External Hard Drives Hdd

[TURIN]

There have been threads on this subject already but they're a bit out of date so here's a new one.

I'm looking for a 500Gb drive, USB powered. It has to be near silent as it sits in the living room with my Media centre PC.

There's loads out there, but which one?

Got it down to a couple.

Toshiba 500Gb HDD (http://www.datakits.co.uk/store/toshiba-500gb-external-hard-drive-hdd-35-in-aluminium-case-p-5982.html)

Seagate Expansion 500Gb HDD (http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.205-3240.aspx)

Feedback seems to be good on the websites but can you trust it?

Any Ppruners with good/bad feedback appreciated. Thanks. :ok:

[Sprogget]

I've had one of these one the firm for a while now, for exactly the purpose you require. Never let me down yet. Also, from Vista on, they can be used for memory with readyboost. Not sure how worthwhile that is, haven't tried it.


External Hard Drives - Mobile Drive II 500GB - Freecom (http://www.freecom.com/ecproduct_detail.asp?ID=4001&CatID=8020&sCatID=1146257&ssCatID=1148924)

[BOAC]

LaCie (Samsung drive) no problemo.

[Saab Dastard]

I'm with BOAC on this!

I've got 2 LaCie (Porsche design) USB external disks - 300 & 500 GB and I've been very happy with them over the last 2.5 years. Near silent.

rom Vista on, they can be used for memory with readyboost

Only Flash RAM USB devices can be used in this way - Hard Disks aren't fast enough.

SD

[Sprogget]

Ah, I see. Thx SD.

[Ancient Observer]

XP (3). My trusty Maxtor 500 seems to be reliable, and cheaply priced. None of this fancy stuff with flash ram tho'.

[Keygrip]

Not sure what make mine is - but been running damn near 24/7 for the last two years as a music streamer. Silent until it falls over and touches the woodwork of the desk it's inside.

I carry another with my laptop to play me music in the hotel rooms - about to start using it as a USB plug in on my car radio.

Very reliable.

Both bought from www.newegg.com (http://www.newegg.com)

Awesome place for computer bits.

[TURIN]

Thanks one and all.

Keep em coming. :ok:

[mustpost]

Lacie porsche 500 for the USB silent(ish) thingy
LaCie 1TB BigDisk extreme 800 for not so quiet/but v quick stuff :ok:(and it is so solid it looks a bit ex-mil:O)

[talby]

I've got a Freecom XXS 500Gb - smallest in the world apparently, definitely pocket sized :-

External Hard Drives - Mobile Drive XXS 500GB USB - Freecom (http://www.freecom.com/ecproduct_detail.asp?ID=3947&CatID=8020&sCatID=1146187&ssCatID=1148416)

USB powered, Works perfectly so far, got it from Tesco Direct for about £117 including delivery. Cheap cover though :)

[TURIN]

Thanks for all your advise.

Got one of these Lacie 320Gb MobileDisc (http://www.lacie.com/uk/products/product.htm?pid=11046) in the end. Don't need 500Gb just yet and at £53 (deliverd) from Dabs it was too good to turn down.

[Mike-Bracknell]

LaCie from me too, although the porker design bits look like money for nothing.

They do have a nice ally ethernet/usb model (although I think the freecom one's cheaper) and i've not had a problem yet with the 7 I bought a company of mine three years ago.

[Saab Dastard]

LaCie from me too, although the porker design bits look like money for nothing.

I bought mine on promotion, so the LaCie Porsche design 500GB version cost me £66.82 inc. VAT and delivery - Sept 2007.

SD

[Keef]

I read an article on the web a year or so ago that gave the relative reliability of different brands of hard drive. Luck enters into it a bit, but I recall Lacie scored very well, and Maxtor didn't.

I've not had a hard drive die on me (I've had 'em zonked by software) so can't confirm or deny that.

Google might reveal more.

[Mike-Bracknell]

I read an article on the web a year or so ago that gave the relative reliability of different brands of hard drive. Luck enters into it a bit, but I recall Lacie scored very well, and Maxtor didn't.

LaCie don't make their own hard drives.

Also, beware that there's been a lot of consolidation in the HDD market in recent years, so for instance a report that says Seagate are rubbish and Hitachi are great would have been kyboshed by Hitachi buying IBM's drives division (from which the DeskStar drives got the warranted moniker "DeathStar"). etc.