I know you said you checked your PC with anti-virus programs but what programs did you try using? Have you tried using Bitdefender Internet Security 2017 (free trial), HitmanPro, ComboFix, and Malwarebytes? Did you try each of those programs in regular Windows and in safe mode? Have you tried scanning before booting Windows with a rescue disk like Bitdefender Rescue CD or another anti-virus rescue disk?

If you haven't used all those programs, you might want to try them.

1. Download the programs I listed (they're all free or free trials). For Bitdefender, you want to download the free 30-day trial of Bitdefender Internet Security 2017.
   
   
2. Burn the rescue disk(s) to CDs or USB drives.
   
   
3. Install HitmanPro. Let it run it's scan in regular Windows. Remove anything infected that it finds.
   
   
4. Restart the PC and boot into safe mode.
   
   
5. Use HitmanPro and run the scan in safe mode. If it finds anything that it didn't find or couldn't remove in regular Windows, let it remove it in safe mode.
   
   
6. Restart the PC, boot into regular Windows and repeat the process with ComboFix.
   
   
7. Do the same process with Malwarebytes.
   
   
8. Finally, install the 30-day free trial of Bitdefender Internet Security 2017 and let it run the full scan.
   
   
9. If you think there could still be something infecting the PC, insert the rescue disk CD or USB drive that you already burned, and restart the PC, so you can boot from the rescue disk, before Windows starts. Let the rescue disk run the scans and remove anything infected it finds. Rescue disks that boot before Windows starts, are able to remove the most stubborn infections and are usually the last resort.
   
   
10. Restart your PC and test it out. See if the problems are fixed. If everything seems to be working well, that's good and you're done.
    
    
11. If those steps didn't work, you can try a system restore.
    
    
12. If the system restore doesn't work, you will probably need to try and reinstall Windows.
    
    
13. Make sure you buy a good anti-virus program like Bitdefender Internet Security 2017 or if you have multiple computers or devices, you might want to consider Bitdefender Total Security 2017. Bitdefender is currently the best antivirus for home users that use Windows (I can send proof if you want.) There's no need to spend a bunch of money as you can often find antivirus software on sale or get rebates so it's cheap. I've never paid more than $20 for a 3-year subscription to Bitdefender. Check out sales on Newegg: Bitdefender, Amazon: Bitdefender, and especially eBay: Bitdefender. Newegg and other retailers often sell products on eBay, cheaper than on their website. Right now, on eBay, one of the first results for Bitdefender, was Bitdefender Internet Security 3 PCs for 2 years for only $20, so I'm sure they have it cheaper for one PC. (Note: I don't work and have never worked for Bitdefender or any other anti-virus or software company. I don't get paid or pushed to promote Bitdefender or any products. I'm an IT tech and I have read the reviews and tried out many of the top antivirus/security programs myself and have found Bitdefender to consistently be the top anti-virus for Windows. At past jobs, I was pushed to promote Norton and I wouldn't do it. Norton is promoted because they pay a lot of money to almost every retail store and website to push their products. I've personally had several clients that have had severe infections and got their identities and all their financial information stolen and had their PCs destroyed while using Norton. I will never recommend Norton, as long as other products are available.)
    
    Make sure you backup any important files before you mess with anything. If you don't have an external hard drive (which every computer owner should have), you can use free services that provide a small amount of storage space, like Dropbox, Google Drive, and One Drive. If you don't currently have an external hard drive, you should consider getting one from Western Digital (WD), like the WD My Passport.
    
    These links may also help...
    
    

• How to Use the BitDefender Rescue CD to Clean Your Infected PC
  
  
• How to Combine Rescue Disks to Create the Ultimate Windows Repair Disk
  
  
• Best Bootable Antivirus Rescue Disks for Severely Infected Computers
  
  
• Comprehensive List of 26 Bootable Antivirus Rescue CDs for Offline Scanning
  
  
• Five Best System Rescue Discs
  
  
• Top 5 Free Rescue Discs for Your Sys Admin Toolkit
  
  Let me know if you tried this and if it worked or not. If not, there are some other things it could be. If you have any questions or anything, feel free to PM me. I try to check reddit every day.

I'll paste what I've said before on this topic, it should apply to what you've asked here, but let me know if I need to fill in any blanks:
>Just be aware that getting a drive over 1TB almost always means needing external power, so factor that in when deciding just how much space you like in relation to portability. [See update below] You also didn't mention if you had a preferred means of connecting the device, be it USB 2.0, USB 3.0, FW800, or even Thunderbolt, so I'm assuming no preference as long as it gets the job done without breaking the bank.

>Personally, I've had great success with Western Digital's MyPassport drives. I've used 2 generations of them, and if I needed another external drive I'd probably buy the current generation as well assuming there wasn't an obvious more stellar product out there. Things I like about the drives are their portability, minimalist styling, and USB 3.0. A 'Mac' version also exists with FW800, but for a premium.

>Can't speak much for durability, probably average to medium-high based on their construction - they'd survive a drop on my carpet just fine assuming they weren't in use - but if that's an essential accommodation then you should probably look no further than the Adata Superior Series shock proof drives, or limit your criteria to SSDs (which will drive up the cost to some extent).

>If this drive is never going to leave your desk, you might be fine with a WD Elements series. They have very simple, minimalistic styling, but also minimalistic features. USB 2.0, and maybe a power plug if it's over 1TB. Well-reviewed, highly regarded, and easy on the eyes and wallet. If you have a Mac Pro and want to mimic that styling, you could also spring for a Fantom drive.

>If you plan to use this drive often (as in, more than just archiving files and reading a movie now and then), you might as well spring for USB 3.0 at this point. Well, even if you aren't going to use the drive much, USB 3.0 drives are becoming more common and affordable, and there's a chance that the next refresh of Macs will have USB 3.0 now that Ivy Bridge has integrated a USB 3.0 controller. Some people really prefer FW800, but the premium cost ends up turning away a lot of folks in favor of the cheaper and more supported USB. Same goes for Thunderbolt at this point - fantastic concept, but not a cheap one to adopt, and not exactly essential for the majority of users at this time.

>That's my most general and broad advice. If you give me some more specifics about your usage and hardware, I could get more specific in my recommendations.

>And remember, if you plan to share this drive with a Windows-based machine, consider using the exFAT file system, which Vista/7 (XP with a free patch) and OS X since 10.6.5 can natively read and write to, including files over 4GB.

The only major update I'd add here is that the most recent generation of WD MyPassport drives have capacities up to 2TB, without the need for an external power source, making them very attractive all around drives.

u/pastramiswissrye is totally right in that lights, sound, lenses, and media are all more important than the best camera.

My personal favorite camera in that price range is the Panasonic G7 and a good 12-35 lens. The G7 is like the little brother to the GH4 as it does 4k and just is missing some of the more pro features and is $600 for the camera. The lens is another $600 but you could just use the kit lens and upgrade your lens later.

Continuing with what Pastrami said, you should have good audio, lights, and media storage, in addition to the camera and lens. For audio, the rode videomic pro is a good all-around shotgun mic that you can put on a boom pole for good short film on location sound, however you will need someone to help hold your boom pole.

For lights, a good reflector will help you use the sun as a light when shooting outside on location for a short film. If you are in a studio, this four socket CFL light kit will go a long way to help. I personally use one of them and they are great for the price. Just pop in four cfl bulbs and you are good to go. If you would prefer LED lights which are smaller and don't heat up as much, but are pricer, you can get this LED studio light kit.

On the media storage side of things, you are going to want to pick up a few of these 64GB U3 SD cards for use with your G7 or any other new camera you get. Especially if you plan on shooting in 4K.

If you are going to shoot in 4K, your file sizes are going to go way up and you are definitely going to need to get more hard drive space on your computer. You may even have to upgrade your computer to handle 4K video editing. It all depends on what you have and what you want to do.

On the editing side, I personally use Final Cut Pro X on my Mac. It is $300 but a great piece of editing software, used by pros. If you are on a mac but don't want to spend money, just use iMovie, it will probably do what you need it to do unless you edit in 4K. On the windows side, some people use sony vegas, some people use AVID, some people use premiere pro, there is a bunch of them out there and you kind of just have to choose one. (I have never used any of them)

Like he said, there is no canon r6i. I assume you mean T6i, but you still need to do some more research. I hope this helps!

Leandro Coutinho on Apr 01 2017 04:15:32PM:

One interesting thing to do is to compare how much does it cost to maintain

a bank check account and how much does it cost to run a full node.



It seems that it is about 120USD/year in USA:

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6219730



A 4TB hard drive ~=115USD

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LQQH86A/ref=mp_s_a_1_4



And it has a warranty of 3 years.



As your calculation shows, it will take more than 19 years to reach 4TB

with a 4MB blocksize.



Em 29/03/2017 12:35, "Johnson Lau via bitcoin-dev" <

bitcoin-dev at lists.linuxfoundation.org> escreveu:





On 29 Mar 2017, at 14:24, Emin Gün Sirer via bitcoin-dev <bitcoin-dev at lists.

linuxfoundation.org> wrote:



>Even when several of the experts involved in the document you refer has my

respect and admiration, I do not agree with some of their conclusions



I'm one of the co-authors of that study. I'd be the first to agree with

your conclusion

and argue that the 4MB size suggested in that paper should not be used

without

compensation for two important changes to the network.





Our recent measurements of the Bitcoin P2P network show that network speeds

have improved tremendously. From February 2016 to February 2017, the average

provisioned bandwidth of a reachable Bitcoin node went up by approximately

70%.

And that's just in the last year.





4 144 30 = 17.3GB per month, or 207GB per year. Full node

initialisation will become prohibitive for most users until a shortcut is

made (e.g. witness pruning and UTXO commitment but these are not trust-free)





Further, the emergence of high-speed block relay networks, like Falcon (

http://www.falcon-net.org)

and FIBRE, as well as block compression, e.g. BIP152 and xthin, change the

picture dramatically.





Also as the co-author of the selfish mining paper, you should know all

these technology assume big miners being benevolent.





So, the 4MB limit mentioned in our paper should not be used as a protocol

limit today.



Best,

• egs
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  On Tue, Mar 28, 2017 at 3:36 PM, Juan Garavaglia via bitcoin-dev <
  
  bitcoin-dev at lists.linuxfoundation.org> wrote:
  
  
  
  > Alphonse,
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > Even when several of the experts involved in the document you refer has my
  
  > respect and admiration, I do not agree with some of their conclusions some
  
  > of their estimations are not accurate other changed like Bootstrap Time,
  
  > Cost per Confirmed Transaction they consider a network of 450,000,00 GH and
  
  > today is 3.594.236.966 GH, the energy consumption per GH is old, the cost
  
  > of electricity is wrong even when the document was made and is hard to find
  
  > any parameter used that is valid for an analysis today.
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > Again with all respect to the experts involved in that analysis is not
  
  > valid today.
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > I tend to believe more in Moore’s law, Butters' Law of Photonics and
  
  > Kryder’s Law all has been verified for many years and support that 32 MB in
  
  > 2020 are possible and equals or less than 1 MB in 2010.
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > Again may be is not possible Johnson Lau and LukeJr invested a significant
  
  > amount of time investigating ways to do a safe HF, and may be not possible
  
  > to do a safe HF today but from processing power, bandwidth and storage is
  
  > totally valid and Wang Chung proposal has solid grounds.
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > Regards
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > Juan
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > From: Alphonse Pace [mailto:alp.bitcoin at gmail.com]
  
  > Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2017 2:53 PM
  
  > To: Juan Garavaglia <jg at 112bit.com>; Wang Chun <1240902 at gmail.com>
  
  > Cc: Bitcoin Protocol Discussion <bitcoin-dev at lists.linuxfoundation.org>
  
  >
  
  > Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] Hard fork proposal from last week's meeting
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > Juan,
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > I suggest you take a look at this paper: http://fc16.ifca.ai/bit
  
  > coin/papers/CDE+16.pdf It may help you form opinions based in science
  
  > rather than what appears to be nothing more than a hunch. It shows that
  
  > even 4MB is unsafe. SegWit provides up to this limit.
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > 8MB is most definitely not safe today.
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > Whether it is unsafe or impossible is the topic, since Wang Chun proposed
  
  > making the block size limit 32MiB.
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > Wang Chun,
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > Can you specify what meeting you are talking about? You seem to have not
  
  > replied on that point. Who were the participants and what was the purpose
  
  > of this meeting?
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > -Alphonse
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > On Tue, Mar 28, 2017 at 12:33 PM, Juan Garavaglia <jg at 112bit.com> wrote:
  
  >
  
  > Alphonse,
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > In my opinion if 1MB limit was ok in 2010, 8MB limit is ok on 2016 and
  
  > 32MB limit valid in next halving, from network, storage and CPU perspective
  
  > or 1MB was too high in 2010 what is possible or 1MB is to low today.
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > If is unsafe or impossible to raise the blocksize is a different topic.
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > Regards
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > Juan
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > From: bitcoin-dev-bounces at lists.linuxfoundation.org [mailto:
  
  > bitcoin-dev-bounces at lists.linuxfoundation.org] On Behalf Of Alphonse
  
  > Pace via bitcoin-dev
  
  > Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2017 2:24 PM
  
  > To: Wang Chun <1240902 at gmail.com>; Bitcoin Protocol Discussion <
  
  > bitcoin-dev at lists.linuxfoundation.org>
  
  > Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] Hard fork proposal from last week's meeting
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > What meeting are you referring to? Who were the participants?
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > Removing the limit but relying on the p2p protocol is not really a true
  
  > 32MiB limit, but a limit of whatever transport methods provide. This can
  
  > lead to differing consensus if alternative layers for relaying are used.
  
  > What you seem to be asking for is an unbound block size (or at least
  
  > determined by whatever miners produce). This has the possibility (and even
  
  > likelihood) of removing many participants from the network, including many
  
  > small miners.
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > 32MB in less than 3 years also appears to be far beyond limits of safety
  
  > which are known to exist far sooner, and we cannot expect hardware and
  
  > networking layers to improve by those amounts in that time.
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > It also seems like it would be much better to wait until SegWit activates
  
  > in order to truly measure the effects on the network from this increased
  
  > capacity before committing to any additional increases.
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > -Alphonse
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > On Tue, Mar 28, 2017 at 11:59 AM, Wang Chun via bitcoin-dev <
  
  > bitcoin-dev at lists.linuxfoundation.org> wrote:
  
  >
  
  > I've proposed this hard fork approach last year in Hong Kong Consensus
  
  > but immediately rejected by coredevs at that meeting, after more than
  
  > one year it seems that lots of people haven't heard of it. So I would
  
  > post this here again for comment.
  
  >
  
  > The basic idea is, as many of us agree, hard fork is risky and should
  
  > be well prepared. We need a long time to deploy it.
  
  >
  
  > Despite spam tx on the network, the block capacity is approaching its
  
  > limit, and we must think ahead. Shall we code a patch right now, to
  
  > remove the block size limit of 1MB, but not activate it until far in
  
  > the future. I would propose to remove the 1MB limit at the next block
  
  > halving in spring 2020, only limit the block size to 32MiB which is
  
  > the maximum size the current p2p protocol allows. This patch must be
  
  > in the immediate next release of Bitcoin Core.
  
  >
  
  > With this patch in core's next release, Bitcoin works just as before,
  
  > no fork will ever occur, until spring 2020. But everyone knows there
  
  > will be a fork scheduled. Third party services, libraries, wallets and
  
  > exchanges will have enough time to prepare for it over the next three
  
  > years.
  
  >
  
  > We don't yet have an agreement on how to increase the block size
  
  > limit. There have been many proposals over the past years, like
  
  > BIP100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 109, 148, 248, BU, and so
  
  > on. These hard fork proposals, with this patch already in Core's
  
  > release, they all become soft fork. We'll have enough time to discuss
  
  > all these proposals and decide which one to go. Take an example, if we
  
  > choose to fork to only 2MB, since 32MiB already scheduled, reduce it
  
  > from 32MiB to 2MB will be a soft fork.
  
  >
  
  > Anyway, we must code something right now, before it becomes too late.
  
