Choosing the Right Hard Drive for Your Computer When it comes to buying a new hard drive, it's important to know the interface type of your computer. This will determine the compatibility of the hard drive with your system. The most common interface types today are IDE (also known as PATA), SATA, and SCSI. Keep in mind that SCSI interface types may come in different pin configurations. Desktops and Servers If you're looking for a hard drive for your desktop or server, we recommend using the Service Tag feature in the Parts For Your Dell tool. This will help you choose the right hard drive for your specific system. Notebooks For notebooks, you can either use the System Drill Down or Service Tag feature to find the right hard drive. Keep in mind that hard drives for notebooks are system specific. Speed and Capacity When choosing a hard drive, two important factors to consider are speed and capacity. The capacity of a hard drive determines how much data can be stored, while the speed determines how quickly the data can be accessed or written to/from the hard drive. Generally, the higher the capacity and speed, the better the performance of your computer. Please note that some of our replacement products may come as kits or assemblies, which may include additional parts for installation. These parts will be listed separately as 'Component Parts' in the Highlights section of the product page. If a product is not sold as a kit or assembly, it may still require complementary parts for ease of installation.
