500 gig Portable is 34 bucks

I've wondered about 2.5 vs 3.5 HD's because of deals like these. I've debated snagging a couple and putting them in my server for a few small files but for some reason, I have longevity doubts about 2.5 drives that would remain spun up 24/7. Have 2.5 drives caught up to desktop drives in terms of reliability?
 
BigJayDogg3 said:
Double the space for $16-21 more is worth it.

500 GB external isn't much these days.
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Not to mention most of them are discontinued so it's hard to really judge the value of this deal. It's not terrible but I would say lukewarm at best.
 
jimbob200521 said:
I've wondered about 2.5 vs 3.5 HD's because of deals like these. I've debated snagging a couple and putting them in my server for a few small files but for some reason, I have longevity doubts about 2.5 drives that would remain spun up 24/7. Have 2.5 drives caught up to desktop drives in terms of reliability?
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You would be better off buying 2.5" SAS drives that are enterprise grade if you're worried about longevity. Just ask for the SMART data so you can see the hours count. Also, some of these portable drives have a proprietary disk controller that only works with USB, so you have to be careful on the purchase. It helps to look up tear-down articles where they take the enclosure apart and show the actual drive & controller. Many times they're not even the same brand drive inside that you bought either since the companies re-use other brands if they can get them cheaper. High quality and longevity usually isn't top priority when it comes to manufacturing portable drives that are competitive to a budget oriented consumer.
 
I got a 2TB WD external for a little more than double this price...2+ years ago. Not seeing the deal here but I guess if you don't need a lot of storage, $34 isn't terrible.
 
TBH if 500GB and actual portability is what you want I would consider an SSD and a 2.5" usb3.0 enclosure or dongle for $80-110 or so.

No moving parts, high performance and reliability and low power completely over usb3.0 bus.
 
Lateralus said:
I got a 2TB WD external for a little more than double this price...2+ years ago. Not seeing the deal here but I guess if you don't need a lot of storage, $34 isn't terrible.
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Same here. I just bought a 2tb portable WD usb3.0 (2.5" ff) for like $65... that seemed like the best price per mb point. Still 30+ bux for a decent sized external drive is fairly cheap.
 
4TB WD portables were $95 at BestBuy like two weeks ago via Visa Checkout.
 
jimbob200521 said:
I've wondered about 2.5 vs 3.5 HD's because of deals like these. I've debated snagging a couple and putting them in my server for a few small files but for some reason, I have longevity doubts about 2.5 drives that would remain spun up 24/7. Have 2.5 drives caught up to desktop drives in terms of reliability?
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I had 20 2TB Seagate 2.5" drives (all shucked from external enclosures) spun up for 18 months striaght w/ weekly scrubs (FreeNAS Z2 array). Only one drive failure during the entire period.
 
I like 500GB drives. I have a couple for just moving stuff around between computers or from home to work. It's still plenty of space for backup.

The only time I would really highly recommend an SDD or even large USB flash drive is if you have music cause the solid state drives ability to access anywhere anytime comes in handy with fast smooth playback and quick tag editing.
 
mnewxcv said:
Save your allowance for another week and buy the bigger drive. Then thank us later.
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Some people have kids and family and other obligations but still need to back up a few important files.

westrock2000 said:
I like 500GB drives. I have a couple for just moving stuff around between computers or from home to work. It's still plenty of space for backup.
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Of course, if you're just trying to back up your system drive it's a good size.
 
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