  >
  
  > bitcoin-dev mailing list
  
  > bitcoin-dev at lists.linuxfoundation.org
  
  > https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/bitcoin-dev
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  >
  
  > bitcoin-dev mailing list
  
  > bitcoin-dev at lists.linuxfoundation.org
  
  > https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/bitcoin-dev
  
  >
  
  >
  
  
  
  bitcoin-dev mailing list
  
  bitcoin-dev at lists.linuxfoundation.org
  
  https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/bitcoin-dev
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  bitcoin-dev mailing list
  
  bitcoin-dev at lists.linuxfoundation.org
  
  https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/bitcoin-dev
  
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  original: https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/bitcoin-dev/2017-April/013947.html

Sorry for terrible formatting, on mobile.

Ok so here’s the deal. There are about a million options out there, and each of them has its ups and downs.

This is gonna get a little technical but let’s start by breaking things down into 2 categories: hard drive vs solid state, and offline vs online.

The most common solution here would be to get an external hard drive. They are generally designed to ‘plug and play’ directly into a computer and store whatever you put on them. They’re fairly cheap but they are mechanical so you have to handle them carefully and not move them when in use or you risk physical damage and data corruption. They usually come at two different speeds: 5400 or 7200 RPM (rotations per minute). The higher the number the faster data can be accessed.

Solid state is the newer, more expensive cousin of the hard drive. Whereas HDDs are mechanical, SSDs are digital. Without the moving parts, SSDs are more robust, and significantly faster. They’re also way more expensive.

Now on to where things get interesting. Most external storage is offline, but some newer options exist that can be connected to the internet and allow you remote access to your data.

The cheaper devices in this category are usually called something along the lines of a ‘personal cloud’, and they’re a 1 - 10 TB HDD with software that lets you access them over the internet.

Higher end devices are usually called a NAS which stands for Network Attached Storage. These are basically servers to allow you high capacity data storage, and can be made to store hard drives in a variety of sizes and configurations.

Ok, so where do you fit in to all of this? What you need really just depends on what you want to use it for. How much space do you need? How fast do you need to access it? Do you want remote access to your data, or shared access with family and friends?

The truth is most people are gonna be fine with a simple external hard drive like the one already linked in the comments. I usually recommend a western digital like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LQQH86A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XeoYDb7V1HT0A

They’ve worked well for me. If you want something more interesting, look into WD’s personal cloud option:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076CTK55W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dhoYDbH3X5XBF

Or if you get curious about the higher end stuff, you can always check out names like Synology, Asustor, and Qnap. I have an Asustor and love it.

Pick up gear at the REI flagship in downtown Denver (maybe a little Sour Diesel while you are in Denver). Drive to Boulder, then Nederland. There are several lake shore camping options in the Indian Peaks and James Peak Wilderness. Indian Peaks requires a permit, but I don't believe it to be difficult or expensive. Options would include Diamond Lake, Jasper Lake, Woodland Lake. James Peak Wilderness directly to the south has Forest Lakes, Crater Lakes and rogers Pass Lake.

Bear Track Lakes in Mt Evans Wilderness is probably within your driving range in a southwesterly direction from Denver. I'm nat as familiar with that area. If you extend your range by 1 or two hours more stuff opens up. You should have plenty of options though. Have fun! Read up on mountain safety, i.e. bear country precautions, altitude sickness, being off high altitudes in the afternoon, etc. It's easy to be safe, you just have to be aware. My recommendation is to go between last week in June and mid August for the best weather, wild flowers etc. Best to do a good layer system with non-cotton layers and expect anything with the weather up there, could get down to 20-30 degrees in summer. I always use a 20 degree bag and sleep in merino long underwear.

Have fun, it is an amazing experience.

Edit, formatting
Edit: u/WeAreThePizza has a really good recommendation for Missouri Lakes, I think that is closer to 3hr drive from DIA though.

There are several ways to accomplish this. Other people in this thread have mentioned using a Raspberry Pi, or a wireless hard drive. These are both okay solutions, especially the wireless hard drive. However, I'd be worried about either of them being able to serve files to seven people at once. I just don't think that a wireless chip in a hard drive enclosure will have the power or speed necessary to make that happen. One or two people, sure, but not seven. Similar problems with the Raspberry Pi. The Pi would also be a significant amount of setup, would be pretty fragile given the number of interconnecting pieces needed to make it work for your needs, and you'd still have problems with bandwidth on just about any USB wireless card. There might be a solution with multiple USB wireless cards, but that just makes the whole thing that much more fragile.

I think what you need here for pure bandwidth purposes is an honest to god wireless router. Not a travel router, but the full thing. Modern wireless routers have USB ports on them, and you can plug USB storage devices into the router and have the router share the files on that storage device. So I think the right solution for you is a desktop wireless router and a USB hard drive.

The router is somewhat harder of the two items to find because of your physical size requirements. In addition, I think you don't want any protruding antennas which could break off. For that, I can recommend the Netgear R6300. I have the R6300v2, and I can personally attest that it's a fast, reliable router, and it measures 7.75" to a side.

Once you have a router, you need a hard drive. Get one in a small form factor that runs straight off a USB port and has a reasonable size. A 4TB drive should be more than enough, and you might get away with a 2TB drive drive depending on how much you want to store on it. I recently ripped my DVD collection and I was happy with the quality at about 1GB per movie. Since you'll probably be downloading movies from the internet, sizes and quality will vary. You may want to transcode the larger movies down to a more manageable size. You can batch transcode movies with Handbrake or other programs. Choose more aggressive compression and downsize 1080p movies to 720p, for example, to save space. Keep in mind that conversion takes a long time, so start early. Smaller files also stream more easily, so more people will be able to stream at once if you manage the file sizes well.

Good luck!

Ah, so you do have a laptop. Yeah... you'd have to copy all the data over from your old drive to your new drive, if you were to get a larger internal drive. Definitely possible, but not always easy.

You may want to ask a local store how much they'll charge to move the data over to your new disk. If they do it for free, it's a great value, though I doubt they'll do it for free due to the small price difference I found online.

A 2TB external disk from seagate: here. - $64

A 1TB internal disk (half the space!): here - $66.

2 TB WD black drive: here - $65

... So apparently an external disk is cheaper. Go for it!

Edit: Also, most laptops don't have the storage space for an additional drive. That's why I keep mentioning "desktop" - desktops have a ton of storage space.

You may want to google your laptop, and the query "m.2 SSD?" because some laptops have a m.2 slot on the motherboard. Spending the $100 on a internal M.2 and an additional $60 on an internal HDD would be great, though you'd have to be comfortable with moving the OS to the new M.2.

Also, I added a WD black external HDD above, same price as the seagate.

This is an awesome contest, thank you! All of mine are under $100!

1. Atop my list are these sinfully comfortable and cute flats. I've posted about them on this sub before. They're all rubber/silicone (so they're not stiff anywhere at all), made from recycled materials, completely waterproof, easy to wash and clean (they can be washed in the dishwasher), and unbelievably comfy. They won't hurt your ankles and they have a "massage arch" so that they don't hurt the bottoms of your feet. Everyone needs a pair. This company makes flats, sandals, sling-backs, wedges! Even if I don't win this contest, I wholeheartedly recommend that you check these out.
   
   
2. Next would be this jar of fiber. Lol so glamorous. Seriously, fiber is so good for you. For your heart, for your system, for your cholesterol, etc. I try and get most of my recommended fiber everyday and I rely on a supplement for that.
   
   
3. Then this hard drive! This one will mostly be for my work/internship stuff. I'm so afraid to lose the work that I do on my laptop v. on my desktop, so this will be nice peace of mind!
   
   
4. This super cool cutting board that extends to fit over a kitchen sink! And a silicone pouch for separating the food! Too cool and a kitchen staple! I've seen these in use and they're so handy.

TL;DR get the WD Easy Store it the best and in your price range at the moment.

WD Easy Store is a great external drive. The drive inside is usually a WD Red which is far better than the WD Blues in the WD My Book. The My Book isn't bad but its just that you can get the Easy Store for 89.99 right now where as the My Book is 99.99. The Easy Store also goes on sale a lot with its more expensive sister, the legendary 8tb Easy Store.

Alternatively if neither are available to you for what ever reason I guess you can also get the Seagate Backup Plus. The internal drive is an SMR drive which can be a bit slow at times. All around its about on the same level as the WD Blue in the My Book. A lot of people hate Seagate for many reasons such as the 3tb fiasco and their reputation for lower reliability, but I personally don't have a strong vendetta against them like others do. The Plus also has a built in USB hub which I personally love and me and my brother use all the time. The Plus is also 99.99, same as the My Book.

It seems like you are not going for any sort of redundancy system like RAID and instead use this drive like normal as an external hard drive, so I would strongly advise you stay away from anything refurbished. Refurbished is only great in systems using RAID so drive failure is not as much of an issue. I have nothing against using refurbished its just more of a gamble to take since the failure rate of a refubished hard drive is completely unknown to you. Each refurbisher is going to be different, and each drive is going to be a different case where it is in its life. You can save a lot of money buying a 3tb Hitachi Ultrastar for only 49.99, but you would need to buy an adapter if you want to use it as an external hard drive.

This is an Amazon.ca Featured Deal and is set to expire at 3:00 am (presumably March 21). Act fast! Best Buy Canada and Futureshop will price match this deal, bringing the price down to around $97

An excellent price on a 2TB external drive that can be easily removed from the casing and installed in a PS4. I picked one of these up a couple of weeks ago and did exactly that and it fits and works perfectly.

To remove the drive, carefully pry the metal top cover from the bottom plastic case. This can be done by hand or using a small screwdriver. Once the case is open, remove the drive and unplug from the USB interface board. Then just follow the Sony instructions for replacing the drive. Be sure to backup your game save data first so that it can be restored to the new drive afterwards.

The drive fits perfectly in the PS4 and meets the specs that Sony specifies for the console. If you're looking for extra storage in your PS4, this is a great way to expand at a reasonable price.

As an added bonus, you can install your old PS4 500GB drive in the case and use that as an external USB drive afterwards.

Edit: Our American friends can get the same drive from Amazon.com for $89 which is a pretty good deal.

TL;DR: I'd suggest you get a 4TB USB3 external 2.5" for about $110.

---

I have used the heck out of these machines for work; really liked 'em. Was the server model, though, and have upgraded both the HDDs in these many times. Running the OS off an SDD and sticking a big second drive in (and maxing the RAM to 16GB) made for just an awesome Windows 7 machine. In addition to four USB2 ports, it also sports a FW800 port and a Lightning port, but I'm ignoring these (to keep my answer shorter).

I'd break your question down into PLEX and non-PLEX questions.

The big PLEX question, I think, is performance. This is the last model of Mac Mini that had USB2. You say yours currently, "runs great throughout the house." It sounds like you use multiple clients? But do any of them run concurrently? As u/RX-Zero pointed out, you should get ~30MB/s throughput via USB2 (the HDD itself supports more but USB2 is the choke-point here). This is a marked step down in speed from any internal storage, but is it enough? We'll, it theoretically supports dozens of 1080p streams, so it will probably reveal a different choke-point before proving to be one itself.

The second PLEX question I might ask is one of portability; does your storage being portable make a difference for usability and/or recovery, for you? If you wanna take (rather than stream—for whatever reason) your content on the road with you, an external is easy. If your Mac mini fails, you could move your content to a replacement machine more quickly/easily. Mirrored backups are easier too.

The non-PLEX questions include cost, complexity, capacity and location. By location I mean location of the external storage. Do you have the space for an external HDD? Maybe a 2.5" with a short cable is easy. Maybe a single 3.5" will fit (don't forget that additional power socket though!). Maybe space isn't an issue? What about how it looks? Would adding an external upset the aesthetic?

By complexity I mean this (or this if you have a server model). I've changed the drives in these machines many times but I take it nice 'n' easy, every ... single ... time. ;)

Your capacity is limited by the 9.5mm tall (2.5") space, internally. You can fit a 2TB HDD in there (heck, even a 4TB SDD if money is no object) but that's it. Externally you can attach a 5TB 2.5" HDD or a bazillion-PB RAID enclosure. My point simply being that going external is unlimited.

Oh, cost. The good news? Storage is always getting cheaper. And, keeping it simple, it's a similar cost to go internal versus external (for the same storage capacity).

I got the oculus go for $200 because I only have a cheap laptop and with that you don't need a computer. If you have a good PC then Idk, you should ask in /r/oculusnsfw . Everyone is saying nowadays that the current best headset is the Pixmax 8k which goes for $900, but you need a good PC for that one. Obviously paying for the best one you can afford is what you want to do because there is really a huge difference in quality.

The best website in my opinion is czechvr. 6 months of that is $85 I believe. I love any of their threesome or foursome videos, anal videos, face sitting, anything with Jennifer Jane, etc.

I also recommend getting a 4TB external harddrive. This one is $100.

I personally don't think an SSD is worth the extra money. it will be faster in terms of load times, but the difference is not that noticeable.

if you want a 2TB HDD, this one (ST2000LM015) is great and recommended. If you want slightly better speed for a good price, get this SSHD (ST2000LX001).

and if you really want to save money, then this one (STDR2000100) is pretty common. more work involved though, because you have to crack open the case. there is guide in the sidebar. one benefit is you can re-use the case for your old ps4 hdd.

I referenced US amazon because i don't know canada stuff, but you can just look up the model numbers for each.

>I'd go ahead and copy your data to the new drive, but don't remove it from the old ones until you have to.

Well that's the thing. I'd pretty much have to right away. My drives are currently pretty much maxed out which is why I need to get another so I can have some free space to work with. I mentioned copying a few to the new drive so I could "break it in" for the first couple of months while still having the data backed up in case it does fail so I wont lose any date but I will need the extra space fairly quickly.

Here are the ones I was looking at:

https://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Canvio-Basics-Portable-HDTB330XK3CA/dp/B00T5ME88Y/

https://www.amazon.com/Book-Desktop-External-Drive-WDBBGB0040HBK-NESN/dp/B01LQQHL4E/

I was also looking at the Seagate 3t one that is like $90 but I've heard a lot of terrible things about Seagate. (Its worth noting that none of these would ever leave my house and would pretty much just be plugged in 24/7)

Thanks for your help by the way. I'm just getting started and I'm already pretty confused and a bit intimidated by it all. I felt so much more secure in my ignorance when I just bought drives with good reviews, moved files there, and did nothing else but after reading the sub I know I've got a long way to go. I didn't even know about the Crystal Disk programs or that I should be checking that stuff until yesterday. I can't even begin to understand RAID, NAS, NTFS, Unraid, drivepool, parity, etc. and every time I try to look up tutorials and overviews on this stuff it just leads to more things I have no clue about. Fortunately, I've got a while to learn before I'm able to afford to do anything like that and I've learned a ton from this sub already.

I'm not an idiot when it comes to computers but you guys sure make me look like one.

I don’t have an easy answer for you. I have been looking for an 8TB drive for some time now myself, and have spent far too much time comparing options. I would love to hear everyone’s opinion!

I also haven’t looked that much at encryption, hopefully someone here knows more about that part.

