Is exFat or NTFS better for the drive?
exFat supports more devices and OS but if you use the drive for windows only, then i would say NTFS is the way to go. format with cluster size 4 KB. if it’s a drive with at least 16 TB, format with cluster size 8 KB
if you want exFat, format with cluster size 128 KB, wouldn’t take any higher value. the higher the value, the more space will be wasted but it depends on the sizes of your files. if you store tons of small files, then it will be a big waste of space ( if you pack this files with winrar and store the archive file on your drive instead, then no space will be wasted)
look, the waste of space can be huge (on the second drive with 2 TB i packed most of those files with winrar, otherwise it would be much more wasted space)
more about cluster sizes:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/default-cluster-size-for-ntfs-fat-and-exfat-9772e6f1-e31a-00d7-e18f-73169155af95
It mainly depends on your needs.
NTFS has some advantages over exFAT in these aspects:
1. It provides advanced security with file permissions and encryption.
2. Journaling helps prevent data loss in case of crashes.
3. It supports file compression, which saves storage space on the hard drive.
However, NTFS is not that widely compatible than exFAT on non-Windows systems. For example, macOS can read NTFS external hard drives, but cannot natively write in them without using a third-party driver.
exFAT is highly compatible across different platforms, OS and devices, however it lacks the advanced features that NTFS can offer. Besides, if you’re installing a full Windows OS to an external drive to boot from, NTFS is generally required. [ Read further: exFAT vs. NTFS: Performance, Speed, Compatibility, Limits ]
Choosing between exFAT and NTFS really comes down to how you use your drive. exFAT is a great fit for portable storage like SD cards, USB drives, and external SSDs because it works smoothly across Windows, macOS, Linux, and many cameras and media devices. It also handles large files without issues and is lightweight, which suits flash storage well. NTFS is designed mainly for Windows computers and offers extra features like better protection against crashes and file permissions. If your drive moves between devices, exFAT is usually the better choice.
