I'm looking for some advice on whether or not to buy a "WD Elements Portable - 2TB" external hard drive. My current setup includes a Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD that seems to be acting up; it randomly spikes to 100% usage and makes some odd crackling sounds. I also have a T-Force Vulcan Z 1TB SSD and a WD SN350 Green 1TB M.2 SSD specifically for my games, but I'm running out of space for family photos and videos, which have accumulated to 600GB. My goal is to use the external drive occasionally to offload some of this data and to back up my HDD. Ideally, I want something within an $80 budget, but I'm concerned about storage longevity, maintenance, and how often I should replace the external drive or what I should do if I let it sit unused for a long time. Also, could my failing HDD be contributing to my PC's slowness?
2 Answers
I've heard mixed things about the WD Elements. They're often cheaper but can fail unexpectedly, so make sure to have important files backed up elsewhere. As for maintenance, just keep it in a case to protect against dust and avoid physical movement. If you notice performance issues or data corruption, that's a sign to think about replacing it.
For just transferring 5 to 10GB weekly, the WD Elements should work fine. Just keep in mind that external drives can be less reliable over time, so it's best not to store anything irreplaceable on it without a backup. If you're worried about speed, consider looking at internal SSD options whenever you're ready to upgrade further. But for now, this drive can be a decent stopgap!
Good point! Just remember to regularly check your existing HDD for issues, since that could be slowing everything down.
So you're saying it’s better to have a solid internal drive for critical stuff? That makes sense!