This has to be the best place to ask this [External HDDs]

ed9k · Post by **ed9k** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:01 am

I'm looking at constructing an external hard drive to store music and stuff on. Obviously, I'm looking for something reliable and large as far as the hard drive goes, and I'm hoping to get some monkey input.

what would be a good brand to get?

does the enclosure matter, and if so, what's a good one?

Monkeys, input

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:15 am

I personally have refused to use anything but Seagate drives for the past several years, and have not been disappointed once. Several people I know have been doing the same. Any newer drive from them will be fast, quiet, and reliable. The 300GB drives seem to be the most storage for money in the high ranges. 400GB are still a little more expensive. (the whole top model premium thing...)

For an enclosure, get something Firewire (if you have a Firewire port.) It's faster than USB2.0, more reliable, and it's full-duplex allowing you to send and receive data simultaneously. As far as brand goes, I like Lacie (I have one.) I've used IO-Gear and haven't had problems, and Seagate actually makes external drives, so you wouldn't even have to buy a separate drive and enclosure.

Here's a 300GB external Seagate. (A little funny looking if you ask me, but perfect specs.) http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDe ... ode=101507

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:17 am

Looks like they're out of stock, but you could probably find it at NewEgg or somewhere local.

ed9k · Post by **ed9k** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 10:59 am

Thank you DJu3sRtKin! I knew I could get good info here!

Post by **enderzero** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:41 pm

I am not quite as quick to rule out other hard drive brands. When shopping for storage I compare prices of Seagate, Western Digital, and IBM/Hitachi drives. I avoid Maxtor as a general rule and would likely steer clear of any other brands. I just bought a Seagate 300GB to upgrade my personal external media drive for $120 after rebate from a Fry's/Outpost sale.

I haven't ever shopped around for external cases but I recommmend a case that can interface both Firewire (AKA ieee 1394) and USB2.0. I use Firewire, but it isn't quite as standard as USB2.0. Your HDD price will undoubtedly go up disproportionately when put in an external case. Maybe you should look for a used or broken external hdd on some place like craigslist and then just upgrade the hdd yourself. I bought my Buffalo enclosure in Japan over 2 years ago and it has always worked fine. I would avoid the enclosures that have features such as one-touch backup or such lunacy.

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 1:01 pm

Yeah, those wacky features are unwelcome to me.

My Lacie drive is quite cool. It's only USB2.0 though.

It's really compact though. I only use it for backing things up anyway. I don't actually use it to copy things or travel about with data. (Though I could if the need arose.)

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 1:01 pm

Arise chicken! Chicken arise!!

Post by **enderzero** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 9:38 pm

We should probably mention that there are 2 distinct kinds of external harddrives:

One, the lesser expensive, is just a normal 3.5" hdd in an enclosure that acts as an interface betwen the hdd and the PC. These (always?)require an external power source. This is what we are referring to in this thread and what I definitely recommend. They come in any size that a 3.5" hdd is made in (usually 80GB-300GB).

The second form will be much more expensive. It is the "portable" external drive and marketed to the globe-trotting notebook only crowd. This drive will be much smaller and more expensive and only comes in sizes that are available in 2.5" (notebook) drives (probably 20GB-80GB). This form is most recognizable by its ability to run off of bus power (i.e. USB or Firewire), not requiring it to be plugged into the wall directly.

Go with option 1 for sure.

ed9k · Post by **ed9k** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 6:53 am

Option 1 will be gone with for sure, and I will report back as soon as hard drive has been acquired

out

McNevin · Post by **McNevin** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 10:42 pm

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread ... id=0#post0

i did zero research on this, and im not sure if 120 is enough tho?

http://techbargains.com/j/280.htm

NEO N525U2-SL-LT Silver USB 2.0 External Enclosure for 3.5 Inch Hard Disk Drives / 5.25 Inch CD/DVD-ROM/RW Drives, w/ Fan & Light - RETAIL, for only $19.99 after $3 Off Coupon: techbargains0624 Exp 6/24

Shipping starts from $5.99. (PN#: DSNEO525U2SLLT) emailit

Post by **enderzero** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 11:31 am

Here is a 300GB Seagate External for $170 at Outpost. But it sounds like you may be able to find better.

