Hi all, I am looking for some sort of external hdd system. I have seen the Western Digital 1TB My Bookâ„¢ Essential Edition http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822136186
and it looks good, but I don't know what hdd is used.
I could get an iomega external enclosure and purchase a hdd like the Samsung F1.
So what's the better method?[/url]
External HDD recomendations
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
Why do you want a 7200rpm drive for external USB enclosure? USB 2.0 limit practical bandwidth to 20...30 MB/s (highly dependent on chipsets used on both the enclosure and your motherboard) so even a 3 year old 5400rpm HDD can bottleneck it even on the slow inner tracks. Take modern 5400rpm HDD, and it should also be albe to bottleneck the interface (having twice the capability to exceed USB speed, and around four times the speed on outer tracks).
And if we'ra talking about STR, F2 5400rpm is actually as fast as the old F1 7200rpm. F1 may have 2ms faster random access time but you won't be booting your OS from your external HDD, right?
My suggestions:
- buy WD Essential. It will (probably) have 5400rpm Greenpower in it.
- buy (what-ever-brand) USB enclosure and a 5400rpm Samsung F2 Ecogreen or WD Greenpower for it. Don't buy F1 for external use as there's no benefit from high rpm - only more noise.
Benetifs of going the latter route are:
Full 3 year factory warranty for HDD and separate shorter (6 month?) warranty for enclosure. Enclosure rarely fails so in practice, you get better warranty by Do-It-Yourself instead of accepting 1-year-warranty for a prebuilt plug-and-pray solution.
Also, in case the HDD in your enclosure suddenly disappears from you4r system, you can't know if it's the HDD or the enclosure. If you buy a prebuilt external HDD, you can't pop the enclosure open to try mount the HDD internally for data recovery. Warranty void.
And if we'ra talking about STR, F2 5400rpm is actually as fast as the old F1 7200rpm. F1 may have 2ms faster random access time but you won't be booting your OS from your external HDD, right?
My suggestions:
- buy WD Essential. It will (probably) have 5400rpm Greenpower in it.
- buy (what-ever-brand) USB enclosure and a 5400rpm Samsung F2 Ecogreen or WD Greenpower for it. Don't buy F1 for external use as there's no benefit from high rpm - only more noise.
Benetifs of going the latter route are:
Full 3 year factory warranty for HDD and separate shorter (6 month?) warranty for enclosure. Enclosure rarely fails so in practice, you get better warranty by Do-It-Yourself instead of accepting 1-year-warranty for a prebuilt plug-and-pray solution.
Also, in case the HDD in your enclosure suddenly disappears from you4r system, you can't know if it's the HDD or the enclosure. If you buy a prebuilt external HDD, you can't pop the enclosure open to try mount the HDD internally for data recovery. Warranty void.
Enclosures with eSATA and USB2.0 usually only cost a little more or about the same as a USB2.0 only one. I got mine for AUD$39: it included the enclosure itself, USB2.0 and eSATA cables, eSATA bracket, AC power adaptor, manual and CD with backup software. Pretty good value if you ask me, considering that I have seen many other products with not half as good a bundle as mine selling for a lot more. It also has a 12 month warranty. I have seen others with 2 years. So that should not be much of an issue.
You may want to also look into decoupling the Ext-HDD from your desk as it will send annoying vibrations throughout the desk if you place it there. Better still, depending on where you situate your PC case and if the cabling is long enough, you can put it on the floor far enough away from you to minimise the noise.
Building your own external HDD usually gives you better value with the plus of you knowing exactly what brand and model drive you are using. Retail products usually ship with some kind of backup utility software but there are many you can download for free. Some enclosures, like the one I have, come with their own free backup software on a disc to use in conjunction with a One Touch Backup (OTB) button, usually alongside the connection ports and power switch. Although nothing to write home about, it's a nice value-add and it does the job without any pretensions. Good backup software usually costs some money, although you can register for free full versions of software from PC publications' coverdiscs, which you can find in newsagencies and libraries.
You may want to also look into decoupling the Ext-HDD from your desk as it will send annoying vibrations throughout the desk if you place it there. Better still, depending on where you situate your PC case and if the cabling is long enough, you can put it on the floor far enough away from you to minimise the noise.
Building your own external HDD usually gives you better value with the plus of you knowing exactly what brand and model drive you are using. Retail products usually ship with some kind of backup utility software but there are many you can download for free. Some enclosures, like the one I have, come with their own free backup software on a disc to use in conjunction with a One Touch Backup (OTB) button, usually alongside the connection ports and power switch. Although nothing to write home about, it's a nice value-add and it does the job without any pretensions. Good backup software usually costs some money, although you can register for free full versions of software from PC publications' coverdiscs, which you can find in newsagencies and libraries.
