I have a WD15EARS 1.5TB SATA drive / 64MB Cache; my new pc has a USB 3 port. Is my drive too old to benefit from USB 3? USB 2 better?
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Hi Bandi, Technically, your drive is capable of making disk-to-host transfers of up to 110 MB/s, and USB 2.0 maxes out at 60 MB/s, where USB 3.0 maxes at around 125 MB/s. Your drive will probably never reach 110 MB/s, but I would suggest using a USB 3.0 enclosure so that your drive can run as fast as it pleases. Besides, at some point you'll probably upgrade even your "backup drive", and you'll want the speed. On a personal note, I love this enclosure. You'll need to buy some little rubber feet from the hardware store to keep it from sliding around, but other than that, it's great! Jack
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Yes. Just about any 2.5" HDD Sata should work. SATA is backward compatible. Try to use the eSata connection when doing any kind of data transfer. It is by far the most efficient transfer method for this container. The real value of USB 3 is for USB sticks. For HDD it really lags behind sata 2 or sata 3. This container was truly built for the 1 TB SSD's. For SSD's this thing is the fastest thing on the market, of course using the eStata connection.
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The drive as it is , is a USB3 . To have it Thunderbolt capable you would need to buy the optional Thunderbolt adapter. Would the Thunderbolt adapter workd on the 1 TB drive ?. I dont know
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NO, it will not. It is meant only to connect to the internal USB headers on the motherboard and case. The USB 3 connector on your external hard drive will still connect to the USB 2 port on your older computer. Also the USB 2 port will limit how fast the external hard drive will work.Hope that helps.
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It really doesn't matter, because no CD/DVD drive is going to send or receive data faster than USB 2.0 can comfortably handle. Having a USB 3.0 connection would not speed up the drive's performance. (As pointed out elsewhere, USB 3.0 ports are backward-compatible with USB 2.0 peripherals, so the drive will work whether the port you connect it to is USB 2.0 or 3.0.)
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Sorry, I haven't had a chance to try on USB 3.0, but, I know it's faster compared to my other WD Passport 2.0.
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You can use the cable that came with the drive (actually, you have to since USB 3.0 has one different end). It will automatically transfer data at 2.0 speeds.
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do you want to save the files to a Time-Machine? Yes, will work. do you want to use it as Time-Machine? Yes, will work. but I do not see the benefit in this. Better get a WD-2.5" Raid. This thing is super to ad two SSDs and have a really fast drive that has even a Raid1. The USB 3.0 Controller is really fast in this one.
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I personally have a 2TB installed, so i cannot speak for that. But i don't think it's an issue, since it's just a normal SATA to USB adapter, i don't think that there's going to be an issue with using a 3TB Drive or larger.
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I'm using Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit with a 3.0 PCI add-on card connected to the 7 Port USB hub. I have a Seagate 2TB, 3TB and 4TB 3.0 drives attached as well as 320GB and 500GB USB 2.0 drives and have no problems. Just remember any USB 2.0 drive is still limited to 2.0 speeds. Some of the drives are network shares and still I have had no problems. The 7 Port USB Hub works great for me.
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I would see no reason why not. I use mine with both usb 3 and usb 2 pc's with no issues. I use it with a 500gb 2.5 sata drive in a usb 3 enclosure as well as the same setup in a usb 2 enclosure as well as flash drives in both flavors. It has worked flawlessly with both but is noticeably faster with the usb 3 interface on the laptop. I remember there being some question whether it would power an external hard drive through the port, without an external power connection but all of my usb devices power fine through the hub. I've had no issues whatsoever with any usb device I plug it into or plug into it. I would see no reason why not. I use mine with both usb 3 and usb 2 pc's with no issues. I use it with a 500gb 2.5 sata drive in a usb 3 enclosure as well as the same setup in a usb 2 enclosure as well as flash drives in both flavors. It has worked flawlessly with both but is noticeably faster with the usb 3 interface on the laptop. I remember there being some question whether it would power an external hard drive through the port, without an external power connection but all of my usb devices power fine through the hub. I've had no issues whatsoever with any usb device I plug it into or... » Read More I would see no reason why not. I use mine with both usb 3 and usb 2 pc's with no issues. I use it with a 500gb 2.5 sata drive in a usb 3 enclosure as well as the same setup in a usb 2 enclosure as well as flash drives in both flavors. It has worked flawlessly with both but is noticeably faster with the usb 3 interface on the laptop. I remember there being some question whether it would power an external hard drive through the port, without an external power connection but all of my usb devices power fine through the hub. I've had no issues whatsoever with any usb device I plug it into or plug into it. « Show Less
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Hi Terry, There are multiple different WD 3tb SATA III drives, but this enclosure will work with any 3.5" SATA drive - that's the only thing that matters. I would note that this enclosure, being only USB 2.0, will not benefit from the speed over a SATA III drive verses a SATA II drive, so if you find a cheaper 3.5" drive, feel free to go with the cheaper option.
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I assume you meant Sata 1,2, or 3. There are differences, primarily the speed they are capable of supporting. You would want to use Sata 3 cables in any modern PC just to be safe and ensure you get the most out of your hard drives.
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I connected the drive on my 7-year-old DELL laptop (with USB 2.0) and initially it didn't work, but I assumed it was because of the OS, Windows Vista: apparently the manufacturer doesn't warn you that it only works with Windows XP, 7 and 8 (as stated on the box). I tried everything, and nothing worked; finally, just casually after giving up, I tried connecting the drive with the cable of my previous one, a 2-year-old 1 TB Western Digital, and it worked, and it is still doing fine. So I would say yes, it's compatible with USB 2.0, but I'm not sure what really happened here.
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USB 3 is backward compatible with USB 2. You just won't see the speed benefit of USB 3
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I used it as an external drive. Even if you can take the HD out, you still need a sata connecting cable ($8.66 for 2). It has a USB-3 cable which is faster than the conventional USB-2. I wonder why you would pay the price of an external drive and use it as an internal drive, which usually costs less for the same capacity. I bought a WD 4 TB internal drive as D:
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They claim it is a USB3, I even questioned them about it, but it does not seem to work any faster than a USB2. It does use a USB cable. It is a good drive and is probably limited by its read-write specs.