Noob question

[blud7027]

thinking of getting an external hdd. im thinking of getting usb3.0 go flex or some other brands. the question is can i use that hdd to my usb2.0 cause my motherboard doesn't support it yet. hoping to upgrade my board within the next couple of months. is there any disadvantage or advantage , speed etc....

 

[RetiredChief]

Yes no problemUSB 3 devices are backwards compatable to USB2. I have a WD My passport USB3.0 Drive and use it on several computers most of which have only USB 2.

 

[blud7027]

would it be wise to get usb3.0 instead of 2.0 ?

 

[kajabla]

Well, if you're worried about speed, you might as well go eSATA. It's very fast, and many drives come with it. The only disadvantage is no hot swapping, so you'll have to reboot to attach a drive.

 

[coffeecoffee]

Well, if you're worried about speed, you might as well go eSATA. It's very fast, and many drives come with it. The only disadvantage is no hot swapping, so you'll have to reboot to attach a drive.

Ah ha! On the contrary my friend =) to get your PC to recognize your eSATA drive without booting, simply connect + power on the drive and put the PC to sleep, then turn it back on 10 seconds later and ta-da! your e-sata drive has been detected! saves plenty of time ^_^Y

~Coffee

 

[Pyree]

esata is hot swappable but depends on 2 things: your controller (minimum ICH 6 I think) and your OS (window vista and 7). No need to restart or hibernate or sleep what so ever.

Although I think usb 3.0 is a better way to go since usb is by far more common than esata and I am seeing the number of usb 3.0 is now catching up close to the number of esata.

 

[capaill]

would it be wise to get usb3.0 instead of 2.0 ?

If the cost is the same, then Yes.
I read a test recently where it was shown that using a usb3.0 drive in a usb2.0 port was quicker than a usb2.0 drive in the same port.
Plus you'll have a nice fast hard drive for when you eventually do get usb3.0 ports.

 

[RetiredChief]

..When buying a seperate enclosure and a Hard drive to go into it, I look for both esata and USB3. For HDDs esata is slightly faster than USB3 even though spec is higher for USB3 (native vs translation).
.. Most of the newer compact BU HDDs do not sport both interfaces.
.. Usb3 will be more portable (ie going from a Desktop -> laptop)
.. For esata and desktop, would want a front panel estata - easiier to connect/disconnect.
.. esata requires seperate power I think, while USB3 provides more power (Current capability) than USB2 which ielimiates external power for a drive over 2.5 W.

As stated earlier, USB3 is backwards compatable with USB2 which also improves porability.

 

[kajabla]

^Good point on the power, which helps with the portability even more. If the drive isn't going to be sitting next to your desktop for its lifespan, USB3 seems better.

 

[blud7027]

what do you guys think of this hdd http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822149194

 

[kajabla]

Looks good. Is this thing going to be moving around, or are you going to leave it in one spot?

 

[blud7027]

yeah im gonna be moving thins hdd but not alot why?

 

[kajabla]

You could go slightly cheaper with an eSATA, externally powered HDD, but as it is this one seems very good.

 

[blud7027]

Best answer selected by blud7027.