Question about Best HDD Storage Device

A spinner hdd is fine for storage. The ssd or hybrid drive will be better if you have the OS or other software that you use often. For storing video, .jpg's and such a usb external is great. Newegg has some very good deals right now. Good enough to make me want to buy a drive and I have them stacked like cord wood now.

Seagate Expansion 2TB USB Desktop Drive

WD Passport 1TB USB

Seagate Backup Plus 2TB USB 3.0

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For just storage, a SSHD would be a waste of money; the small NAND used to cache the spinner portion works only for a very limited amount of the total data and that limited amount needs to be the only data being retrieved the vast majority of the time. A SSD is superior to a HDD for static storage (data that isn't being constantly rewritten across the entire volume) but are still too expensive to be cost effective, especially for larger volumes. HDDs are still the king of mass storage.

Regular internal type HDDs are generally superior to the cheap spinners normally found in external HDDs and there is no reason not to use them for data storage other than, mayhap, convenience. As long as they don't get jostled about and kept in an anti-static sleeve when stored, they take up much less room and will cost less than external drives because you won't be paying for duplicate enclosures and PSUs.

The data stored on the HDDs can be accessed by using an external dock (e-SATA is fastest followed by USB 3.0). A large number of HDDs would be easier to access frequently if in a NAS or RAID enclosure but that would present problems with backups. Even better is a computer with plenty of room for HDDs inside. Keep in mind there would be a limit to how many HDDs one could have in a computer due to a fixed number of drive letters available.

If the HDDs are accessed only occasionally, even the 3-4TB HDDs will most likely last an extremely long time (years) but keep in mind no media will last forever. Backups are essential to reasonably ensure data will never be lost. The easiest backup scheme would be to keep a duplicate of each HDD someplace away from the original, such as one at his home and another at your home.

One common misconception is that RAID (other than 0) is a backup. For data to be backed up, it has to exist in two or more separate places. Data stored in a RAID can be lost due to fire, flood, PSU and other mechanical failure, theft, and user error. Only by having duplicate data stored elsewhere can one reasonably ensure against data loss. Also, the backup drive must stay disconnected from the source drive except when making or updating the backup. Otherwise, whatever caused data loss on the source drive could take out the data on the backup.

Because of the difficulty of backing a NAS or RAID enclosure, I rarely recommend them for home use unless one needs a central storage point for multiple computers. The difficulty lies in having to come up with a volume equal to the volume of the RAID volume. That generally requires a second RAID.

Solarstarshines said:

So it's safe to say using a external 3tb or internal doesn't matter if it is a quality one...

True but external HDDs are usually lower quality than many internal type HDDs.

Solarstarshines said:

...So faster access times would have to go to the internal though wouldn't USB 3.0 isn't that super fast over sata 6 right isn't it slower?

My mind is on strike and I'm not sure I understand what you are asking. Let's see if this helps.

For the purpose of this discussion, there are two types of HDDs that can be used for backups: external HDDs and internal type HDDs (HDDs that are normally installed inside a computer case). External HDDs are generally an internal type HDD that has been installed in an enclosure and provided with some kind of interface for connecting to a computer.

Internal type HDDs can be used externally by installing them in an external enclosure (making them into an external HDD; other than the HDD itself will probably be of better quality, there is not much advantage in that unless it's the only one you have) or by using them in a dock, like this one (I actually have that dock but rarely use it anymore because I now have a better alternative). Docks have the advantage over enclosures because only the one dock and PSU is needed for multiple HDDs. Also HDDs not enclosed in an enclosure require less room to store.

Docks generally now connect to the computer via USB or e-SATA (Firewire also has been used in the past). Obviously, USB 3.0 is the fastest of the USBs but one has to have USB 3.0 available on the computer to take advantage of USB 3.0 speeds; otherwise speeds revert to USB 2.0 speeds. e-SATA is generally fastest, especially e-SATA 3.0 (6 Gbps).

MilesAhead said:

The largest available drives tend to cost more than twice the cost of drives with half the capacity...

I just checked on NewEgg and the 2TB WD Greens are $90 and the 4TB are $180. Generally, the cost per TB of any drive is going to be the same. The advantage of larger drives is they require less space. The advantages of smaller drives are backups are faster and, should the drive fail, less data is at risk for loss (backups, of course, reduce, if not pretty much negate, the risk of loss). I personally prefer larger drives due to space considerations.

I also prefer WD Blacks for my working data drives (the ones installed in my computer); they are faster and have a longer warranty. I prefer the Greens for my backup drives because they are cheaper. For static storage, the Greens will be fine. Whatever drive one uses, a good backup scheme is imperative since even the best drives can fail on their own or be destroyed by external forces.

MilesAhead said:

...I haven't done statistical analysis or anything. But if cost is an issue you may be well served by a USB 3.0 (if the machine has USG 3.0 ports already) docking station, several 2 tb internal drives, and a plastic stack of drawers from Walmart. Just glancing at egg I saw WD 2 tb 6 Gb/s drives for around $90. These days you can probably get a USB 3.0 dock for around $20. Using external drives they make you pay through the nose for the fact it's enclosed and you just plug them in...

USB 3.0 is fast but, if available on a machine, e-SATA is even faster. e-SATA is easy to add to a machine if one has an empty SATA port, preferably SATA 3 (6Gbps), and an unused PCI slot cover on the back. There are PCI cover adapters that mount on the back of a machine and connect to the SATA port via a cable. One can find docks that have e-SATA capabilities for not much more than ones without e-SATA.

MilesAhead said:

...Using external drives they make you pay through the nose for the fact it's enclosed and you just plug them in. It's just as easy to slide an internal drive into a dock...

Absolutely! The drives also take up less space in storage.

MilesAhead said:

...Just make sure to drain the static electricity from your body before picking up the drive...Just save the anti-static bags the internal drives come in. But even if you have to buy some it's only a few dollars for all you are ever likely to need. Slide the internal drive into the anti-static bag and store...

Excellent advice! I also use a pair of anti-static gloves when handling my drives (static is a huge problem where I live).