How Long Does It Take to Copy a 2TB Hard Disk to Another?

Transferring data from one 2TB hard disk to another can be a time-consuming process. Factors such as transfer speed, file system, and the type of data being copied can all impact the time required. In this article, we will discuss these factors and provide examples to help you estimate the copying time.

Factors Affecting Transfer Time

Multiple factors can influence the time it takes to copy data from one 2TB hard disk to another. Let's break down these factors:

Transfer Speed

The speed at which data can be moved from one disk to another is crucial. Transfer speeds are typically measured in megabytes per second (MB/s). Common transfer speeds include:

USB 2.0: Approximately 30 MB/s USB 3.0: Approximately 100–600 MB/s SATA III internal: Up to 600 MB/s

The actual speed you experience will depend on factors such as the quality of the cable, the USB port, and any noise or interference in the environment.

File System and Fragmentation

The file system used, such as NTFS or FAT32, and the extent of fragmentation on the source disk can also affect data transfer speeds. A more fragmented file system can lead to slower copying times.

Type of Data

The type and size of the files being copied play a significant role. For instance, a large number of small files may take longer to copy than a few large files due to higher overhead.

Calculation Example

Let's perform a calculation for copying a 2TB hard disk using USB 3.0 with an average speed of 150 MB/s. Here are the steps and results:

Convert 2TB to MB:

2 TB 2 × 1024 GB 2048 GB 2048 × 1024 MB 2097152 MB

Calculate time:

Time (seconds) (Total Data MB) / (Transfer Speed MB/s)

2097152 MB / 150 MB/s ≈ 13941 seconds

Convert to hours:

13941 seconds / 3600 ≈ 3.87 hours ≈ 3 hours and 52 minutes

Real-World Examples

Copying a 2TB hard disk under optimal conditions using USB 3.0 at an average speed of 150 MB/s would take approximately 3 hours and 52 minutes. However, actual times can vary based on your specific circumstances.

Case Study:

I recently copied data from a 7200 RPM SATA hard disk to an M.2 NVMe SSD that was approximately 2/3 full. The process took about 3 hours. If the destination had been another HDD, it would have taken longer. Conversely, if the external USB drive was used as the destination, the time would have been even longer.

Another Example:

A few months ago, I cloned data from two 4TB HDDs to one 8TB HDD. The cloning process had an average speed of around 170 MB/s, resulting in an approximate copy rate of 102 GB per minute or 612 GB per hour. Based on this speed, a 2TB (1862 GB) HDD would take approximately 3 hours to copy under optimal conditions.

For a slower speed of 120 MB/s, the copying would take about 4.5 hours, while at 90 MB/s, it would take around 6 hours in the worst-case scenario.

Using Special Tools for Cloning

Cloning a disk using specialized tools is generally faster than manually dragging and dropping folders. By leveraging these tools, you can complete the copying process more efficiently, typically in a fraction of the time it would take via regular file transfers.

Understanding and optimizing these factors will help you estimate the time required for copying large hard disks and minimize the impact on your workflow.