Best external hard drives to buy right now?

So, turns out the Amazon expansion from 1 TB is actually about half the price of the 2 TB drive—math is mathing, I guess. If you're looking for something beefier, you can snag a 3 TB Seagate Technology drive for roughly $333 right here:

Benjamin King2 said:So, I was looking at those Seagate Expansion drives, right? And—wait, this is kind of wild—it looks like the 1 TB version is actually like, half the price of the 2 TB one! That seems totally crazy, doesn't it? Like, why even bother with the smaller one if the jump isn't worth it, though I guess if you're on a super tight budget, maybe it makes sense? Anyway, does anyone know if they have a 3 TB Seagate available for around... well, I wasn't going to finish that thought, but you get what I mean! $333:

Yeah, but see, this is the desktop version. My external drive is basically going on a little trip every 45 minutes or so, moving from one spot to another... like, eight times a day, every single day, except for holidays. And all the data on there? It’s constantly changing—new stuff being added, old files getting updated, things being deleted... it's just a total whirlwind of data every single day!

I mean, honestly, I don't really need some external drive just to stash about 100 movies behind my computer and totally forget it exists. Both Western Digital and Toshiba have those cheaper desktop versions available, too. But, I guess my thinking is that "desktop" implies they aren't exactly built for being tossed around, you know? Like, they probably wouldn't handle being moved much compared to the non-desktop versions. And since I definitely need a non-desktop version that can actually handle being carried around, I should probably stick to those!

So, anyway, I finally made up my mind! I'm going with the Toshiba Canvio. Now I just need to find a really solid, heavy-duty protective case to keep everything safe and sound.

There aren't any desktop or, I don't know, laptop versions available. 🙂 Honestly, I have no clue why they'd even bother putting "Desktop" in the model name—it’s just an external drive like any other one you'd find sitting on your desk.

The desktop version actually needs its own power outlet since it comes with a plug, whereas the other one just draws power straight from the USB port. I guess it’s just a bit tricky because I don't always have an open outlet available in every single classroom.

I'm looking for an external HDD to record stuff from my TV. My TV manufacturer (Panasonic) says I need one with its own power supply.
Is there actually such a thing as a 2.5" HDD that uses an external power brick? I can't find anything online, I only see the 3.5" ones.

Hey,
Looking for some advice on the best drive to grab by $167. I don't really care about speed—just need something reliable with a solid warranty since it’s just for storing old docs I don't need right now. Drop some links if you got 'em.
Thanks.

Transcend, Adata, and PQI usually offer a 3-year warranty, whereas most other brands just stick to 2 years:

http://www.bestbuy.com/tvr...st-buy/0702297
http://www.amazon.com/van...usb-30/0140477
http://www.newegg.com/index.php?page=artikl&id=051520382

The housings on those PQI drives are actually pretty solid, though.

Looking for some advice. I'm in the market for a 500 GB external hard drive for work—mostly just daily data backups and stuff like that. I'm currently torn between these options:
- Western Digital Elements Portable WDBUZG5000ABK
- Toshiba Stor.E Plus
- PQI H552V
They're all 2.5'' drives with USB 3.0.
The only difference is that the PQI comes with a 36-month warranty, while the other two only offer 24 months. My main priorities are low noise levels and overall reliability.

You can grab a Western Digital drive with a solid 3-year warranty and some pretty reliable hardware here:

Honestly—I wouldn't touch WD with a ten-foot pole. Just go for the longer warranty.

So, I already pulled the trigger on a Seagate Expansion 500 GB, and if this thing isn't solid, I'm gonna be pretty bummed... but what I really need to know is how to format it so I can plug it into my Sony Blu-ray player. I want to be able to watch movies, check out photos, and obviously blast some music... Right now, I've tried both NTFS and exFAT, but the Blu-ray player won't read either one—it just keeps throwing an "unsupported device" error at me.

Just go ahead and format it as exFAT.

Benjamin King2 said:Just format it as exFAT.

Alright, but how do I actually do that??

Formatting a Seagate Expansion 500 GB for use on Windows or macOS

Hey, I'm looking for an external hard drive to store music and movies. I need about 2 or 3TB capacity, USB 3.0, and if possible, something with 7200rpm. I don't have any other specific requirements; I'm just aiming for a solid best buy here.
Can you guys recommend one of these, or maybe a better alternative?

3TB options:
http://www.nabava.net/cvrsti-diskovi...00rpm__5146831
http://www.nabava.net/cvrsti-diskovi...j1-35__5062571
http://www.nabava.net/cvrsti-diskovi...sn-35__5354531

2TB options:
http://www.nabava.net/cvrsti-diskovi...00rpm__1261371
http://www.nabava.net/cvrsti-diskovi...j1-35__5062561
http://www.nabava.net/cvrsti-diskovi...00rpm__5146821

Depending on the model, I guess the 3TB ones aren't actually much more cost-effective than the 2TB versions..
I'm also open to suggestions for an internal drive plus a desktop case..

Look, if you’re dead set on getting a 7200 rpm drive, you’re basically looking at buying a separate hard drive and an enclosure to house it—because, honestly, that kind of speed is overkill for basic storage, so manufacturers don't bother making pre-built external drives that fast. You could just grab a chassis like this one and pop in whatever specific drive you're craving:

A 7200rpm spindle speed isn't exactly a dealbreaker... but why isn't this 3TB Western Digital My Book running at 7200rpm?

Actually, Verbatim drives are those green models. In my experience, Western Digital drives tend to fail quite a bit—honestly, I’d probably go with Seagate instead.

Which Seagate should I go with here... if it even matters? And what's the deal with Toshiba? To me, Toshiba doesn't really scream "reliable hard drive," though maybe I'm wrong about that..
Even if I ignore the RPM, which route is better... picking one of these pre-built ones or just grabbing an enclosure and a standalone drive?
As far as reliability goes, I honestly don't know. I've been running a Western Digital in my laptop for almost three years without any issues, and a Samsung in my desktop for at least six years now, also totally fine..
Before that, I used Seagate and Western Digital, but I eventually stopped using them because the capacities were just too small..
I don't know.. maybe I've just been lucky so far..

edit:
I've also heard that this My Book model sells really well and performs quite well; a friend of mine has had one for three years and is pretty happy with it..
On the flip side, I've read in plenty of places that Western Digital drives tend to fail more often..

I am looking to pick up an external hard drive—specifically a 2TB model. Does anyone have a solid recommendation? I’m planning on heading over to Links to grab it.

dustyraven27 said:As far as reliability goes—honestly, I can't say for sure... I've had a WD in my laptop for almost three years without a single hiccup, and a Samsung in my desktop for at least six years now, also running smooth as silk..

Look, it’s basically a roll of the dice—there aren't any real guarantees here. Your drive might crap out after a year, or it might just keep chugging along for ten. It doesn't matter what brand you pick.

silverseal20 said:I'm looking to buy a 2TB external hard drive. Any recommendations? Planning to pick it up at Best Buy.

Just make sure whatever you get has the longest warranty possible. This one seems alright, and it comes with a 3-year warranty: http://www.diskont24.com/product.php?productid=130096