Re: External HDD recomendations
It's cheaper to buy an enclosure and a separate HDD.xev wrote:Hi all, I am looking for some sort of external hdd system. I have seen the Western Digital 1TB My Bookâ„¢ Essential Edition http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822136186
and it looks good, but I don't know what hdd is used.
I could get an iomega external enclosure and purchase a hdd like the Samsung F1.
So what's the better method?[/url]
I own a WD Essential Editon and I regret I bought it.
At work we use a cheapo usb-sata enclosure with a spare Sata HDD:
http://www.deltaco.eu/details.aspx?PID=MAP-AL31CS
It feels cheap, lots of plastic and the HDD doesn't spin down automatically if you disconnect the USB from Windows (it comes with a power switch though) but it works well for our purposes.
Shamgar, do you remember what enclosure you purchased?
I will go with one that has esata and maybe usb just in case.
Do i need to get one with a fan? (I plan on placing the external drive under my desk near my tower.)
Will the esata connection make use of a 7200 rpm hdd or would 5400 still be enough?
In either case, what would be a good hdd with a large capacity (750gb min to 1tb)
So far my options:
5400rpm Samsung F2 Ecogreen or WD Greenpower
I will go with one that has esata and maybe usb just in case.
Do i need to get one with a fan? (I plan on placing the external drive under my desk near my tower.)
Will the esata connection make use of a 7200 rpm hdd or would 5400 still be enough?
In either case, what would be a good hdd with a large capacity (750gb min to 1tb)
So far my options:
5400rpm Samsung F2 Ecogreen or WD Greenpower
"Will the esata connection make use of a 7200 rpm hdd or would 5400 still be enough?"
eSATA has 150MB/s bandwidth so F1 7200rpm and F2 5400rpm which both have up to 105MB/s on outer tracks, won't be bottlenecked by interface. But since their STR are identical, you won't benefit from F1.
I you needed more performance, you'd need F3. But even though it would give you some performance, I doubt you'd notice it. Only during very big file transfers you'd actually notice a small ~20% increase in speed. Not really worth extra noise as external drives mostly just sit there idling, or streaming video at very low bitrates (compared to STR capability, even reading HDTV video from HDD is very low IO load).
Oh, in case you're not familiar with terminology, STR means Sequential Transfer Rate, the theoretic speed you can read or write stuff from HDD if the file is big enough and you only read or write one file at a time (so no seeking is required).
___
Anyway, unless you plan to use external HDD for stuff like video editing (not just storing your downloaded or self-recorded stuff there for watching it), then go for 5400rpm.
I believe 5400rpm has already become fast enough for booting your OS from it, so storing documents on it... absolutely definitely not the slightest problem with performance.
You don't need a fan on any 5400rpm HDD. They use ~3 watts so they really get only luke warm, at worst-case scenario. Even most 7200rpm drives use less than 7 watts these days (for top capacities, downscales less). A few years back they used to consume around up to 9 watts while idling. Those are the HDDs that definitely benefit from a fan... expecially HDDs like 3-platter Maxtor DiamondMax +9 or 5-platter Hitachi Deskstar 7K400. Even in an all-metal enclosure they can exceed 50 deg C in cool ambient and 60 deg C on prolonged use during summer. Definitely a bad thing.
But as 5400rpm drives use only third of the electricity, they also produce only third of the heat, which also result in temperature delta to ambient being reduced to one third. So, if DM9 would run 60 deg C in hot 30 deg C ambient, modern 5400rpm drive would idle at 40 deg C.
5400rpm drives have so low power consumption that you could probably run them in an all-plastic enclosure. (But I would still recommend an aluminum one. But without a fan, as small fans can get noisy.)
eSATA has 150MB/s bandwidth so F1 7200rpm and F2 5400rpm which both have up to 105MB/s on outer tracks, won't be bottlenecked by interface. But since their STR are identical, you won't benefit from F1.
I you needed more performance, you'd need F3. But even though it would give you some performance, I doubt you'd notice it. Only during very big file transfers you'd actually notice a small ~20% increase in speed. Not really worth extra noise as external drives mostly just sit there idling, or streaming video at very low bitrates (compared to STR capability, even reading HDTV video from HDD is very low IO load).
Oh, in case you're not familiar with terminology, STR means Sequential Transfer Rate, the theoretic speed you can read or write stuff from HDD if the file is big enough and you only read or write one file at a time (so no seeking is required).
___
Anyway, unless you plan to use external HDD for stuff like video editing (not just storing your downloaded or self-recorded stuff there for watching it), then go for 5400rpm.
I believe 5400rpm has already become fast enough for booting your OS from it, so storing documents on it... absolutely definitely not the slightest problem with performance.
You don't need a fan on any 5400rpm HDD. They use ~3 watts so they really get only luke warm, at worst-case scenario. Even most 7200rpm drives use less than 7 watts these days (for top capacities, downscales less). A few years back they used to consume around up to 9 watts while idling. Those are the HDDs that definitely benefit from a fan... expecially HDDs like 3-platter Maxtor DiamondMax +9 or 5-platter Hitachi Deskstar 7K400. Even in an all-metal enclosure they can exceed 50 deg C in cool ambient and 60 deg C on prolonged use during summer. Definitely a bad thing.
