USB Hard Drive recommendations

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Fri Jan 18, 2013 4:26 pm

I see it all the time now, and frankly the better external 2.5" drives are all natively USB which is good because it means they are specifically designed for it. Just as easy to integrate it into the drive controller as SATA.

You can tell by the size of the drive case. The longer ones are SATA drives with an interface. The Canvio drives are all short.

ZYFER · Post by **ZYFER** » Fri Jan 18, 2013 5:58 pm

Most laptop hard drives are smaller than previous years, so I wouldn't go by just being shorter. So, I wouldn't believe it till I see it.

These enclosures are generally designed to be a pain to open anyways, if you do it wrong, you can break it in the process.

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Fri Jan 18, 2013 7:01 pm

Well like I said, I've opened a few, and it's not uncommon. I guess it's more cost effective to integrate a USB 3.0 controller on the hard drive circuit board, instead of building a drive with TWO interfaces.

I know the newer WD Elements SE 2.5" USB hard drive has a micro USB integrated right onto the drive, because I've cracked a dead one open in the hope that the SATA to USB interface was fried and the drive was readable. Here's what it looks like:

ZYFER · Post by **ZYFER** » Fri Jan 18, 2013 9:39 pm

I suppose it is just a matter of the circuit board they use. Probably easy enough to slap in, but I would think it is more of an uncommon practice than anything.

Then again, perhaps WD has the worries that people will buy them and use them in ways unintended.