Solved Best Hardware for System Backups


Back in the day when I used HDDs, while I had a few drives fail, no particular one of the major brands had more failures than the other. (Seagate, Western Digital, Toshiba, and Samsung) So if you're going the HDD route any one should suit your purpose.
A couple of HDDs for your perusal.
$219 WD 10 tb
$300 Seagate 22tb

I have never had an ssd or m.2 drive fail. Again, all I use are the major brands. I've steered clear of the off-breeds.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8655
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2x1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+2tb Kingston m2.nvme
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8457
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink Mini PC SER5
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics card(s)
    integrated
    Sound Card
    integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Crucial nvme
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    still too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    System 3 is non compliant Dell 9020 i7-4770/24gb ram Win11 PRO 26200.8457
Back in the day when I used HDDs, while I had a few drives fail, no particular one of the major brands had more failures than the other. (Seagate, Western Digital, Toshiba, and Samsung) So if you're going the HDD route any one should suit your purpose.
A couple of HDDs for your perusal.
$219 WD 10 tb
$300 Seagate 22tb

I have never had an ssd or m.2 drive fail. Again, all I use are the major brands. I've steered clear of the off-breeds.
Thank you very much for the suggestions! This is very helpful.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
    Motherboard
    TUF GAMING B550-PRO (AM4)
    Memory
    32.0GB Dual-Channel DDR4 @ 1197MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon (TM) RX 470
    Sound Card
    AMD High Definition Audio Device
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell P2219H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    238GB Patriot M.2 P300, 2 1863GB Western Digital WDC WD20EURX-63T0FY0 (SATA) drives
    Keyboard
    Logitec K450
    Mouse
    Logitec M310
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Avast Free, Malwarebytes Pro
For those capacities, 10TB+you are stuck with 3.5" mechanical HDDs, They are slow so USB3 connection is still faster than disks themselves so it's enough, All HDDs are "major manufacturer", there's only few left. Enclosure manufacturers you have few more but they all use HDDs from those few left. Those enclosures are relatively simple devices, just SATA3 to USB3. Because those HDDs are 3.5" format they all use power adapter to 12v.
Or you can put one together by getting HDD and interface separately.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W11 Pro and Insider Dev
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home brewed
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 7900x
    Motherboard
    ASROCK b650 PRO RS
    Memory
    2x16GB Kingston 6000MHz, Cl 32 @ 6200MHz Cl30
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Rx 6600XT Gaming OC 8G Pro
    Sound Card
    MB, Realtek Ac1220p
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3 x 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000. 1TBSamsung 970 evo Plus 500GB, Crucial P1 NVMe 1TB, Lexar NVMe 2 TB, Silicon Power M.2 SATA 500GB
    PSU
    Seasonic 750W
    Case
    Custom Raidmax
    Cooling
    Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360mm
    Internet Speed
    20/19 mbps

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming F16 (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    30Mbit/s up, 500Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
    Antivirus
    What's an antivirus?
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    30Mbit/s up, 500Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
🗸
Lol, a it overboard, that could run NASA.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W11 Pro and Insider Dev
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home brewed
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 7900x
    Motherboard
    ASROCK b650 PRO RS
    Memory
    2x16GB Kingston 6000MHz, Cl 32 @ 6200MHz Cl30
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Rx 6600XT Gaming OC 8G Pro
    Sound Card
    MB, Realtek Ac1220p
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3 x 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000. 1TBSamsung 970 evo Plus 500GB, Crucial P1 NVMe 1TB, Lexar NVMe 2 TB, Silicon Power M.2 SATA 500GB
    PSU
    Seasonic 750W
    Case
    Custom Raidmax
    Cooling
    Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360mm
    Internet Speed
    20/19 mbps
Lol, a it overboard, that could run NASA.
Well actually the 37 TB external storage that you can see in my specs consists of 16 × 3.5″ HDDs. Each one is in a separate enclosure.
1 × 1 TB​
4 × 1.5 TB​
8 × 2 TB​
2 × 3 TB​
1 × 8 TB​

HDDs.webp
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming F16 (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    30Mbit/s up, 500Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
    Antivirus
    What's an antivirus?
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    30Mbit/s up, 500Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
My link works fine for me. :unsure: Yes, the GB was just a typo, but obviously the 20TB was what I intended.

View attachment 137597 Interesting that this is 20T A 16T wd red is nearly 500 even if you have a NAS with error correction and each drive is mirrored, a drive like this would be good for offsite storage. A nas does all it can to protect your data but its all in one place and fragile both physically and technically. But something about this drive does not make sense, why is it only 229 when a 8T is that price. Seagate sells a : Seagate Backup Plus Portable 4TB External Hard Drive HDD – Black USB 3.0 for PC Laptop for 200 OK wait when you actually look at this drive on amazon and click on it again the cost is nearly 700 When I first searched amazon for this drive it did come up with that price of 229 but now I can not find that. I suppose if it does show up with that price again dump it in the CART!

