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Help with Choosing External Hard Drive

Post Date: 2009-11-14
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B5GkarNarn View Drop Down
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Posts: 170 		  Quote B5GkarNarn Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Topic: Help with Choosing External Hard Drive
    Posted: 14 Nov 2009 at 2:07pm
I currently have a 100 GB USB portable external hard drive that I use to backup my current PC that only has an 80 GB internal hard drive.  My new DS rig (that is coming next week) has 2 internal hard drives: a 500 GB &  1 TB.
 
1) Therefore, what size/type/brand,etc. of external hard drive should I get for my new DS rig?
 
Please note that I like the small size of the portable external hard drives because I have very liitle space but I don't think that they come in larger sizes than 640 GB. 
 
2) Are there any portable external hard drives larger than 640 GB?
 
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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 14 Nov 2009 at 3:54pm
make your own

click on clone guide in my sig, and then at the bottom of my post in the clone guide you will see links for HDDs and external enclosures, look for one that has a fan.

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Posts: 170 		  Quote B5GkarNarn Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 15 Nov 2009 at 7:14pm
Originally posted by DST4ME

make your own

click on clone guide in my sig, and then at the bottom of my post in the clone guide you will see links for HDDs and external enclosures, look for one that has a fan.
How do I choose the correct HDD and external enclosure out of all of the different options that are in those links?  
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Posts: 387 		  Quote e06028 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 15 Nov 2009 at 7:21pm
I just bought this one and it works really great.  It has a fan and can handle a 1.5 TB hard drive.  It also has esata which is faster than USB. It only holds one hard drive.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817709026
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Posts: 64 		  Quote Optimystic Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 15 Nov 2009 at 9:57pm
I believe Western Digital and possibly Seagate both make a 1TB portable hard drive. There's some advertised in the local Best Buy ad this week, actually.
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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 12:29am
@Optimystic, we are talking about making your own external drive which is much much better then getting one that wd or seagate makes and cheaper most times.

@e06028, how long have you had that? looks good

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Posts: 64 		  Quote Optimystic Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 12:35am
I know but he said he was interested in staying with the smaller portable drives. didn't know you could make one of those yourself. Just trying to help.
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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 12:44am
portable drives are nothing but a HDD in an external enclosure, you just go buy your own HDD and external enclosure. they will be the same size, as a matter of fact some of my own is smaller then the ones that are already made.

I"m just sharing info, hope I didn't come across the wrong way.

Edited by DST4ME - 16 Nov 2009 at 12:44am

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Posts: 387 		  Quote e06028 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 12:28pm
I have had it for about 2 weeks and the performance is great.  The fan is a great feature.  I take it to work with me so I can keep all my important stuff on the external drive.  So far so good and it has not had a problem so far with me carrying it around.

Also I have had the portable ones before and they just don't last very long which is why I switched to an enclosure.



Edited by e06028 - 16 Nov 2009 at 12:30pm
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Posts: 1826 		  Quote EdH63 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 12:38pm
Originally posted by e06028

I have had it for about 2 weeks and the performance is great.  The fan is a great feature.  I take it to work with me so I can keep all my important stuff on the external drive.  So far so good and it has not had a problem so far with me carrying it around.

Also I have had the portable ones before and they just don't last very long which is why I switched to an enclosure.



So, I'm thinking about getting this.  It seems pretty simple in it's form.  You just plug into a USB port on the PC and that's it?


Edited by EdH63 - 16 Nov 2009 at 12:41pm
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Posts: 387 		  Quote e06028 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 12:50pm
Once you put in the hard drive and plug it in you will have to go to disk management and assign it a drive letter.  Installation of the hard drive was so easy a caveman can do it.  I bought the Seagate Barracuda 1TB hard drive to put in the enclosure.  I use the esata port and it works great, I can also see the temperature of it when I use hmonitor as well, which is very cool to know if it ever gets overheated.  The Seagate HD also has a cd that will do the partition and assignment of the drive letter if you don't like messing with disk management. Here is the manufactures site for this enclosure with a lot more detail about the device.

