Seagate or WD?

[superballz00]

I'm looking for an external 3.5" 2TB storage device. I'm tore between the Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk 2 TB and the Western Digital WD Elements 2 TB. I can get both for $120. I've heard that the Seagate runs hot and that the WD stays cool even with no vents. The Seagate has a 2yr warranty vs the WD 1yr. Which of the two would you get? Can I get some suggestions for 3.5 enclosures for under $30?

 

[xxEIEIOxx]

My experience with Western Digital has been better than with Seagate, especially when we are talking about the FreeAgent drives. What type of interface are you looking for in an enclosure?

 

[vr.]

Not under $30 but I have this INEO $32.99

I like that I can swap out drives on a whim. The key they show is just a little push button so if it's lost you're not in a bind.

EDIT: I had an early edition Western Digital (internal) die within 30 days that I bought from Amazon. Returned it and got the 2TB Seagate and have yet to have a problem so I bought a second.

 

[Lateralus]

I'd pay a little extra and roll my own; better warranty that way and more connection options (eSATA, Firewire, even USB 3.0 if you want).

USB 2.0 is going to be painfully slow for a drive that large, unless you're just copying small bits every now and then.

Even if you're fine with the speed of USB 2.0, do look into buying a 1.5 or 2TB drive and putting it in a quality enclosure. Antec, Vantec. Thermaltake, Icy Dock, etc. make good ones.

 

[drescherjm]

EDIT: I had an early edition Western Digital (internal) die within 30 days that I bought from Amazon. Returned it and got the 2TB Seagate and have yet to have a problem so I bought a second.

Drives from all manufacturers will do that. I believe the most likely reason was poor packaging or bad treatment in shipping.

 

[DrDoU]

Have a FreeAgent desk 1.5tb for 80 bucks at Wal-Mart.Reviews were terrible and it has been rock solid.Silent operation and barely gets warm.

 

[superballz00]

I have an old 320GB Seagate external that's still running after 4yrs. It's a bit loud for my taste compared with the WD green drives. I use WD exclusively in my PCs and they all still work even the ones from 8yrs ago. I like the WD 2TB external because the enclosure is actually sealed off with no ventilation. I'm going to be using this with my laptop, which only has firewire and usb 2.0. Speed isn't a big factor for me so 30MB/s is fine. Are there any good enclosures with no ventilation that I can pair with a 2TB WD Green drive?

 

[Lateralus]

Why does the fact that the enclosure has no ventilation appeal to you? I like my drives to be able to breathe. Keep in mind you don't have to get an enclosure with an active cooling fan if you're worried about the extra noise...

If you're satisfied with the speed of USB 2.0, this Vantec enclosure is a good choice. Or you could go with something like the Thermaltake BlacX which accepts 2.5 and 3.5" drives, and leaves them exposed so that they're not filling an enclosure full of heat.

FireWire seems to bump the price up a good bit, but if your laptop supports FireWire 800 you'd enjoy a substantial speed boost.

 

[drescherjm]

BTW, most WDC enclosures have ventilation. I have quite a few of these at work. Well at least their mybook series and other similar more expensive models..

 

[craige4u]

I was wondering, that if you just going to use External for backups.... and not going to transport the HD frm one place to another... Go for internal drive!

Just get 1TB internal HD and take backups when you want.... With internals you will get good speed and cheap costs as well....