I am looking to buy some external target Hard Disk Drives to take on site and image to via USB 3.0.
The source drive will be connected via eSata and write blocked with a Tableau T35ES.
The laptop currently being used is running Windows 7 and has an i7 CPU.
I want the target drives to be
A) Reliable
B) Quick
C) Large Capacity (1-2 TB)
Please could you let me know what drives you recommend to use and what I should avoid.
I usually check out NewEgg to see what is getting decent reviews.
It really can just be a crap shoot anyway. The way drives are manufactured there can be supply chain issues that effect chip-sets, firmware and other small details resulting in the same drive model having different performance ratings. Probably enough of us have been burned at one time or another in IT by a bad batch of drives making us weary of certain drive model/manufactures.
Your best bet will be to use a USB 3.0 dock and select internal drives that meet your needs as opposed to buying pre-built housing/drive units IMO. Just see what is rating well and shopping sites that allow feedback. Just know how to filter out feedback from those who actually have positive or negative reviews of substance.
Thanks Doug.
I guess it is going to be down to pot luck.
I spent ages reading reviews and was more comfused by differing opinions than when I started.
I had settled on the Samsung F3 but there was so much negativity that I posted here.
My main worry is imaging on site and getting back to the office to find the disk has failed.
Whilst speed and size are important my main priority is reliability.
Your best bet will be to use a USB 3.0 dock and select internal drives that meet your needs as opposed to buying pre-built housing/drive units IMO.
Would agree with this. I'd never use a sealed external unit by choice on the few occasions when I've been compelled to use them I've usually regretted it!
I would recommend these
2 TB - WD2002FAEX
1.5 TB - WD1502FAEX
1 TB - WD1002FAEX
and as douglasbrush mentioned, use a USB 3.0 SATA Dock. THe above drives offer fast reliable operations. Also, we never see them in the lab.