Suggestions for a dependable storage drive


Ghot said:
I've owned/own about twenty of them.
They all still work flawlessly.

What size are you looking for? WD and Seagate are decent 3.5" drives.
Stay away from WD Blue or Green. I'm not 100% sure but the WD Ultrastars, used to be Hitachi DeskStars (DeathStars).
Western Digital acquired Hitachi's hard disk drive (HDD) business in 2012.




I'm using these at the moment...

WD 4TB Black
M/N: WD4005FZBX

WD 8TB Black
M/N: WD8001FZBX
Click to expand...
I'm looking for 8 to 12TB. I'll take a look at the 8TB you mentioned. Thanks!
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProIntel Core i9-14900K192 GBNVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Super
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Boxx Apexx S4
CPU
Intel Core i9-14900K
Motherboard
ASRock Z790 Taichi
Memory
192 GB
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Super
Monitor(s) Displays
NEC PA322UHD-2, NEC EA275UHD
Screen Resolution
4K x 2
Mine run about this fast...

0000 Crystal - WD Black 7200rpm FZBX.webp
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26200.8737 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦25H2AMD Ryzen 7 3700XG.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26200.8737 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5302)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1

  • At a glance

    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
Have you given up on the WD My Book and WD Elements external drives? If so, then have your thought of "shucking" the drives. That means to remove the internal SATA drives from their enclosure. The only thing that may have failed was the internal SATA to USB board in the drive. The drive itself may be OK.

I have a 2TB Seagate Expansion Desktop external drive. The drive started being intermittent so I managed to copy all the data off of it before it finally failed. I shucked the drive and put it into an external enclosure. The internal drive was a 3.5-in Seagate Barracuda SATA HDD. Checking the drive showed it was encrypted so I couldn't read it. No matter because I already saved the data. I repartitioned and reformatted the drive. Testing it showed that it was good now. I copied the data back onto it.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.6901)AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with Radeon 680M GPU (486MB...Crucial DDR5-4800 (2400MHz) 32GB (2 x 16GB)NVIDIA RTX 3060 Laptop (6GB RAM)
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.6901)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (2022)
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with Radeon 680M GPU (486MB RAM)
    Memory
    Crucial DDR5-4800 (2400MHz) 32GB (2 x 16GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3060 Laptop (6GB RAM)
    Sound Card
    n/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6-inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 300Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 990 Evo Plus (2TB M.2 NVME SSD)
    PSU
    n/a
    Mouse
    Wireless Mouse M510
    Internet Speed
    2100Mbps/300Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.8246)AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3DG.SKILL Flare X 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4ASUS ROG-STRIX-RTX3060TI-08G-V2-GAMING (RTX 3...
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.8246)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom build
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming WiFi II
    Memory
    G.SKILL Flare X 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-RTX3060TI-08G-V2-GAMING (RTX 3060-Ti, 8GB RAM)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung G50D IPS 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1440p/180Hz
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG 990 EVO Plus (2TB] M.2 NVME SSD
    SAMSUNG 990 EVO Plus (4TB) M.2 NVME SSD
    PSU
    Corsair RM750x (750 watts)
    Case
    Cooler Master MasterCase 5
    Cooling
    Scythe Mugen 6
    Keyboard
    Logitech K520 (MK540 keyboard/mouse combo)
    Mouse
    Logitech M310 (MK540 keyboard/mouse combo)
    Internet Speed
    2100 Mbps down / 300 Mbps up
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge, Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes (Premium)
    Other Info
    ASUS Blu-ray Burner BW-16D1HT (SATA) || Western Digital Easystore 20TB USB 3.0 external hard drive used with Acronis True Image 2025 backup software || HP OfficeJet Pro 6975 Printer/Scanner
Depending on how tech savvy you are, you can build your own NAS.
Desktop PC that has 6 or 8 SATA connectors.. perhaps has one or two m.2 slots.
Then you install a free OS.. there is several out there, but just one hits me in writing moment. TrueNas community edition... it was also know as FreeNas.

or just cheat.. set up windows on a Desktop PC and load it with so many Sata HDD's you can fit and use file-sharing.
When choosing good HDD's for NAS/server usage they should be CMR disks.

you can google on: CMR VS SMR NAS / Server usage
or ask Chat GPT the same question :-)
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Linux: Debian, Kali-linux, Alma, Win:7,10IoT,...i3, i5 and i7 From 2gen to 9th gen... Server ...
    OS
    Linux: Debian, Kali-linux, Alma, Win:7,10IoT,2012R
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Elitebook 840, AsusX53, Aspire E1-572. AsusUX32A, HP Pro3130mt+3010mt, HP Proliant ML150, 3xCustom-PC, i3, i5, i7
    CPU
    i3, i5 and i7 From 2gen to 9th gen... Server dual Xenon
    Hard Drives
    Sata, M.2, SAS

