Recommendations for External Hard Drive

[mdcrab]

Looking to get a 300 to 400 GB Hard Drive to backup several computers. Is it better to buy an internal HD and put into case or just buy an external drive to start. Will most likely use USB 2 interface but also could use firewire on some PC's. Any recommended brands.

Other alternative is to buy a Network HD. Not sure what best way to go.

mdcrab

 

[BlueWeasel]

You'd probably come up much cheaper by going the internal HD plus enclosure, and that's what I'd do. Newegg has the good Bytec and AMS enclosures pretty cheap.

Will you be running the external 24/7, or will it just be on specific when you need it? I believe some external drives are able to shutdown after a period of not being used (typically done using the drive manfacturer's software).

 

[pikachu656]

I just bought a USB hard drive enclosure off of ebay and plugged in a 300 gig hard drive that I got at Fry's. 5 min to put everything together and it's up and running. $20 bucks for the enclosure and $99 for the hard drive.

 

[mdcrab]

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel
You'd probably come up much cheaper by going the internal HD plus enclosure, and that's what I'd do. Newegg has the good Bytec and AMS enclosures pretty cheap.

Will you be running the external 24/7, or will it just be on specific when you need it? I believe some external drives are able to shutdown after a period of not being used (typically done using the drive manfacturer's software).

I will NOT be running it it 24/7. Just when I need it, mostly when running back ups.

 

[BlueWeasel]

Originally posted by: mdcrab

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel
You'd probably come up much cheaper by going the internal HD plus enclosure, and that's what I'd do. Newegg has the good Bytec and AMS enclosures pretty cheap.

Will you be running the external 24/7, or will it just be on specific when you need it? I believe some external drives are able to shutdown after a period of not being used (typically done using the drive manfacturer's software).

I will NOT be running it it 24/7. Just when I need it, mostly when running back ups.

If that's the case, then I wouldn't even bother with getting a manufactured external drive. For about the same price, you could probably double the storage space (300GB Internal + enclosure versus a ~160GB external).