External hard drives — HDD 2.5″ & 3.5″ 1–20 TB

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RPD.ch carries over 9,000 accessories for iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, iPad, MacBook and more. We ship from Basel via Swiss Post (1-3 business days), accept invoice via Powerpay (with credit check) and offer 30 days to decide. If nothing in this category matches your need, browse our most popular sections below or contact us - we also source specific accessories on request.

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Frequently Asked Questions

HDD = cheaper per TB, slower, mechanical — perfect for occasional backups (Time Machine, photo archive). SSD = pricier, faster, shock-proof — for daily backup and travel.

2.5 inch is USB bus-powered (no PSU), portable, up to about 5 TB. 3.5 inch needs its own PSU, only on the desk, but 4–20 TB and faster 7200 rpm.

Yes, via USB-C cable or USB-C hub. macOS recognises exFAT, NTFS (read-only) and APFS/HFS+ automatically.

Typical lifespan 5–10 years with moderate use. Frequent moves and drops drastically shorten it.

Recommended for sensitive data. macOS FileVault, Windows BitLocker, cross-platform VeraCrypt.

Guide & know-how

External hard drives (HDD) remain the cheapest way to store large backups and archives — per franc you get roughly 5–10× more storage than with an SSD. We stock compact 2.5″ HDDs in bus-powered form (1–5 TB, USB 3.0, easy to carry) and powerful 3.5″ desktop HDDs (4–20 TB, own PSU, faster). Time Machine on Mac, drag-and-drop on Windows, NAS expansion and server archive — plug-and-play on macOS, Windows, Linux. Shipped from Basel — same day by 4 pm, free above CHF 15, 2-year Swiss warranty. Invoice payment available (credit check by Powerpay).

How to pick the right external hard drive

Question 1: backup or portable storage? For Time Machine, family photo archive or home PC backup = 3.5″ desktop HDD (4–10 TB from about CHF 130–180). For travel, students or mobile backup = 2.5″ bus-powered (1–5 TB from about CHF 50–120). Question 2: how much capacity? Rule of thumb: 2× the source storage. 1 TB MacBook = 2 TB backup, NAS with 4 TB = 8 TB mirror HDD. Question 3: HDD or SSD? HDD is cheaper, quieter when idle, ideal for rarely accessed backups. SSD is faster (see external SSDs) and shock-proof — better for active projects on the road.

Speed & standards: USB 3.0, 5400 vs 7200 rpm

External HDDs are mechanically limited: 5400 rpm 2.5″ reach 80–130 MB/s, 7200 rpm 3.5″ 150–250 MB/s. USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) = enough, the HDD is always slower than the interface. USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) gives no benefit on HDDs — the bottleneck is the mechanics. Backing up a 500 GB MacBook takes about 2 h on a 2.5″ HDD, 45–60 min on a 3.5″ HDD, 8–15 min on an external SSD.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows, Linux, NAS

Out of the box most HDDs are exFAT formatted — works on macOS, Windows and Linux. For Time Machine reformat to APFS or HFS+ (in Disk Utility). Windows-only setups prefer NTFS. For NAS expansion use the NAS filesystem — usually ext4. MacBook M-series only has USB-C — you need a USB-C cable or a USB-C hub with USB-A.

Material, energy & heat

Aluminium housings on premium models dissipate heat faster — lifespan goes up. Power use: 2.5″ HDD = 2–4 W (USB powered), 3.5″ HDD = 5–10 W (own 12 V PSU). Noise: 2.5″ under 20 dB(A), 3.5″ 25–35 dB(A) under write load — barely audible during backup, noticeable when running continuously. Aluminium fully recyclable — old HDDs returned via the RPD recycling programme.

Shipping, warranty & stores in Switzerland

Shipped from our Basel warehouse — A-Post 1–2 working days, express next business day or free pickup in Basel, Aarau or Olten. 2 years Swiss warranty on all products, 14-day returns. Invoice payment available (credit check by Powerpay), best-price guarantee CH. Aluminium housings are fully recyclable — return old adapters, hubs and storage media via our RPD recycling programme. Visit one of our stores for personal advice — bring your laptop or iPad and we will find the right accessory together.

External hard drives — HDD 2.5″ & 3.5″ 1–20 TB

No products found

Popular categories

More Hubs & Docking models:

All Computer Accessories categories

Frequently Asked Questions

HDD or SSD — which is better for backup?

2.5 or 3.5 inch — what is the difference?

Does the HDD work on a MacBook M-series?

How long does an external HDD last?

Do I need encryption?

How to pick the right external hard drive

Speed & standards: USB 3.0, 5400 vs 7200 rpm

Compatibility: macOS, Windows, Linux, NAS

Material, energy & heat

Shipping, warranty & stores in Switzerland

How to pick the right external hard drive

Speed & standards: USB 3.0, 5400 vs 7200 rpm

Compatibility: macOS, Windows, Linux, NAS

Material, energy & heat

Shipping, warranty & stores in Switzerland