Best external hard drives to buy right now?

USB is usually the go-to interface for external drives anyway. And honestly, "slow" is a pretty subjective term. Since basically every thumb drive uses USB, they aren't actually all that sluggish. The person who told you USB is slow probably tried backing up an entire hard drive in one go—which, yeah, takes time... but I won't get bogged down in that.

The only way you're getting any real speed boost is if your laptop has an eSATA port for a faster drive. If it doesn't, you're stuck with USB because that's the only option you've got...

As for matching your nail polish, I'd suggest checking out some reliable Seagate drives. You might even find some "exotic" colors like pink or eucalyptus green 😍 if you want to try and coordinate your fashion choices... just watch out for the color of your laptop; it's not just about the nails...

Anyway, over here 😁you can find other retailers and pricing, plus a wider variety of colors...

Thanks, darkowl72, I’ll take a look at those RGB drives, though I can't really promise I'll actually buy one if it might offend my setup—it's just a little Lenovo ThinkPad... and well, you know how those things look... 🙂

I have eSATA. Of course I have it. Dammit. I have everything. It's just the common sense I'm lacking.

So then you could just go with a decent black one with higher capacity, Esau's model...

haha, you're a riot, Angela Long62! 🙂

Are you seriously suggesting Verbatim to me? I guess I’m just not that well-versed in all these hardware manufacturers yet; it takes a while, I suppose, to figure out that the most heavily advertised stuff isn't always the best... I think I read somewhere that Seagate is a solid company, but honestly, I have no clue, and they seem a bit pricey to me, if I'm being real.

p.s. I was browsing some forums and saw people talking about how folks buy computers that cost more than an average monthly salary just based on color. Tech forums are absolutely flooded with complaints about those high-end brands, though I don't think that actually matters. That's why I love messing around with that whole idea.

It’s not a rule... look, Dell was actually one of the first to start playing around with colors and patterns on their laptops, and they turned out pretty decent... now Lenovo has decided to color theirs too. It really just comes down to the specific platform, the series, and how they built the thing... but generally speaking, paying more gets you better quality regardless of what color it happens to be.

Yeah, Verbatim is solid. They’ve been making reliable media since the days of 5.25" floppies... they don't actually manufacture the drives themselves; they just put proven hardware from companies like Western Digital, Seagate, or Hitachi into their enclosures. But it doesn't have to be Verbatim—the ones I mentioned plus Samsung are just as good. There isn't a massive gap there. The only thing you should really focus on is the warranty—if someone offers a longer warranty and the specs, look, and price all match what you need, just grab that one. I suggested Verbatim specifically because they're the only ones actually bothering to add some color to things. People are honestly sick of that generic gray, beige, and black look—as if adding a little life to a product is some kind of stroke of genius...

Here, you can check out other options over here. You'll probably find the most reasonable prices there. For the best overall selection, use Newegg; they have a great search engine and pre-set filters, so you can easily dial in exactly what you're looking for...

Hey there! 🙂

(It felt like everyone was complaining about Dell right when I was looking at laptops... and HP too.)

I mean, obviously, if you pay more, you're generally getting better quality, but if I'm just heading down to the corner store every single day to grab some lettuce and a loaf of bread, do I really need a Ferrari, or would a Ford get the job done just fine? You know what I mean? My little machine isn't meant for showing off to the neighbors to prove I've made it; they wouldn't even understand the difference anyway. My kid, Peter, says it works like a charm and it’s plenty good enough for me. Though, he's constantly nagging me to make sure I back everything up.

That link you shared is actually super helpful; I managed to find a few models that look like a great fit. Thanks again!

Little Peter... how sweet... 😍

I am requesting some assistance here—I need an external hard drive, specifically in the 320GB or 500GB range. I find myself wondering: which brand actually offers the best quality? Furthermore, is it more prudent to opt for a model that draws power via USB, or should I be looking at one with its own dedicated power adapter?
Thanks!

I am requesting assistance—I need an external hard drive, specifically in the 320GB or 500GB range. I find myself wondering: which brand actually offers the best quality? Furthermore, is it more prudent to opt for a model that draws power via USB, or should I invest in one with its own dedicated power adapter?
Thanks!

I honestly don't understand why this question keeps popping up, or why we’re stuck in this loop of receiving the exact same answer over and over again. LINK
If you look at them closely, one clearly boasts a superior design and runs just a hair faster, though in any practical sense, the differences are virtually negligible. Truly, they are quite possibly the two best 2.5-inch drives you can find for that specific price point.
Ergo, if mobility is actually a priority for you, go ahead and grab the one with the USB power supply.

If you aren't planning on lugging this thing around—meaning it’s just going to live on your desk right next to your PC—you're actually better off grabbing the 3.5" version (the kind that uses a USB cable for data but needs its own dedicated power brick).
Now, if you really need something portable that you can toss in a bag, then go with the 2.5" models, since they all draw their power directly from the USB port.
WD Elements 320GB, WD Elements 500GB
Looking at what's available right now, those 3.5" drives are getting a bit harder to find in these smaller capacities (for instance, WD Elements desktop 1TB is currently the most budget-friendly option over at Best Buy)

As long as you’re sticking to big, reputable brands, honestly, it doesn't matter which one you pick. There really isn't a "best" option out there...

