WD - easystore 8TB External USB 3.0 Hard Drive - Black

After using the WD Easystore 8TB External Hard Drive as my primary backup and media storage solution for over two years, I can confidently say this is one of the most reliable and cost-effective data storage investments I’ve made. Performance and Reliability (Still Going Strong) Longevity: After more than two years of consistent use—including routine backups and acting as a local media hub—the drive is still working perfectly. It has shown no signs of corruption or failure. Speed: As a 3.5-inch desktop HDD using USB 3.0, the transfer speeds are excellent for its capacity, often hitting around 200MB/s sequential read/write. While not as fast as an SSD, it is perfect for archiving, media streaming, and mass file storage. Reliability: WD has a solid reputation here, and this model often contains high-quality WD Red NAS drives inside, which are built for higher durability. Usage Experience Set Up: It is truly "plug-and-play." It came formatted for Windows (NTFS), which made it immediately ready to use out of the box. Mac users will need to reformat, but it's a quick process. Operation: The unit is quiet during operation and rarely generates excessive heat, even after long backup sessions. Storage Capacity: 8TB is massive. I’ve filled it with thousands of high-resolution photos, 4K videos, and my entire music library, with plenty of room still left. Pros Excellent Value: Offers one of the best price-per-terabyte ratios on the market, especially during Black Friday sales. Massive Capacity: Perfect for long-term archiving and Plex media servers. Reliable Hardware: Proven to last over 2 years (and likely much longer). Robust Enclosure: The sleek black casing is compact, sits nicely on a desk, and keeps the drive cool. Cons Non-Portable: It requires a separate power adapter (AC outlet), so it's strictly for desktop use. No USB-C: It uses a traditional USB-A 3.0 cable, which is fine, but newer drives are starting to move toward Type-C. If you are looking for a trustworthy, high-capacity drive to back up your entire system, store vast media libraries, or use as a cheap, high-capacity drive for your game console (Xbox/PS), the WD Easystore 8TB is a fantastic choice. The fact that it is still running smoothly after 2+ years speaks to its quality. Highly Recommended.

The new WD easystore 8TB version changed the case front and drive inside. 7.27 TB actual usable space. Made in Thailand. The box it came in was not shrink wrapped. The old, discontinued 8TB version contained a helium filled drive, while these new ones are air filled WD80EDAZ-11TA3A0. The new drive runs hot and loud. Older helium 8TB easystore idles around mid-30C and mid-40C under load. This new version reaches 59C under heavy use. Even though it reports itself as a 5400rpm drive, it might actually be 7200rpm, which explains the heat and loudness. Benchmarks via USB 3.0: 205 MB/s sequential read and 206 MB/s sequential write when empty. Great speeds for a hard drive, but worried about longevity due to excess heat.

These are great for backup storage or keeping excess files off your internal drive. However, pretty much all of these large external HDDs require a chunky plug for power and are speed-limited by whatever USB you plug it into, or its own USB format, but that is a typical limitation of this product category, not this specific product, so no points off for that. Very plug-and-play, a good brand behind it, and one of the few types of digital storage that doesn't seem to let me down every 3 or so years.

I got this drive because I needed a bigger and faster drive to do backups but it might get shucked for a NAS in the future. So shuckers may want to take note. This drive is purchased and tested in February 2021. Some say that the WD80EDAZ inside this enclosure is actually spinning at 7200 rpm, which it might be since the sequential performance of this drive closely matches that of my Seagate Barracuda 7200 rpm. https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/comments/ikk0rv/psa_multiple_wd_5400rpm_drives_are_actually/ On one hand this is WD and their screwed up, misleading marketing (See: SMR drives sold as CMR drives). The other comments complaining that the drives run hot and loud are warranted. This drive is air "filled" instead of helium filled like the old ones which adds to the heat this generates. 59 C under heavy load in a 21 C ambient is HOT. It also gets even louder once the head starts moving. On the other hand, I can live with its compromises for a drive that only needs to run around once a week. The 200 MBps sequential dramatically increased the speed of my backups. But the high temperatures this generates is still a concern. 60 C is usually the maximum operating temperature for mechanical hard drives so if you plan to run this under extended periods of time like in a NAS, it may need active cooling. If you're keeping this drive in its enclosure, keep it vertical so it can passively exhaust its heat through the top vents.

Great amount of storage and very easy to install. Nice size