WD Elements 4TB External Hard Drive...

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koolaidjuice

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Aug 17, 2012
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Hi guys, I just bought a 4TB external hard drive for my computer since I was running out of storage. Just have a few questions about it....is it safe to play videogames off of it? I currently have USB2.0(though it supports 3.0) so its not the fastest, however all my games run perfectly on it.

My question is, iv heard people say its not good to play videogames off external hard drives since they were made for strictly storing things rather then having constant usage coming out of them such as that of playing videogames....I just got this thing and id hate to overwork it and give it an early death, so does anyone know if its safe to use it for gaming?

also, is there any recommended tips for prolonging the life? Ive also heard it wasn't good to constantly keep the HD on while ur pc is on and that its wise to shut it off when not in use....is this true?

one more thing!!, my HD comes with a power button in the back, is it safe to shut it off while the computer is on?

just need some tips and knowledge about external hard drives...thanks guys!!!
 
Solution
James Mason
The only reason to not put games on there is because the games become unplayable if you disconnect it from the system.

Otherwise you can leave it plugged in and turned on all the time.

But they are slightly more likely to fail with heavy use than internal drives.
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James Mason

James Mason

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Jan 2, 2014
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The only reason to not put games on there is because the games become unplayable if you disconnect it from the system.

Otherwise you can leave it plugged in and turned on all the time.

But they are slightly more likely to fail with heavy use than internal drives.
 
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Solution
SuperSoph_WD

SuperSoph_WD

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Jul 30, 2014
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Hey there, koolaidjuice!

Hope you are happy with your new WD Elements! :D
I'd not recommend leaving the external powered on when not in use, even though it is save to leave it running continuously. The HDD would be better placed away from any electronic devices. Western Digital also recommends that the drive's power supply is connected through a surge protector. This is actually a good idea to keep the Elements safe, because in case of a power surge or a blackout, the sensitive components of the drive wouldn't be damaged.
Turning on the drive a few times per day is considered normal usage and should not pose any problems. If it's turned on and off excessively on a daily basis, this could affect the longevity of the hard drive’s components indeed.

As for the games, if you don't have USB 3.0, I don't see any point in using the WD Elements for it.
Every internal drive would be a much better solution as James Mason already mentioned, since the SATA connection is a lot faster than the USB one.

The best way to keep everything safe is to have multiple backups of your data!

Hope this helped! If you have more questions, let me know! :)
SuperSoph_WD
 
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