http://www.sunbeamtech.com/PRODUCTS/Airbox/Airbox-External-Enclosure.html



Edited by e06028 - 16 Nov 2009 at 12:54pm
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Posts: 387 		  Quote e06028 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 12:59pm
And yes after you assign the drive letter you can unplug it and then replug it in and it comes right up (hot swappable).
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Posts: 1826 		  Quote EdH63 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 1:00pm
I like that.  Do you find it more reliable to use the eSata over the USB connection?  Or, does it really matter.
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Posts: 387 		  Quote e06028 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 1:13pm
I have to use the USB for the work PC but when I have it at home I use esata.
Either one is reliable, but the esata is just faster and allows me to keep the USB ports open for other things. There are not many enclosures that offer esata and the ones that do don't always include the esata cable, but this one does.
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Posts: 1826 		  Quote EdH63 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 1:19pm
Thanks for all the info, e06028.  You've been very helpful.
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Posts: 387 		  Quote e06028 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 1:25pm
No problem. If you get one let me know how you like it.
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B5GkarNarn View Drop Down
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Posts: 170 		  Quote B5GkarNarn Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 5:01pm
Originally posted by DST4ME

portable drives are nothing but a HDD in an external enclosure, you just go buy your own HDD and external enclosure. they will be the same size, as a matter of fact some of my own is smaller then the ones that are already made.

I"m just sharing info, hope I didn't come across the wrong way.
 
1) What tools do you need to install a HDD in an external enclosure?
 
2) Are there any printed instructions that come with the external enclosure that serve as a tutorial for installing the HDD inside it?
 
3) Are there any tests that I can run to ensure that I've assembled the HDD/external enclosure correctly?
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Posts: 387 		  Quote e06028 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 5:34pm
For the Sunbeam one I mentioned above all you need is a screwdriver which is included in the box when you get it, it also has the screws to mount it with.  It took me all of 10 minutes to put it together.  The test will be when you plug it in and it starts working right away.  Remember that you have to use disk management to assign a drive letter other than that it is the same as installing an internal drive only easier. Here is some more info.

And yes there are printed instructions with pictures that show you how to install it.

http://overclockershq.com/hardware-reviews/sunbeamtech-airbox-3.5-esata-usb-external-enclosure-review.html
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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 6:19pm
@B5GkarNarn, as e06028 mentioned, the install of HDD is very easy, if you know hot to add a HDD to your system then you know how to add it here.

the one e06028 is talking about takes a 1TB HDD so you know it will fit that and everything under it.


@e06028, thanks a lot for the info, please let us know in 2 month or so what you think of it too.

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Posts: 1826 		  Quote EdH63 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 7:00pm
Any recommendations on a good 1TB HDD?  Pricing?  I love the look of this enclosure and the blue lights just capture me.  It's a very handsome piece of hardware.  

Edited by EdH63 - 16 Nov 2009 at 10:47pm
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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 7:21pm
couldn't say, I always liked seagate, but I don't owe any 1TB so I can't say first hand.

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Posts: 110 		  Quote DL13 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 7:43pm
Personally I prefer Western Digital as I had issues with Seagate a while back.  I just picked up a couple of WD10EADS (1TB Caviar Green) from Newegg for a NAS I built. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136317  I didn't need the performance of the black for my NAS so price and power consumption were the main drivers.  Had just had a couple of weeks; no issues.
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Posts: 170 		  Quote B5GkarNarn Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 10:49pm
Originally posted by e06028

For the Sunbeam one I mentioned above all you need is a screwdriver which is included in the box when you get it, it also has the screws to mount it with.  It took me all of 10 minutes to put it together.  The test will be when you plug it in and it starts working right away.  Remember that you have to use disk management to assign a drive letter other than that it is the same as installing an internal drive only easier. Here is some more info.

And yes there are printed instructions with pictures that show you how to install it.

http://overclockershq.com/hardware-reviews/sunbeamtech-airbox-3.5-esata-usb-external-enclosure-review.html
 
Thank you very much, e06028! 
 
I've never installed an internal HDD into a computer - I've only removed one from
my father's computer after the whole thing went kaput.  That's why I'm very cautious about this whole thing about assembling my own external hard drive.
 
What is disk management?
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Posts: 170 		  Quote B5GkarNarn Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 10:52pm
Originally posted by DST4ME

@B5GkarNarn, as e06028 mentioned, the install of HDD is very easy, if you know hot to add a HDD to your system then you know how to add it here.

the one e06028 is talking about takes a 1TB HDD so you know it will fit that and everything under it.


@e06028, thanks a lot for the info, please let us know in 2 month or so what you think of it too.
I don't know how to install an internal HDD into a computer - I've only removed one from a computer that was no longer working.
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Posts: 1826 		  Quote EdH63 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 10:58pm
Originally posted by B5GkarNarn

Originally posted by e06028

For the Sunbeam one I mentioned above all you need is a screwdriver which is included in the box when you get it, it also has the screws to mount it with.  It took me all of 10 minutes to put it together.  The test will be when you plug it in and it starts working right away.  Remember that you have to use disk management to assign a drive letter other than that it is the same as installing an internal drive only easier. Here is some more info.