Seagate Expansion STEB8000100
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HAPGEIE/ - $150
Lacie Porsche Design USB-C STFE8000401
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VP1PJX - $220
HDD (probably, based on forum reports): Seagate Archive HDD ST8000AS0002 (SMR)

Pros:

• Cheapest option
  Cons:
  
• Meh performance (SMR)
  
• 1-2 years warranty
  
• Meh reliability/workload (rated 180 TB/year)
  
  Seagate Game Drive Desktop 8TB STGG8000400 – ($240)
  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07173WR4B - £165 (couldn’t find on Amazon.com)
  HDD (probably): Seagate Barracuda (non-pro) ST8000DM004 (SMR)
  
  Pros:
  
• OK drive (most agree that it’s better than the Archive)
  Cons:
  
• Meh performance (SMR)
  
• 1 year warranty
  
• Meh reliability/workload (rated 55 TB/year)
  
  Seagate Backup Plus Hub STEL8000100
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HD6ZLQ6 - $155
  Seagate Backup Plus Hub STEL8000200
  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01IAD5ZC6 - £158
  
• Mostly reported as ST8000AS0002 inside, some reports of ST8000DM004 inside (see above).
  (see https://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/7875/seagate-backup-plus-hub-8tb-external-drive-review/index.html, https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/comments/7fbkh3/the_seagate_backup_plus_8tb_no_longer_have_the/)
  
  Internal 3.5” + USB Enclosure - $300
  HDD (e.g.): Seagate Barracuda Pro ST8000DM0004 (PMR Helium)
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07211QYRC - $280
  or HGST Ultrastar He8 HUH728080ALE600 (PMR Helium)
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q1IZJD8 - $240
  Enclosure (e.g.): Ugreen 3.5” Hard Drive Enclosure
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076WQHK2G - $20
  
  Pros:
  
• Highest performance (7200 rpm + PMR, not SMR)
  
• 5 year warranty on drive
  
• High reliability/workload drive (rated 300 TB/year)
  
• Flexible (You can use the drive internally, if you decide to do that)
  Cons:
  
• Most expensive option
  
• Possible compatibility issue depending on enclosure
  
  WD Easystore
  Also HDD lottery.
  (see https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/comments/7fx0i0/wd_easystore_8tb_compendium/)
  
  WD My Book
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LQQHLGC - $170
  HDD: Lottery.
  Reports vary all over the place. Very old reports say HGST Enterprise Helium (Early 2016), Older reports (Mid 2016) say WD Red WD80EZZX (Good), newer reports (2017) say it’s a lower-performance white-label drive, some call it a WD Blue (?).
  (see https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Storage/HGST-Enterprise-He8-HDD-Found-Early-Retail-8TB-WD-My-Book, http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php/776633-8TB-WDBFJK0080HBK-NESN-vs-WDBBGB0080HBK-NESN, https://tinkertry.com/liberate-western-digital-8tb-from-external-drive-enclosure-to-save-big)
  Neutral:
  
• Performance?
  
• Reliability/workload?
  Pros:
  
• Cheap option
  
• 3 year warranty
  
• Most probably PMR, not SMR
  Cons:
  
• HDD lottery
  
  This was quickly put together. Comments and suggestions welcome! :-)

Thanks for these answers, but I guess I didn't make it clear what what needed. Basically their main computer has either a massive SATA drive or just uses external hard drives connected via USB (my guess would be large external hard drives), while the DJ computers are all laptops that have very little data actually stored on them, and pull all songs/videos from the external hard drives that should all be updated weekly, and they have a lot of these external hard drives.

From what you linked those look like great solutions for cloning internal drives but a)I don't think the owners would be comfortable removing the internal drives and b) we're talking about over 4 TB of data and I don't know of many laptops that have that type of internal storage.

If I was reading those products incorrectly please let me know but it seemed like they wouldn't work for a typical external hard drive cloning. Like WD 4TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBU6Y0040BBK-WESN https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713WPGLL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_wuiJBb4Z7FANR is the most common way they transport the music to the venues. Then the plug it into the laptop and it's good to go.

I have a couple of Western Digital My Passport drives that I use for movies and such. I would recommend buying one exclusively for Time Machine and using that to back up. Then buy one for your other random stuff. Time Machine doesn't like sharing drives, although you can if you partition it. But the drives are so inexpensive that it's easier to just buy one exclusive drive for it. Mine are 2TB and cost around $80-90:

WD 2TB Black My Passport for Mac Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBCGL0020BSL-NESN https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WJOVCOS/

WD 2TB Black My Passport for Mac Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBP6A0020BBK-WESN https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LQQH8E2/

Those are preformatted for macOS. You can buy the regular one too, but at least for Time Machine you would want to reformat it if you did that. If you are sharing between a Mac and PC, you would want the non Mac version:

WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBU6Y0020BBK-WESN https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D0L5BH8/

WD 2TB Black USB 3.0 My Passport Portable External Hard Drive (WDBYFT0020BBK-WESN) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LQQHF2W/


You will also need USB-C to USB Micro-B adapters for them. I have these and they work great:

CableCreation USB 3.1 Type C (USB-C) to USB 3.0 Micro-B Cable, Micro USB 3.1 USB-C for Apple The Macbook, Chromebook Pixel and More, 1ft/0.3M in Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012V56992/

That's incredible that your folks are willing to support you in this and it's a great chance for your channel to take off! So this leaves you with...5 months to get that momentum? I believe you can do it, and once it hits that 2k mark, it only multiplies so long as you're consistent with it!

It sounds as though you have an audience already in mind, but what I would recommend is putting a least a couple video projects together that would have a long shelf-life.

What I mean is if you are able, do some DIY/guide type videos for relatively common subjects/problems in your niche. If (more like when) they get searched for, you'll see that things with an inherent value and good SEO can last for a LONG time.

$800 is an awesome budget for this too! Wish I had that much to work with when I started. I don't know what kind of content you create, but investing in at least a studio-quality mic, decent editing software, a good sized SSD and an external storage as well. Camera of course would be necessary if it's a vlog style or whatnot, but again, not sure what you're going for here. Doing gaming oriented content, I have no need for a camera (yet).

Here's what I'm running with - having a computer is already implied:

• Blue Yeti Microphone with shock mount, arm & pop filter - This's a relatively common combo, and can be found on Amazon for around $150.
  
  
• Corel VideoStudio Ultimate X8 (One-time purchase, not a license) - This is INCREDIBLY cheap right now on Amazon due to the recent release of a newer version.
  
  
• Solid State Drive - For storage of projects and raw project files
  
  
• External Hard Disk Drive or Solid State Drive for file/save backup
  
  
  

Hey man. Good on you for choosing the CIT Program, I'm in the Arch Technology program but here's what I can offer you in terms of advice for laptop purchases.

• Go for 16GB of RAM. Trust me, 8GB is the bare minimum these days and it never hurts to have extra RAM, especially if you're going to be running lots of apps or using Chrome(fuck).
  
• As for requiring Windows 10 or Mac OS, check with your program for that. Here in Arch they required us to have Windows to use programs like AutoCAD, which are generally tailored to the operating system.
  
  I have the Dell XPS 13 right now (XPS-9370) and have used it for nearly a full year. I can tell you that there's no issues with coil whine but Dell's customer service is admittedly frustrating (good thing is they're helpful when you finally get around to them).
  
  If you're looking at the Macbook, I'd recommend the Macbook Pro. In terms of weight, both Macbook Air and Macbook Pro have very little weight difference and I'm assuming you'll be running some relatively processor heavy programs, in which case the Macbook Pro would be your best bet.
  
  If you have money to splurge on a good computer, by all means go for it, but seriously avoid cheaper alternatives. They look good in face value now but they'll fuck you over in the long run. Investing a bit more in a good product lowers the possibility that you'll have to buy a new one in the future.
  
  Personally, I have a couple of tips:
  
  
• Get an External Hard Drive. Because you said earlier that splurging isn't too much of a problem, I'd assume that upgrading your storage won't be too much of an issue, but if it is, consider getting a hard drive. They're fantastic for keeping your information with you without having to overspend on upgrading your laptop's storage. I'm using this one right now.
  
• Get a wireless mouse. The trackpads on the Macbook and XPS are nice, but goddamn they're annoying when I want to get work done. A small wireless mouse like this one will make worlds of a difference when you're doing work.
  
• Invest in a laptop case. Seems like a pretty standard thing but I've seen a lot of people invest ~$2000-2500 on a computer and carry it around without a case. Treat that shit like your baby, cause it's expensive, and carrying it around in a bag with textbooks will wear it down. Using the Macbook Pro 13 as an example, consider something like this.
  
  ​
  
  That's all I have. If you have any other things or just general recommendations you need, don't be afraid to dm me!

Okay, here's what you do. I know because I literally just upgrade my HDD and carefully backed up my library (which has PT in it) and successfully transferred it to a new drive.

First off, buy this drive
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TKFEE5S?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00.

This one works with the PS4. It's cheaper than an equivalent naked 2TB drive ($99 something on Amazon) and you get a harddrive enclosure out it that you can reuse. You're going to take it apart and use the drive inside for your upgrade. It's not as hard as it sounds. I did it and it's very easy. Before you do anything, hook it up to your PC and format the drive to FAT32 (or just FAT if you're on Mac) and use Master Boot Record as your partition.

Gently place the knife in the crevice between the top cover and the rest of the case to wedge them far enough apart for you to pry it open yourself. Digital Foundry has a video on this. Remove the rubber covers and the screws. Gently remove the aluminum sheets covering the top of the drive and disconnect it from the SATA/USB 3.0 adapter.

To backup your games, make sure the HDD is bigger than the total install size on your PS4. Make sure that you formatted as exFAT or FAT32 and that you choose Master Boot Record instead of GPT or anything else. This is important because PS4 doesn't like anything that is not MBR and it won't recognize your drive or return an error (like there not being enough space for backup). Backing up using this method will backup your game saves, your screenshots/videos, your apps, and games to the external.

Now you're going to need the PS4 firmware. This page has the firmware you need. Be mindful which update you download because the one you want is the full firmware, not the one intended to only update the PS4. I've directly linked it here. It's about 800 MB. Put it on a thumb drive (separate from the external drive that you used to backup your games). Make sure that drive is also formatted as FAT32 or exFAT and that you have the folder tree done correctly. It should be Thumb Drive -> PS4 -> UPDATE in that order. Put the 800 MB PS4UPDATE file that you downloaded into the UPDATE folder. Make sure everything is named correctly, including the update file (don't add numbers to it).

Once that's done, just do as Digital Foundry shows you. Power everything off, push the faceplate off to expose the drive, use a Phillip screwdriver to remove the screw, pull out the harddrive cage and unscrew the harddrive. Now put the 2TB one in. Be mindful here because the Seagate drive is actually thinner than the stock drive so the screws won't align correctly. I recommend putting the drive into the cage upside down to make it easier for you to align the screws with the drive. Screw everything back in, put the drive back, and put the cover back. Connect your DS4 to the PS4 and hold down the PS button for 7 seconds until you get into the PS4 recovery (it should be pretty obvious what it is). Choose the last option to install the firmware. Connect the thumb drive and let the PS4 do its thing.

Now walk through the start up process again and then connect your external HDD. Now restore everything that you backed up. This should take a while depending on how much stuff you backed up. Notice that this backup does not transfer over your profiles so you'd have to sign back into PSN again after the upgrade. You won't have to make any changes like deactivating the PS4 before removing to the drive and activating it as primary again after installation. That's tied to your console ID, not the harddrive. Last step is to take the old PS4 harddrive and put back into the Seagate case that you took your new drive out of.

Lightweight and dedicated GPU are a difficult mixture within this budget.

If you want a dedicated GPU with good battery life, you could check out this list to see specs, weight, and battery life of all the good options in your budget laid out side by side.

I do have to ask, though, what is the GPU for? If your use is mostly general with only lightweight photo work, the GPU isn't going to do anything but cut back your options. You'd be better off just going with the Asus Zenbook UX305UA.

It's super lightweight, all aluminum, has solid specs, and great battery life. It'd do a lot better for you in terms of carrying it around school. Then I'd for sure get an external hard drive for the larger storage.

pentel's rsvp pens are my favorite and they come in a variety of colors. i find that the different colors help me retain information when note-taking/studying in general.

a phone charger for sure. amazonbasics has cables that work really well for the iphone! amazon has a six month warranty for their amazonbasics things (i think they still do?), so if your cable frays or breaks or whatever, you can just send amazon a message and they'll replace it for you. i think that's awesome since the worst part about having an iphone is how easy the charging cables can fall apart.

also, i think carrying around a mini stapler in your backpack is a great idea. they're handy and cute. bonus: you'll be class hero when a paper is due and everyone is scrambling for a stapler.

usb flash drives are nice and handy, but i'd recommend investing in a portable external harddrive as well. the 2tb ones run about $70-$90 and they're dooooope. you didn't say what you're studying, but i'm a student who works with digital media so i'm constantly transferring large files and an external drive has been of great use. i have this one.

For both the PS4 regular and PS4 Pro SSHD and SSD drives are currently not worth the premium price really. There are some major improvements in load times for an SSD, but only for Pro mode games. Maybe the drives will become a better value as the Pro mode library increases.

This is a really good deal on a hybrid, but you can get one of the most recommended PS4 drives for $80 right now. There's even a great guide for doing it yourself from /r/PS4.

EDIT: After a discussion with /u/PureNintendoHype it was pointed that there are indeed very noticeable benefits for an SSD in Pro mode games. Maybe as the library for Pro support gets bigger the upgrade will be a better investment. I'm just not sold on the premium price and small storage space tradeoffs yet.

By all means, invest in a NAS system like Synology. This is an expense that merits the cost.

I personally own one like this one filled with 8 x 4TB WD RED drives with two disk redundancy, so if two disks fail on me I should be fine.

Every three months, I back up the entire 20 TB on mulitple 8TB WD books drives like these for offline cold storage, just in case my office burns down. All links in this post are referral links.

Data is NOT something to go cheap on. It has other uses, too. I use it for a home security system, printer server, and a PLEX server as well.

EDIT: This 8tb WD EasyStore external drive is a better buy than what I originally linked above. Usually they ship with an 8tb RED NAS drive inside which is worth more than the drive themselves.

I don't buy a lot. But I game share with a friend and keep almost everything we buy installed. It's nice to have access to everything we buy (especially with EA Access). 3.5TB free and shrinking. If you don't plan on game sharing, you'll likely be fine with 500GB since it wasn't an issue for you on the PS4. If you plan on game sharing, get something like this. I got it last June and have been happy with it. I think having all games on an external with all apps on the internal improves performance. Not sure about that though.

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Expansion-Desktop-External-STEB5000100/dp/B00TKFEEBW/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1467944044&sr=1-1&keywords=5+tb+hard+drive

Glad that the update is coming tomorrow. Still no folders option, but looking forward to these features:


Suspend/Resume:
>Info: Supported by nearly all of your PS4 games, you can jump in and out of your games with just the press of the PS button. Quickly switch from Rest Mode to powered-up so you can pick up where you left off.

 
Back-up and restore HDD to USB
>Info: Back-up and restore your hard disc drive data associated with users on your PS4, including settings, saved data, screenshots and video clips as well as games, patches and download data, to and from an external USB drive.

Good that I waited with updating my HDD, with our slow network connection it would have taken ages to re-download all my games.
 
For those upgrading their PS4: (NOT up-to-date with the new backup feature)

• A guide by IGN + Which HDD to buy
  
• PS4 upgrade- Beginning-to-end-guide with an external HDD - created by /u/mbrellisford
  
• PS4 System software download page
   
  
  Edit: I will upgrade my PS4 with the Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB tomorrow. I could do a how-to guide if there is interest in it.
  Edit2: A how-to guide is in the making and should be published on 27 March.

1)not difficult at all
2) http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Backup-Portable-External-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4/ref=cm_cd_ql_qh_dp_t
best drive for the PS4 right now in terms of largest amount of memory.
3) after the install of the ps4 firmware, you have about 1768 GB'S left. usually a game is anywhere from 20-50 GB's so you're looking at being able to hold 50+ FULL games. (just an estimate). Indie games however are much smaller so you can also throw in a lot more of those while not worrying about space.
4)No. Sony encourages you to upgrade your Hard drive if your heart desires. It does not cancel your warranty.
5)If you have PS plus you can transfer all your saved game data to the cloud, otherwise you can save all your saved data to a usb external hard drive and then transfer it back once you have your new hard drive in.

im going to buy the 2 TB hard drive i just linked you to. It's price is great and im looking forward to putting my ps4 hard drive into my ps3 so i can finally download some more free ps plus games.

I personally don't care for Seagate because of Blackblaze mostly but also the horror stories I hear from time to time. I'm a longevity buyer or BIFL (buy it for life). I work in a datacenter and know that drives are never bifl but I do my best. Recently I looked for a large drive for my brother to put in his laptop. Seagate was the only drive available for the larger sizes in his price range. I found a sale for a WD External Hard Drive 4tb where basically he would pay $90 for a large external drive. That was what I went with for him as WD are better drives from what I've seen as well as they're a bit more reliable.


