HDDs and SSDs.
• Flash memory devices.
• Optical Storage Devices.
• Floppy Disks.
• Pen Drives
• Memory Cards

Top Manufacturing Companies of Fixed and Removable Disk Drives

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