'External' vs. 'Portable' HDDs.

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BitsNBolts

BitsNBolts

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Jan 13, 2014
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Hi,
I need to buy an external HDD but I ran into a problem: I was planning to buy one of those so-called 'Portable' HDDs with a single USB port for power and data transfer. HOWEVER, my brother in-law told me that over time they could become damaged because of the heavy load they have on the USB port and suggested me to buy an 'external' HDD which are a little bigger (size, not capacity) but they include an external power supply besides the USB port. According to him, that prevents a lot of problems and it is a safer way to keep my data safe.

1. Are external HDDs really that better than the small-sized (portable) ones?
2. If I buy an external HDD can I use it without the power supply? (I read different manuals but most them are on the gray on this particular issue).
3. Is there an specific brand (portable/external) you can recommend me based on your own experiences?

FYI: I will use the HDD for back-up and media streaming purposes.

Thanks in advance for any info you can provide!
 
Solution
Pyree
Well, I think your brother-in-law misunderstood the issue. Some 2.5" portable HDD actually require 2 standard USB 2.0 port to power it up because a single standard USB port with 500mA of power is not enough to spin the HDD (usually if the enclosure houses an older, power hungry 7200rpm 2.5" HDD). So 2.5" HDD with a single USB 2.0 connection may be under-power and not work, not the other way around where it is over-power and burn (the HDD will draw as much power as it takes unless the USB port cannot supply it). For the HDD to burn, the port will have to provide a higher voltage and that's a problem with power supply and mobo.
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ThatVietGuy

ThatVietGuy

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Nov 6, 2007
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Your brother in law doesn't know what he's talking about, plain and simple.

If you buy an external HDD that requires the use of an external power supply, of course you can't use it without the power supply. The reason being that the HDD needs that extra power that a USB port can't supply.

I prefer WD Elements drives myself. I have two 1TB drives and they have served me well.

And in terms of keeping data safe, both are about the same. As usual, as with any data, it is always advisable to back up any important data in more than one place.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Mar 16, 2013
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A 'portable' is simply a low power requirement 2.5" drive that can derive power from the USB port. Runs off one USB cable.

Other than that, there is no difference. It will not wear out a USB port. Nor will the drive die faster.
They are generally slower, though.

Specific brands? The drives inside are all the same. WD, Seagate, Toshiba, Hitachi....
 
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Pyree

Pyree

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Apr 1, 2011
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Well, I think your brother-in-law misunderstood the issue. Some 2.5" portable HDD actually require 2 standard USB 2.0 port to power it up because a single standard USB port with 500mA of power is not enough to spin the HDD (usually if the enclosure houses an older, power hungry 7200rpm 2.5" HDD). So 2.5" HDD with a single USB 2.0 connection may be under-power and not work, not the other way around where it is over-power and burn (the HDD will draw as much power as it takes unless the USB port cannot supply it). For the HDD to burn, the port will have to provide a higher voltage and that's a problem with power supply and mobo.
 
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Solution
Y

Y0GI

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Jul 22, 2013
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BitsNBolts

BitsNBolts

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Jan 13, 2014
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Thanks to all of you guys.
I was shocked when I read the PDF manuals from different models/brands and some of them stated that a single USB port *MIGHT* not be enough to supply the juice that the 'portable' HDD needed and recommended to use one of those infamous 'USB Y adapters' (which, in most of the cases were not included...). That made me wonder about the real convenience of portable HDDs and caused me to consider an external HDD instead.
I'm not a road warrior, so I can live with a slightly bigger, external HDD with a power supply that won't get underpowered by the limited juice the USB supplies nor it damages my MoBo in the long term.
Best regards!
 
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