I've noticed that Seagate puts a LOT of money into advertising which I understand works some but if your drives are high failure rate then people that consistently buy drives may stop buying them such as those on r/datahoarders . Personally even WD drives aren't as reliable and if I buy anymore for myself I'll be paying a bit extra to get HGST due to their quality which overall is more important to me. I'd suggest to Seagate that they increase quality and decrease advertising some if they need money from somewhere. If I found that Seagate quality increased to HGST standards even if it was a NEW LINE; I'd be very inclined to spend money on a high end Seagate with a better warranty.

I have a Pro with a 2TB drive installed internally. This is the drive I'm using. I just took the 2TB HDD out of the enclosure (which does void the HDD's warranty FYI) and put the 1TB HDD from the Pro back in the enclosure and use it as extra storage on my PC.

I didn't end up installing a solid state drive in my Pro. I don't care enough about load times to spend so much more money on an SSD vs a traditional HDD.

This guide has some good info to help you do the HDD swap, with pictures to help you make sure you are doing everything correctly.

If you aren't planning on backing up any of your data, the entire process takes about 15-20 minutes and is super easy. If you do plan to back up your data and transfer it to the new drive, that can add a LOT of time onto the process, depending on how much data you need to backup.

I had to backup and restore a full 1TB of data, so I spent about 12 hours getting everything transferred and ready to go. I just left the restore process going while I slept and the PS4 Pro was ready to use when I woke up the next morning.

For my Xbox One I use a 3 TB WD MyBook. The one I linked is a newer model from what I actually have, and there's different sizes. I've had it for maybe 2 years now and I do leave it plugged in as it's convenient.

I just re-read your post, this may be too large in size, both in memory and physical size. It's called the MyBook because, it's like the size of a small book. Lol. Not too practical for traveling as there are smaller hard drives. But I do personally like WD products.

Anyways, as someone else mentioned you format it one way or another, for games or for music/movies. You can't do both. I have a WD Passport that I have movies on. Those are affordable as well.

If you're looking for slightly more powerful graphics (especially if you have a 4K tv) the Ps4 pro is the way to go. The Ps4 slim model is smaller but in my opinion not worth getting. Of course you have the original ps4 which is definitely a solid choice. On the issue of memory you can easily change out the standard 500 gb storage device on the original ps4 for a 2 tb one all you need is a screwdriver and a usb.

Link to storage device I used: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FRHTTJE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Link to instructional video: https://youtu.be/EBPsPuxa2lk

Edit: I feel that 500 gigabytes will fill quickly and 1 terabyte is a good medium between price and storage space. However, if you buy most of your games digitally I would recommend 1-2 terabytes as all the digital games will start to eat up storage and also bring the hassle of having to reinstall through the Internet rather than on disc.

Makes sense.

Blocks continue to increase in size- True, but at the same time, hard drive space and bandwidth is getting cheaper. Right now we're at 100GB or so worth of blockchain data. I can buy a 4TB drive on Amazon for $100.
That said, obviously the blockchain size growth can't increase faster than storage availability without causing some centralization. But we are nowhere there yet, and I don't think that's a valid reason to avoid a 2MB upgrade today.

Thoughts on that?

As for contentious forks, keep in mind BCH (an intentional fork to make a different currency) is different than 2X / Unlimited / Classic / XT (controversial attempts to change Bitcoin itself). This is an important difference. Right now the main issue of contention is the 2X hard fork- SegWit2x was an industry agreement to do a one time hard fork to 2MB and also activate SegWit. Now that SW activated there are those who say the 2X part should be abandoned.
However I'd point out that the 2X part carries strong support from miners and most Bitcoin companies. The only ones who really make it controversial are the Core developers, who are against it. If Core was in favor, just about any observer would agree that there is full consensus. However Core has made no plans or explanation for how or when a block size increase will be done (even though it's obvious one will be needed eventually, even with SegWit).

Thoughts on that?

As for BCH, I don't see it harming Bitcoin. Everyone seems to understand that BCH and BTC are now different, and obviously a lot of people like BCH as evidenced by its strong price support.

No. I don't like Seagates because I personally think they're unreliable, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Just an example: Seagate makes an "official" external drive for the Xbox One, and if you look up reviews on that on Amazon, you'll see that a large portion of buyers complained that it randomly stopped working after 1-3 months: https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Game-Drive-External-Portable/product-reviews/B01065S79E

That is just one example, but I have had a seagate drive for 2 years and it died on me randomly too.

I'm sure every external drive has its pros and cons, though, and I'm sure some drives that I like may not work out for others, but that's just my 2 cents. I've had a different WD external drive for my PS4 for over a year, and it's been working great. I have this one if you're wondering. I just bought another WD for my new Xbox One X, too.

2 TB is a great space option. It will allow you to hold a ton of things and you shouldn't run out of space if you only have a few games and apps

Toshiba Canvio Basics 2TB Portable Hard Drive - Black (HDTB320XK3CA) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N2S6W86/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_IqoOyb4TV5J9D

This one is very good and a great price. I had it for about 2 years, but gave it to my friend since I upgraded to a 5TB.

I would say go with 2TB. 1TB in my opinion just isn't enough since you have to sacrifice about 150-200 gbs to software. Plus 2TB is usually only 20-30 dollars more than 1TB.

WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBU6Y0020BBK-EESN https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D0L5BH8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ZxoOyb5FG9SE6

Also this one. Western Digital also makes good hard drives.

I have personally not had good luck with GDrives. Not due to the actual drive inside (they don't make drives) but to their interface/board in the box.

You would pretty much be fine with any USB 3 drive. I have had really good luck with these from Western Digital.

i would recommend to get a couple for redundancy and then start looking at getting a NAS or Directly connected storage box, like a 5 drive box, in the future and use them in tandem.

This is Amazon #1 best seller

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TKFEEAS/ref=zg_bs_595048_1

It has very good reviews and is cheap!

3 Best seller is cheaper and also good

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W8XXRPM/ref=zg_bs_595048_3

Here are all of the Best Sellers, id personally go with #1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/595048/ref=sr_bs_1_595048_1

It really depends on how much you want to spend. You can get a 2TB drive for less than $100, and a 1TB drive is even cheaper. I went with a standard HDD, but you can also go with an SSD (solid state) if you want the best performance. I've not looked at the load time differences between drive types (SSD vs HDD) but its a matter of a few seconds.

Heres a nice article with suggested drives: http://www.gamesradar.com/best-hard-drive-for-ps4/

The big thing to remember is you need to get a 2.5 inch laptop drive. The 3.5 inch desktop drives wont fit.

One last tip. Oddly enough, the external hard drives in a case like this are sometimes cheaper than their "naked" counterparts.

I recommend getting one with a case. You'll need to use a screwdriver to crack open the case to get the actual drive out, but afterwards, you can place the 500GB drive from the PS4 into the case, and get yourself a nice 500 GB external drive to use.

WD Mybook 8TB for £119.99 (until midnight UK time on the 16th of July):


https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01LWVT81X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B01LWVT81X&linkCode=as2&tag=amoves-21&linkId=109e41ed89969139d870a312cd99835b



We can finally feel like Americans for a day with these bargain prices. You need to sign up for Prime as well but if you don't have an active prime membership, you can also start a new Prime trial if you haven't used your 30-day trial in the last 365 days. I just checked and these are the lowest prices these 8TB hard drives have ever been sold for in the UK.

They also have the WD Elements Desktop 8TB on a Prime Day sale for £124:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07FNK6QMT/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=amoves-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07FNK6QMT&linkId=7a13bc41e7e1867b91417ef49df553e1


From what I've read it's quite similar to the MyBook but doesn't offer backup, encryption and password protection by default. Both are good for schucking. The main advantage of the Elements Desktop 8TB seems to be the ease of adding another drive in its case later on if you decide to schuck it.


The Seagate Expansion 8TB is on sale for only £109 and I've heard only good things about it in comparison to their smaller drives which seem to be problematic. I went with the MyBook 8TB myself.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DQBFQ2D/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=amoves-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07DQBFQ2D&linkId=28f3f183cd50ec9d3adf5c102ece5daa

The only other good deal I found was the Western Digital My Passport 4TB Portable. Still debating whether to buy it as well or get another Mybook 8tb. It is currently on sale for only £75 which is the second lowest price ever for it in the UK:


https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01LQQH86A/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=amoves-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01LQQH86A&linkId=54e3c55ae8c90b3e6a3f373dfb0b7335

I will say that I'd recommend either upgrading the storage in your computer or buying an external hard drive if you want to boot camp your mac, though, as you're going to quickly run out of disk space if you do.

I got a 2TB Seagate one that works pretty well for relatively cheap here, but you might want one with its own power supply as it might access data marginally faster.

If you want some game recommendations that will run on mac, I'm /u/piebloxxer on steam if you want to look through my library. All of the games that I've logged time in ~1/2 an hour or more will play at least adequately!

Also, I'd highly recommend Overwatch if you haven't played it before. I can run it on Medium settings with around a stable 40 FPS on my MacBook and really enjoy it!

PS: I am sure everyone knows this but Best Buy will price match anything from Amazon as long as it is shipped and sold by Amazon. In which http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Portable-External-Storage-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453477588&sr=8-1&keywords=seagate+2tb+external is. It's $89.99 at Best Buy, they will price match. Let me know if this looks like a good drive that hopefully works with Xbox One. I am getting an external because I have Gold and I want to take advantage of downloading the games that come with Gold membership. My hard drive is already 79% full.

The other link just shows how to replace the hard drive, a good resource, but to answer your original question:

Internally, the PS4 only has room for a 2.5" 9.5mm tall drive. The maximum capacity hard drive you can get that will fit is 2TB. The Segate 2TB is pretty much the only reccomended hard drive, because it's the only 9.5mm 2TB drive at a good price.

However, if you're going for biggest PS4 hard drive, you can buy something like the Nyko Data Bank which lets you install a full-size, chaper desktop hard drive (up to 8TB^1). The downside is, while it matches the PS4 design aesthetic, it does add bulk to your PS4.

 

^1 From the Nyko website: With the 3.50 firmware update for PS4 we recommend up to 4TB for models below CUH-1200 and for models above CUH-1200, we recommend up to 8TB.

4TB SSD is quite expensive, but might be worth it. They are probably less than half the weight. Big spinning disk drive has got a lot of metal in it. big added bonus for SSD is that they are pretty rugged out of the gate - you don't have to worry about shocks nearly as much and can have a lighter case for it.

Not sure you can live with multiple disks, but 4x 1TB might be worth it as well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LQQH86A/ref=psdc_595048_t3_B01HOV57QE claims to be less than half a pound vs the 4.3 yours claims to be. I doubt the passport is quite as fast, but probably fast enough.

If you feel comfortable doing computer surgery, you could replace the 1TB in your laptop (https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/powerspec-1710 right?) with an SSD. Probably save yourself quite a bit of weight there too.

I got this one at BB for $85 but the 3TB

WD 4TB Black My Passport  Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBYFT0040BBK-WESN https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LQQH86A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ABCHzbX5VFKCA

Works great so far

Others like the sea gates as well

That budget makes this hard.

You have 2 options, DAS or NAS. A DAS would attach via usb, or a simmilar interface, while a NAS connects over internet.

For the DAS option, Id probably get something like the segate archive drives https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Expansion-Desktop-External-STEB8000100/dp/B01HAPGEIE/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1480446876&sr=1-1&keywords=8tb+external+hard+drive

These are really cheap because they use SMR on the hdd. SMR makes it so that writes can be very slow, but reads are fine. I probably buy a second one or use a clould service like amazon's unlimited acd to back it up.

For NAS, Id probably get this https://www.amazon.com/Synology-DS216j-NAS-DiskStation/dp/B01BNPT1EG/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1480446978&sr=1-2&keywords=synology+nas

And 2x 4tb hdd's to go with it. Any hdd will work, but there are nas optimized drives like wd reds, that are lower power, have longer warranties, and have firmware that is designed to handle errors better.

Here is a drive id pick https://www.amazon.com/Red-4TB-Hard-Disk-Drive/dp/B00EHBERSE/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1480447066&sr=1-1&keywords=wd+red

Thank you for checking it out 😄

This was one of the best investments I made:

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Passport-Portable-WDBGPU0010BBK-NESN/dp/B00W8XXRPM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462395587&sr=8-1&keywords=western+digital+passport

I'll film the whole day and transfer it from my devices to the external HD. It frees up a lot of room on your computer and when your ready to edit the clips, offload it from the HD. 1 TB for $60 is well worth it.

>Or, if studios were smart, they would just release every DVD with a digital copy from here on out, then you get the best of both worlds.

I was surprised that I had to wait this long to see this response.

I like to "own" things as well because the internet is susceptible to outages. Digital downloads ensure that you can still have the movie on a hard drive.

My friends and I all own external HDs with hundreds of movies on them. If you buy a 1TB HD for $98.95 you could fit over 250 HD movies at 4GB per pop. If you were willing to settle for the 700MB versions of films, that's almost 1500 movies on an HD.

That's a lot more portable and space-efficient than a bookshelf full of discs.

Of course, HDs can get corrupted, break, or whatever...but discs are so fragile it's unbelievable. Especially since those cases that they come in nearly crack the inner area of the disc every time you take them out.

If I was buying now I guess I'd do the 2tb seagate barricuda everyone is getting. I installed the one I updated in my og 2 months previously. Which is a 2tb seagate slim external i popped out the shell...I imported 400gb over of my saves to it and have about 750gb left. I do a lot of digital for psvr and sales...fills up fast! But 2tb is pretty decent as there old games I will delete I have on disc and probably won't play much or doesn't have a huge patch.

Only difference over stock on either og or pro I noticed was the times it got powered off unexpected, while not in rest mode.

Having a surge in rest mode haven't had a issue with any drive. But non stock drives I have had them reinstalled OS from ground up after a surge with the OS on completely. Where as the stock I never had an issue if this happened. It may be do to the cache and way the upgraded drives function with extra features and catalogs/caches vs the standard stock drive. It's not really an issue, but I usually keep a current back up every month or so of my entire system with games and patches just in case! Save files are cloud so no biggie...but reinstalling discs with 10gb patches and big digital in a day sucks.

For the cheap I'd say 2tb seagate slim external as they are on sale for 79.99 and have proven to work great for storage and just a hair better than the stock but not much

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Backup-Portable-External-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4

For decent I go with 2tb sshd seagate baricuda cause it's better and the new hotness. I believe it's about $40 or so more.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01M1NHCZT/ref=psdcmw_1254762011_t1_B01IEKG2HM

I just bought this hard drive:

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Expansion-Desktop-External-STEB5000100/dp/B00TKFEEBW/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1493500222&sr=1-6&keywords=external+hard+drive

I normally buy WD stuff but for the same price, this hard drive is 5TB vs 4TB for the WD drive.

Also, keep in mind that formatted space is different than advertised space. Hard drive formatting takes about 10% of the hard drive's space so my 5TB hard drive had 4.5TB of usable space. That WD 4TB would have about 3.6TB of usable space.

And I think you should get as much space as you can afford. I don't even buy many games and my 1TB hard drive filled up with just the free games from Gold.

Yes. It supports up to 3TB USB 3.0 HDD's. (format it in NTFS format). I use a 2TB Seagate Backup Plus, (available at Amazon for $79.95), and it works great. :)

As a side benefit, it includes 200GB of OneDrive storage for 2 years. Just hook up the drive to your computer, (only need to do it once), and use the setup application once. After that's done, you're free to format it and take it over to your iView 3500STBII.

Mac Mini (2018 model), named NOSTROMO

• 3.2 GHz Hexa-Core Core i7 CPU
  
• 32 GB of RAM
  
• 256 GB PCIe boot volume
  
• 2 TB external rotating drive for Time Machine Backups, connected via Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C
  
• Dual 8 TB Western Digital Elements USB 3.0 drives for content, VOL1 and VOL2. VOL1 is replicated to VOL2, both are connected via Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C. These handy adapter cables allow you to connect a traditional USB 3.0 device into a Thunderbolt 3 port.
  
