external hard disk

while browsing i have noticed many $1000-$1200 laptops come with 120 -200 GB hard disk.. i feel ill need a little more than that and since ill be travelling to another country for my studies i can also take some data with me on the external HDD if i have one...

so i wanted to know how reliable these hdd are.how do u connect them to the PC ( via USB) sorry for the stupid question.

if i want a 200-300 GB external HDD which is the best one at present....will i be able to connect it to any lapto or deskktop or are there restrictions ?

 

Yes, most of the external hard disks interface with the computer using a USB, but there are some that use a firewire connector. Its no stupid question. You should be able to connect it to any notebook or desktop computer, so long as the drive is formatted correctly, and the host computer recognises.

 

The external HDDs come in two physical sizes: the 3.5" HDD used in desktop computers placed in an enclosure and with a separate power supply; and the 2.5" HDD used in notebooks which usually gets its power from the USB connector. The latter are much, much lighter and more portable. The 3.5" HDDs are available with capacities up to at least 500GB but the 2.5" HDDs currently stop at 200GB while prices ramp up able 120GB. For portability, the smaller HDDs win, even if you need more than one.

I have a [URL="http://www.freecom.com/ecproduct_detail.asp?ID=2893&CatID=&sCatid=']Freecom external HDD[/URL]. It uses a Samsung HDD which runs quite cool and, with the aluminium case, means that no cooling fan is needed. The power supply is very light and compact. However, I keep it at home and only take 2.5' HDDs when I am travelling.

John

 

thanx guys i really appreciate the quick replys....

hi john that post was informative..thanx but now i have one more question ? are there speerate external HDD for desktops and notebooks ?? cant i use the same one for both a desktop and a notebook ? i hope yoou get what im saying.

 

Vantec makes a Nexstar3 2.5" eSATA model which could come in handy if you need to do high-speed transfers when connected to a desktop using eSATA, or if you are using a 2.5" SATA drive in the enclosure.

2.5" is a good idea if you need ultimate portability. You do give up some choices on the capacity side of things, but the ability to run without the need for an additional AC power brick may outweigh this con if you don't need more than 200GB or so.

Your standard 2.5" hard drives have high non-operating G-shock ratings, so when the drive is unpowered, it should be perfectly safe for transport in your laptop bag, backpack, or briefcase. We're talking close to 1000Gs of shock. Notebook (2.5") drives are made to endure higher shock ratings than desktop (3.5") drives, generally about 3 times more, mainly because the former is built to be upwardly mobile. I would also assume they have a bit higher QC standards for this reason.

edit: To answer your question above, a USB enclosure is a USB enclosure. You could even attach it to a PS3 or Motorola PVR box, if that suited your fancy. There's no such thing as a "laptop only" enclosure, or "desktop only" enclosure -- only a "the operating system must support this mass storage device" enclosure, which they pretty much all do since it's a standard interface.

 

You can plug any USB HDD into any computer with a USB port so you can use the same external HDD for both notebooks and desktops.

John

 

Yep, it should be no prolbem at all. ust to clarify, there are no such things as "notebook" and "desktop" drives. 2.5 inch HDDs are a lot smaller, and do not need an external AC power supply usually. They are more expensive, but are a lot more portable and use a lot less power.


3.5 inch HDDs usually need their own power supply, which makes them un practical for on the go data access. However, these drives are usually faster. For speed, you should be looking at spin speed (rpm) and Buffer Size (Mb).

 

ok thanx a lot.. so i will check out both and see. one more thing when you say external power supply for the bigger 3.5 inch ones you mean electric power supply right so its imposs to use them while travelling where as the smaller ones use power from the notebooks itself ? hope i got this right ? if so how much power does it use from the notebook ?

and you said the bigger ones are faster than the smaller ones ? how fast are they in comparison ?? can you gimme rfm speeds ? will there be a noticible diff ?

some one else also mention that the performance of the larger ones is much better than the smaller ones but the latter being more capable of handling jerks..so what performance difference are we talking about ?

 

In response to Lil Mayz:
Indeed. However, considering their popular use, I used those terms to differentiate each one. For example, 3.5" drives are mostly used in desktops whereas 2.5" are used in laptops. At the same time, 9 out of 10 retailers I find group the 2.5" drives under "Notebook" categories on their sites. I thought it would be clearer to use the shop speak

To answer above:
The external power supply that we're referring to is the one that plugs into the wall -- a portability issue in some cases. I never liked it, even if I had a free wall socket.

