Testing nine external hard drives. Choosing the best drive / Sudo Null IT News

In the modern world, mobility and free availability of information are highly valued. Therefore, the issue of storing user data and simultaneous access to it, for example, for all family members, is very acute. Of course, the best solution for this is network storage installed indoors. If earlier this required a separate computer, now organizing it on the basis of a wireless router is not difficult. In addition, modern models are produced on the basis of ARM processors and have support for a USB 3.0 port, which greatly increases their capabilities. What could be better for households than using a shared network resource at home, and then taking it with you on vacation and entertaining yourself by watching movies from an external drive? This is what we will do with choosing an external drive for these tasks.

For testing, I was able to get nine models of external hard drives with a capacity of 1 TB or 2 TB:

• ADATA HD710, 2 TB • HGST Touro Mobile MX3, 1 TB • Seagate Expansion Portable, 2 TB • Seagate Expansion, 2 TB • Silicon Power Armor A80, 1 TB • TOSHIBA Stor.E Basics, 1 TB • Transcend StoreJet 25H3, 1 TB • Western Digital My Passport Ultra, 2 TB • Western Digital Elements, 2 TB

All hard drives have a USB 3.0 interface connector. Two of them (Seagate Expansion and Western Digital Elements) have a large 3.5" form factor. Along the way, during the review, we will find out whether it makes sense to purchase these disks, which are large in size and require external power, for this type of task.

Hard drives were tested connected to the USB 3.0 port of an Intel NUC, using Crystal Disk Mark. Testing as a network storage was carried out on the basis of the ASUS RT-AC68U wireless router. The external drive was connected to a USB 3.0 port and then using the NAS Performance Tester program, read and write speeds were measured for files of 100, 200 and 1000 MB in size.

ADATA HD710

External hard drives in this series are available in 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB capacities in blue, yellow or black colors. All of them have a waterproof (IPX7) and shockproof housing.

The USB cable fits into a special groove around the disk body, thereby ensuring convenient storage. The length of the interface cable is 31 centimeters.

The overall dimensions of the disk are 132×99×22 millimeters, and the weight is 220 grams.

HGST Touro Mobile MX3

This model of external hard drives is produced in capacities of 500 GB, 1 TB and 1.5 TB. The disk body is made of matte plastic. There are no rubber feet to combat vibration.

The length of the USB cable is 43 centimeters.

The overall dimensions of the disk are 126x80x15 millimeters.

Top external drive manufacturers

Today, the production of external hard drives is established by a number of large companies. Keep in mind! The best representatives are presented below:

SEAGATE. Few active PC users are not familiar with Barracuda line of hard drives. Models for external connection of this brand are invariably included in the ratings of the best hard drives.
WESTERN DIGITAL. A cult corporation that also produces portable hard drives. The company's external HDDs are of high quality and have a wide range.
TOSHIBA. The company has been operating since 1938. External HDDs of this brand are famous for their reliability, affordable price and optimal technical parameters.
ADATA. A memory card manufacturing company that has also launched the production of hard drives. The brand's products are reliable and have excellent technical characteristics.

Seagate Expansion Portable

Seagate's Expansion series of portable external hard drives has a 2.5" form factor. The model range includes three drives with capacities of 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB. The disk body is made of matte plastic and does not have rubber feet.

The length of the USB 3.0 interface cable is 44 centimeters.

The overall dimensions of the disk are 122.3 × 81.1 × 15.5 millimeters, and the weight is 170 grams.

Which external hard drive is better to buy?

Based on the type of memory, absolutely all hard drives are divided into two main categories:

HDD (magnetic) are the hard drives we are all familiar with, which are not very fast and are highly susceptible to any damage, but they have a truly huge amount of memory and a very affordable price.
SSD (solid-state) - relatively recently appeared on the market, but has already managed to win millions of fans. Such hard drives work 10 times faster than magnetic ones, but they also cost about the same amount. Alas, they cannot boast of colossal volumes.

If we focus only on external hard drives, then there is also a classification regarding capacity and size. Mobile disks are small in volume (up to 1-2 TB) and weigh between 300-400 g. Stationary disks are more capacious (up to 10-12 TB). You can’t really carry them in your pocket or even a bag, since they weigh 2-3 kg and are comparable in size to small laptops.

SSD drives are not stationary, since the maximum capacity for them is 2 TB, and their sizes are small.