• Single 4 TB SeaGate Plus USB 3.0 drive which contains the majority of my media content, VOL5. It is a "floater" drive which I always carry in my backpack to have the majority of my content with me at all times.
  
• Running Mac OS 10.14.6 Server
  
• Dual 27” Apple Thunderbolt Displays connected to the Mac Mini, daisy-chained off a single Thunderbolt 3 port using a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter.
  
• This Mac Mini is what I use to host all of my iTunes content to the three Apple TVs in my home
  
  
  

  Mac Mini (2010 model), named SPUNKMEYER
  

  
  

• 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo CPU
  
• 16 GB of RAM
  
• 100 GB SSD boot volume
  
• 500 GB traditional drive for Time Machine Backups
  
• Running Mac OS 10.13.6 Server
  
  
  

  MacBook Pro Retina 15” (2015 model), named SULACO
  

  
  

• 2.2 GHz Quad-Core Core i7 CPU
  
• 16 GB of RAM
  
• 256 GB SSD
  
• Running Mac OS 10.14.6 Client
  
• Time Machine Backups are being taken both on the 2018 Mac Mini as well as the 2010 Mac Mini
  
  
  

  Mac Mini (2012 model), named FERRO
  

  
  

• This Mac is located at Mom & Dad’s about 1,000 miles away. It is a complete offsite backup of all of my content, it is also used for Time Machine backups of my mother’s Mac Mini and my niece’s MacBook Pro. I have both Remote Desktop and SSH access via the magic of port forwarding. Whenever I add a new movie, I place it is my Shared Dropbox folder, then about 30 minutes later it is available on the backup Mac Mini. I then move it over to VOL3, and all of my content is always in sync.
  
• 2.5 GHz Dual-Core Core i5 CPU
  
• 16 GB of RAM
  
• 120 GB SSD boot volume
  
• 500 GB traditional drive for Time Machine Backups
  
• Single 8 TB Western Digital Elements USB 3.0 drive for storing and hosting content, VOL3. It is a complete duplicate of VOL1/VOL2.
  
• Running Mac OS 10.14.6 Server
  
  
  

  Mac Mini (2012 model), named AURIGA
  

  
  

• This Mac is located at my sister's house about 1,000 miles away. It is a complete offsite backup of all of my movies and TV shows, it is also used for Time Machine backups of my sister's MacBook Pro and my other niece’s MacBook. I have both Remote Desktop and SSH access via the magic of port forwarding. Whenever I add a new movie, I place it is my Shared Dropbox folder, then about 30 minutes later it is available on the backup Mac Mini. I then move it over to VOL4, and all of my content is always in sync.
  
• 2.5 GHz Dual-Core Core i5 CPU
  
• 16 GB of RAM
  
• 256 GB SSD boot volume
  
• 500 GB traditional drive for Time Machine Backups
  
• Single 4 TB Seagate Backup Plus USB 3.0 drive (VOL4) for storing and hosting content, VOL4. As it is only a 4 TB volumes, it contains only the moves and television shows which are on VOL1, VOL2, and VOL3.
  
• Running Mac OS 10.14.6 Server
  
  
  Both the 2012 Minis and the 2010 Mini are completely headless. Unfortunately, this means that accessing them via remote desktop gives you a measly 800x600 resolution. I use this handy little gadget on both of them to replicate a 1920x1080 display being connected. So, when I connect via Screen Sharing I get a nice big display.
  
  
  

  MacBook Pro (2018 model), named APLC02XV5W1JGH5
  

  
  

• 2.2 GHz Six-Core Intel Core i7 CPU
  
• 16 GB of RAM
  
• 500 GB SSD
  
• Running Mac OS 10.14.5 Client
  
• This is my work-provided laptop, mostly used for remote access. It is pretty locked down, I am not a local administrator so I cannot even rename it to fit my naming scheme
  
  
  

  iPad Pro 10.5", named APONE
  

  
  

• 2.38 GHz Apple A10X CPU
  
• 4 GB of RAM
  
• 256 GB of storage
  
• Running iOS 13.0 Public Beta
  
  
  

  iPhone X, named RIPLEY
  

  
  

• 2.4 GHz Apple A11 Bionic CPU
  
• 3 GB of RAM
  
• 256 GB of storage
  
• Running iOS 12.4
  
  
  LG Blu-Ray reader/writer in connected to NOSTROMO via USB 3.0, used for ripping Blu-Rays and DVDs
  
  Sabrent USB 3.0 Dual-Bay Hard Drive Dock, also connected to NOSTROMO via USB 3.0
  
  The microphone is a Yeti Blue with a Nady Pop Filter, coupled with a Logitech HD C310, used for Google Hangouts and FaceTime calls with the fam, and the occasional podcast. It is mounted on a RODE PSA1 Swivel Mount Studio Microphone Boom Arm and a RADIUS II Microphone Shock Mount.
  
  The mousepad is an XTracPads Ripper XXL mousepad
  
  The chair is a Raynor Ergohuman ME7ERG desk chair
  
  I use Dropbox to expertly keep my content in sync. Due to the amount of content I keep in there, it is well worth the $100 per year for a Dropbox Pro subscription.
  
  
  Additionally throughout the house, I have...
  3 Eeros for my Mesh Wireless Network WiFi System
  2 Apple TVs (4K), named ASH and CALL
  1 Apple TV (4th Generation), named BISHOP
  1 Apple HomePod, named DIETRICH
  1 Nest Hello Video Doorbell, named HELLO
  1 Nest Learning Thermostat, named NEST (yeah, original af, I know)
  2 WyzeCam Pans, named WYZE-Kitchen and WYZE-LivingRoom
  4 WeMo Smart Plugs, named WEMO-Foyer, WEMO-SpareBedroom, WEMO-MasterBedroom, and WEMO-LivingRoom
  1 Amazon Echo Plus, named ECHO-LivingRoom
  2 Amazon Echoes (First-Generation), named ECHO-MasterBedroom and ECHO-Kitchen
  2 Amazon Echo Dots, named DOT-Office, and DOT-SpareBedroom
  4 Google Home Minis
  1 Brother HL-L2395DW Wireless Laser Printer, named LV426
  1 PlayStation 3 Slim 120 GB, named HICKS
  
  I have a total of 31 IP reservations according to my Eero app. This makes it a lot easier to manage my network, set up port forwarding, etc.

I grabbed the SeaGate Expansion Desktop 8TB USB3.0, it’s currently $143. I figured for about $50 more than a 4TB, I could double the size and since I wrongly believed that I’d be able to save all my console games across two platforms on it, I went for it. You’re most definitely right that a 4TB is all you need (at least this generation). I wish I bought 2 of ‘em. They have a 10TB listed now — it’s crazy how much storage has ballooned over the decades, I remember my first computer having kB and mB were a big deal.

It feels like it loads possibly even a little faster than the internal did but that’s probably confirmation bias. I sometimes hear other people’s dialogue before mine (when in party chat), and other times it’s a second or two behind me. And now I just use the internal 1TB of the Pro for all the screenshots and videos. In case you didn’t see it, check out the loading speed video for the PS5 that they’re targeting. Definitely impressive and looks like it’ll be game changing, literally.

Here is some useful information regarding upgrading the PS4 hard drive.

The TLDR: save your money on SSDs and hybrid drives. Stick to a good 5400rpm 2.5" hard drive and get the most capacity you can afford.

Seagate Backup Plus Slim is what I went with in Shadow's and mine's PS4. I was able to find it local for 79.99 so you may find a better deal than the one listed if you shop around. Bonus points if you take the case apart carefully you can reuse the external enclosure with the drive you took out the PS4. I think there was a write up on PS4 sub that walked people through. It is very easy to do.

I survived with an i5 8gb macbook pro :) You'll be okay.


Feel free to DM me as you go along in school. You're entering an incredibly intense, but MASSIVELY rewarding 4-8 years of school :)


HDD is totally fine, springing for an external SSD has diminishing returns. I own like... 4-6 of these: https://www.amazon.ca/Seagate-Backup-Portable-External-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1502821517&sr=1-1&keywords=seagate+2tb

May I suggest you spend more money for a 4 TB drive? Really, it's double the price, but you'd be getting four times the space, and you're really gonna want that extra space given the size of the games and all of the freebies via Games with Gold.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0713WPGLL/

If you're on a strict budget, then $50 for 1 GB is about right. I'd still go WD myself do to trust issues.

i have heard that Western Digital Black 6TB is very good drive which you believe is the best>? from these 2?? i mean what is the difference between these 2?

https://www.amazon.com/Black-6TB-Performance-Hard-Drive/dp/B0792GSD6N

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST8000DM005/dp/B01LOOJBNW

in quality and fast speed? and performance which is better Seagate Barracuda Pro 6TB or Western Digital Black 6TB

which is better in performance, speed and technology like platters and etc ?

baracuda pro or black western 6tB??

My main use will be for to store alot of libraries from new and old games and also mp3 and avi files/./

also i will use this disk for gaming ..


i want the external for backups


because i want to buy one external drive i am in these 2 choices

to buy the https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Desktop-Hard-Drive-WDBWLG0080HBK-NESN/dp/B07D5V2ZXD WD 8TB Elements Desktop Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBWLG0080HBK-NESN

or to buy the https://www.westerndigital.com/products/data-center-drives/ultrastar-dc-hc300-series-hdd 10TB and to buy and one external enclosure? ??

what you advice me to dO???

Give your local Best Buy a call and ask.

Amazon Link:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LQQH86A/

Best Buy Link:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/wd-my-passport-4tb-external-usb-3-0-portable-hard-drive-black/5605533.p?skuId=5605533

>Best Buy is dedicated to always offering the best value to our customers. We will match the price, at the time of purchase, on a Price Match Guarantee product if you find the same item at a lower price at a Designated Major Online Retailer or at a local retail competitor's store.

>Here's how:
> - If you find a qualifying lower price online, call 1-888-BEST BUY and direct a customer service agent to the web site with the lower price, or when visiting a Best Buy store, one of our employees will assist you.
> - On qualifying products, Best Buy will then verify the current price to complete the price match.

> Exclusions apply including, but not limited to, Competitors' service prices, special daily or hourly sales, and items for sale Thanksgiving Day through the Monday after Thanksgiving. See the list of Designated Major Online Retailers and full details.

May I suggest instead looking at 8TB drives? It's become really popular over at /r/datahoarder to buy a 16TB WD My Book Duo and harvest the two 8TB WD Red drives inside them, making them essentially $250 each. WAY cheaper per TB than pretty much anything else, and they are really solid drives.

I'm on a Ps4-Pro, I switched out stock for a 2 tb Seagate.
(Buy the external for $69 usd, open case, put old drive in when done) I get the same load times, maybe micro-seconds slower than yours. Not a big cost, but the space & speed well worth it.
drive --> https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Backup-Portable-External-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4

Guide if needed --> http://www.ign.com/wikis/playstation-4/How_to_Replace_a_PS4_Hard_Drive

Hope it helps someone . . Cheers !!

Sure! I have 6 of these, work 100% perfect, hooked to Wii's 24/7 (quite a few posts around here asking if this one works, others have confirmed as well)

I also have quite a few of these around the house, these are the ones I put on gifted wii's, and they also work perfect! (few posts around here about this one too lol)

Both are sold at walmart and best buy as well, if you don't wanna wait for shipping.

This one is great. WD is a reputable brand and has pretty awesome warranty services.

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Passport-Ultra-Portable-External/dp/B00W8XXRPM/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1451111381&sr=1-2&keywords=wd+1tb

If you want something robust for important work (has built-in RAID):

https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/storage/external/owc-mercury-elite-pro-dual/usb-3.1

If you want something portable but still robust:

https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/owc-mercury-elite-pro-mini/usb-c

If you want something more basic, I like the Seagate Backup Plus or WD My Passport:

https://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Passport-Portable-External/dp/B01LQQHI8I/ref=sr_1_1


https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Portable-External-Photography-STDR2000102/dp/B00FRHTTIU/ref=sr_1_1

I disagree with the other solution. I recommend a WD passport or something similar. You should only pay ~$70 for 1TB. I got one and love it - it's even USB 3 and about as fast as an internal HDD (I think like 5400RPM or something, but it's still very fast)

Well worth the money, and it's very small and light, making it better than a 3.5" with an enclosure IMO.

Edit: Link http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006Y5UV4A?pc_redir=1395426220&robot_redir=1

Not sure if this is American amazon or not...on vacation right now

If you do decide to go external hdd, I'd recommend a My Passport Ultra as that's the one I was using for game storage on my wii u and I never ran into any problems. It did require a usb y-cable though, as just the one usb cable that came included wasn't enough to power it. I bought 1tb since I went mostly digital, but I think there are some 500gig models out there if you don't wanna overdo it with storage space. Otherwise, you can grab a 1tb since they're not too expensive and you can always re-use the hdd for other things in the future. I'll leave a link for a similar model to the one I bought. Enjoy the great catalogue the wii u has to offer and happy gaming.

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Passport-Ultra-Portable-External/dp/B00W8XXRPM

hello, i just ordered a canakit starter pack with the intention of setting up something like this.

i have a few questions about setting it up to do what i want:

• will the pi's usb 2.0 port be able to reliably power this external drive?
  
  i read something about pi's usb ports being able to pull power from both through 1 port, and amazon says the drive is compatible with usb 2.0. but i want to make sure because there doesn't look like there's a seperate power input on the thing.
  
  
• can i use openelec on the pi for the media center functionality, and still be able to access the deluge browser interface remotely 24/7?
  
  ideally, i want to use the pi as a 24/7 seedbox, media center, and network storage all at the same time. is this possible within the hardware limitations of the 3B+? if so, can someone please explain to me the basic steps to take for this, or link me to a good resource?

Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB Portable External Hard Drive with 200GB of Cloud Storage & Mobile Device Backup USB 3.0

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FRHTSK4/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_m.Xvxb1GWNSCJ

It was extremely easy to install. I made it difficult because I wanted to keep the PT demo so I deleted every game but PT and the save files and made a backup, installed the hard drive and installed every game and updates I owned taking all night and half a day to do, then I forgot to restore the backup, causing me to download everything all over again. That was fun

I have about 300GB of free space after it was all said and done.

If it's just sitting on your desk with a webcam on it, that's fine. Heat from gaming is normal, just make sure you're not blocking its ventilation.

Yep, make sure you're using "sleep" and not "shut down." Sleep is actually better for the computer than a full shut down. You can configure it to automatically sleep in System Preferences > Energy Saver.

The Seagate Backup Plus Slim is highly-rated and is said to be reliable. I think the 1 TB version is a great value. Avoid the 4 TB version though; it won't be as reliable.

My go-to easy external storage is portable hard drives. You can get 4 TB ones for about $100 USD. Because they're powered by the USB connection, I find them more handy than the external powered larger ones (I also travel a lot, making portable ones more practical).

I've used mostly WD portable hard drives, and have had good luck with them (however my sample size is small).

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Backup-Portable-External-STDR4000100/dp/B00ZTRXFBA/

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Passport-Portable-External-Drive/dp/B01LQQH86A/

The important thing is to never let a single copy of important data exist. Make sure it exists on two or more places.

WD Passport for a small, self powered drive you can carry around with you. Available from 500GB to 2TB.

WD My Book for a larger, external powered drive if you're mainly going to leave it on your desk and plugged in all the time. 1 to 4TB capacities available.

Toshiba Canvio for a bit more budget conscious but still reliable choice. From 1 to 3TB.

I'm currently using a pair of 1TB Passports that stay in the photo bags and get used for transfers and backups in the field. They get pretty abused and still work great. I'm using a 3TB Toshiba for storage at home and it's also been a great performer.

Buy the largest you can afford. 500GB may sound like a lot, but it really isn't. I don't know the volume of photos you take but I generated 442GB of photos last year. This year, I'm at 582GB and counting.

I was unable to locate system requirements for their 4D Embroidery Software on that page. Might you have a link around?
That aside, 250 max for a traditional laptop without refurbished is something of a challenge, depending on how demanding that software is. I obviously don't know your exact situation, but I would highly recommend a little flexibility in either your budget or your stance on refurbished/used items. I know I for one have never had an issue with Amazon Certified Refurbished products.

