Every single time I format a new HDD (few times a year), this popup gets me:
It defaults to MBR (why?), yet research would indicate that GPT is the smarter option.
I did the research so you don’t have to.
Without any of the technical backstory (seriously, we don’t actually care), here’s your decision process:
If you’re formatting removable media, i.e. a USB stick, pick MBR
You cannot use the GPT partition style on removable media.
If you’re formatting a boot drive for a modern OS (Win7, Win10, etc), pick GPT
You should use GPT unless you’re building a machine to run old OS’s on purpose.
If you’re formatting a drive larger than 2TB, pick GPT
GPT is also required for disks larger than two terabytes (TB).