Hey everyone! My WD Black 5TB external drive just stopped working, and I'm not sure what my options are. Is it worth trying to replace the drive inside, or should I just buy a brand new one? I'm not too familiar with these drives and I'm having a hard time even finding a compatible replacement. What do you all think?
3 Answers
Replacing the HDD in a WD external drive isn't usually practical. The drive's main board integrates the USB hardware, making it tricky to just switch out the HDD without replacing most of the components. Most of the time, you'll be better off buying a new one. Plus, SSDs do have a higher cost per terabyte, but they're way faster and more reliable!
If you can swing it, go for an SSD. They’re much faster than HDDs and more durable too!
Consider getting an M2 SSD caddy and an M2 drive. It’s compact, way quicker than HDDs, and more resilient to bumps and scratches for portability!
Yeah, I was considering that! Just wasn’t sure if it’d be cheaper to swap out the drive or get a whole new one since I can't find the right replacement that fits.