The way the market is trending, laptops for under 250 are primarily designed now to be ultraportable speedy little netbooks with low capacity Solid State Drives and no optical bay.

So with that all said, this is pretty much the best I can do to meet your requirements with your max budget.

This computer runs windows and has at least Intel HD Graphics.
https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-Cloudbook-11-AO1-11-6-Inch/dp/B01BTNV7NU/ref=sr_1_74?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1465395249&sr=1-74&keywords=Laptops+under+250+dollars&refinements=p_36%3A-25000

It has no optical drive but you can get an external USB one.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ODDE4JI/ref=twister_B00Q64O4KQ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

And store all your files on a spacious external hard drive, since the 16GB SSD wont hold much more than the operating system. This link directs you to the 2TB drive, simply select 1TB instead right there on the amazon page to be back within your budget.
https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Expansion-Portable-External-STEA2000400/dp/B00TKFEE5S/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1465395520&sr=1-2&keywords=2TB+external+drive

This would seem to meet your needs for under $250, though again, I'd feel better seeing the system requirements for what you want to run.

Not sure what your use case is, but I've had good luck using the 2TB WD Elements for external backups.

Yes, and you can also get emulators for almost every system that came before it.
Atari , NES , SNES , Sega , Gameboys , Turbografx16 , Neo-Geo, you name it.

Its relatively easy.

I recommend this Hard Drive for your Wii and GC games.

Everything else put on a SD card.

It also helps if you find someone that can just basically copy their SD card setup to yours. ;)

Check out the sidebar in this sub for the softmod guide.

Stick to this guide and you will do fine, follow some youtube videos and you will be in here asking for help. Most youtube videos have you install the wrong custom IOS and it causes problems with USB Loaders. Theres a sticky in this sub about it.

Good Luck!!

Oh, that's easy. Hands down, Samsung 850 Evo. 16,000+ reviews on Amazon, 4.8/5. https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E250B-AM/dp/B00OAJ412U

Smaller capacity, but an extremely reliable, extremely fast drive. Unfortunately, I don't have a whole lot of experience with 2.5" enclosures, so I wouldn't know what to recommend for that.

Another option to consider would be just getting a prebuilt 2.5" enclosed drive, like a WD MyPassport: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Passport-Portable-External-Drive/dp/B01LQQHI8I/

It's a 5400rpm drive, but it's ready to use out the box.

Ok thanks a lot for your answers !

I went for a Samsung Evo+ + WD HDD (I heard that WD HDD are quite good) + some usb hub

Just to be sure, this sould look like this right ? (never used an USB hub before yeah..)

BTW you don't want to use WD. Use Seagate backup slim plus 2tb here in US they are priced at $69.99

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FRHTSK4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479998488&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=seagate+2tb

Yes the Seagate backup slim plus is an external hdd. You can take it out of the external casing an works and fit perfectly on the ps4. It's cheaper then just buying the hard drive separate as well.

That does change it a bit.

The older Razer Blade Stealth is also available as a refurb unit for 1400 CAD for the QHD 256GB and 1900 CAD for the UHD 512GB but I don't think they're worth it since they only have 8GB of RAM.

16GB of RAM vs 8GB is a pretty big one IMO. I've just opened a very small project with BFD3 to check it out and it brought be up to 10.5GB usage, if you plan on using anything similar or Kontakt libraries now or in the future you should really care for this.

The CPU on the Blade is a bit faster and more power efficient. But this is negligible.

The storage is up to you. I think you'll end up with an external HDD anyway with both and they're really cheap. There's no reason to pay for an SSD if you plan on using it for storage, especially not those expensive NVMe SSDs you're paying for in these laptops.

There's also this Asus ZenBook coming in at 1500 CAD which has a higher resolution display than the Macbook, has an i7 6500U, 12GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.

The Razer is pretty much the Macbook of the PC world.

I'm looking for a decently priced 2TBish external HDD exclusively for backup. I'm running exclusively SSDs in my computer, which is fine. I should have a few more years in them but I want to have everything backed up.

​

Would appreciate any help, I keep getting mixed reports on amazon.

​

This one looks good with 3300 reviews at 4.5 stars, but at a glance I see a guy saying that it doesn't work with windows backup: https://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Elements-Portable-External/dp/B06W55K9N6/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

When it comes to console storage, hybrid drives are a waste of money, sometimes performing even slower than the stock drive. The solid-state section of the drive is simply too small to be used effectively as a cache, and the OS isn't set up to handle it like that.

You can pick up a 2.5-inch external drive for $86, pop the enclosure open, and pull the drive out. Although it's a 5400RPM, the sheer areal density makes it effectively much faster than its spec implies.

Newegg and Best Buy also carry that drive, currently for $90. It's relatively easy to pop out, because the enclosure is held together with adhesive instead of plastic clips. There are several Youtube videos that will give you some visual aid.

Be aware that removing the drive from the enclosure will void its warranty (but upgrading the PS4's storage will not void the PS4's warranty).

Edit: It's probably worth spending $8 more to get the bare drive, since its warranty will remain intact.

Yeah that always does help although the pricing may seem expensive the more space you want and since the Surface is $1,000 it might be a good investment to get either an external hard drive like one of these examples below.

2TB Toshiba HDTB420XK3AA Canvio Basics 2TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079D3D8NR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nT0jDb7N8CP62

3TB Toshiba Canvio Connect II 3TB Portable Hard Drive, Red (HDTC830XR3C1) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SY4LEYA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wS0jDbXZ8QMGN

4TB Western Digital 4TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBU6Y0040BBK-WESN https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713WPGLL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BR0jDb8C2EGC3

5TB Seagate Backup Plus Portable 5TB External Hard Drive HDD - Red USB 3.0 for PC Laptop and Mac, 2 Months Adobe CC Photography (STDR5000103) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LWRN7Y1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_fQ0jDb0AVRPSK

You can also find other external HDD at stores like Best Buy, Staples, Amazon, and any local electronic store wherever you live.

I got my 4TB WD My Book for $99 bucks last year on Amazon. I looked it up to see if it was comparable still, it is: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LQQHL4E/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497635683&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=wd+my+book+4tb&dpPl=1&dpID=31BjN66m%2BrL&ref=plSrch.

I use it for my Xbox One, works great. I think it only took like 5 mins to format, then I was ready to go. 4TB is overkill for me, I don't think I've even used 500gb. I couldn't resist getting it though since I can use it for a pc too.

Yes, at a minimum. You can get a 1TB USB3.0 external for about $60 and they are very fast, great for backups (mine). But you also want some "offsite" backups, like Google Drive, Dropbox, or another online/cloud based backup service (I use SOS Online Backup for about $5/month and unlimited space). This way if there is a fire or electrical hazard and all your gear (including backup drives) fail, you will still have the offsite data available. If you don't want to pay for cloud backup, just put the really important stuff on Google Drive (resumes, tax documents, maybe important photos.. anything you can't live without).

As for a fresh install, it's usually worth it. Like everyone, you have probably accumulated a lot of programs you don't need/use anymore, so if you get an external HD to copy your files, you can install Windows on the SSD, copy your files back, install necessary programs, and you're good to go. This will result in a faster and less buggy computer in the long run than trying to clone your current HD.

May I suggest the system below (NAS v3.0) or search eBay for Dell R710 or T710 (R=rackmount, T=tower). Much more powerful and less $$. Also, look into WD EasyStore 8TB @ $140 Amazon or BestBuy; easy to shuck. Look into FreeNAS and Docker for all the apps you want/need to use (www.DockSTARTer.com). The build that follows is to give you a great idea; maybe a different case for more storage, or larger PSU as you want multiple HDDs

​

Core-Build (dual CPU) (no storage, no frills)

• Dual Xeon L5630 $4.00 x 2 = $8.00
  
• Intel S5500BC $35.00 after OBO
  
• 2x4GB = 8GB $20.00
  
• Antec Three Hundred Two $62.00
  
• Cooler Master MWE 500W PSU $30.00
  
• Arctic Freezer 12 $20.00 X 2 = $40.00
  
  Total $195.00

Ha, you do the same thing I do... I have an active external backup and another that I manually back up from time to time but leave off to [hopefully] extend its life.

I'm wary of recommending a brand for hard drives. No matter what anyone says, someone else will chip in with how horrible of a experience they had that one time.

To be safe, you could get two different brands of the same "type" of hard drive and hope that if one dies, you can "expect" the other to tide you over until you get a replacement. I usually just get two of the same make and model though... usually a nice, fat, slow "archive" drive that should last me a long time.

If it helps you at all, I got two Seagate Expansion 8TB Desktop External Hard Drives (STEB8000100 last year... hopefully it treats me well. They should be archive-type drives but I don't think I ever opened them to shuck... I just used the enclosure it came with. It's only been a year and a half, so I can't praise its longevity.

Well, the other popular place is for people with edu accounts, you can get 8TB Red for $198 as many as you want from the WD EDU store.

Otherwise, you can get as many 2-bay WD MyBook:
https://www.amazon.com/16TB-Desktop-External-Drive-WDBLWE0160JCH-NESN/dp/B01B6BN1CU

It's not really "shucking" it so much as it's designed to be opened and the disks are designed to be swapped out and carry their own individual warranties. So it's $250 per HDD that way.

I picked one of these up to shuck them, sadly I am unable to buy more right now as I have 8 x 3TB Reds to replace, and doing all of them all at once would cost a bit too much with an impending house move.

I note that the 8TB one here is also shuckable, but reports are that they would most likely be white drives. Are there any other external drives that have a good chance/are definitely WD Reds beyond the My Book Duo?

When you save a new project, there are options at the bottom left on the dialog box to 𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 and 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮, which results in the project structure you are looking for.

Next: (I haven't tried this, but it should work) - if you want to save an old project, load it up and save with the above settings. It should move all the necessary files into one subdirectory.

Be careful if you re-use files in multiple projects i.e. loops, because you could end up with missing files in your other project folders. In that case, use the 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 option.

Next, (if you're on Windows), install 7 Zip and use it at its maximum setting to compress the entire project directory to one file. I did a quick test and got about 15% space savings (YMMV).

And start saving for an external hard drive. Don't get the smallest one - save a little more and get a medium sized one.

Just over £10 per TB is great!

​

The best price on Disk Prices is currently over £18, up from £15 from the last few weeks as prices go back to "normal" before the sales. If the codes would have worked for other drives the this non-SMR WD drive might have been better value.

Great response. One thing to note is you're going to want to get more storage. USB 3.0 External HDD's are pretty cheap these days. 256gb will run your Logic fine but you will want to store all your audio data on an external since it will fill fast.

4TB for $99 Western Digital My Passport 4TB

Good luck!

I agree with what most others have said. But I would like to add a side note. Currently amazon has the 500gb GOW Bundle for about $310. So realistically you could save $90, put that in to a 2TB External HDD for $80 and you'll still end up saving $10 and have 3x the storage space. If you don't feel like waiting for Amazon Best Buy and Target will price match.

Depends what you want to do and what actually needs to be backed up.

If you want, you can just buy a few USB thumb drives and occasionally copy a lot of your personal files to the individual drives. If you do that, you want to copy stuff off to them weekly or nightly depending on what you want protected and how nervous you are.

If you want to be a bit more prepared, you can buy an external Hard drive that has a lot of storage on it. For example, a WD passport drive like this one with 4 TB of storage. That just backup the contents of your system to it occasionally.

As with everything, you can spend more to get more capacity on things too.

Of you want more storage that more reliable long term, Western Dig also makes things like WD 20TB My Book Duo Desktop RAID External Hard Drive. Which is a higher price point, but that's going to have more storage capacity and if you configure it be RAID-5 or RAID-1 rather than RAID-0 (don't get into the alternatives for home use.... and that will offer greater levels of protection for your data.

I just use the West Dig products here as examples. There are lot so competition in that product space. Be it Seagate or other players. Both Western Dig and Seagate have been around for a while so I tend to trust them more than the newer companies. But that's at least in part me being old and having seen their company names around for decades now.

Myself, at home i have a half dozen thumb drives and just copy stuff to them on occasion. I used to be a guy with 4-6 computer systems all the time, with a home network that was large. Now I have one laptop and just use that. I have friends and co-workers who get very anal about things and go a tad insane.

So, a lot of thing depends on your personal situation and how paranoid you want to be about your data.

Now that you mention it, I'd be curious too. I'll tally it up and get back to you all.

Edit: here it is!


Thing |Price | Quantity
---|---|----
Belkin Power Strip | 30 | 1
Raspberry Pi 3 B+ | 38.30 | 2
Miuzei Raspberry Pi Cooling Case Kit | 25.99 | 2
Netgear 8 Port Gigabit Switch | 17.99 | 1
WD 2 TB External Hard Drive | 59.99 | 4
KingDian 8GB SSD | 10 | 1
Mitac PD12TI CC Mini-ITX Motherboard w/ Intel Atom D2500 CPU | 149.99 | 1
Mini-Box picoPSU-80 80w 12v PSU | 28.95 | 1
Sabrent 12v AC power supply | 10.98 | 1


Total: $616.45

I was doing pretty good until I got to the damn WD hard drives. I suspect I paid way too much for how good they are. Probably could have saved some money by making an enclosure and using real hard drives or something

I used this guide:

http://www.thinkboxly.com/2016/07/how-to-upgrade-ps4-hard-drive-tutorial.html?m=1

A user, u/LukeLC , posted here a couple weeks back. The one in the side bar is just as good but perhaps you'll like his better. In it he recommends types of hard drives. I chose this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FRHTSK4/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_1?colid=3BXBF9ML03NYN&coliid=I2EOA3ZJ1A8AN0&vs=1

Though I bought it at Walmart for the same price as Amazon had it for. You can buy a solid state (ssd) but the biggest ssd you can use in the PS4 is 1TB and it's a bit expensive. And your only return on that extra investment is some games will load about 15-25 seconds faster. So imo it's not worth the extra money and less than maximum possible storage space. If you google it you can find forums that discuss the pros and cons of hdd and ssd in the PS4.

If you have more questions just message me. I don't mind. Once you get it all set up you'll wonder why you were ever so intimidated by it. Don't worry.

If you don't have an external hard drive to put your stuff on, buy one of these. They're super convenient - small, powered by USB, large space, relatively cheap, and have good reviews.

This could be a good backer upper for Windows. Time machine is probably best for OSX, and Linux users probably know what to do.

I have a Segate 2TB Slim that I love.

Super small and works great!

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Backup-Portable-External-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4

WD 8TB Elements Desktop Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBWLG0080HBK-NESN https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D5V2ZXD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UpsTBbXTE0CD3

Something like this to start? Or any of these external type hdds? Use that for the time being while I save for a synology+drives then use that while I save for a server?

If you're using it for storage and not editing, you probably won't notice a difference between an SSD and HDD, and you'll probably be better off with just a mechanical drive to save large amounts of data. I would recommend getting a USB 3 external hard drive to maximize compatibility. The 8TB Seagate version is actually a really good deal right now, at less than $0.02/GB.

Now if you want to edit DIRECTLY from the external drive, you're better off with an external SSD like this. You'll pay a lot more for that performance, at more like $0.35/GB, so give some thought to how you'll be using it.

Everyone has their opinions about what hard drive lasts the longest and is the best quality, but honestly they're all very similar these days. The fact of the matter is any drive from any company can fail at any time, and you need to have backups to protect against that.

Alright thanks. Nah, the Seagate was an 8TB with 16MB of cache. At least that's what a reviewer said. I have all WD drives. The 500GB is an old WD that I used for my first Plex drive.

I've had two toshiba externals for about 2 years and recently picked up two seagate externals (all 2.5" ranging from 1TB to 4TB).

I haven't seen/experienced any issues with them. My one seagate 4TB acts as my photo dump drive when I travel. I've treated it pretty rough since I take it while camping and backpacking.

As far as software goes, check out Qiling. This will allow you to configure your backups however you want. You can do specific folders or entire images.

I don't use much in terms of backup software. I just have batch files setup in Task Scheduler to run and do file backups for me. I don't worry about images since I can rebuild my system fairly quickly.