 
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My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Precision 7780
    CPU
    Processor 13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-13950HX, 2200 M
    Motherboard
    Dell calls it the “system board” in the service manual.
    Memory
    64GIG
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA HIGH DEFINITION AUDIO
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung and a HP Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    Resolution 3840 x 2160 x 60 hertz
    Hard Drives
    3 1T NVME and 1 223 Gb
    PSU
    External
    Case
    Laptop
    Cooling
    Dual fans
    Keyboard
    LOGI REMOTE KEYBOARD
    Mouse
    LOGI REMOTE MOUSE
    Internet Speed
    538 Mbps 163 Mbps upload
    Browser
    Duck, Chrome, Edge, Opra
    Antivirus
    Norton Antivirus
  • Operating System
    WIN 11 PRO
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    RTX ADA 5000
    Memory
    32
    Monitor(s) Displays
    MY BIG SCREEN TV
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2016
    Hard Drives
    2 NVME
    Keyboard
    REMOTE USB
    Mouse
    REMOTE USB LOGI
    Internet Speed
    FIBER TO MY DOOR
    Browser
    DUCK FIREFOX CHROME OPRA
    Antivirus
    NORTON
Prices went up about 3X in a year, it was actually $229 when I posted the link. :lmao:

I bought this Samsung 990 EVO Plus NVME Drive for $259 a year ago, now it's $770!
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8655
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14500
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M G P WIFI
    Memory
    64GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060
    Sound Card
    Chipset Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 45" Ultragear, Acer 24" 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    5120x1440, 1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD (O/S)
    Silicon Power 2TB US75 NVMe PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 SSD (backup)
    Crucial BX500 2TB 3D NAND (2nd backup)
    Seagate 4TB Ironwolf, rotating HDD archive files
    External off-line backup Drives: 2 NVMe 4TB drives in external enclosures
    PSU
    Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 750W
    Case
    LIAN LI LANCOOL 216 E-ATX PC Case
    Cooling
    Lots of fans!
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8524
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14400
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel 700 Embedded GPU
    Sound Card
    Realtek Embedded
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27" HP 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 eD NAND PCIe SSD
    Samsung EVO 990 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD
    Samsung 2TB SATA SSD
    PSU
    Thermaltake Smart BM3 650W
    Case
    Okinos Micro ATX Case
    Cooling
    Fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security
That's what AI (the buildout) will do to you... current SSDs (in any form) are off the table these days.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10, Linux MINT (Guests 7, 11, ZorinOS)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Z2 G5 Workstation
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-10700
    Motherboard
    HP Model# 8751
    Memory
    32gB (DDR4)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Realtek basic audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    32" (Viewsonic) UHD
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    2-NvME (mainboard), 1-NvME (PCIe), 1-SATA3 SSD
That's what AI (the buildout) will do to you... current SSDs (in any form) are off the table these days.
Fortunately, I stocked up last year and won't be shopping for storage for some time.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8655
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14500
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M G P WIFI
    Memory
    64GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060
    Sound Card
    Chipset Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 45" Ultragear, Acer 24" 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    5120x1440, 1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD (O/S)
    Silicon Power 2TB US75 NVMe PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 SSD (backup)
    Crucial BX500 2TB 3D NAND (2nd backup)
    Seagate 4TB Ironwolf, rotating HDD archive files
    External off-line backup Drives: 2 NVMe 4TB drives in external enclosures
    PSU
    Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 750W
    Case
    LIAN LI LANCOOL 216 E-ATX PC Case
    Cooling
    Lots of fans!
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8524
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14400
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel 700 Embedded GPU
    Sound Card
    Realtek Embedded
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27" HP 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 eD NAND PCIe SSD
    Samsung EVO 990 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD
    Samsung 2TB SATA SSD
    PSU
    Thermaltake Smart BM3 650W
    Case
    Okinos Micro ATX Case
    Cooling
    Fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security
current SSDs (in any form) are off the table these days.
SSD and NVME disks use the "principle of an electric capacitor" to store information, and therefore, when the power is turned off, the information on such disks will turn into a "pumpkin" in 1-2 years.
Hard drives (HD) use the "magnet principle", and therefore, when the power is turned off, the information on such disks is stored for 5-10 years without problems.
I only use HD "WD Gold" server hard drives.. it never breaks.
A good power supply is very important. I use Seasonic Gold power supplies
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10/11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Windows 10 21H2 LTSC x64 [MSDN]; Windows 11 24H2 LTSC; m/b Z77-HD3(BIOS-MBR/UEFI); HDD WD 500Gb
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