In general, the size of the external memory depends on the needs of the owner, but in any case, taking a removable hard drive less than 500 GB is pointless. For SSD, the threshold can be reduced to 128 GB.

The spindle rotation speed (for magnetic disks) also determines the speed of the hard drive:

5400 rpm is produced by inexpensive “working” hard drives;
7200 rpm – ideal in terms of price and speed;
10,000 rpm and more are very expensive disks designed for exchanging large amounts of information.

The interface and data transfer speed should not be discounted either. Most external drive models are equipped with a USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port with data transfer speeds of up to 3 Gbit/s and up to 5 Gbit/s, respectively. New models can offer USB Type-C, which delivers speeds of 10 Gbps. But it makes no sense to use devices with SATA, eSATA, FireWire interfaces as external drives.

Among the useful additional functions, it is worth highlighting: protection from dust and moisture, shock protection, and the presence of a cooling system. All of them indirectly affect the durability of the device.

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Seagate Expansion

Seagate Expansion external drives have a large 3.5" form factor. As a result, they have larger dimensions and require additional power. The disk body is made of matte plastic. To combat vibrations, there are four rubber feet on the bottom of the case. The lineup of this series contains disks with capacities of 1 TB, 2 TB, 3 TB, 4 TB and 5 TB.

The length of the USB 3.0 cable is 118 centimeters.

To power the drive, a DC power adapter with a voltage of 12 V and a maximum current consumption of 1.5 A is used.

The overall dimensions of the disk are 179.5 × 118 × 37.5 millimeters, and the weight is 940 grams.

The best 4TB external hard drives

Seagate Expansion desktop drive 4 TB

The black model has high write and read speeds.
Large memory capacity allows you to store even resource-intensive files. During operation, the disk does not make noise or vibrate. The 3.5 form factor and innovative USB 3.0 interface ensure stable and uninterrupted operation of the computer. The shockproof housing will reliably protect the mechanism from damage in the event of an accidental fall or impact. Compatibility with the Windows operating system allows you to install the disc without using additional programs. Specifications:

Memory: 4 TB;

Rotation: 500 rpm;

Connection: USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A;

Contents: USB cable, power supply.

Advantages

high write and read speed
large amount of memory
low cost
high-quality assembly
reliability

Flaws

a little noisy during operation

Western Digital My Passport 4 TB (WDBUAX0040B)

We are talking about the Digital My Passport line and will somewhat complement the capabilities of the bundled utilities. Supports 256-bit hardware encryption using the AES algorithm. Backup can be performed either to the external drive itself or to a selected cloud service (Dropbox or Baidu). It is possible to configure the “sleep” mode. True, the operating system of the laptop or PC to which the device is connected may give its own settings higher priority. In other words, of course, the disk settings will only apply when working with a TV. By the way, the same service utility allows you to turn off the indicator LED so that it does not irritate you at night.

Advantages

large selection of colors
good options for setup and maintenance

Flaws

thick
cable is a bit short
partially glossy body

Lacie Mobile Drive 4 TB

The model, made in accordance with the 2.5-inch form factor, is a reliable and high-quality portable data drive with a capacity of up to 4 TB.
It is based on a powerful and capacious HDD storage device. The presence of an ultra-fast USB 3.1 connector guarantees lightning-fast data transfer. This hard drive is supplied with a pair of interface cables with USB Type-C and USB output ports, which allows for trouble-free connection of the device to the necessary equipment. The Lacie Mobile Drive 4 TB has a powerful metal body with a compact size and an elegant design that is ideally combined with the high performance and reliability of the device. Specifications:

HDD capacity: 4000 GB;

Standard size: 2.5″;

Dimensions (WxHxD): 91.2x20x124 mm;

Weight: 400 g;

Warranty: 2 years.

Advantages

high build quality
robust aluminum housing
high read and write speed
quiet operation

Flaws

heavy model
slight heating during operation
no rubber feet

Western Digital WD Elements Desktop 4 TB

A stylish and fairly large external drive with high build quality.
It is more intended for stationary use rather than for moving from place to place. The kit comes with proprietary software that allows you to create a backup copy. Data transfer speed is 5 Gbps. Interface 3.0. The body is matte, painted black. The side elements have a lattice structure. Specifications:

Form factor: 3.5";

There is built-in software;

Buffer volume 16 MB;

Material plastic.

