External HD reliability

[egale]

Am looking to get an external hard drive to use as a backup. I won't keep it plugged in all the time and I can manually back up what I need.

So speed is not a huge factor. I can use USB 2 or ESata.

The biggest factor is reliability.

Have been looking and shopping and reading reviews. Nothing has popped out as being more reliable than anything else.

 

[dunkster]

I'm currently using a StarTech HSD100SATBK Trayless SATA Drive Bay. Basically, an SATA drive becomes a plug-in drive. Plug the bare drive into the bay, do your task, pull the drive. Simple as that with all operations at SATA speed.

I have a Thermaltake blacX Docking Station, but my eSATA throughput rate was about 20% less than SATA, for whatever reason.

Hope this helps!