Dan
i have a acer revo r3700 with an ssd in it which will only store executables so i need 2 external harddrives one for backup and one for storing my media.
What is the fastest usb 2.0 2tb external hard drive? this i would use for media. tell me why you'd choose it, if there isn't a specific one please let me know a few good ones with different prices.
what spec should i look for when searching for a very fast hard drive.
what drive should i choose for backup?
I intend to put both drives in a dual enclose ( if they exist?) and i'll be carrying them around alot
Also how do i need to set up my harddrives so that the read/write speeds stay as high as possible?. and so that my ssd does not slow down or fill up?
Answer
When it comes to external hard drives there isn't any easy answer to which is fastest. This is because no external model will be fastest at both reading and writing data. When technology mags review external drives for speed then they are usually tested in four ways. Speed of reading and writing a limited number of large files and speed of reading and writing hundreds of individual small files sequentially.
For the fastest performance you should be looking to USB 3 as it is up to 5 times faster in real world use than USB 2. Even if your system has no native support USB 3, it is easy to add a PCI card to a desktop PC that does. There is a newer technology that is just emerging, invented by Intel, called Thunderbolt. But very few systems currently support and not many external drives do either.
The Western Digital MyBook range are very fast and within that range there are drives which support both USB 2 and USB 3 connections with capacities ranging from 1TB to 3TB. See here: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=240
The MyBook essential range have good read and write speeds for both large and small files but aren't necessary the top performing external drive in any one category. The different models include those with Smartware backup software and optional 256Bit AES encryption. If you look at the whole range from the above link i am sure will find a model that suites your needs.
If you need portability [as you suggest] then you will have to sacrifice a little speed but WesternDigital also have a good range of "MyPassport" and WD "Elements" drives, geared towards portability and vary in size up to 1TB. Very few portable drives exist with over a Terabyte of storage so you will need to balance your need for portability against the size of storage available.
You can see the WD portable ranges [and compare features] here: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/external/portable/
When it comes to external hard drives there isn't any easy answer to which is fastest. This is because no external model will be fastest at both reading and writing data. When technology mags review external drives for speed then they are usually tested in four ways. Speed of reading and writing a limited number of large files and speed of reading and writing hundreds of individual small files sequentially.
For the fastest performance you should be looking to USB 3 as it is up to 5 times faster in real world use than USB 2. Even if your system has no native support USB 3, it is easy to add a PCI card to a desktop PC that does. There is a newer technology that is just emerging, invented by Intel, called Thunderbolt. But very few systems currently support and not many external drives do either.
The Western Digital MyBook range are very fast and within that range there are drives which support both USB 2 and USB 3 connections with capacities ranging from 1TB to 3TB. See here: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=240
The MyBook essential range have good read and write speeds for both large and small files but aren't necessary the top performing external drive in any one category. The different models include those with Smartware backup software and optional 256Bit AES encryption. If you look at the whole range from the above link i am sure will find a model that suites your needs.
If you need portability [as you suggest] then you will have to sacrifice a little speed but WesternDigital also have a good range of "MyPassport" and WD "Elements" drives, geared towards portability and vary in size up to 1TB. Very few portable drives exist with over a Terabyte of storage so you will need to balance your need for portability against the size of storage available.
You can see the WD portable ranges [and compare features] here: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/external/portable/
Best hard drive for Mac video editting and storage?
iseegrace
I have the Mac OS X 10.7.3
2.3 GHz Intel Core i5
I am planning to get a portable external hard drive within the $200 budget mainly for video editting on Final Cut Pro and After effects and for storage.
I am so confused with fireware and 3.0
3.0 seems to be a good thing but will my macbook be compatible with it or will it function as a 2.0?
Please recommend me with the products with links. Thanks!
Answer
Final point is that Firewire 800 has wider bandwidth than USB. Also, USB never performs in real life situations equal to the spec.
Your computer (if it shows "MacBookPro8,1" for the Machine ID) is Early 2011, so it is USB 2.0. You cannot connect any USB 3.0 device to that. Your fastest option no matter what we think about USB 3.0 is still Firewire 800.... or Thunderbolt.
I also suggest an aluminum case for better heat dissipation. See links below.
Final point is that Firewire 800 has wider bandwidth than USB. Also, USB never performs in real life situations equal to the spec.
Your computer (if it shows "MacBookPro8,1" for the Machine ID) is Early 2011, so it is USB 2.0. You cannot connect any USB 3.0 device to that. Your fastest option no matter what we think about USB 3.0 is still Firewire 800.... or Thunderbolt.
I also suggest an aluminum case for better heat dissipation. See links below.
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