External Hard Drives

[b_m_hart]

Lots of good stuff here about brands, size, backup strategy.  Here's a related question that maybe some of you can help me with: what is the best interface for an external hard drive?  Can any of them match the performance of an internal drive at an affordable price?  All the vendors seem to be pushing USB 2.0, but that strikes me as more based on naive-user convenience (plug and go) than performance or reliability.  What about eSATA?  Is that realistic if my motherboard only has PATA?

Lots of variables to consider there.  USB 2.0 supports transfers up to 60 MB/s (480 Mb/s), while eSATA can support transfers up to 120 MB/s (~1 Gb/s).  Now, bear in mind that this requires that you have a gigabit ethernet port on your computer.  If you have 100 Mb ethernet, you'll see a max of 12 MB/s transfer - so 1/5 that of the USB 2.0.

Regarding the PATA question, there's info regarding that in the eSATA link...

So, if you have USB 2.0, and Gigabit ethernet, go with the eSATA.  If you have USB 2.0 and fast ethernet (100 Mb), then go with the USB 2.0.  If you have neither?  Buy a gigabit ethernet adapter card and the eSATA in my opinion.

 

[woodshopdemos]

That is way too much info for my "gozeinto" brain. I have the HP xw8400 work station with 8 meg of RAM and there is alot of room inside but I think I will stay with the USB setup that I am using. I capture from one source at a time and that seems to  be the only real need for the transfer speed. Edit viewing doesnt go in and out and rendering of the final goes at a slow transer rate...at least with the softwar I am using Pinnacle Studio 11.
  I do thank you for the heads up. I wish you were next door when I first set this thing up.

 

[slb]

Lots of variables to consider there.  USB 2.0 supports transfers up to 60 MB/s (480 Mb/s), while eSATA can support transfers up to 120 MB/s (~1 Gb/s).  Now, bear in mind that this requires that you have a gigabit ethernet port on your computer.  If you have 100 Mb ethernet, you'll see a max of 12 MB/s transfer - so 1/5 that of the USB 2.0.

Regarding the PATA question, there's info regarding that in the eSATA link...

So, if you have USB 2.0, and Gigabit ethernet, go with the eSATA.  If you have USB 2.0 and fast ethernet (100 Mb), then go with the USB 2.0.  If you have neither?  Buy a gigabit ethernet adapter card and the eSATA in my opinion.

Thanks for the info, but you lost me...how does the ethernet adapter speed affect the hard drive speed?  Can't I connect directly to a USB port or a SATA adapter?

 

[b_m_hart]

Lots of variables to consider there.  USB 2.0 supports transfers up to 60 MB/s (480 Mb/s), while eSATA can support transfers up to 120 MB/s (~1 Gb/s).  Now, bear in mind that this requires that you have a gigabit ethernet port on your computer.  If you have 100 Mb ethernet, you'll see a max of 12 MB/s transfer - so 1/5 that of the USB 2.0.

Regarding the PATA question, there's info regarding that in the eSATA link...

So, if you have USB 2.0, and Gigabit ethernet, go with the eSATA.  If you have USB 2.0 and fast ethernet (100 Mb), then go with the USB 2.0.  If you have neither?  Buy a gigabit ethernet adapter card and the eSATA in my opinion.

Thanks for the info, but you lost me...how does the ethernet adapter speed affect the hard drive speed?  Can't I connect directly to a USB port or a SATA adapter?

So the hard drive is not the limiting factor - it's the method of connection.  It's kinda like having an engine in your car that can go 150 MPH, but gearing in your transmission that redlines your engine at 55 MPH.  So, the speed of the connection is basically better gearing for your transmission.

 

[cflansbaum]

what b_m_hart mentions bears repeating -- I wired my house with Cat6 cable, have gigabyte ethernet ports on all my computers, but the WD drive I used to have, had only a 100Mb ethernet port.  This  s l o w e d  down my backups as well as any large file transfers tremendously.  The Buffalo terabyte server has a gigabyte port and transfers are fast.  I can stream video and audio from it with no problem.  The type of ethernet port a device has now is one of the first things I look at with any type of network device...

carl