WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive good for long-term usage w/desktop?

[hbenthow]

I've ordered a WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D0L5BH8/), which I planned to use for long-term usage with my desktop. However, I have just now found out that it does not have a power adapter that plugs into a wall socket, instead depending entirely on USB power.

Does this make it unsafe for long-term usage with a desktop computer? And if not, what are some good affordable (under $90) alternatives that are good for my purposes? Would my best option perhaps be to just buy an internal hard drive and an external USB enclosure for it? If so, is the enclosure linked to below safe for long-term use?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UAA4J6G/

The drive I ordered is back-ordered, so I can still cancel the order.

 

[greens]

USB 3 pushes 1.5 amps on the 5v line with a max of 100W. - USB 3 can in fact power a platter.

Your emphasis on long term use - no portable should ever be considered long term. They are prone to shock, elements, and theft. That said, an enclosure poses zero risk to the longevity of the HDD, and is perfectly safe for long term use.

 

[hbenthow]

USB 3 pushes 1.5 amps on the 5v line with a max of 100W. - USB 3 can in fact power a platter.

Your emphasis on long term use - no portable should ever be considered long term. They are prone to shock, elements, and theft. That said, an enclosure poses zero risk to the longevity of the HDD, and is perfectly safe for long term use.

Thank you for your reply. I've canceled my order, and will probably buy an internal drive and the enclosure I linked to.

While USB 3.0 might be able to power a drive, I'd prefer not to subject my computer to the added stress of providing the full power for external hard drives. I'd rather let my wall socket handle the power and my computer handle just the data.

 

[greens]

For sure, plus that way if you ever go to a USB 2.0 rig you don't have to worry about your drive being unable to spin up.

Probably best to build your own anyway - you can get a higher quality HDD and a better enclosure for about the same money. A two HDD enclosure with RAID redundancy may be a good choice for you if you're not really needing the portability and willing to use a wall socket! Something to think about.