External Drive
Oct 9, 2020 11:07:45 #
Oct 9, 2020 11:14:14 #
Oct 9, 2020 11:21:42 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
Western Digital (WD) Passport, pick your size, pick your color.
Or a WD My Passport Ultra.
Oct 9, 2020 11:45:55 #
Or whatever is on sale at your favorite big box store. Western Digital or Seagate. For 2 TB is should be $60 or so.
Oct 9, 2020 13:05:41 #
I use 1 TB solid state drives. A little more expensive but no moving parts to fail and they are faster to up and down load. Smaller too. Costco has some on sale. If you buy a disc drive get a carrying case that will protect it if you drop it.
Oct 9, 2020 20:37:23 #
therwol
Loc: USA
ccook2004 wrote:
I need recommendations for an external drive. At least 2TB. Thanks
Whatever you buy, it should be in duplicate or triplicate for backups. These things can fail. Data can become corrupted if you disconnect one incorrectly. Look into cloud storage as well. Some use a combination of both.
Oct 10, 2020 06:09:43 #
It also depends on how you use it. If you are going on trips and taking it with you, you might want to look at SSDs that can sustain falls and knocks etc. I use a Lacie but Sandisc also do extreme versions.
Oct 10, 2020 06:53:46 #
ccook2004 wrote:
I need recommendations for an external drive. At least 2TB. Thanks
I am not a fan of the cheap drives that are being suggested here. If you don't want to spend what it costs to get an SSD, a reliable alternative would be to purchase a datacenter/enterprise class drive and a drive enclosure. It will be more expensive but the warranty is 5 yrs as opposed to the 1 or 2 years you get with the cheap stuff. WD Gold, HGST Ultrastar, WD Black - are drives that have 5 yr warranties.
https://www.newegg.com/black-wd2003fzex-2tb/p/N82E16822236624
https://www.newegg.com/orico-3569s3-us-bk-enclosure/p/0VN-0003-00144?Description=3.5%22%20drive%20enclosure&cm_re=3.5%22_drive%20enclosure-_-9SIA1DS5V03624-_-Product
It takes about 2 minutes to assemble the drive in the case - and you'll have a better overall solution. I consider a $60 2 TB drive a waste of money. Whatever you get, if you are using the drive to expand the storage on your computer, consider getting 2 so you can have a backup.
Oct 10, 2020 07:39:16 #
Gene is absolutely right. I have put together dozens of drives as he suggests, and would never recommend a ready to go external drive, other than solid state. That's another topic.
Oct 10, 2020 08:52:07 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
Western Digital (WD) Passport, pick your size, pick your color.
Oct 10, 2020 08:55:10 #
Oct 10, 2020 08:59:17 #
AirWalter
Loc: Tipp City, Ohio
ccook2004 wrote:
I need recommendations for an external drive. At least 2TB. Thanks
Be aware that ever since passport type harddrives have been on the market that they are prone to early failure due to the heat build up in those very cramped containers that they are in. It would be a good idea to have duplicate backup drive for insurance. That way if one fails you can use the duplicate drive to make another copy of your files.
Oct 10, 2020 09:14:54 #
Gene51 wrote:
I am not a fan of the cheap drives that are being ... (show quote)
Gene - you, TriX and others are down on the cheaper drives like WD Passport. How important a factor is usage? If you only plug in a Passport occasionally instead of 24/7, would that make a difference in your evaluation?
Oct 10, 2020 09:20:50 #
AirWalter wrote:
Be aware that ever since passport type harddrives have been on the market that they are prone to early failure due to the heat build up in those very cramped containers that they are in. It would be a good idea to have duplicate backup drive for insurance. That way if one fails you can use the duplicate drive to make another copy of your files.
Does the type of surface the drive sits on make a difference in the heat transfer from the drive?
Oct 10, 2020 09:34:24 #
AirWalter
Loc: Tipp City, Ohio
srt101fan wrote:
Does the type of surface the drive sits on make a difference in the heat transfer from the drive?
I suppose it could, but I don't think that is the main issue. There is no circulation in those small containers and they can get very warm.
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