External HD solutions

sweavesweave boston
edited May 2008 in Hardware
okay i'm going to be getting a 3rd drive but this time i want an external one for protecting my files
as far as setup goes im going to keep it manual

now my question is this
is it better to get a premade setup like a wb mybook or a seagate freeagent
or
is it better to get an internal one and set it up in an enclosure.

im aiming at around 250 to 320gb in drive size
my main concern is heat and speed

Comments

  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited May 2008
    Premade positives: usually management/backup software included; less hassle, ready to go, no shopping for separate components; major brands, such as Seagate, Maxtor, and WD will have the same specification drives in the pre-mades as their boxed internal drives

    Premade negatives: some of the enclosures do not radiate heat or ventilate well - HOT, some cost more than buying the components separately (unless you find a good sale on internal hard drives and external enclosures, pre-mades are price competitive these days); some (but not as common these days) pre-mades have low-performance hard drives;

    As for me, I still way prefer an external enclosure fitted with the 'internal' hard drive of my choice. The enclosure makes a very convenient tool for testing hard drives, cloning, and supplemental backups. I like the flexibility of separate components. Some of the pre-mades may not be easy to open and swap drives.
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited May 2008
    The truth is you can save some money if you buy the harddrive and buy the enclosure separately. You can also get better cooling options if you buy your own enclosure. However in practice I have yet come across a modern external drive where heat has been concerned. But the saving are no longer huge as WD book drives have come way down in price.

    Personally I'd stick with building my own but not because of quality or cost savings. Just because if I need to swap drives into and out of an enclosure for testing, then I already have the enclosure.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited May 2008
    just because if I need to swap drives into and out of an enclosure for testing
    If you have several computers and are continually modifying, tinkering, or upgrading, that separate enclosure is indispensable. I have both SATA and PATA external enclosures. I also have one at work which I use as storage for slideshow images from home.
  • mertesnmertesn I am Bobby Miller Yukon, OK Icrontian
    edited May 2008
    I am using a Thermaltake BlacX. This one is USB 2.0, but there is also one that has USB/eSATA support.

    The USB 2.0 version works very well. It's holding a 1TB Seagate drive.
  • sweavesweave boston
    edited May 2008
    pretty much what i was thinking myself
    only problem is i have no clue what is a good enclosure brand :(
    is a fan necessary at all?

    ive selected these two based on there being one and because they have sata internal and esata external
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817425003
    and
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817173040
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited May 2008
    No, a fan is not necessary if the shell is designed well. In my opinion, the best enclosures are aluminum and can be rested in an upright position. This one is aluminum. I have one identical to it, just a different brand and logo. This particular one is sold by several different brand names. Both side panels absorb the drive's heat and radiate it out very nicely. Just do an Internet search for "aluminum external enclosure hard drive" and you'll come up with plenty of window shopping. This image is an example of what I meant by "upright." That orientation can make a big difference in cooling as you have much more surface area available for heat dissipation. Avoid the cheap plastic enclosures. I have one that seals the heat in so well that I had to drill holes in it for ventilation. I had drives lock up in it more than once due to heat buildup.
  • sweavesweave boston
    edited May 2008
    hmmmm thanks
    i was looking at the vantec nextstar 3 and had seen the sabrents but didnt know if they were a good brand or not

    @Mertesn
    ive seen those docks before. doesnt the exposed drive get very dusty or is there a sleave you put it in?
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