Advantages

works quietly
excellent speed of reading information and writing data
stylish design

Flaws

big size
body is easily soiled
increased energy consumption

Seagate Backup Plus Hub 4 TB

An external HDD drive with a capacity of 4000 GB will be useful at home, at work, on business trips and travel for storing and quickly accessing information recorded on it.
This model is additionally equipped with a USB 3.0 hub. This allows you to create backup copies of files from any platform and any size very quickly, without a drop in speed. The monolithic plastic case in this device is non-separable, the durable matte surface eliminates abrasions and scratches. The Seagate Backup Plus Hub 4TB drive can act as a backup charger for other mobile devices. Additionally, the manufacturer offers to use cloud storage space with an available capacity of up to 200 GB. Specifications:

HDD capacity: 4000 GB;

Standard size: 3.5″;

Dimensions (W×H×D): 41×198.1×118 mm

Weight: 1050 g;

Warranty: 2 years.

Advantages

presence of built-in USB hub
Huge amount of file storage
stylish design
convenient glowing indicator on the front panel

Flaws

high price
heavy weight
not very fast when working with files larger than 2 GB
vertical design - potentially negatively affects HDD resource

Silicon Power Armor A80

Silicon Power Armor A80 external drives have a waterproof (IPX7) and shockproof casing. The outer surface of the case is made of matte anodized aluminum. There are no rubber feet on the body to dampen vibrations and provide additional stability. Disks are available in capacities of 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB.

Unlike all other presented drives, Silicon Power Armor A80 has not one interface cable included, but two. The first cable is 78 centimeters long, and the second 8 centimeters. A short cable can be stored in a slot at one of the ends of the housing.

Another difference between these drives is the use of a USB 3.0 A socket on the drive body. All other drives use USB 3.0 Micro-B outlets.

The overall dimensions of the disk are 139.45 × 94 × 18.1, and the weight is 270 grams.

TOSHIBA Stor.E Basics

The disk body is made of matte black plastic. There are four rubber feet on the bottom of the case. These drives are available in capacities of 500 GB, 750 GB and 1 TB.

The USB interface cable is 52.5 centimeters long.

The overall dimensions of the disks for versions with a capacity of 500 GB and 750 GB are 118.9 × 79 × 13.5 millimeters and weigh 150 grams. The 1 TB version of the drive has a thickness of 16.5 millimeters and a weight of 180 grams, otherwise its dimensions are identical to less capacious models.

Transcend StoreJet 25H3

Transcend StoreJet 25H3 external hard drives have a rubberized casing that can withstand shock loads. There are 500GB, 1TB and 2TB models available in blue or purple-black.

The length of the USB cable is 45 centimeters.

A distinctive feature of the drive is the presence of a quick reconnection button, which allows you to use a securely remote USB drive without disconnecting from the port and reconnecting it.

The overall dimensions of the 500 GB and 1 TB models are 131.8 x 80.8 x 19 millimeters and weigh 216 grams. The 2 TB version has a thickness of 24.5 millimeters and a weight of 284 grams.

Western Digital My Passport Ultra

The Western Digital My Passport Ultra hard drive case is made of matte black plastic. There are four rubber feet on its bottom. The top cover of the case can be black, red, blue or metal, depending on the model. The drives are available in 500 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB capacities.

The length of the USB cable is 46 centimeters.

The drive comes with a velvet pouch for easy storage and carrying.

The overall dimensions of the 500 GB version are 110 × 81.6 × 12.8 millimeters and weighs 130 grams. The 1 TB version measures 110.5 x 82 x 15.4 millimeters and weighs 160 grams, while the 2 TB version measures 110.5 x 82 x 20.9 millimeters and weighs 230 grams.

Western Digital Elements

The Western Digital Elements external hard drive case is made of glossy plastic and is designed for vertical installation. On sale you can find drives with capacities of 2 TB, 3 TB, 4 TB and 5 TB.

To connect the drive, a USB cable 126 centimeters long is used.

To power the drive, a DC power adapter with a voltage of 12 V and a maximum current consumption of 1.5 A is used.

The overall dimensions of the disk are 135x48x165.8, and the weight is 910 grams.

