External hard drive advice

I'm looking to get a new hard drive, preferably 2TB of space.

Best deals I've seen so far have been these two:

Verbatim - $127.99
Newegg.com - Verbatim 2TB USB / FireWire / i.LINK External Hard Drive 96867

Seagate - $134.99
Newegg.com - Seagate Expansion 2TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive ST320005EXA101-RK


On one hand, I've always heard that Seagate is a really reliable hard drive brand. Only one year manufacturer warranty, but I can get 3 years of coverage from Newegg for less than 30 bucks.

On the other hand, Verbatim comes with a 7-year limited warranty.

7-years is awesome, but I wonder how bitchy they'd be about that "limited" part.


What do you think, GC?

i have a seagate freeagent 1.5 TB and it lasted about a month before it started clicking and acting weird a couple of months later it fixed itself kinda strange. my western digital have been running smooth for about 4 years now even though ive dropped it a couple of times.

verbatim over seabait anytime.

verbatim over seabait anytime.

This.

Really? That's good to hear because I think I'm going to go with the Verbatim.

The reviews for the Seagate on Amazon were pretty split, but the reviews on sites like CNet and Newegg were pretty fuckin' negative towards the Seagate.


Has anyone here had experience with Verbatim's warranty?

They have that nice 7 year warranty, but I read the warranty and there was some clause that basically sounded like it came down to "If you send us your hard drive to fix and we decide it's not our fault, we can charge you for the repairs."

Which didn't sound so cool to me, and had me a little sketched...


Still think I'm going to go with the Verbatim though. Thanks for the advice, guys.

I think all hard drive warranties work the same. When you create an RMA, simply describe the problem as "bad sectors" or "clicking noise". The only way they would charge you for repairs/replacement, is if the external enclosure looked all beat up or is cracked, as if someone dropped it.

By the way, newegg is out of stock on verbatim.

By the way, newegg is out of stock on verbatim.

The 127.99 one is out of stock but the 135.99 one looks to be still in stock.

Newegg.com - Verbatim 2TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive 96865

No idea what the difference is between the two. Maybe just a different drive?

Well the reviews are going to be a little one-sided. Seagate released a set of faulty hard drives last year and that stirred everyone up real good. Every brand has its good & bads, it's just a matter of choosing the right model. (not the brand)

I'm not too sure on the warranty issues, but "If you send us your hard drive to fix and we decide it's not our fault, we can charge you for the repairs." doesn't sound too good if you ask me. lol.

The 127.99 one is out of stock but the 135.99 one looks to be still in stock.

Newegg.com - Verbatim 2TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive 96865

No idea what the difference is between the two. Maybe just a different drive?

The only differences I see are the connections. The out of stock one can be connected via USB and firewire. The one in stock is a USB only drive. $135 is actually a good price. The same drive is going for $173 on tigerdirect.

The only differences I see are the connections. The out of stock one can be connected via USB and firewire. The one in stock is a USB only drive. $135 is actually a good price. The same drive is going for $173 on tigerdirect.

Yeah, it's definitely a good price either way. Amazon has the same drive but I think it's a little more expensive... though I am ordering a few things from Amazon already so I'll have to see what the difference is when factoring in shipping prices and such.

And hell, if you guys tend to agree that Verbatim is a reliable brand then I feel pretty safe. I just don't want to end up with a hard drive that craps out on me right after I buy it.

I've always had damn good luck with hard drives... haven't had a single one completely die on me since... god, I don't even remember. The 320GB external we're using now has been running non-stop for probably 3 or 4 years without a problem.

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't making a huge mistake by going with Verbatim.

Well the reviews are going to be a little one-sided. Seagate released a set of faulty hard drives last year and that stirred everyone up real good. Every brand has its good & bads, it's just a matter of choosing the right model. (not the brand)

I'm not too sure on the warranty issues, but "If you send us your hard drive to fix and we decide it's not our fault, we can charge you for the repairs." doesn't sound too good if you ask me. lol.

Here is the exact text from the warranty:

If it is determined that any Product(s) reported as defective or non-conforming by Customer during the warranty period is not defective or non-conforming, Verbatim may, at its option, charge Customer for any labor provided and expenses incurred by Verbatim in connection with such determination, at Verbatim's then current rates.

Edited by junkiedays, 07 January 2012 - 12:49 AM.