As said, the 3.5" drives are faster than 2.5", but it's definitely not a shop stopper if you're comparing 5400rpm to 5400rpm or 7200rpm to 7200rpm drives -- apples to apples, so to speak. Remember, since it's an enclosure, you're going to be limited to USB 2.0 speeds. This effectively kills any speed comparison you can make between drives, so buying a 7200rpm drive for external use over USB is not worth the extra money required. Rule of thumb: USB runs much slower than a hard drive.

Generally, a 2.5" USB enclosure will come with a USB cable that splits into two. It's recommended that you connect both ends to two individual USB connectors. This is how it gets the power it needs. This is because each USB port can only supply 500mA and exceeding this can cause issues. Using two ports gives the hard drive enough power to function without incident.Do not chain another USB device off this splitter, even if it allows you to.

Shown below is an example of this splitter. Notice the two ends that plug into a computer/notebook, and the small end to plug into the enclosure.

 

thanx sordid

so what i gather from your post is that since i will be connecting the HDD to my desktop/notebook througha 2.0 USB the speed difference wont be really noticible ?

if that is the case then what other advantages do the larger ones have over the smaller ones..

as of now from what i have read

2.5 inch HDD

Advantages - smaller, lighter, no external power supply, durable

Disadvantages - Expensive, slow speed compared to 3.5 (but as stated above that not really noticible


3.5 inch HDD

Advantages - fast speed (again not noticible), cheaper

Disadvantage - require external power supply, heavier & bigger, not as durable.

 

Yeah, you've got the idea. I'd add that 2.5" drives run cooler than 3.5" drives, for various reasons which are unimportant here. Durability isn't an issue for 3.5", because even at 350G of standard nonoperating shock relief, they're not in real danger during your regular travels.

It's really just a matter of portability over size (in terms of physical dimension, weight, and capacity).

I personally like that with the drive and cables stored in the provided carrying case for this enclosure, it's still smaller than a 3.5" enclosure.

Good luck in your decision!

 

ok sordid ,

thanx a lot i will go and personally check them out and make a decission then.thanx once again

one last thing , what would the approximate cost for 200 gb be both for 3.5 and 2.5 inch HDD.

Thanx once again

 

All depends on who you go to. Check your online and local retailers for their prices.

@ NCIX CDN Funds:
200gb 3.5" $105
160gb 2.5" $179-185

So that should give you some kind of idea.

[edit]
Just to give you a visual difference of the speeds of the hard drives..

top left is a 100gb 2.5" 7200rpm in a Nexstar3 using eSATA
top right is the same drive in the same enclosure, but instead using USB 2.0
bottom middle is a 250gb 7200rpm Seagate SATA drive (my desktops boot drive)



so, as you can see, even a 2.5" is limited by the USB bus. This effectively means that even a 3.5" drive, as fast as it may be, will also be limited. By these numbers, you can see that it doesn't really matter if you use a 2.5" or a 3.5" as far as speed is concerned. Hell, it doesn't even matter if you use a 5400rpm drive instead of a 7200rpm, and instead save some cash.

 

thanx sordid you have been of great help...

 

Where exactly are you going on your travels? The reason I ask is that if you ever plan on connecting your external hd to another computer you'll need to look at whether you want FAT32 or NTFS. It's another can of worms. That and which connection to use.

I have an eSATA Seagate 500GB. Definitely not what you would consider portable. I have to bring the power brick, cable, and an eSATA card along to connect to my laptop.

 

when you ask where what do you mean ?? places ?? if so i will be in the same counrtry itself but will carry the HDD around where ever my laptop goes, airport, coffee shop, friends place....

i didnt quite get the FAT32 and NTFS part.please explain

i wish to connect it to my desktop/laptop or other computers by USB i guess thats standard...dont want the 3.5 mm dont want the hassel of having a to need external power supply.

 

i bought 2 maxtor external hardrives like 2 years ago

and both have failed on me or crashed

an 80gig and a 250gig

i defragged every couple of weeks...but im a heavy file collector/mover

i was moving huge

folders back and forth..and i guess that takes a strain on the external

anyways...u should get a warranty for it if u buy an external HD

im never gonna buy a maxtor external ever again

 

thanx for the insigt dude will look into it beofre purchasing it.

