External Hard drive (500GB - 1TB).....but now the INTERFACE problem!!?

C

CASTLECASCADE

New Member
Hey guyz.....

I am looking to buy an EXTERNAL hard drive to copy the Videos, songs, documents, image backups etc from my desktop.

Initally, the only criteria were BRAND and STORAGE SIZE. I decided to go with something like 500gb, 750gb or even 1000gb (1tb). Some of the brands I saw were WD MyBook, Seagate FreeAgent Pro etc.

But now I am facing a new problem. What interface should I go for? Various options I see are USB 2.0, Firewire 400/800, eSATA etc. If I go for the fastest (i guess eSATA), will it actually provide me with the advertised transfer rate OR are these values only theoretical and not practical (due to some bottleneck!?).

If I would actually get transfer rates of 375MB/s for eSATA, 100MB/s for Firewire 800 and 60MB/s for USB2.0 (as state on WIKIPEDIA), then I would surely go for eSATA.

Please suggest an INTERFACE and an External Hard Drive (one which would support the maximum speed offered by the interface) for me.

Thanks guyz. :)


p.s. By the way, my motherboard is Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R. Though it doesn't have any eSATA ports on the real panel, it does have them on the motherboard and it comes with a dual eSATA bracket (cable). So I do have access to eSATA :D
 
The following is what I read about my motherboard.

"Like before, there are no eSATA connectors onboard, but Gigabyte does provide an eSATA bracket to bridge two internal SATA ports for use as eSATA."

So the board doesn't have eSATA per say; but can make it work. Right? I don't know what they mean by bridge SATA to eSATA; but looks like a simple process of just pluggin in the cable/bracket thingy. So I would assume I have the eSATA option.
 
You probably wouldn't even notice much of a difference overall between the eSata, firewire, or usb perhaps a slight bit slower at times since the drives will still run and see about the same access time. Most of the external models also have a spin down in so many minutes to consider along with that. The power options for setting hard drives to "never" don't effect external drives.

As for eSata that's merely an extension of the sata cable you would see coming up from the board with an internal drive excepy having a different type of plug on the end.
 
oh thanks..buddy........but i didn't get half of what you said.

Ok....so, eSATA, USB or Firewire...........won't make any actualy difference in transfer speed? "Perhaps a slight bit slower.."..........you mean the eSATA will be slower?

Spin down?

Power options to set to NEVER?

Sorry man.........i don't have that much technical knowledge. Could you explain plz.

And most importantly, is there any hard drives you would recommend. Thanks :confused:
 
Going by way of usb might be the slowest method since the drive has to be detected as a usb device over a direct plug into a sata port on the board by way of an extension type cable. Firewire would also be more direct.

One thing to note about spin down is when you see a drive go to sleep after a long period of inactivity where it takes just a little longer to first access a drive coming out of a form of standby mode. Spin down means that the drive's platters are no longer spinning at a regular pace but have come to a complete stop.
 
Thanks. Now I understand what spindown is.

USB connected through SATA inteface???????
Ofcourse, you realize that I do have USB connectors at the rear panel; right? The eSATA bracket I mentioned earlier can be used for eSATA and the USB port can be used for USB.

The eSATA external hard drives are more expensive that the USB 2.0 ones. Do they justify the high price? Will I see the actual results?

Do you have a preference between Western Digital MyBOOK and Seagate FreeAgent Pro?
 
I've been using WD internal drives for a good number of years but don't personally have a preference at this time for the internal models. The WD Essential model here at the pressent is strrictly a usb model while the better Home model provides both usb and firewire options despite seeing eSata as the type of drive on them. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136170

The model seen at the link would cost a bit higher in a retail store. The drives come with software preinstalled while you can download the replacement software in a zip file once you registar the serial number. Since the drive was reformatted for NTFS instead of seeing a Fat32 they come with for both Windows and Mac reinstalling the software wasn't needed when going to reinstall XP for a multiboot lately.

The usb means just that however meaning it's seen like any other usb device while being visible as a logical drive in any explorer window. The definition eSata simply refers to it being an external sata over an internal type drive.
 
PC eye said:
I've been using WD internal drives for a good number of years but don't personally have a preference at this time for the internal models. The WD Essential model here at the pressent is strrictly a usb model while the better Home model provides both usb and firewire options despite seeing eSata as the type of drive on them. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136170

The model seen at the link would cost a bit higher in a retail store. The drives come with software preinstalled while you can download the replacement software in a zip file once you registar the serial number. Since the drive was reformatted for NTFS instead of seeing a Fat32 they come with for both Windows and Mac reinstalling the software wasn't needed when going to reinstall XP for a multiboot lately.

The usb means just that however meaning it's seen like any other usb device while being visible as a logical drive in any explorer window. The definition eSata simply refers to it being an external sata over an internal type drive.
Click to expand...

I have that drive... I love it, never had a problem...
 
yea eSata is just and extension of the sata port on the mobo. so like, if u have ur case open and u have an eSata drive, u can just plug it directly into the mobo
 
Before you consider WD, I'm working on a recovery of a WD 500 GB from an external enclosure. The MFT is totally screwed. It can't even tell what file system is on it. It's already recovered several bad clusters and replaced dozens of index entries.

I've had tons of experience with Caviar SEs, and most of it has been bad. I had a lady specifically request a WD. Against my better judgement I provided her one. Worst decision I've made lately. I already had to replace the drive 48 hours after she got it. Now this one is acting up, 4 weeks later. Even she's saying she now wishes she had gone the Seagate route.

