I'm looking for recommendations on where to buy refurbished or budget-friendly 2.5-inch hard drives, SSDs, or similar storage options. I have a home server that I'm setting up for streaming and game servers, so I don't need anything too high-end. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I'm located in Canada, which might help with finding local options.
2 Answers
You might want to check eBay for used drives. They have buyer protection, which is always a bonus. Just look for resellers that provide some SMART data on the drives—they're usually people who recycle electronics. After getting the drive, I recommend doing a full format and a thorough SMART test to ensure everything's working. In my experience, it’s worth the little extra effort!
Good question! Just be cautious about how much money you’ll actually save with refurbished drives. I find it tricky to compare prices sometimes, especially if you can’t find a lot of options. Have you thought about trying to fit a 3.5” HDD in your server? I’m not super knowledgeable about that, but it could be a possibility if you research a bit more!
Yeah, I've thought about it, but I'm not sure what parts I'd need to make it work. Sounds complicated!