 

This is a dumb question, but can you run applications directly from a USB external HDD? Is USB fast enough to keep up with the data transfer for things like games?

 

You can run applications off an external HDD. But they will run slower, especially games. I mean, the games will not be unplayable, but you will notice the decrease in performance.

 

Go with NTFS unless you think you'll have to connect to computers running Windows 98 or older. Do a search, there's a lot of threads on that issue. I believe they all come with FAT32 standard.

 

but my friend has FAT 32 and he has Xp is that possible ?

 

Yup, but he's limited to a single file size of 4GB coupled with a minor performance decrease. Those two reasons are the chief ones that most people run NTFS -- unless they also care about Windows' on-the-fly file encryption and the likes. He does, however, retain full file system compatibility with older boot disks run off Windows 98.

Should probably expand on this by saying they'll load slower. Most file loading it has to do will occur slower than if you were to do it off a desktop drive -- mainly because of the speed limit USB 2.0 imposes. However, after the game is done loading files and everything is already in your computers memory, the game should run normally.

Games that constantly stream data off the drive (like large MMOs, Grand Theft Auto, etc.) will load slower if it needs to exceed the USB 2.0 speed limit. However, this should only be occuring for large sustained reads. As you can see from the image I posted of some tests in the second page of this thread, the burst speed is limited to 20MB/s, but the access time is relatively unchanged. 20MB/s burst should be enough for streaming small amounts of data usually inherent in large universe games.

Level loading at the beginning, however, will take a nosedive in speed. Keep in mind that most of the time spent in level loading is not through reading from the drive, but rather setting everything up in memory (geometry, sound sampling, AI paths, triggers, etc).

 

If you plan on writing to the drive with an Apple computer you will need to format Fat32. Macs will read off of NTFS partitions, but they can't write to them.

I personally use the Vantec Nexstar 2.5" enclosure and I have had 100% success using it on multiple computers of all types. A lot of people at the media arts school I attend have problems with their portables, but the Nexstar has been solid. It uses 1 USB plug (I've never needed the splitter for power), it's tough, small and seems to just work (2+ years now). The drive you put in it has a lot to do with performance, but the actual enclosure also contains a chipset that seems to vary in compatability and performance.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=705443&Tab=11&NoMapp=0

 

Indeed. Different hard drives have different power requirements, so their amperage requirement may or may not exceed that which can be provided by a single USB plug (500mA). For example, a Seagate Momentus 7200.1 requires 0.58A (max), which may or may not cause issues with the underlying USB controller & OS when used with one plug. 5400rpm drives should be less than this number. Two plugs just gives you maximum stability, and since one has a USB passthrough so you can plug another device into it anyway, you're not losing much. Possibly a wee bit portability, what with a bulkier cord and all, but very negligible. Everything is designed to fit perfectly into the provided case.

I really like the Nexstar3, and is definitely something I'm continuing to recommend.


Great point about the Mac incompatibility. You can use "MacFUSE" to help get around this ( http://code.google.com/p/macfuse/), but there is no guaranteed that the target computer will actually have this installed -- especially if it's a public computer and you cannot install it yourself.

 

so sordid are you suggestiong we get a splitter so that two usb are plugged into the comp. im sorry but im confused ?

 

message to Revtech
Buy yerself the LACIE 160GB 2.5' external hdd. You won't be dissapointed.

I say this because I speak of experience. I had a 250GB Lacie 3.5' with AC. After a while it is annoying putting in the AC with all the cables. I also travel alot with my laptop rucksack, and trust me you feel the difference.

I have sold my 250GB Lacie to a friend, and bought myself the one mentioned above. It is amazing how such a small piece of hardware kan keep so much information. And it is so quick and easy to copy data. Just one cable, pop it in, copy, paste, remove drive.

Although my new hd is 5400RPM and old one is 7200RPM, I did not notice a difference. Also, obviously 250GB is more than 160GB, but I choose portability over hard drive space. I mean, do you really need so much space? I had ALOT of movies games software etc on my 250GB, when I transferred my data to my 160GB I realized how many crap I actually had on the thing!

