I'm running out of space on my custom-built PC and am considering a 5TB external drive for files I use every day. Most of the data would be digital artwork, speedpaint recordings, project documents, and files from programs such as SAI and Photoshop. I'd need to keep the drive connected while working because I would access these files throughout the day. I already maintain a separate, larger external HDD for backups, but it has its own power adapter and isn't very convenient to carry around. Portability matters because I sometimes work from a laptop or travel, so I'd like my active files to remain easy to move without constantly copying them between computers. Is it safe and practical to use an external HDD this way, or would another type of storage be better?
4 Answers
A network-attached storage system could be useful if you want the files available from multiple computers around the house. A mirrored setup can protect against one drive failing, but it won’t protect against accidental deletion, malware, theft, or fire, so you would still need a separate backup. For a simpler portable setup, a good external SSD for active work plus your existing HDD backup is likely the best balance.
For daily editing, an external SSD would probably feel much better than a hard disk. A SATA-based USB SSD is already several times faster for random access, while an NVMe USB enclosure can be faster still, assuming your computer supports the connection. One practical setup would be an SSD for the projects you’re actively working on and a larger HDD for backups and older files. Just remember that SSDs also need backups and can fail without warning.
Adding another internal drive is an option if your case and motherboard have room, and it would generally provide better performance. However, an external drive makes sense if you need to move the files between a desktop and laptop or take them with you during travel. Installing an internal drive is usually straightforward, but if you’re uncomfortable opening the PC, using an external drive is perfectly reasonable. Keep the drive somewhere safe when it isn’t connected, and consider encrypting it if it contains valuable personal or professional work.
Yes, an external USB drive can be used as your primary working storage. The main drawback is that it may be slower than an internal SSD, especially when opening large projects or working with high-resolution files. External enclosures also don’t always contain the fastest drives. Since these files are important, keep using a separate backup and ideally maintain another copy somewhere else, such as an off-site drive or reliable cloud storage. A NAS with mirrored drives could also work if you want shared access and redundancy, but RAID is not a substitute for backups.
I already keep the files in at least two places by regularly copying them to a separate backup HDD. I’m especially cautious because losing this work would mean losing years of projects.