Are USB2.0 HDDs fast enough?

For e-sata, you have to make sure the ports are configured AS e-sataa. Check in the system bios or hardware utility software so that it acts as a plug and play device.

 

Bummer, so what's USB average tranfer speed?

 

In the neighborhood of 240 Mbit/s while FireWire more often averages at 300 Mbit/s...
Of course the controllers themselves factor greatly into any comparison between the two, FireWire is usually faster, especially as the sizes of individual transferring files increase.
See: FireWire vs. USB 2.0, USB 2.0 Versus FireWire, USB 2.0 versus FireWire

~Krelian

 

You know is ironic: I didnt spend the extra $40 in the firewire version of my motherboard becos the last one did came with the port and I never used it.

Anyway, I was looking around and none of these HDDs are firewire 800: most have USB2 and 400, and highend ones eSata.

 

Personally I use ethernet. I'm not sure if you can get a giga ethernet drive that saturates the network though, you're unlikely to get a USB one to do the same though. I haven't tried a USB2 external drive lately, but it was no way averaging 480mb/sec.

The major advantage is you don't have to decide which computer it's plugged into, it's available to all. I have mine plugged into a wireless router so my laptop can access it anywhere in the house ( obviously wireless isn't about speed though ).

 

Shadow, just buy a PCI Firewire card, that's how I m running mine.

 

You don't need to go for a high end external hard disk - My external eSata case was quite cheap, and I just plugged a cheap internal drive into it. this kind of idea:
enclosure at $13.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817366010
and drive at $54.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822144456
gives a total of $68.98
compared to the cheapest esata drive i could see, 250gb at $83.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822101027

also the internal+enclosure has a 3 year warranty on the hard disk, compared to 1 year on the external drive

 

Yeah I tested one and even at g it was pretty slow (54Mbits/sec peak)

Thanks for the data but I dont like enclosures, they tend to cause all kinds of errors (on the other hand I just had a massive one with an internal one, give or take:-()

And I wouldnt get a maxtor unless there was a gun pointing to my head:lol:

I know I know, but the thing is that if I cant get Firewire 800 I'll rather go for eSata, which is available.

But then, I'm no graphics designer that has to move bigass RAWs from one disk to another, so I think USB2.0 is good enough for me.

 

eSata you should not have a single issue with an enclosure - eSata is just norrmal sata in a different connector, the only electronics are with the power to the drive. I really would go with eSata if I were you, it's well worth it

 

the issue with USB and an HDD is the CPU overhead, not the transfer rate as such. Firewire cards have thei own ASIC to handle that.

 

I know, thats what makes firewire more expensive than USB.

 

and very much more reliable