Building my own USB external HDD...

[robert213]

I would like to edit large video files (approx. 12GB each) using Adobe Premiere Elements 7.0. Side note - 12GB roughly equals 1 hour worth of video.

I am hoping that that I will be able to edit files directly on an external HDD. That is, I don't wish to copy video files onto my internal HDD, edit video file, and copy back to external HDD.

I almost purchased Western Digital's My Passport Essential Portable HD (USB external HDD), until I learned that it is pre-formatted FAT32 and that it is unknown whether actual HD is 4200, 5400 or 7200 rpms.

http://www.wdc.com/WDProducts/Library/U ... 705007.pdf

Drive Format
This WD device is preformatted as a single FAT32 partition for compatibility with all
updated Windows and Macintosh operating systems. The FAT32 file system has a
maximum individual file size limit of 4 GB.
To create partitions larger than 32 GB in FAT32 when reformatting the drive,
download the External USB/FireWire FAT32 Formatting Utility from
support.wdc.com/download.
Windows 2000 and XP users can overcome file size limitations by reformatting the
drive to NTFS using the Disk Management utility. See answer ID 1287 at
support.wdc.com and article IDs 314463 and 184006 at support.microsoft.com for
further details.
Reformatting the Drive
1. Go to support.wdc.com.
2. See Knowledge Base Answer ID 207 for formatting instructions.

http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg ... d=tLjxVgGj

Answer ID 1704

Question
What kind of hard drive is inside a Western Digital external hard drive?

Answer
There are several things you should know about WD external hard drives:

Depending on availability of parts during production, the internal hard drive in an external enclosure could be either SATA or EIDE.

We can only guarantee drive capacity. We cannot guarantee a particular internal hard drive model, data interface, rotational speed, or cache size in the external hard drive enclosure.

Dismantling any single-drive external enclosure to obtain this information will void the warranty of the hard drive.

Interface and cache of the hard drives inside the external enclosure does not affect the performance or the data transfer rate of the external hard drive unit.

Note: With the exception of an eSATA external hard drive, USB 2.0 and Firewire 400/800 have yet to approach the transfer rates of the internal hard drives we use in our external enclosures.

Where could I go wrong in building my own USB external HDD?

A. Hitachi Travelstar 500GB 5400 RPM SATA/300 (5K500 ) - HD20500IDK/5K (0A57915)
$89.99 http://www.frys.com/product/5954604

--edit--
HITACHI Travelstar 5K500.B HTS545050B9A300 (0A57915) 500GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache
This is the latest 5K500.B HD. Not the older 5K500 as listed in description. Ask sales rep for OEM version, which is priced at $10.00 less than one packaged in retail box.
--edit--


B01. VANTEC NexStar3 NST-260U2-BL Aluminum 2.5" USB 2.0 Blue External Enclosure
$22.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817145136

B02. macally PHRS250CC Aluminum 2.5" USB 2.0 & 1394 External Enclosure
$31.22 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817347013

B03. AZiO ENC211S31 Aluminum Case Body 2.5" Black USB 2.0 External Enclosure
$14.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817106112

--Edit--
B05. Rosewill RX25-AT-SC-SLV Aluminum & plastic 2.5" Silver USB2.0 & eSATA External Encl
$17.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817182181

B06. Rosewill RX25-AT-SC-BLK Aluminum & plastic 2.5" Black USB2.0 & eSATA External Encl
$17.00 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817182182

B07. Rosewill RX81U-ES-25A 2.5" SATA to USB 2.0 External Enclosure
$17.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817182140
--Edit--

The price of WD's My Passport Essential 500GB HDD is around $110. Using the previously listed components, I could build my own for about the same price.

[spuddog]

I've build 5 or 6, never had a problem. Building you're own you can decide exactly what hard drive you want.

Scott

[craigmontHunter]

I have done it to (using a laptop hd) and find that it is also usefull for recovery, since you can take it apart and use it as an adapter - something that you cannot do with a premade one.

Good luck

[visionviper]

It's the best way to go really.

You also might want to look into using eSATA instead of USB (eSATA is much faster).

[robert213]

I am planning to purchase...