  • At a glance

    Retro: 2003server.XPpro, Win2000, Win98SE, Wi...Oldest intel 8088 up to P4 dual core
    Operating System
    Retro: 2003server.XPpro, Win2000, Win98SE, Win95, Win3.11, MS-DOS, IBM-DOS
    Manufacturer/Model
    Commodore, AST, Fujitsu, Compaq, etc etc. etc Around 15 desktops and 20 laptops in the collection
    CPU
    Oldest intel 8088 up to P4 dual core
    Hard Drives
    MFM, IDE, SCSI
Meisha said:
When you said "spinner", I thought you meant a non-RAID, non-NAS drive.
Click to expand...
A SATA "NAS" drive is little different from a common or garden SATA drive. It's spec'd for more continuous use, and may make less vibration.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 26200.8728Amd Threadripper 7970X128GB (4 X 32) G.Skill DDR5 6400 (RDIMM)Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    OS
    Windows 11 26200.8728
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Amd Threadripper 7970X
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D Rev. 1.0
    Memory
    128GB (4 X 32) G.Skill DDR5 6400 (RDIMM)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    Sound Card
    none (USB to speakers), Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Innocn 32" OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @ 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Crucial T700 2TB M.2 NVME SSD
    WD 4TB Blue SATA SSD
    Seagate 18TB IronWolf Pro
    PSU
    BeQuiet! Straight Power 12 1500W
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo XL
    Cooling
    SilverStone Technology XE360-TR5, with 3 Phanteks T30 fans
    Keyboard
    Cherry KC 500 MX LP (mechanical)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Internet Speed
    2000/250 Mbps (down/up)
    Other Info
    xFinity gateway

  • At a glance

    windows 11 26200.8728Intel I9-13900K64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Operating System
    windows 11 26200.8728
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Intel I9-13900K
    Motherboard
    Asus RoG Strix Z690-E
    Memory
    64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Sound Card
    built in Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27E1N8900 27" OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB
    8TB Seagate Ironwolf
    4TB Seagate Ironwolf
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1300 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Cherry Streaming (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
MisterEd said:
Have you given up on the WD My Book and WD Elements external drives? If so, then have your thought of "shucking" the drives. That means to remove the internal SATA drives from their enclosure. The only thing that may have failed was the internal SATA to USB board in the drive. The drive itself may be OK.

I have a 2TB Seagate Expansion Desktop external drive. The drive started being intermittent so I managed to copy all the data off of it before it finally failed. I shucked the drive and put it into an external enclosure. The internal drive was a 3.5-in Seagate Barracuda SATA HDD. Checking the drive showed it was encrypted so I couldn't read it. No matter because I already saved the data. I repartitioned and reformatted the drive. Testing it showed that it was good now. I copied the data back onto it.
Click to expand...
Do both of those contain ordinary SATA drives? Some external drives use other interior interfaces, so the drives can't be extracted and plugged into standard SATA connections.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 26200.8728Amd Threadripper 7970X128GB (4 X 32) G.Skill DDR5 6400 (RDIMM)Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    OS
    Windows 11 26200.8728
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Amd Threadripper 7970X
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D Rev. 1.0
    Memory
    128GB (4 X 32) G.Skill DDR5 6400 (RDIMM)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    Sound Card
    none (USB to speakers), Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Innocn 32" OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @ 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Crucial T700 2TB M.2 NVME SSD
    WD 4TB Blue SATA SSD
    Seagate 18TB IronWolf Pro
    PSU
    BeQuiet! Straight Power 12 1500W
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo XL
    Cooling
    SilverStone Technology XE360-TR5, with 3 Phanteks T30 fans
    Keyboard
    Cherry KC 500 MX LP (mechanical)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Internet Speed
    2000/250 Mbps (down/up)
    Other Info
    xFinity gateway

  • At a glance

    windows 11 26200.8728Intel I9-13900K64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Operating System
    windows 11 26200.8728
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Intel I9-13900K
    Motherboard
    Asus RoG Strix Z690-E
    Memory
    64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Sound Card
    built in Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27E1N8900 27" OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB
    8TB Seagate Ironwolf
    4TB Seagate Ironwolf
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1300 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Cherry Streaming (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Suggestions for external USB hard disks
Replies
15
Views
10K
bikemanAMD
B
Solved Buying Mini-PC or small form factor PC soon, suggestions please
Replies
19
Views
28K
Marcus Vinicus
Marcus Vinicus

Latest Support Threads

Latest Tutorials

Back
Top Bottom