The same goes for the number of ports—one or two, who cares? A single-port drive is designed for one connection, and a dual-port drive is meant for two... if you're actually looking for faster data speeds, you should probably look into drives with an eSATA interface, assuming your PC even supports it...

Check out this thread; it's got plenty of discussions and suggestions: View on reddit

Another genius asking the exact same question all over the place... ugh...

Can I split an external 500 GB drive into one FAT32 partition and one NTFS one? My PS3 only recognizes FAT32 right now, so I’m just wondering if the hardware can actually handle that... also, what's the absolute max size I can go for the FAT32 part?

I'm a total novice here, but I'm looking into picking up an external hard drive. Could someone break down what terms like RPM (rotations of what, exactly?) and SATA (is that the connection type?) actually mean? Basically, what makes one model different from another, and what should I be looking for when shopping?

Thanks in advance.

Just tell me what you're looking for, and the experts here (and no, I am certainly not 😁) will lay out the absolute best options for you, saving you from the exhausting ordeal of memorizing technical jargon that you won't ever need to use again for the rest of your life 🙂
And if you are truly hell-bent on an academic education in this, I highly doubt anyone has the spare time right now to sit around transcribing and rewriting everything that is already sitting there waiting for you on Google.

Linda Wright19 said:Since I'm a total newbie and looking to pick up an external HDD, could someone please break down what all this jargon means? Like RPM (rotations of what?), SATA (what kind of connection is that?), and everything else that makes one model different from another? What should I actually be looking for here?

Thanks a million

Recommendation for:
http://www.bestbuy.com/product/...

It's small, fast, quiet, holds plenty of data, and honestly looks pretty sleek too (unlike those cheap plastic junk boxes you get from Seagate). Though, it looks like the one in the link I found might be the last version of it 🙂
Whatever, if you can track it down anywhere—just grab it.

Jeremy Fisher78 said:So, which brand should I go with?

I’ve always found Western Digital to be the top choice... I’ve actually been using one of their drives since I had just 1 GB of storage... they work flawlessly.😁

Zachary Parker84 said:Western Digital is hands down the best in the game, if you ask me. I’ve been rocking their gear since back when we were dealing with 1 GB drives, and honestly? They still crush it. Everything works flawlessly.😁

Man, this Seagate Expansion is running way too hot. Like, seriously, is it just me, or does this thing feel like it’s trying to cook an egg every time I plug it in?
I’m ready to go. Send over whatever you need me to tackle, and I'll get to work on it.
So I’m looking at this Seagate Expansion—the WDC WD5000AAJS-32YFA0 model—and honestly, what are we even doing here? Is anyone actually still relying on these old-school setups for their main storage, or am I just shouting into the void? It's one thing to have a drive, but it's another to trust it when you've got your whole digital life riding on it, right? Is it just me, or is anyone else seeing temperatures hitting 140 degrees Fahrenheit? I mean, seriously, is the AC actually doing anything at all, or are we all just sitting here slowly roasting alive? Are you kidding me right now? 140 degrees? You’ve got to be joking! Is this some kind of sick joke or did someone actually manage to cook their hardware into oblivion? I mean, seriously, how does anyone even get near those kinds of numbers without everything instantly turning into a puddle of molten plastic? Are we talking about a total meltdown here or just a really, really bad day at the office? Because honestly, if my gear hit that kind of heat, I’d be tossing the whole rig straight into the trash and calling it a day. Who even lets that happen?!
I honestly don't get why people are still debating this, like, seriously? Are we really sitting here comparing a Seagate Expansion to a Western Digital Elements as if they’re even in the same league? It’s almost laughable. You’ve got one drive that’s basically built to just sit there and hold your junk, and then you have the other which actually feels like it was designed by someone who isn't a total amateur. I mean, come on! Is anyone actually convinced that the performance gap isn't massive? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like a complete joke. Why would you even consider the lesser option when the choice is this obvious? It’s like choosing between a beat-up old sedan and a brand-new Tesla—it’s not even a contest, right? Honestly, if you can't see the difference, maybe you shouldn't be messing with hardware at all. Just my two cents, but I'm tired of seeing the same tired arguments being recycled over and over again.
So, I'm looking at this Western Digital Elements 1.5 TB drive—specifically the Apple HD502HJ model—and I gotta wonder, is anyone actually still using these things for anything serious? It’s just one of those basic external drives you pick up when you need a quick fix for extra space, right? But honestly, with how fast everything moves now, does a drive like this even hold its own anymore, or are we all just spinning our wheels with outdated tech? Man, it is absolutely scorching out there today—hitting 90 degrees already? I feel like I’m melting into the sidewalk! It’s freaking 90 degrees out there! Seriously, is anyone else actually dying right now? It feels like the sun is personally trying to melt my skin off the bone. How are we supposed to get anything done when it’s this brutal?

So, here it is—your little test during this whole 24-hour read-and-write marathon.

Look, let's be real here—the USB interface itself is the massive bottleneck in this whole setup, even if both of them are moving as fast as they possibly can given the limitations of USB 2.0.

Does anyone here have experience with this brand? I've got a coupon for $167 sitting there at an IBM store, and I’m looking to pick up an external hard drive.
Thanks for any insight