[SOLVED] Hard Drive Recommendations

Azndude263

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Am looking to buy 4x hard drives (probably 14tb x4 for future proof) to add to a 4 bay enclosure. Could you guys give me some recommendations? Originally, I thought about buying the WD Elements External Drives ($256 for 14tb as of writing) and shuck them but then I saw the Seagate Exos X16 ($286 for 14tb as of writing) and the WD Ultrastar HC530 ($286 for 14tb as of writing). I was just wondering of the Seagate Exos and WD Ultrastar are better since they are "enterprise" drives and should last longer?

Right now I just have 2x WD Elements External (8TB) storing all my files but they are getting full thus looking to expand. I know the most cost effective way is to just simply buy another WD Elements External but that means adding another usb plug and power to my mess. So I think doing the 4-Bay is a good option for me to go about (eliminating the extra usb plugs and power). Basically, I just want something that won't die on me and losing all my data :(

Could you guys also give me a recommendation for a good 4 bay enclosure? I am just storing my media files mainly. I don't really need a NAS because I don't think I will be accessing/streaming them over the internet or anything unless the NAS bays are cheap as well hahaha. I just saw the Mediasonic HFR2-SU3S2 and the QNAP TR-004 on Amazon on the top results

Western Digital Elements External Hard Drive 14tb - $256 (as of writing)
Seagate Exos x16 Exterprise 14tb - $286 (as of writing)
Western Digital Ultrastar Enterprise - $286 (as of writing)

QNAP 4-Bay Enclosure - $175 (as of writing)
Mediasonic 4-Bay enclosure - $180 (as of writing)


PS: Once I have everything up an running and transferred everything over from my old hard drives, I am thinking of using an online backup service to backup my files just incase something bad were to happen. I saw BlackBlaze recommended a few times over the years and the cost ($70/year) is not too much as well. The question is, how long will it take to upload say 40tb worth of data? I have T-mobile Home Internet and the speed is roughly about 100/10 mbps (according to Speedtest.net). It is unlimited so am not too worry about the over-data charge etc...but I am worry about how long it takes to fully backup everything and if 24/7 upload/backup of my data for a long period of time (since I am guessing it will take at least several months uploading 24/7 to fully back up my stuff) and if the continuous long term upload/backup will kill my hard drives


Thank you so much for the help guys
 
Solution
Do the Enterprise (Seagate Exos and WD Ultrastar) drives last longer than the regular ones? If they all are the same, shucking the WD Elements Externals will save me a few bucks

How about the online BlackBlaze service? Do I just upload my files 24/7 for several months with my slow upload speed? hahaha, will that kill my drives though?
"last longer" is unknowable for a single drive.

I have (had) a 16TB Toshiba Enterprise.
7 months later, it is currently on its way back to Tosh for a warranty replacement.
Its replacement will likely last years.

For fleetwide stats, yes, the 'enterprise' drives should be more stable over time.
But again, for the individual drives that YOU have,....unknowable.



For your backup situation...

Azndude263

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Mar 24, 2013
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Do the Enterprise (Seagate Exos and WD Ultrastar) drives last longer than the regular ones? If they all are the same, shucking the WD Elements Externals will save me a few bucks

How about the online BlackBlaze service? Do I just upload my files 24/7 for several months with my slow upload speed? hahaha, will that kill my drives though?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Do the Enterprise (Seagate Exos and WD Ultrastar) drives last longer than the regular ones? If they all are the same, shucking the WD Elements Externals will save me a few bucks

How about the online BlackBlaze service? Do I just upload my files 24/7 for several months with my slow upload speed? hahaha, will that kill my drives though?
"last longer" is unknowable for a single drive.

I have (had) a 16TB Toshiba Enterprise.
7 months later, it is currently on its way back to Tosh for a warranty replacement.
Its replacement will likely last years.

For fleetwide stats, yes, the 'enterprise' drives should be more stable over time.
But again, for the individual drives that YOU have,....unknowable.



For your backup situation, consider just another drive at some offsite location. Friends house, maybe.
Refreshed with new data regularly.

My house systems back up to the NAS daily, the NAS backs up to the TR-004 weekly, and there is an offsite drive, refreshed routinely.



 
Solution

Azndude263

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Mar 24, 2013
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My house systems back up to the NAS daily, the NAS backs up to the TR-004 weekly, and there is an offsite drive, refreshed routinely.

All this sounds a bit technical for me. The only difference between the "NAS" and the regular ones is that you can connect your PCs to the nas enclosure online right? If I only have 1 PC and is plugged into the PC, I don't think I need the NAS?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
All this sounds a bit technical for me. The only difference between the "NAS" and the regular ones is that you can connect your PCs to the nas enclosure online right? If I only have 1 PC and is plugged into the PC, I don't think I need the NAS?
A NAS, such as my QNAP TS-453a, is connected to the router.
All systems in the house can access it, simultaneously.
Or even access from outside your local network.
It is an actual 'server'.

An enclosure such as the TR-004 is connected directly to a single PC, and generally accessible from only that system.