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 11:49 am

Umm, you mean like the one I linked a few posts up?

Post by **enderzero** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 11:55 am

If by better you mean $80 more, then I suppose

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 2:16 pm

I'm not sure I see the word "better" in my post.

Post by **enderzero** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 2:23 pm

I think all that upgrading must be going to your head because it is obviously there.

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 2:43 pm

You tend to overstep your boundaries when it comes to power.

Here's how I am Dennis. I'm blowing up the planet.

Damned word-adding bastardry!

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 2:44 pm

Ooohhhh, are you having another total devastation sale?

Post by **enderzero** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 2:35 pm

Strangely enough I am having a little trouble with my External HDD not supporting ATA-6.

There are a lot more details at my HardOCP Forum post (my first one there - anyone have a better place to ask this sorta thing?).

If anyone is up to the techie.jp challenge then have at it. Any help is mucho appreciatatado.

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 3:16 pm

HardOCP is probably the best place to ask questions. Which is somewhat unfortunate. Not because people on there don't know what they're talking about. (Most of them are pretty intelligent with this stuff.) The problem though, is that they are somewhat mobbish in their devotion to certain brands. I try to ask very general questions when I'm on there.

For example, if you were to post this: "Does anyone know why my Abit/Asus/MSI board is having this problem?"

They would respond with: "Buy a DFI board."

So, if you can get past that, and find someone who is willing to help across the brand-barrier, then you will probably get the help you need.

I'm sure the Admiral has noticed this as well.

McNevin · Post by **McNevin** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 1:59 pm

He speaks the truth!

If you can wade through their overly biased opinions, it is an exelent place to get info.

Post by **enderzero** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 3:30 pm

No one there seems to care about my external woes. Or no one knows...

McNevin · Post by **McNevin** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 3:44 pm

A RESOLUTION AND CONCLUSION

The situation today is that OXFW911 based solutions are now shipping with ATA-6 support. In order to guarantee compatibility with all ATA-6 devices, new firmware and new circuitry are shipping to the marketplace. These new products work extremely well and ably provide the ability to create FireWire drives with ultra large capacities. 200GB units are shipping now from WiebeTech, and other vendors of FireWire enclosures are certain to follow.

There are implications to the consumer which are immediately obvious: most OXFW911 designs currently shipping are not capable of providing ATA-6 support (unless the vendor specifically provides and supports an upgrade program). Products currently sitting on retail shelves are certainly not capable of accepting all of the new ATA-6 drives. Users who are not careful in their product and vendor selection run the risk of purchasing products that will not meet their needs in the long run.

The OXFW911, when modified with ATA-6 support, remains the preferred solution for FireWire drives. It is a market leader because it is compatible with all major operating systems and drives. It is very fast, and very easy to use. From the userâ€™s point of view, it provides plug and play external storage solutions.

The recent introduction of high capacity ATA-6 drives into the marketplace briefly confounded the OXFW911, but this has now been resolved through a redesign of the external circuitry and by firmware update.

WiebeTech is now shipping FireWire storage solutions which incorporate these improvements into the product line. WiebeTech is also supporting an upgrade program for most of its products. These upgrades allow the consumer to pay a modest fee and receive back a FireWire enclosure with ATA-6 support. Note: The Upgrade program was discontinued on Dec. 31, 2002

McNevin · Post by **McNevin** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 3:49 pm

Try this...

http://www.triumphtech.com/Driver/Oxford160GB.zip

teh Forum

teh Forum

This has to be the best place to ask this [External HDDs]

This has to be the best place to ask this [External HDDs]