Best 2TB External Hard Drives

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 2TB

This is an excellent solution for storing files with sufficient memory capacity (2 TB). This is enough to store large quantities of pictures, videos or heavy programs. This device is made on the basis of a modern control controller. The drive is suitable for use in both a desktop PC and a laptop. The connection is made via a USB Type-C slot. This media has excellent read speed, which can reach 550 MB/s. The drive has a 1.8-inch form factor. Among other things, the case is made of reliable and high-quality materials that are highly resistant to various external influences, which significantly increases its service life.

Advantages

high data read/write speed
ergonomic housing made of silicone eliminates the possibility of scratching the device
The package includes an adapter for USB type A

Flaws

does not support SMART

Transcend StoreJet 25M3 2TB

The external one, in a stylish and practical case made of rubberized plastic, boasts shock-absorbing properties, non-slip in the hands and on the surface, while carefully preserving the contents of the disc.
The Transcend StoreJet 25M3 2 TB HDD accessory allows you to safely store all kinds of data up to 1000 GB. The external hard drive in question will significantly relieve the disk space of your home or work computer. Connection to a PC is carried out via USB 3.1 interface. The service life of the device declared by the manufacturer is 1080 days. Specifications:

HDD capacity: 2000 GB;

Standard size: 2.5″;

Dimensions (WxHxD): 80.8x16.1x129.5 mm;

Weight: 185 g;

Warranty: 1 year.

Advantages

affordable price
nice design
protected rubberized body
compact size, light weight

Flaws

lack of a complete case
Not the most outstanding read/write speed
very stiff connection cable

Western Digital WD Elements Portable 2 TB

An external HDD is a high-performance hard drive with a large amount of memory, allowing you to store even extensive multimedia libraries.
Delays in writing and reading files can be avoided by the high speed characteristics of the presented hard drive. First of all, this is achieved by using a USB connection version 3. The Western Digital WD Elements Portable 2 TB device operates in silent mode. Its exterior design is classic black. Specifications:

HDD capacity: 2000 GB;

Standard size: 2.5″;

Dimensions (W×H×D): 82×21×111 mm;

Weight: 230 g;

Warranty: 2 years.

Advantages

quiet operation
compact dimensions
housing with rubber pads on the bottom
Auto sleep mode for prolonged inactivity

Flaws

sometimes not detected when connected
very short USB cable
LED indication is too bright

Toshiba Canvio Basics 2TB

If there is a need for large-capacity storage media, there is still no acceptable alternative to the hard drive and there is no sign of one in the near future. And this takes into account the characteristic shortcomings of such drives and despite their sluggish development in recent years. Although there is progress. In 2021, Toshiba increased the recording density of magnetic disks by almost a quarter, making its hard drives thinner, lighter and faster. If you want to get a maximum of additional capacity with reasonable functionality, spending a minimum of money, pay attention to the updated Canvio Basic line. We consider the external hard drives in this line to be one of the best offerings on the market for home use. For more serious tasks, it makes sense to take a closer look at Advance or Premium series drives.

Advantages

good speed performance
relatively light weight
compactness

Flaws

short and stiff cable
no anti-slip feet

Seagate Expansion STEA2000400

This model is an excellent example of how, with the help of minor production costs, it is possible to achieve a completely recognizable and quite practical appearance. In fact, developing a special mold is inexpensive, but the housings coming out from under it do not slip out of your hands and look impressive. And all this is thanks to the original volumetric corrugation in the form of pyramids. It’s just a pity that the company’s designers didn’t consider it possible to “spoil” the style with banal rubber feet - the device glides just fine on a bare tabletop, but the tops of the pyramids wear out. For the sake of objectivity, this is its most significant drawback. The hard drive installed in the device demonstrates very decent speed performance when working with data of various types, from small photo files to heavy videos.

Advantages

interesting design
good speed performance
knows how to hibernate

Flaws

no rubber feet
SATA-USB bridge chip is soldered on the board

Testing disks in Crystal Disk Mark

Based on the data obtained, when testing drives in Crystal Disk Mark, the following diagram was constructed:
Of course, two models of large form factor drives emerged as leaders in this test. The undisputed leader was the Seagate Expansion external hard drive. It is followed closely by Western Digital Elements, with a lag of about 30 MB/s for read/write operations.

