Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) hard drive A SCSI hard drive uses thinner ribbon cables than an IDE hard drive. It provides high speed and performance, but is usually more expensive than an IDE hard drive. It is ideal for workstations and storage area networks.It is popularly used with mid- to high-end applications such as network connected storage, filing, and printing, RAID storage arrays, data mining, database organization, data streaming, intensive graphic applications, and CAD. Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) hard drive An IDE hard drive connects to the computer using flat ribbon cables. It is the cheapest type of hard drive and is ideal for home use, gaming, and small businesses. It comes in different speeds and capacities. An 80GB drive with a 2MB cache usually runs at 7,200 rpm. Serial AT Attachment (ATA) hard drive A serial ATA or SATA uses serial cables instead of the parallel ones used on SCSI and IDE. It provides a large capacity, a fast speed and transfer rate, and a big buffer. It is commonly used as an upgrade especially if the previous drive does not work well with high graphics, storage, and organization. External hard drive An external hard drive is housed in a separate case plugged into the USB or FireWire port. It has limited capabilities and is commonly used as a backup drive. It is designed for mobile use and can easily be transferred between computers. | 
