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I have a ton of Blu-ray DVDs that i want to burn to disk (hundreds) and i need at least 2 TB of space.

Would it be more wise/economical to buy an actual internal HDD and also get a USB dock for it, or go for a HDD designed for external use? My only computer is a laptop so whatever choice i make it will be on a desk not inside a computer. Are HDD's so delicate that it would be easy to damage an internal 3.5inch one that is in a travel bag?

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    Your question seems to be: "are internal HDDs more reliable than external HDDs?" I would suspect there's little difference, but this is impossible to answer constructively without good statistics. Either way, if you value the data, you need a suitable backup process. You can never rely on any single drive.
    – sblair
    Sep 11, 2011 at 19:12

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Buy an internal HDD and an enclosure with USB support (eSATA/USB if your laptop supports eSATA).

If you're concerned about the reliability of a hard drive, try to find one that has a good track record. Sites like NewEgg.com have decent customer reviews.

The same applies to the external enclosure. Pay attention to ratings and comments when choosing one.

Do not use a HDD dock. Those are really only useful in an office setting where an exposed hard drive is not that big of a risk. Get an enclosure instead. They're typically hardened for durability.

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  • My experience is that an internal HDD in an enclosure can cause problems that using an external HDD will avoid. Overheating, for example. Some external hard drives have similar problems, but it seems easier to find quality external HDDs than quality enclosures.
    – user31438
    Sep 11, 2011 at 20:43
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Does your computer support usb 3? If yes get a external usb 3.

It really depends on how you want to play your movies. If you find buying discs and burning the movies and playing them like that easier, then get an internal. If you know you have devices that support usb i'd get an external that you you have the portability and the power of plug and play. You plug your external into a tv/dvd/console/laptop and just select your movie and away your off. Thats how I do, and it is very convent considering I can bring my external to a friends house for a movie night and I just brought over 100+ movies in a simple manner, rather than bring over 100+ dvds.

As for how "delicate" it is, if you buy a good external you should be fine. Still shouldn't be dropping it because that could damage it but I've drop mine a few time and it's still kick'in at 100%. The only time it can be really damage is when the HDD is running, then even a little shake could damage sectors on your HDD.

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  • I can get a 2.5 TB caviar green WD for same price as a 2TB external. I've read alot of horror stories of external HDD clicking and dying quickly... i think internal hdd might be better built, and usb adapater isn't too much.
    – danielyu
    Sep 11, 2011 at 18:40
  • Stories are stories ;D I work at local computer store as a computer technician and sales rep. I've seen more internals come in for repairs the external. As long as you know how treat the hard drive correctly, it should be fine. Yes, a usb adapter would work, and an extra 500 GB's is nice. but if your using the usb adapter the hard drive will be bare and a simple nudge while that thing is running and you can damage sectors on it. But if you're carefull, it will work fine.
    – Robolisk
    Sep 11, 2011 at 18:48
  • @danielyu: Anecdotal evidence is exactly that. They are anecdotes. I once heard there was a monster in Loch Ness . . .
    – surfasb
    Sep 11, 2011 at 20:21
  • @danielyu - many (perhaps all) external HDDs are basically standard internal HDDs in custom enclosures. If anything, that enclosure can cause reliability problems, by e.g. not keeping the drive cool enough - especially if it has a built-in power supply. Buy a good quality external drive and that won't be an issue. As far as I recall, whenever there have been serious reliability issues with a particular brand of HDD, the problem has occurred with internal drives. The only famous "clicking" problem I remember was about ZIP drives - not what people normally mean by "hard disk".
    – user31438
    Sep 11, 2011 at 20:52

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