And yes there are printed instructions with pictures that show you how to install it.

http://overclockershq.com/hardware-reviews/sunbeamtech-airbox-3.5-esata-usb-external-enclosure-review.html
 
Thank you very much, e06028! 
 
I've never installed an internal HDD into a computer - I've only removed one from
my father's computer after the whole thing went kaput.  That's why I'm very cautious about this whole thing about assembling my own external hard drive.
 
What is disk management?






Go into your Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management.  Here, you will see your HDs.  This is where you can partition your drives to a size you prefer, check the health of your drives and name your drives.


Edited by EdH63 - 16 Nov 2009 at 10:59pm
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Posts: 1826 		  Quote EdH63 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 16 Nov 2009 at 11:04pm
Originally posted by B5GkarNarn

Originally posted by DST4ME

@B5GkarNarn, as e06028 mentioned, the install of HDD is very easy, if you know hot to add a HDD to your system then you know how to add it here.

the one e06028 is talking about takes a 1TB HDD so you know it will fit that and everything under it.


@e06028, thanks a lot for the info, please let us know in 2 month or so what you think of it too.
I don't know how to install an internal HDD into a computer - I've only removed one from a computer that was no longer working.


Installing internal HDs is the same as external HDs... plug n play.  The difference is the external HD will have it's own enclosure outside the PC case and you will sit it on top of your desk or a place of your choice.  DST's route is most likely cheaper than buying an enclosure.  However, I love the look of the Sunbeam and I'll be ordering that enclosure, a WD Caviar 1TB HDD and a couple of case fans tomorrow.


Edited by EdH63 - 16 Nov 2009 at 11:05pm
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Posts: 171 		  Quote BriSleep Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 17 Nov 2009 at 12:06am
Disk Management, it's Windows way of saying change you disk and partition letters, format your drives and put multiple partitions on your bigger drives. It's in the control panel/ administrative tools/ Computer Management/ Storage /Disk management. That's in Win7, If I remember, in XP you'd just start at Administrative tools, the rest, the same.
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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 17 Nov 2009 at 12:14am
my route is no different, you buy an enclosure, like the sunbeam enclosure, and then drop what ever HDD you want in it.

as for connecting the HDD, its very simple, the enclosure will have a data cable and a power cable for you to connect to the HDD.






sata data cables:



sata power cables:


now regular hdd is a bit bigger but its the same connectors and wires and such.


Edited by DST4ME - 17 Nov 2009 at 12:21am

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Posts: 1826 		  Quote EdH63 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 17 Nov 2009 at 12:20am
Hey DST, throw up a pic of the EVGA 680i SLI A-1 MOBO here and show me the extra sata ports available for me to plug into, please.  I would rather plug into sata then use USB with this external.  
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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 17 Nov 2009 at 12:27am
not sure what you mean, you got 6 sata ports right?

I see firewire and usb but I don't see esata for that mobo.

you can just get a esata pcie card.

Edited by DST4ME - 17 Nov 2009 at 12:27am

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Posts: 171 		  Quote BriSleep Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 17 Nov 2009 at 12:42am
Oh, I'm talking about the latest eVGA boards they got here on DS, like the one I'm getting. Eight external USB,  6 internal Sata, at least one of those is going to be free or like DST says get a pci board, that should give you 2 eSata and 2 internal Sata and that thing DST doesn't like, ummm Raid!Broken%20Heart
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Forgot, what's that really wide gray thing in the back? I think I have one of those around here somewhere. Hey did you guys read on, oh dang can't find what board but some kid just got a kick ass DS system and his wife wants him to put it in a cabinet! He want's to know how to cool it. Check out my answer.
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http://www.digitalstormonline.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=8932
Found it!
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Posts: 1826 		  Quote EdH63 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 17 Nov 2009 at 12:48am
Originally posted by DST4ME

not sure what you mean, you got 6 sata ports right?

I see firewire and usb but I don't see esata for that mobo.

you can just get a esata pcie card.


Yeah, I guess I was trying to ask if I had esata connections on my board too.  So, I'll need to get a esata pcie card also?  Is there a specific card you'd recommend over another? 
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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 17 Nov 2009 at 1:19am
not really, I'm not too familiar with those.

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