But as 5400rpm drives use only third of the electricity, they also produce only third of the heat, which also result in temperature delta to ambient being reduced to one third. So, if DM9 would run 60 deg C in hot 30 deg C ambient, modern 5400rpm drive would idle at 40 deg C.
5400rpm drives have so low power consumption that you could probably run them in an all-plastic enclosure. (But I would still recommend an aluminum one. But without a fan, as small fans can get noisy.)
My enclosure is a Welland ME-740J. It's only available in certain regions. The newer model is ME-745J and is supposed to be quieter and improved according to the manufacturer. Neither of these models use fans. In warmer conditions and with a fairly fast spinning drive in there, things can get quite toasty, so that's something to keep an eye on. It shouldn't be a problem in cooler conditions. In the United States, you may find these enclosures rebranded or under their original guise (? I'm not sure which) under the Vantec NexStar brand; perhaps some others. There's an old roundup of enclosures here that will give you an idea on some different products on the market. Maybe there has been an update since then because that article is from 2006.xev wrote:Shamgar, do you remember what enclosure you purchased?
I will go with one that has esata and maybe usb just in case.
Do i need to get one with a fan? (I plan on placing the external drive under my desk near my tower.)
eSATA will be almost or as fast as internal SATA, depending on the enclosure itself and the connection to the motherboard. 7200RPM will "make use of the connection" but 5400RPM will be enough too. If you're just backing up and copying over large files, there's not a great need to have a faster drive/connection. If you want to use it to boot into an OS or use as a recording drive for use in a DAW for example, a faster drive might be of benefit. But it's better to run that internally in my opinion.xev wrote:Will the esata connection make use of a 7200 rpm hdd or would 5400 still be enough?
In either case, what would be a good hdd with a large capacity (750gb min to 1tb)
So far my options:
5400rpm Samsung F2 Ecogreen or WD Greenpower
Having used both eSATA and USB2.0, I notice that the former is speedier, however, the difference is nothing you would pain over. USB2.0 is more simple in a plug and play sense while eSATA can be a bit fiddly to "safely remove the device" before shutting down the computer. The manual I have says you have to uninstall the drive in Device Manager first, then switch the enclosure's power off. With USB, it's the same as any USB: you can remove the device from the taskbar. In any case, try to get a product with both connections. Sometimes, FireWire connection is an option but that is rarely found nor is it needed by modern PCs with eSATA capability.
As for the capacity, that's up to you. If you think you may need the extra space in the future, go for a larger drive that is known to be quiet as well as decent performing. The price for a 1TB these days is hardly any more than a 500-640GB, so shop around, get some recommendations, and choose one you'll be happy with. Buy from a r(e)tailer that will let you return the product for replacements if there are any problems. Consumer rights in the U.S. are usually better in practice than over here so you shouldn't have a problem there.
Thank you Shamgar, whiic, and new2spcr very much.
From all of your info it looks like the WD10EADS (1Tb) drive should be good for me. It has very similar noise levels to the 640aaks http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/15769/11 which should be ok in an enclosure.
For the enclosure I am considering the following:
COOLMAX HD-380BR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817159096
VANTEC NST-360SU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817392002
macally PHR-S100SUA http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817347016
Any more tips
From all of your info it looks like the WD10EADS (1Tb) drive should be good for me. It has very similar noise levels to the 640aaks http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/15769/11 which should be ok in an enclosure.
For the enclosure I am considering the following:
COOLMAX HD-380BR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817159096
VANTEC NST-360SU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817392002
macally PHR-S100SUA http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817347016
Any more tips
The Vantec is pretty much the same as my enclosure. Even down to the chrome-like accents and bundle. So I was right: they are just rebranded and likely made by the same manufacturer for different regions.The newegg reviews seem mostly positive so it should be a good choice. I can't speak for the others you posted as I haven't used them.xev wrote:Thank you Shamgar, whiic, and new2spcr very much.
From all of your info it looks like the WD10EADS (1Tb) drive should be good for me. It has very similar noise levels to the 640aaks http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/15769/11 which should be ok in an enclosure.
For the enclosure I am considering the following:
COOLMAX HD-380BR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817159096
VANTEC NST-360SU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817392002
macally PHR-S100SUA http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817347016
Any more tips
To correct my previous post, it's the ME-752H that Welland claim to be quieter due to a screwless design and some inner cushioning. Not sure of its effectiveness but I would like to find out. Anyway, if the enclosure is isolated from your desk on a softer surface, it should do an okay job of minimising noise without having to buy a more expensive enclosure.
That's all the tips I can offer right now. Hope you find a good solution.
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whispercat
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