The leader among small form factor drives is the ADATA HD710 hard drive. The Seagate Expansion Portable drive is literally on the heels of its results, lagging behind the leader by less than 10 MB/s. The difference between the results of drives with a small form factor and a large one is about 45-50 MB/s compared to the Seagate Expansion and about 20 MB/s compared to Western Digital Elements.

The rest of the drives failed to break through the 120 MB/s mark and they formed a rather dense group. The weakest drive according to the test results was the Western Digital My Passport Ultra drive. HGST Touro Mobile MX3 and TOSHIBA Stor.E Basics showed slightly better results. Silicon Power Armor A80 and Transcend StoreJet 25H3 showed even better results. But there is no need to talk about their clear advantage over the same Western Digital My Passport Ultra.

Best 1TB External Hard Drives

HP P500 1TB

This model, which has 1 TB of memory on board, can become high-quality storage for a fairly large number of different files. High read and write speeds combined with the USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C interface guarantee excellent media response. This external hard drive is built in a case that weighs 45.4 g, so it won't take up much useful space in your pocket or bag. The package includes a cord with a slot for connecting USB Type-A, as well as an adapter for a USB Type-C port. This small, high-quality storage device guarantees lightning-fast access to data.

Advantages

small dimensions
high data read/write speed
Comes with a cord and adapter
light weight
doesn't make noise

Flaws

high, according to users, price

Verbatim Surefire GX3 Gaming HDD 1 TB

Surefire is a brand from Europe that belongs to the Verbatim corporation, popular among older gamers for high-quality disks and floppy disks. It has not remained aloof from industry trends, creating an independent brand to produce gaming peripherals and media that are also positioned as gaming. This model has a very high-quality cord - reliable and quite long (55 cm). On one side of the case there is Micro-B, a favorite among most manufacturers of external hard drives, and on the other there is a traditional USB Type A. The appearance is designed in a gaming style: rounded corners, an attractive pixel pattern, backlight ticks and an overall figure in the form of an X symbol with a personal logo trademark, which stretches across the entire body. The modification we are considering has 1 TB of memory, of which 931 MB is available to the owner. The connection is as simple as possible - you just need to plug the cord into the USB slot. By default, the media is formatted in FAT32 and includes a number of folders with documents and utilities, mostly intended for creating backups.

Advantages

high data read/write speed
attractive appearance
absence of noise and vibration even under intense loads
doesn't heat up

Flaws

flimsy body
You can't adjust the backlight intensity

Silicon Power Stream S03 1TB

With its design, this external hard drive resembles a notepad with a rounded edge and one cropped corner on which the indicator is located. The LED clearly shows which interface is used for communication: USB 2.0 or USB 3.0. In the first case, the indicator color is red, in the second – blue. The drive body is made of plastic, with a practical matte surface on which fingerprints are not visible. Like many other manufacturers, the drive is based on a Toshiba hard drive, in this case the MQ01ABD100. Its power consumption is 1.5 W with a noise level of up to 24 dB. The disk is installed in a housing with rubber seals and is therefore protected to a certain extent from shock influences. The drive supports hardware encryption; to use this feature you need to download a special utility from the company’s website. In addition to cryptography, it allows you to configure the backup of documents from the main folders of the computer, including emails.

Advantages

Hardware encryption
High serial speed
Strict and at the same time original design

Flaws

Hardly ever

Toshiba Canvio Basics 1TB

If we talk about Canvio Basics hard drives of 1 GB or more, the increased recording density has made it possible to significantly reduce their thickness, and for wearable gadgets this change is quite significant. We remind you that this line is intended for temporary storage or transfer of not the most valuable information. It does not require specialized software, the design is minimalistic, and there is only one color.

Advantages

easy
fingerprints on the case are not visible

Flaws

cable about 40 cm long
no legs

Seagate Expansion Portable Drive 1TB

The top model of the Expansion series is made in a stylish compact black plastic case in accordance with the 2.5-inch form factor.
The reduced spindle speed of this device makes the product not only extremely economical, but also quite quiet. The Seagate Portable Drive 1 TB does not require a separate power supply - it fully operates via USB 3.0. Plus, the model is additionally equipped with a special energy saving mode. No special software is required to get started. The kit includes a USB cable and user instructions. Specifications:

HDD capacity: 1000 GB;

Standard size: 2.5″;

Dimensions (WxHxD): 80x14.8x117 mm;

Weight: 170 g;

Warranty: 2 years.