I'd recommend running a 3-2-1 system if you really want to be good with backups. 3 total backups, 2 on-site, 1 off-site (in-case of fire, flood, burglary, etc). Backblaze is a great online solution.

Yeah this is the one I upgraded with except I got it thanks with Amazon herehttp://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Portable-External-Storage-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1454216727&sr=8-4&keywords=2tb+harddrive personally its a good 2tb works flawlessly ,easy to upgrade though I bought the red one for 70 something so this is a sale considering what u are getting..I would say anyone that wants a upgrade do it now considering all the games coming out, got so many downloaded games on mines, and I'm not even half way full lol...for real its worth it.

I know it’s nothing special, but this is my macsetup! I work primarily on video editing projects, some Photoshopping, with some Wordpress website building sprinkled in there. But this setup is used mostly for generic browsing, YouTube/Netflix, and Plex server hosting.


So this is my setup that I’ve built over the course of 4 years.

• Monitor - ASUS Designo MX279H 27”
  
• Wallpapers - Reddit user u/aenami
  
• Computer - Apple 13” Retina MacBook Pro (Late 2013), 4GB RAM, 128 GB SSD
  
• Computer Stand - twelvesouth HiRise for MacBook
  
• Desk mat - PRÖJS from IKEA
  
• Keyboard - Apple Magic Keyboard (AA battery version)
  
• Mouse - Logitech MX Master Wireless Mouse
  
• Tablet - Apple iPad Air 2, 64 GB, Gold
  
• Tablet Stand - Griffin A-Frame
  
• Phone - Apple iPhone 6, 64 GB, Space Grey
  
• Phone Stand - Twelve South HiRise for iPhone/iPad
  
• Speakers - M-Audio AV32
  
• Headphones - Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
  
• USB Power Hub - Not sure exactly what brand it is, but it’s similar to this one.
  
• USB Data Hub - Anker USB 3.0 7-Port Hub
  
• WD easystore 8TB (Not pictured)
  
• 2x - Western Digital 4TB My Book
  
• 2x - Western Digital 2TB My Passport
  Hard Drive Toaster - StarTech.com HDD Docking Station
  
• UPS - APC Back-UPS Pro 1500VA UPS (Not pictured)
  
  
  Little sumo man was a gift from a friend. Custom R2-series astromech droid was purchased a trip to Disney Paris. And I name my external hard drives after characters in movies and TV shows that I enjoy.
  
  
  Let me know if you have any questions!

It’s plug and play, here’s a link to the product off of amazon: WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBU6Y0020BBK-WESN https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06W55K9N6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8Mi0Bb0X508S6
Actually 64 Usd which is pretty good since I got mine for 80

> what if it's a game like gta V? isn't that gonna take like a fucking day to download the whole thing on someone's xbox instead of just popping in the disc and downloading the updates?

Yeah big games take a long time to download. MCC and Halo 5 are around 70 GB each.

> I mean to ask, is it SHORTER to use the physical disc vs digital copies on someone else's box??

If you put the disc in the console it will INSTALL from the disc and DOWNLOAD any updates needed. So if GTA was 40GB disc and 30GB download, then all you would download is the 30GB (still takes a while).

> ALSO, that is dope about the HDD!! So any digital copy of a game i can store onto an hdd and IT IS BASICALLY FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES A PHYSICAL DISC COPY?!?!?!?!?!?

A game always needs a KEY to play. A digital copy key is your account. A physical copy key is your disc. If you have the game on the HDD you either need the disc inserted in the console or your account has to be signed in. The HDD has to be more than 256GB and USB 3.0. I personally have a 1TB hard drive and I still have not filled it up. This might work good for you.

I’m a big fan of western digital externals, but last year they had a great deal on Seagate’s 8 TB external for $190. I would strongly recommend that if you can shell out the cash. I’ve got 250 games installed and it’s not even half way filled.

I got this drive - 4TB Seagate Slim

It's a tight fit, but if you don't use the cover, it will work. I have a bunch of digital games (since I game share with my brother), but 5TB total is quite nice :)

Edit: I bought the external and I took the drive out of the case.

Hey,

For a good built laptop with decent specs, how about the Acer Swift 3? It has:

• i5-8250U 4-core processor
  
  
• 8 GB of RAM
  
  
• 256 GB SSD storage
  
  
• MX150 2 GB graphics card
  
  
• 1080p 14" display
  
  
• Weight of 3.8lbs and battery life up to 10 hours
  
  This laptop runs Windows 10 Home. The laptop doesn't have an HDD included, so you can use an external one for storing photos like this 1 TB external HDD. The MX150 graphics card should be excellent for casual games. It will be strong enough and light enough for travelling.

Depends on what you're after. If you just need storage and aren't concerned with loading times, go with a hdd. If you want super fast loading times, go with ssd. I personally got this one and it works great for me. And it's USB 3.0 so it's technically a little faster than the internal hard drive. But some people want shorter loading times, so they shell out the cash for a ssd, but the price for the capacity was just too high for me. Plus it has the added bonus of being plug and play, so it's easy to transport if I wanna bring games to a friend's house.

Right, OP is saying that an external SSD (or an internal one, like the one in the Elite console) will speed up the load times in-game.

I don't have any recommendations, but you'll pay a significant price premium (for the amount of space you get) if you go with an external SSD... I just used a regular 2TB external hard drive on my console (something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Portable-External-Drive-WDBU6Y0020BBK-EESN/dp/B00D0L5BH8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483652928&sr=8-1&keywords=wd+2tb), and it works really well for game storage, and things load pretty quickly as well-- Battlefield 1 aside :)

I just had mine delivered with the free prime shipping!



Delivered today
Western Digital 4TB Black My Passport Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBYFT0040BBK-WESN
Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc
Return eligible through Jun 19, 2019
$54.99

​

​

Now, patiently hoping that these 2 orders get delivered :-)

​

2 of WD 10TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 - WDBBGB0100HBK-NESN

Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc

$79.99



WD 8TB My Cloud EX2 Ultra Network Attached Storage - NAS - WDBVBZ0080JCH-NESN

Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc

$179.99

Every HD on the planet will die eventually. Not a matter of if but when.

I like the WD My Passports.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LQQH86A

4TB for a bill is a great deal. USB 3.0-pwered, small. No AC adapter needed.

This is the external hard drive I use. It works fine. Haven't had any issues. Is going for $54 on Amazon right now. WD 1TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBUZG0010BBK-WESN https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CRZ2PRM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_DYzZzb2N8TG8Z

Destiny 2 is really popular and very fun.

Are you with WD? If so, that's really cool that you replied to this. I'm impressed.

Well let me go through these questions one by one:

1. This is the one I have: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006Y5UV4A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
   
2. I've only ever used it on Windows. I've been able to access it on Linux before, but that's not really important. I've used it on Windows.
   
3. I reformatted it to FAT32 because I read that OSX can read and write that format.
   
4. It's not password protected.
   
5. It's never worked on my Mac; I just got this Macbook Pro yesterday so I'm trying to get it to show up here.
   
6. Nothing notable happened prior to the issue. Windows still detects it fine, just not my Mac.
   
7. I've tried both USB ports on the Macbook in question.
   
8. It's all backed up, so we can try whatever suggestions you have.
   
9. Here is a screenshot of the OS X Disk Utility. The WD Passport in question is plugged in and lit up when this was taken.

If you are going to do a lot of gaming on the machine then I say go for the SSD, just make sure to remove games from it when you are done with them and not leave them on it. I find that SSDs are easier to fill up than hard drives not just due to the small amount of storage but because I want everything to run faster. As long as you are careful you should be fine. I would recommend a 1TB external hard drive to keep your games on when you aren't using them so you don't have to download them all over again. You can get some really nice WesternDigital ones for about £60/$90.

Edit: I recomend a WD Passport

Upgrade. You can find good 2TB that are faster than the stock for $80 by buying an external Samsung or Seagate or the like and taking out the HDD from the inside.

This is a very popular one: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FRHTTJE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Been using it a while now. Worked perfectly for me.

A good external HD isn't too hard to find. WD is the best, followed by Seagate imho. This is usually about $50

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Passport-Ultra-Portable-External/dp/B00W8XXRPM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1480521212&sr=8-2&keywords=wd+passport

I use this.

Only have been using it for a couple months, but haven't had any issues arise! (Also, consider backing up your drives, I've heard lots of nightmare stories about people's drives failing.)

I record mostly from Amazon Prime, but have recorded from most of the other channels that come with Spectrum or are otherwise free. I record at the default quality which is 1280x720 at 29.97 FPS.

Not sure how legal the following is, but I also recommend looking into youtube-dl, which supports the following sites.

WD has two flavors of external drive, their "Desktop" series which is large drives that weight over 1kg and their "portable" variety which is laptop drives in cases which are a few hundred grams.

The Elements series is their basebones "drive-encased-in-plastic" model, it has very little else, no software preloaded on it.

The Passport series is slightly more fleshed out, it has backup software built in and security features to protect it from theft or something like that.

Oddly, I'm seeing the passport series of the portable drives selling for less on amazon than the elements are, I'd recommend one of the mypassport series

Wanting to go "digital" and am converting my VHS tapes so I will need a storage device. I will also be putting my DVR shows and recordings of gameplay on the drive. Should I get a harddrive with an enclosure or an external harddrive if I plan on accessing the files somewhat frequently? I'm guessing I need at least 2GB but more would be best, as long as it is reliable and can be left on for easy access.

Wanting to go "digital" and am converting my VHS tapes so I will need a storage device. I will also be putting my DVR shows and recordings of gameplay on the drive. Should I get a harddrive with an enclosure or an external harddrive if I plan on accessing the files somewhat frequently? I'm guessing I need at least 2GB but more would be best, as long as it is reliable and can be left on for easy access.

Ended up researching into a bag and eventually found one I think will work well.

I will link to everything I've found on amazon. I have found others on our distributors website. Hopefully this will help others put together something as well!

Bag

SATA Adapter

Toolkit

Toner/Fox and Hound

Small LED Flashlight

Velcro Wire Ties - Zip ties are awful

Network Kit

External HDD

Analog Phone - For testing Fax Lines mainly

There's more, such as cables and things, but everyone should be OK with figuring that out for yourselves. Total the kit (with cables and stuff included) is only about $370.91 per technician.

Hope this helps someone!

So basically, Seagate Expansion, Seagate Backup Plus, or Samsung Seagate Momentus SpinPoint are all solid options?

If I got the Seagate expansion would it be the same drive as the Samsung -- I would just have to pop it out of the case?

Thanks for your help! This is an awesome answer, and it's one of the first times I have searched and actually found what I was looking for on the first thread.

Here's a like to the 8TB because it's on sale right now: WD 8TB. If you look around you might find a 10TB. If you have some time, someone usually posts deals on these types of drives to the subreddit.

Also Best Buy has a brand that usually goes on sale. Hope that helps!

Just wanted to add that many Seagate enclosures have SMR drives inside. These have poor write performance and so many people prefer the WD Easystores which have WD Red equivalents that do not use SMR. If your use case is write-once read-many SMR drives will be just fine and can often be found for pretty cheap in Seagate external enclosures. Amazon has the 8TB model right now for $146.99.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shingled_magnetic_recording

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Expansion-Desktop-External-STEB8000100/dp/B01HAPGEIE/

Is it a "Late 2012" model with 4 USB 3 ports?

Here's what I'm doing with a similar Mac mini...

I have 8 * 8TB Drives. 4 are live and 4 are used as cloned backups. This supports my 32TB library. I just keep adding in pairs, and I'm about to add 2 more.

Just add USB hubs if you need more ports. This is what I'm using. There are other hubs with more ports, but this meets my needs.

I then connect these drives in pairs. I currently have 8 of them in use. I have 1 in standby in case one of the others ever fails, I can bring it into use. I travel a lot, so being able to do that remotely is nice.

I run Carbon Copy Cloner to clone the drives instead of Time Machine. This allows me to schedule exactly when I want them cloning or I can manually click a button to clone on demand if I've just updated the library. It will send email alerts and notifications if there's a problem, and it will optionally mount/unmount the cloned drive (as well as other actions/scripts).

Really this is all a super easy way to go without any network issues you may encounter with a NAS.

There are some downsides as ultimately NAS/RAID can be less expensive and certainly less cluttered. My whole set up is in a giant server cabinet which houses a bunch of other equipment in for our home theater and the rest of the house, so that's not an issue.

I have mine full, but my connection is pretty good, so I can delete and download all the time. I have this https://www.amazon.com.mx/Seagate-portátil-respaldo-dispositivos-plateado/dp/B00FRHTTIA/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?crid=1XIVGQ8OOL900&keywords=seagate+2tb&qid=1556657225&s=gateway&sprefix=seagate+&sr=8-5

You need to open the case and youll have the internal HDD ready

If you decide to go with 2x 8TB you could get a WD My Book Duo which you can strip the drives from (has 2x 8tb wd red NAS drives) and save some money over 4x 4tb drives.

https://www.amazon.com/16TB-Desktop-External-Drive-WDBLWE0160JCH-NESN/dp/B01B6BN1CU - $499 for 16tb (2x8tb) vs $548.20 for 4x 4tb

Since we're talking aesthetics, I like the My Passport drives better than both of these: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Passport-Portable-External-Drive/dp/B01LQQH86A

It's on sale apparently (I think it's just going to be this reduced price from now on) which brings the 2 tb to the same price.

I've had one on these for ages and it's small, nice, really fast, and looks great sitting on the desk.

I'm fairly certain that they will not be Reds, but worth a shot I suppose. Even with $100 off, $110 isn't that great of a price though - but if you're on a budget to start it's an understandable position.

8TB Elements (Red/White) is $205 on Amazon, and 8TB MyBook (Red/White) is $210 on Amazon and Best Buy. Still cheaper $/GB, but not a very good deal right now. Some other options would be Amazon Warehouse deals (if you're feeling risky), as they have the 8TB Elements on for $183. Or if you're close to the border, bestbuy.com has the 8TB EasyStore on for $140USD (~$186CAD).

Is this a genuine question? Because your link looks like an affiliate link (there's a partner code in the URL) plus https://www.amazon.com/Avolusion-HDDGear-6000GB-External-Pre-Formatted/dp/B074Q994C4 Amazon has it cheaper.

I doubt there's any decent drive in there. The same price, or less, can get you 8TB WD or Segates. Like: https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Expansion-Desktop-External-STEB8000100/dp/B01HAPGEIE for $129 & https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Desktop-Hard-Drive-WDBWLG0080HBK-NESN/dp/B07D5V2ZXD for $149 if we go by your link price.

Unless they're running HGST drives or something, which is super unlikely, it's not worth shucking.

You could use a third party driver for Windows 10 to copy files from the Mac External drives to an inexpensive 4tb external formatted for NTFS.
Here’s a link explaining that portion below.

https://www.howtogeek.com/252111/how-to-read-a-mac-formatted-drive-on-a-windows-pc/amp/

Link for affordable 4tb external drive.

WD 4TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBU6Y0040BBK-WESN https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713WPGLL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_hxFCCbT3X45TE


Then once you have one of your Mac Drives empty format it for NTFS and copy data from other Mac Drives to newly formatted NTFS drive.

Rinse and Repeat until all Data is on Windows NTFS formatted drives.

This solution option will only cost you 99.00 for new external drive and cost of Windows Laptop.

You should still be well in the Black on cost vs. a new MacBook Pro.

Hope this helps.

If you have the OG PS4, I had the Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0. Usually it's around $60-70. Just pop it out of the external enclosure if you want it internal on PS4 (faster speed,cleaner, frees up a USB port) or connect via USB for external (slower, bit messy and uses a USB port).

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Backup-Portable-External-STDR2000103/dp/B00FRHTSK4

Before I sold my OG PS4 I took mine out, reformatted and I use it for my Xbox One S.

I now have the WD - My Passport 3TB External USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive for the PS4 Pro. Got it for around $80 when it was on sale and had Best Buy rewards. So 4TB total including the 1TB on the Pro. Lots of space for 2D and PSVR games!