Silver Stone's Raven RVS01
http://www.silverstonetek.com/raven/pro ... 1&area=usa

SilverStone created an incredible mobile storage product in the RAVEN RVS01 with a new high-grade feeling and screwless design. It enables users to swap out hard drive effortlessly and reliably with a patented “None Scratch SATA” connector. Not only does it lets you replace hard drive faster than just about any external enclosure, the RVS01 ensures that wear and tear associated with hard drive swapping is greatly reduced compared to conventional SATA connectors. Equipped with eSATA and USB 2.0 high-speed interface, the RVS01 is an excellent choice for taking important data on the go with maximum flexibility and performance.

Elegant design with faux leather and plastic.
Support 2.5” SATA I/SATA II hard drive.
Plug and play with hot-swappable connection.
Maximum 3Gbits data transfer speed via eSATA interface.
Maximum compatibility with USB2.0 (480Mbits)

http://www.frys.com/product/5881493

SILVERSTONE RAVEN 2.5" SATA TO eSATA & USB 2.0 HARD DRIVE ENCLOSURE - SST-RVS01

Silverstone:
FRYS.com #: 5881493
Silverstone (SST-RVS01-B) SATA Hard Drive Enclosure with eSATA and USB 2.0 Interface - 2.5 inches, SCREWLESS Design, Plug and Play with Hot-Swappable Connection

SilverStone created an incredible mobile storage product in the RAVEN RVS01 with a new high-grade feeling and screwless design. It enables users to swap out hard drive effortlessly and reliably with a patented None Scratch SATA connector. Not only does it let you replace hard drive faster than just about any external enclosure, the RVS01 ensures that wear and tear associated with hard drive swapping is greatly reduced compared to conventional SATA connectors. Equipped with eSATA and USB 2.0 high-speed interface, the RVS01 is an excellent choice for taking important data on the go with maximum flexibility and performance.

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=a ... vs01&num=1

Features:
- Elegant design with faux leather and plastic
- 2.5" Serial ATA Hard Drive Compatibility
- eSATA and USB 2.0 Interfaces
- Supports up to 1TB Hard Drives
- 81.5 x 24 x 145 mm Dimensions

Contents:
The SilverStone RVS01 arrived in a package that was mostly black and most prominently advertised about the SATA disk enclosure is that it is lightweight and easy to carry, even though that is a feature of most 2.5-inch enclosures on the market. Along with the actual disk enclosure itself was a Serial ATA data cable, a USB cable that provides a mini USB connector along with a +5V DC power connector and requires two USB 2.0 ports on the host PC, and then a RVS01 user's manual. Also included is a small carrying case for the 2.5-inch drive enclosure.
http://www.phoronix.net/image.php?id=si ... conts1_lrg
http://www.phoronix.net/image.php?id=si ... conts2_lrg

Other USB enclosures on my short list...

MacAlly PHRS250CC
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817347013
Annoying Blue LED
USB to mini-B cable
USB to DC cable

StarTech InfoSafe SAT2510U2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817707121
small phillips head screws
USB Y-Cable


Bytecc HD3-SU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817145055
Tool-less
USB to mini-B cable
USB to DC cable


VANTEC NexStar3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817392016
Win98SE, eSATA
USB Y-Cable

VANTEC NexStarSX
Win98SE

VANTEC CX
Win98SE

SABRENT
USB Y-Cable
Win98SE

APRICORN EZ-UP-UNIVERSAL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817155602
USB to mini-B Cable
does NOT accept DC power from second USB port (may need AC adapter for some PC's)

[robert213]

I really like SilverStone's RAVEN RVS01 USB HD Enclosure...

Put an image of a flip-top cigarette box in your mind. The SATA connector and electronics are located in the flip-top. A person gently squeezes the butter-fly mount to insert or remove the HD. There are small tabs on each side the butter-fly mount which fits firmly in the screw holes where the HD Caddy screws would normally belong. No screws. No tools. Close the flip-top, connect the USB and DC power cable and its ready to go.

Also, before use, the case opens up like a men's billfold wallet. No need to worry about heat that is trapped inside of a plastic or aluminum case of a traditional HD enclosure, because the HD is exposed to the open air. Both ends and the bottom of the HD are still securely protected by the case.

It is the same width, slightly thicker, and 1 1/2 inches longer than the HD. I don't see how any manufacturer could make one any smaller.

I purchased this one at my local neighborhood Fry's Electronics retail store for $29.99.