Western Digital External USB 2.0 HDD

KoLAddict · 07-22-2007, 06:59 PM

Just had a simple question. My laptop crashed last week (as some of you may know), and as such, I have been unable to play any of my computer games.

I was wondering, if I install a game to the external HDD, will it run just as well as if it was an internal HDD? It's 7200/rpm.

If anyone needs an example of a game I'd be running, the best example is World of Warcraft (one of a few games that the crappy computers I'm stuck with for now can run).

~~Wozer~~ · 07-22-2007, 08:16 PM

while said drive may be 7,200 rpm, its still a usb device...have you ever noticed your machine hang up every now and again?....well mine does, and its because of the slow response times when talking to my WD 250GB external drive...even when actively using it, I still sometimes get said hang up when accessing files residing on that drive...

so my answer would be no, the performance associated with this drive for gaming would probably be poor...I know for a fact that using this type of drive for streaming audio samples is bogus...for real performance on an external drive you need to be using a firewire interface..

KoLAddict · 07-22-2007, 08:46 PM

Ok, thanks. Just wanted to check:)

KoLAddict · 07-23-2007, 02:37 PM

Anyone know of a decent firewire external HDD? I want something I can use for my games, or at least use for SOME of my games.

~~Wozer~~ · 07-23-2007, 05:01 PM

I've always used Western Digital drives...they have taken the beatings I give them and they are ALL still working...the only problem I've had is with a drive that was in a hot swap enclosure and its fan died...said drive wacked out for a while (which is how I figured out the enclosure fan had died...i.e. overheated the drive) but is still working...

the point being look around for a drive like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136049

KoLAddict · 07-23-2007, 05:24 PM

Thanks.

How does a Firewire plug work? Will all computers accept a FireWire port?

~~Wozer~~ · 07-23-2007, 08:46 PM

every machine I've built since the P4 cpus came out has had a IEEE 1394 (firewire) header on the board...the MoBos I used were top of the line ASUS models though...I THINK that its pretty much standard these days...if your machine doesn't have such an input, then there are PCI cards that can be acquired that allow this connection

07-22-2007, 06:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
KoLAddict Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 454 OS: XP	Western Digital External USB 2.0 HDD Just had a simple question. My laptop crashed last week (as some of you may know), and as such, I have been unable to play any of my computer games. I was wondering, if I install a game to the external HDD, will it run just as well as if it was an internal HDD? It's 7200/rpm. If anyone needs an example of a game I'd be running, the best example is World of Warcraft (one of a few games that the crappy computers I'm stuck with for now can run).

07-22-2007, 08:16 PM	#2 (permalink)
~~Wozer~~ Troubled Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 1,038 OS: 2kpro/XP pro/MCE	Re: Western Digital External USB 2.0 HDD while said drive may be 7,200 rpm, its still a usb device...have you ever noticed your machine hang up every now and again?....well mine does, and its because of the slow response times when talking to my WD 250GB external drive...even when actively using it, I still sometimes get said hang up when accessing files residing on that drive... so my answer would be no, the performance associated with this drive for gaming would probably be poor...I know for a fact that using this type of drive for streaming audio samples is bogus...for real performance on an external drive you need to be using a firewire interface..

07-22-2007, 08:46 PM	#3 (permalink)
KoLAddict Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 454 OS: XP	Re: Western Digital External USB 2.0 HDD Ok, thanks. Just wanted to check:)

07-23-2007, 02:37 PM	#4 (permalink)
KoLAddict Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 454 OS: XP	Re: Western Digital External USB 2.0 HDD Anyone know of a decent firewire external HDD? I want something I can use for my games, or at least use for SOME of my games.

07-23-2007, 05:01 PM	#5 (permalink)
~~Wozer~~ Troubled Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 1,038 OS: 2kpro/XP pro/MCE	Re: Western Digital External USB 2.0 HDD I've always used Western Digital drives...they have taken the beatings I give them and they are ALL still working...the only problem I've had is with a drive that was in a hot swap enclosure and its fan died...said drive wacked out for a while (which is how I figured out the enclosure fan had died...i.e. overheated the drive) but is still working... the point being look around for a drive like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136049

07-23-2007, 05:24 PM	#6 (permalink)
KoLAddict Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 454 OS: XP	Re: Western Digital External USB 2.0 HDD Thanks. How does a Firewire plug work? Will all computers accept a FireWire port?

07-23-2007, 08:46 PM	#7 (permalink)
~~Wozer~~ Troubled Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 1,038 OS: 2kpro/XP pro/MCE	Re: Western Digital External USB 2.0 HDD every machine I've built since the P4 cpus came out has had a IEEE 1394 (firewire) header on the board...the MoBos I used were top of the line ASUS models though...I THINK that its pretty much standard these days...if your machine doesn't have such an input, then there are PCI cards that can be acquired that allow this connection