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/wd-my-passport-3tb-external-usb-3-0-portable-hard-drive-black/5605508.p?skuId=5605508

Where do you see that?

8 TB Easy Store $199.00

8 Tb WD Red (which is in the easy store) $288.00

Also, the Seagate 8TB externals (which generally carry the Archive drives) are the same way. Over $200 for the bare drive and $170 External.

I bought the WD digital at $94.
I must admit though that the 2TB is the better sweet spot for price/space, since 4 is overkill.

Here's the model: https://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Passport-Drive-USB-3-0-WDBYFT0040BBK-WESN/dp/B01LQQH86A

Also, I could probably have went with a cheaper brand, since reliability isn't so important for this use case.

yeah. 4K is crazy on file sizes. Get a 4TB travel drive for like $110. That'll hold everything you need for at least a year. I find the Seagate 4TB USB 3.0 to be the best value and performance. Plus the Red is pretty.

10TB for $169 was a pretty decent price (the sale from a few days ago you were probably thinking of). But Amazon has 8TB for $139 on a regular basis, basically has been at that price all year. $17.50 a gigabyte, and according to reports the internal drives are largely white label and pretty good quality.

https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Desktop-Hard-Drive-WDBWLG0080HBK-NESN/dp/B07D5V2ZXD/

Not bad to strip out the drives and put in a home build, if you need / want that much space.

>It's never been that great of a computer, even when it was brand new.

Well there's your problem.

Still though, no PC should be unusable. Considering its not a desktop and you can't stick another internal inside to straight up clone and boot from, your best bet is to just copy what you want to save then reinstall.

This is a pretty good deal.

> They said someone was remotley controlling it and looking into whatever files mom had stored.

How would they know that? That's very serious.

One bit of advice: Install Linux for them. Seriously, it is worth it. There is no way to get a Windows PC safe if one of the user is incapable of using a PC. There are almost no attacks targeting Linux, and you do not need much skill to configure it. It is very easy to install Ubuntu, at least as easy as installing Windows.

> Also can i use one copy of win 10 if i decide to do 2 builds?

No. Not if both are active.

For the build:

pc-kombo shared list

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Pentium G4600 | $86.99 @ Amazon.com
Motherboard | ASRock H270M-ITX/ac | $99.99 @ Amazon.com
Memory | Crucial Ballistix Sport LT red DDR4-2666 CL16 (8 GB) | $64.99 @ Amazon.com
SSD | SanDisk Plus 240GB TLC (240 GB) | $84.00 @ Amazon.com
Case | Fractal Design Define Nano S Mini-ITX Gehäuse - black | $49.99 @ newegg
Power Supply | EVGA 430 W1 (430 W) | $36.38 @ Amazon.com
| Total | $422.34
| Generated by pc-kombo 11.09.2017 |

The USB ports are on the top, not the front, hope that's okay. The build has a fast dual core processor and will use its integrated graphics, for the usage you described it will be more than fine. 250GB SSD for storage. Otherwise that is a nice small build that has Wifi.

You can add any external drive you want, like https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Portable-External-Drive-WDBUZG0010BBK-WESN/dp/B00CRZ2PRM/.

I'd get a keyboard and mouse set, like https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Wired-Keyboard-Mouse-Bundle/dp/B00B7GV802/. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009513 would work as display.

Overall that is closer to $600 than $400, but you get modern and fast components for that.

It will depend on what your actual goal is with storage but this isn't that great of a price per GB.

https://diskprices.com/?locale=ca

Amazon has been selling this 8TB drive for $200 for months. Yeah you need to shuck it but dollar, power, space and setup wise it's easier.

In your position I might consider a WD Duo 12-16TB, if it's in budget (B&H has it $50 cheaper than Amazon for the 16TB). It's a USB 3.0 dual-disk enclosure containing two WD Reds. Then I would configure it in RAID-1 giving 6-8TB of usable space with redundancy. The disks can be easily removed from the enclosure and used as internal disks later if you decide to go that direction. One caveat, though: The enclosure encrypts the data on the disks and it cannot be disabled, so if the enclosure dies you have to jump through some hoops to regain access to your data.

I'm running a Silverstone DS380 mini-ITX which has 8 3.5" bays if that helps at all. I stream using Serviio (similar to Plex) with very few issues, but my TV has good codec support so I do very little transcoding. The little C2750 Avoton struggles if it needs to transcode.

> WD EDU store

You said it yourself :)

> 2-bay WD MyBook: https://www.amazon.com/16TB-Desktop-External-Drive-WDBLWE0160JCH-NESN/dp/B01B6BN1CU

250$ a piece by taking mybook, which isn't too bad, but still more expensive than seagates (~215-235$ a piece for similarly targeted drives)

I actually bought from jet.com one of those (wanted 2) to get some cheap WD Reds so i can have my own data as well during black friday.

I was worried they have firmware changes like Seagate does to ruin performance when used internally. Shucked 5TB Seagates are extremely inconsistent when used internally.

Yeah, that would be awesome. I have a Seagate Expansion (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TKFEE5S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) connected to mine but I'd want the USB hub compartment too - I would definitely buy the hub for that.

I really like this - such a great idea.

I got this one, for my Pro:
https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Portable-External-Drive-WDBU6Y0020BBK-WESN/dp/B06W55K9N6/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8

2TB, I paid $60 at Newegg. It's a laptop-size drive, like the internal one in the PS4. That makes it a little slower than a desktop-size drive. But I haven't noticed things seeming slower when running off the external drive.

But it's USB powered. I liked that, since it helped ensure that it wouldn't just keep running needlessly when the PS4 was in Rest mode.

The desktop-size external drives with their own power supplies might also spin down when in Rest mode, I'm not sure.

My internal drive is 1TB. I filled that surprisingly quickly. But I figured that adding an additional 2TB would give me plenty of room for games. So I saved a bit on price by skipping the 3TB or 4TB.

This is the hard drive I got:

Seagate Expansion 8TB Desktop External Hard Drive USB 3.0 (STEB8000100) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HAPGEIE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_-CoKAbD750BVG

I've used it for about 3 months now, and it's awesome. I've filled up a terabyte, and still have loads of space left. It is a disk (not solid state), and as such you can hear it spinning when it's really quiet. The price is unbeatable though.

I got it, plugged it in to the wall and the Xbox and away I went. It was super easy to set up.

You could link to a SoundCloud, or put the sound file on a shared DropBox or Google Drive link.

Backblaze is pretty good for backups, but I always prefer local backups (like an external USB drive). You can get a Western Digital Elements USB3.0 2TB drive for about $80, which is a steal for that much space, plus it's small and portable.

Either way, backing up gigabytes of data is going to cost you some money, either in online service fees, or hardware purchases. I can't think of any free services off the top of my head, unless your data is relatively small and you can go with the free DropBox or Google Drive space they provide.

Not really much choice in the 2TB 2.5" HDD realm. For the price, the current Seagate that most people use is the best value. You could wait for other drives to come out, as I'm sure they are on their way.

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Backup-Portable-External-STDR2000101/dp/B00FRHTTIA/

I like this model because you basically get the case for free. You can pop the internal HDD out, swap your PS4 HDD into the case and have a 500GB external for whatever you need.

http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/2-terabyte-hard-drive-in-your-playstation-4-a-how-to-guide.453799861/

-Make sure you're running the latest firmware on your PS4 (3.50 or later)

-Test the HDD before you go taking it apart, run a full scan on it to verify no bad sectors and that the thing isn't an RMA dud.

Hey, there are also few other deals:


WD MyBook 8TB single drive for 135€: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01LWVT81X/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_ivdlDbA8P5VWQ?th=1

My Cloud EX2 Ultra 16 TB 2 drives for 390€: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B01CENX44E?language=pl_PL&tag=pepperpl09-21

My Book Duo 20 TB for 450€: https://www.amazon.de/WD-Book-Duo-AES-Hardwareverschl%C3%BCsselung-WDBFBE0200JBK-EESN/dp/B0752HSBP4/ref=sr_1_9?fst=as%3Aoff&qid=1563184862&refinements=p_89%3AWestern+Digital%2Cp_n_size_browse-bin%3A10857678031&rnid=187129031&s=computers&smid=A3JWKAKR8XB7XF&sr=1-9


Which are best for shucking?

I personally like the Seagate Barracuda Compute 4TB drives (for new 4TBs)

If you really want to splurge a bit, I highly recommend grabbing 4x 8TB WD Elements and "shucking" the disk out of them.
(These can be had for about $129.99/ea currently at BestBuy)

These are 8TB White (Red) Label Drives

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/wd-easystore-8tb-external-usb-3-0-hard-drive-black/5792401.p?skuId=5792401

Or

Amazon for $139.99

Western Digital 8TB Elements Desktop Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBWLG0080HBK-NESN

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D5V2ZXD

Installed 2TB by dismantling this

This contains Samsung drive small enough to fit in PS4.

Before firmware update (1.4 or something?) it had issue with detecting from a cold boot. You could work around by pressing power button for about 6seconds (basically releasing just before entering the safe mode). Once it's on, going in/out of standby was fine. I used it like for few weeks.

After the patch, it now detects fine and no problem.

I am happy with it. Speed is not stellar or anything but just fine. Not much noise I think. Having so many games install on HDD these days, it's better to upgrade earlier than later I thought.

BTW, I coudln't make this HDD work with PS3 (fat, slim)

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Backup-Portable-External-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4

A guide is in the sidebar as well. I purchased mine a year ago and it was a great decision. You won't regret it. Not having to delete games is amazing.

Saw this, but I was looking for the lowest $/GB ratio I could find for my modest setup. This comes out to $33.75/GB which certainly isn't the cheapest out there.

I ended up going with this, and it's on prime as well-

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01HAPGEIE/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Which comes out to $21.25/GB. I know it's not good for an enterprise application, but I have an unlimited cloud backup that will provide insurance.

But I'm going to rip it out of the enclosure and see how it works for my home setup.

edit: if anyone knows of any better prices I'd be happy for some other input.

People have done tests and the price to speed increase on SSDs is probably not worth it for many. If you don't need a ton of space I use this external drive and it's absolutely perfect. If you need more space I recommend something like this.

There is Acer Swift 3 and a Asus Zenbook with similar specs but its price is like $999 plus the Acer Swift just looks and feels more premium and she can get an external HDD or even SSD for photo and video editing plus the MX 150 gpu can handle almost every games at medium with good frames.

Since it's external, I would likely get something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01HAPGEIE/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480702752&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=8tb&dpPl=1&dpID=41mDnJ8-plL&ref=plSrch

It's a good deal, 8TB, and USB3.

If you decide you want a backup (highly recommended), depending on your connection, you can get Amazon Cloud Drive. As long as you encrypt your backup data on there, you'll be fine :)

Western Digital My Passport hard drives are pretty good. You can get them at great prices if you can get someone to bring them from USA (4TB USB hard drive for around 12.4k rupees).

A quick search on the net gave me these two links that should deliver in Pakistan:

WD 4TB for Rs. 14.2k

Transcend StoreJet 4TB for Rs. 18k

I don't know how reliable these two websites are so researching before buying is recommended.

Don't worry about an SSD, the speed boost is tiny compared to how much you'd be paying to get storage comparable to a HDD.

I've used a WD Passport for almost two years now (and I use them for computer backups as well) and I've had zero issues whatsoever.

WD My Passport 2TB drive for $92, or the 1TB version for $72 (though I personally feel that doubling the storage for only $20 is better, both cost-wise and in terms of long-term value).

Or you could pay almost $400 for a Samsung SSD with half the storage.

A lot of people here are buying external drives in bulk and shucking them since it's substantially cheaper than buying plain drives. This is a really weird dynamic. Why on earth is it cheaper to buy a drive with additional hardware and packaging around it than to just buy the drive itself?

e.g. this external drive is $180, but a bare archive drive is $228. WTF? It is almost $50 more expensive to buy just the drive without the enclosure around it. (And that's assuming the 8TB external is an SMR archive drive inside, rather than a regular PMR drive -- which is even more expensive!) You might say "oh, it's on sale!" -- yeah, they're always on sale at those kinds of prices from one brand or another.

With WD products instead of Seagate, this has gotten absolutely ridiculous. BestBuy is regularly advertised on here offering external drives containing shuckable 8TB WD Reds in the price range of $150~$200 while the drive by itself often goes for nearly $300! It's twice as expensive to buy the plain drive?! WHY?!

Thank you very much. Since this region is never really high in the sky where I live I just tried it between 30° and 40°. At my focal lenghts the impact of atmosphere is not that critical I guess.

I have had big projects before, but I always managed to get away with around 300GB of needed space overall and was able to use the internal SSD of my macbook. Sometimes I had to resort to average as stacking method because DSS does not need tons of swap space for this. The external drive I used is really not fast although it uses usb 3 as an interface.

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00D0L5BH8/ref=twister_B06XKV4D8X?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I will get a new macbook over my job within the next 4 months or so. May be I do not need to make up my mind on how to expand my storage. But if I still need more storage then I am leaning toward something portable again - 1TB Thunderbolt/USB3 SSD would work great I guess. I will wait however until I know what exact macbook model I will work with.

Dual slot ssd raid enclosures could also be worth a look but I am trying to avoid external power supply.

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/MEMDC2KIT/

Ohhhh yes. I have a 5tb Seagate that's currently just over 50% capacity, including the 500gb onboard from my launch system.

I don't know where I'd be if it weren't for that drive, honestly. So awesome keeping everything installed all the time.

Super helpful info! Does that mean that I can just use an old laptop if I'm not looking to invest in numerous hard disks? How many TB are minimum to make this worth setting up? I could pick up something like this... https://www.amazon.com/Black-Passport-Portable-External-Drive/dp/B01LQQH86A/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1511812971&sr=1-4&keywords=hard+drive ?

> I would just buy an extra 4TB drive - they're like $100

Just to add someone might find this useful,

The easily shuckable 8TB WD Elements is $125 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Desktop-Hard-Drive-WDBWLG0080HBK-NESN/dp/B07D5V2ZXD

First, you want the [Seagate Backup Plus Slim] (http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Portable-External-Storage-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4/) - it's a piece of cake to open the case, it just pulls apart and you smoothly remove the connector, rip off the foil, etc... to get the drive out. If you do it carefully you can reuse your old drive in the case, which is what I did.

Second, get the 2tb drive, the price difference is like $20 ~ $30 now, but it saves you from having to buy another drive down the road. Game installs, patches, add-ons and demos are only getting bigger... so the number of games you can keep fully installed in 2016 will be lower if your drive is too small.

I just did the upgrade last week, I trusted my 130-hour FFX save to a transfer, worked fine.

I'm pretty sure most people use this drive, but the internal hard drive is the same so that one could save you $10.

If you plan on using the shell for a 500GB external anyway, the slim version is definitely sleeker.

If you want to upgrade the internal drive to a 2TB one you can use this one, it fits in the pro and the original PS4 (not sure about the slim) and you don't need to modify the chassis. You just need to shuck the drive from the enclosure, it's pretty easy and there are videos online you can follow.

http://www.amazon.com/HGST-High-Performance-Portable-Platinum-0S03694/dp/B00IVFDQFM/ref=pd_bxgy_pc_img_y
Currently on sale but the only issue the cord that comes with it doesn't work on xb1 so you would need another usb3 cord. But other than that it work great highly redeemed.

Not a problem man i can't remember the last time i purchased a drive locally PB is only good for small SSD's but anything over 4TB they are ridiculously priced. If you dont necessarily need NAS drive these are a good drive to shuck and great for media purchased 12 of these over the last 2 years for my server and have not had any issues and probably the cheapest way to get 8tbs to NZ.

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https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Expansion-Desktop-External-STEB8000100/dp/B01HAPGEIE/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1549133006&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=8tb+ironwolf&psc=1

Not really, seagate compute drives are not that good, and external 8tb wd drives (easystore, elements, my book) go for 130usd pretty often, and come with white label drives inside that are a lot better.

Right now amazon has elements8tb at 140, https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Desktop-Hard-Drive-WDBWLG0080HBK-NESN/dp/B07D5V2ZXD/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=elements+8tb&qid=1556298793&s=electronics&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1