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Help me build an external FW drive
- Thread starter mac000
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Hard Drive = $170
G5/G-Technology-style enclosure = $85
Why do you NEED a Hitachi? Seagate has a longer warranty and is generally quieter.
G5/G-Technology-style enclosure = $85
Why do you NEED a Hitachi? Seagate has a longer warranty and is generally quieter.
i dont need a Hitachi, i just assumed G-Tech uses Hitachi in all their enclosures because they are better, hence their premium price
I was also trying to stay away from Seagate because I have this one external HD (Seagate) but it won't mount to my setup (MBP+external monitor). no matter what USB port i try (4 on monitor) 2 on MBP the drive won't mount. I just think its shot or something, I used it about a month ago on an intel imac and a macbook.
Good quality enclosures are not cheap. The chipset quality is important so, if you want to built a good quality external HD (using a reputable HD), you'll end up saving $20 to $30, it's just not worth it, believe me. Get one from OWC. The Mercury Elite Pro FW 400/800, 500GB, costs $269.99.
The unit is covered by a 2 year warranty + 3 year warranty for the HD (total of 5 years for the HD). They use Seagate HDs, wich are great, check it out:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/800/
The unit is covered by a 2 year warranty + 3 year warranty for the HD (total of 5 years for the HD). They use Seagate HDs, wich are great, check it out:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/800/
The premium is for the nice-looking enclosure, not the hard drive.
More than likely it's the USB enclosure, not the hard drive. I once had a USB hard drive do that to me. I just took it apart, plugged the drive in another enclosure, got it to work, and then the really weird part is I put back in the old enclosure and it's worked there ever since... very odd...
If it is the hard drive, just go onto Seagate's site and RMA it. It costs you like $7 to send it back to Seagate and they send you a replacement.
As for which hard drive to use, do some research and put the quietest hard drive in it (probably seagate).
...and Seagate drives never fail...
It's not that they never fail, but unless the drive is clicking, it's most likely the the bridge inside the enclosure.