If you want to go for a cheaper option, go for the Freecom 160GB. It is cheaper, but also a bit bigger in size and heavier. One of my friends have one, I compared, and I am glad I bought the Lacie, although Lacie's a bit more expensive.

I suggest you to buy the LACIE!

 

ok thanx will check it out. what price did you buy it for ?

 

No, they will come with a splitter like the one I included an image of earlier in this thread. 2.5" drives should not require a DC adapter, however some may give you the option of using or buying one individually (ie. the Nexstar3 which I love)

When it comes to enclosures, there really isn't that much of a difference between them. We could all say "go with the one I have" until we're blue in the face. Everybody's mileage will vary. Pick one by the features you want (SATA support really is the only feature I can think of at 5am that not all of them have) and run with it. You could get a lemon with any brand name, regardless if it's the "best" or "worst".

 

On the websites it goes for £110, some £100. I bought it from the high street in Tottenham Court Road (Samuel King) for £96.

 

thanx a lot guys.... youll have been of great help

 

What brand and model of hard drive does this come with?

 

This is the one I ordered.

Inside its a SAMSUNG hd.

 

after all this debate i finally decided to get the 2.5 inch HDD.i went out to buy it only to realize that im getting a 160 GB 2-5 inch HD for $ 170 and a 300 GB 3.5 inch HD for around $ 80.

now i know the 3.5 inch requires an external power supply and all but with the larger one im gettin twice the space for half the price
so once again im really confused what to do.

 

bump......any advise on this ??

 

The 3.5" external hard drive spins at 7200 RPM. It's also cheaper, and holds more. If you don't mind an extra power cord, the 3.5" is the better deal.

Most external 2.5" drives spin at 5400 RPM. The 2.5" form factor is commonly found in notebooks and is meant for portability. If you shrink something, naturally the capacity goes down and the prices go up. Also keep in mind that while some 2.5" external HD's use a USB plug to directly draw power from the notebook, some 2.5" external HD's will have a separate power supply.

Are you going to travel a lot with your external hard drive?

 

not going to be travelling much but the couple of times i do i think ill be able to carry the biggerr one around. but does the power cord have an adapter ? cause in some countrys they hav 230 V power supply and some are 115 v. so will i need a step up or step down or does it have an adapter or something which can take eaither 115 V or 230V

 

can some one whos got a 3.5 inch HD help me out with this...

 

Most of them have universal power supply i.e. ~110v-230v. Check the specifications or ask the seller.

I have used two external harddrives and both were universal.

Do you have any models in mind? We might be able to check for you.

 

no dont really have any models in mind....any suggestions ??

 

just bought a Seagate Freeagent 500gb Extenal yesterday for 151.00 w tax at Frys

 

so i guess you could answer my question.does it have a universal power supply ?

 

its got an adapter you gotta hook in to a power source, its only has 2 cords one to the pc and one to my power srge. Preparing for Iraq again gonna fill this baby up with games, music and movies!

 

its got an adapter so that means can use it with either 115 or 230 V right ?

how does it connect to the pc ? by USB ? you can connect this to laptoops right ?

 

connects by usb and you dont need any drivers just plug and use

 

Not exactly true. You have to install software/drivers for an external hard drive. Windows should do it automatically, but sometimes it doesn't (my WD required a manual driver install).

 

ok so where do i get these drivers from incase windows does not install them.

mostly have decided on the 3.5 as i get 300 gb instead of 160 GB with the 2.5.should get it within a day or two.

 

The external hard drive should come shipped with a CD that has all the drivers on it. You have to install the drivers first, then plug the HD into the computer and it should recognize.

Sometimes the CD has other goodies on it besides drivers. My Western Digital shipped with a free, full version of Dantz Retrospective backup software. Now I have all my data backed up on my external, it's great.

 

i checked out the 320 GB 3.5 inch HD it doesnt have a universal power supply so i guess ill be getting the 160 GB only....as of now.im gettin it for about $ 140 is it worth it r should i jus get the bigger one the prob is i might have a problem using it in the US.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148177

I have 3 of these (2 40GB drives and 1 120 GB drive although I posted the 160GB drive). It is an awesome drive. It is USB powered, and requires NO external power source (solving your apparent issue). It works well with both USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 ports.