One thing you never want to do is listen to a thing PCeye says.. eSATA offers a significant performance boost over USB2.0. If you can make it work, go for it.
 
The end of the cable for eSata is a little different there from the typical data cable you see plugged in when looking inside case. The end you plug in on the outside is about the size of a usb plug with a slight difference there and won't go into the board directly. Durability is important there explaining why that is a little heavier.
 
SirKenin said:
Before you consider WD, I'm working on a recovery of a WD 500 GB from an external enclosure. The MFT is totally screwed. It can't even tell what file system is on it. It's already recovered several bad clusters and replaced dozens of index entries.

I've had tons of experience with Caviar SEs, and most of it has been bad. I had a lady specifically request a WD. Against my better judgement I provided her one. Worst decision I've made lately. I already had to replace the drive 48 hours after she got it. Now this one is acting up, 4 weeks later. Even she's saying she now wishes she had gone the Seagate route.

One thing you never want to do is listen to a thing PCeye says.. eSATA offers a significant performance boost over USB2.0. If you can make it work, go for it.
Click to expand...

Gee? Mr. "Fabricator" stopped in I see! :rolleyes:

Have any more lengthy tales you want to pass along at this time?
 
SirKenin said:
Before you consider WD, I'm working on a recovery of a WD 500 GB from an external enclosure. The MFT is totally screwed. It can't even tell what file system is on it. It's already recovered several bad clusters and replaced dozens of index entries.

I've had tons of experience with Caviar SEs, and most of it has been bad. I had a lady specifically request a WD. Against my better judgement I provided her one. Worst decision I've made lately. I already had to replace the drive 48 hours after she got it. Now this one is acting up, 4 weeks later. Even she's saying she now wishes she had gone the Seagate route.

One thing you never want to do is listen to a thing PCeye says.. eSATA offers a significant performance boost over USB2.0. If you can make it work, go for it.
Click to expand...

WD has never caused a problem for me...

And, honestly, did you have to say that?

While eSATA offers an increase, it's not available on most mainstream drives...
 
You'll note I mentioned that usb would likely be seen as a little slower while you may not even notice the difference. The term eSata simply refers to external sata rather then external ide in that sense.

If you are looking for basic size of housing then go with the usb type since the ones specifically seeing eSata tend to be larger in size. The advantage more then anything with eSata is not so much speed as with not needing to see anything auto run for Windows to see the drive with a Fat32 partition on it when labeled for both Windows and Mac alike.
 
Thanks guyz.

Finally, I am leaning towards SEAGATE FREEAGENT PRO 750GB.
It has both USB2.0 and ESata.

Hope no one heard any negative remarks about this one.
 
Seagate generally offers some good drives while all of the external models are still rather a recent item for long term comparisons to be made. The eSata option will be a direct feed to the board over using a usb port meaning instant drive detection over any need to reinstall the software once and if you decide to reformat it into NTFS over the typical Fat32 type.
 
wait a sec..............i am a little confused about the whole ESATA CONNECTION thing.

Well, this is what i have (shown in the photo below):
http://www.addonics.com/support/faqs/images/connect_bracket_esata_large.gif

(hope live links are okay)
This is what came with my motherboard.


Now, how do I connect the external hard drive USING ESATA to my computer. Is this right:

I take the brakcet and plugs the ends on to the matching parts on my motherboard. The eSATA ends on the bracket will be fixed on the rear panel (somehow!!). Then I need to buy an ESATA CABLE in addition to the external hard drive itself. Then connect the CABLE from the rear panel to the external hard drive.

Is that how it works? (ofcourse, i can connect using USB; but is this the right way to connect using ESATA).

Thanks a lot.
 
Usually eSATA drives come with the cable. By the way, Seagate has been making drives since Christ was a cowboy.. And techs have been putting them in enclosures almost as long.
 
CASTLECASCADE said:
wait a sec..............i am a little confused about the whole ESATA CONNECTION thing.

Well, this is what i have (shown in the photo below):
http://www.addonics.com/support/faqs/images/connect_bracket_esata_large.gif

(hope live links are okay)
This is what came with my motherboard.


Now, how do I connect the external hard drive USING ESATA to my computer. Is this right:

I take the brakcet and plugs the ends on to the matching parts on my motherboard. The eSATA ends on the bracket will be fixed on the rear panel (somehow!!). Then I need to buy an ESATA CABLE in addition to the external hard drive itself. Then connect the CABLE from the rear panel to the external hard drive.

Is that how it works? (ofcourse, i can connect using USB; but is this the right way to connect using ESATA).

Thanks a lot.
Click to expand...

First make sure you look over the pic adapter to make sure that simply isn't for 1394 firewire only. Some cases will see an eSata port on the front or top of the case where you will find a plug that goes into a sata port on the board. The drive will have it's own cables included for both eSata and usb.

The image here shows what the internal and eSata plugs look like with the eSata shown on the right there.

 
Of course, we'll ignore the fact that a firewire plug looks COMPLETELY different, and I mean not even close, to an eSATA plug. Like, not even remotely close. And of course it was ridiculously obvious that the adapter he shows in the picture very clearly plugs into two SATA ports on the board.

But what the hell. An excuse to post another picture and +1 to the nonsensical drivel collection that is his post count.
 
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