Whether you're adding a new internal SSD to your computer or picking up an external drive for something a little more portable, you won't get far unless you format that drive with a file system your computer can recognize. If you're using a Windows computer, that means a choice between FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS, which are all file systems developed by Microsoft for the operating system. FAT32 is widely supported, but it has severe restrictions on file and partition sizes, which aren't suitable for most modern use. So, if you had to choose between exFAT and NTFS, which one would you use?
✕ Remove Ads
Related
4 next-generation file systems that you can actually use today
ZFS, BtrFS, Bcachefs, EROFS, these are the names of some next-generation file systems that you can actually use today.
5 Compatibility
Both were designed by Microsoft but for different uses
Close
Compatibility with the operating systems you will be using the drive on is the most important consideration when choosing between any file system. If your operating system can't read the way the data is structured, it doesn't know how to display the files you need. Both exFAT and NTFS are Microsoft-developed, so they will work on any version of Windows.
exFAT: Works with all versions of Windows, any modern version of macOS, and any Linux distribution (Kernel 5.7 or newer has native support; earlier versions will need additional software) NTFS: All versions of Windows, Xbox One, X|S, read-only on macOS (it is possible to get write permissions, but it's annoying), limited read-only support on Linux
✕ Remove Ads
But support on other operating systems can vary wildly. exFAT was designed as a portable file system to bridge the gap between use cases for FAT32 and NTFS, and as such, has wide support among other operating systems, including macOS, Android, iOS, and many of the modern gaming consoles. NTFS works best with Windows only, although you can make macOS able to write to NTFS drives, although it's not an ideal situation.
Related
4 reasons I still use an external hard drive
External hard drives are going out of fashion, but I still find tons of uses for them
4 File and partition sizes
Both are similar but with some crucial differences
Another important aspect to consider when choosing any file system is the size limits for individual files and partitions. With 32-bit file systems, the limit was 4GB per file, and you couldn't make partitions over 8TB. That was a huge amount of storage at the time it was created, so it's likely Microsoft didn't think far ahead.
✕ Remove Ads
But both exFAT and NTFS have much greater limitations. exFAT can support up to 128 petabytes for both file size and partition size, which is a really large number. You can store 128 billion 1MB JPEGs in that space or 10,437.052 years of video footage, or scroll through 100 TikToks per hour for the next 11,239 years or so. NTFS has lower limits, but they're still well in excess of any data files you could create. The file and volume sizes increase according to the cluster size used, from 16TB at 4KB cluster size to 8PB at 2,048KB cluster size.
Both are more than the largest hard drives you can buy today, so file and volume size isn't a real-world consideration for either file system here.
Related
How to partition an SSD: A step-by-step guide
Partitioning an SSD has various benefits, and it only takes a few minutes to do.
3 Features
NTFS wins out on feature set as the more modern file system
✕ Remove Ads
NTFS is a more modern file system than exFAT and, as such, is filled with features that you will appreciate even if you never know they're there. The file system used in every modern Windows installation includes file permissions for security purposes, shadow copies for backups, encryption, the ability to set disk quota limits, and more. You also get journaling, which tracks file and system changes so you can recover errors if your computer crashes. You also get the ability to set hard links, and it's an ideal file system for your boot drive. The things that make it great for internal drives mean it's not that suited for portable drives, but that's okay because exFAT is here to fill that role.
ExFAT's feature set is smaller, but that's because it was designed as a lightweight file system for use on USB drives and SD cards. It does have a few useful features, though, like the ability to restore deleted files after unintentional deletion and other data recovery tasks. That's why it's so good for removable storage and is the default file system for SDXC cards larger than 32GB.
Related
5 tips for setting up BitLocker on Windows to secure your files
Use BitLocker the right way
✕ Remove Ads
2 Speed
exFAT is often faster for external drives but loses out to NTFS for internal storage
SSD speeds, TrueNAS Scale
Speed of file transfers is an important consideration, and it depends on your file sizes as to which file system you would choose. exFAT can handle large file sizes better, which is handy when transferring video files off your camera or loading movie files onto a Raspberry Pi or other SBC to use as a media center. And NTFS handles batches of smaller files much more efficiently, which is perfect for internal drives, whether used as an operating system drive or for storage.
Related
Samsung 990 Evo Plus review: Somewhat speedier Samsung storage
Samsung's latest mainstream M.2 NVMe SSD is good enough, but the competition is strong at this price point.
1 Storage type
The type of storage media comes into play
Close
✕ Remove Ads
If you're putting an internal drive into a Windows-based computer, you will most often want to use NTFS as the file system, as it's designed to work with your operating system as a cohesive, fault-tolerant whole. It's the file system Windows will default to, and there is no real reason to change it for normal use. For external drives, it depends on the other devices you plan to use it with. If everything is Windows-based or is an Xbox One or X|S, then you can use NTFS. For any other use cases, exFAT is the best for external hard drives, flash drives, and SSDs, because it has the widest range of compatibility.
Related
How to install games to an SD card on the Asus ROG Ally
Carry a vast collection of games on your ROG Ally
NTFS and exFAT are both useful file systems in the right situation
Both NTFS and exFAT were designed by Microsoft. They are intended for different use cases, mainly with a split between internal and external drives, but there are a few other reasons you might choose one over the other. exFAT is compatible with more devices, while NTFS has more advanced features. If you're a Mac user, you'll want to use either exFAT or APFS for your external drives because NTFS on macOS is irritating and can lead to data corruption.
✕ Remove Ads