● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportLow impact1 neutral
Testing Old Drives as External Storage to Counter High SSD Prices
Key points
- AI demand has increased external SSD prices.
- Old internal drives can be repurposed with enclosures.
- Tested various drive types in enclosures up to 80 Gbps.
- Performance varies by drive and enclosure, but can be sufficient.
Repurposing Old Drives for External Storage
The demand driven by AI has led to significantly higher prices for external SSDs and flash drives. Many PC users and builders likely have older internal drives, such as SATA SSDs, OEM M.2 drives, or spinning hard drives, that are no longer in active use. These drives can be converted into external storage solutions using readily available and often inexpensive enclosures.
Performance Considerations
The speed of a DIY external drive depends on the type of internal drive used and the capabilities of the enclosure. For basic tasks like backups or file transfers, even a SATA SSD offers sufficient speed. However, for demanding applications such as 4K video editing, animation, or running local large language models (LLMs), a faster PCIe 4 or 5 M.2 SSD combined with a high-bandwidth USB-C enclosure is necessary to achieve optimal performance.
Testing Methodology and Results
To assess the viability of repurposing old drives, several older drives, including a Western Digital WD5000BPVT 2.5-inch hard drive, were installed into various enclosures. These setups underwent performance tests similar to those used for new drives. The results were then compared against high-end flash drives and fast external SSDs to determine any performance compromises. While individual drive models have performance variances, the tests provide a general understanding of what to expect from different classes of repurposed drives.
Practical Implications
This approach offers a cost-effective way to acquire external storage, especially given the current market conditions for new external SSDs. Users can leverage existing hardware, reducing waste and providing a functional storage solution for various needs, from simple backups to more intensive data operations, depending on the components chosen.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
A recent analysis explored using older internal hard drives, SATA SSDs, and NVMe drives with external enclosures as a cost-effective alternative to expensive new external SSDs. The testing compared the performance of these DIY solutions against dedicated external storage, providing insights into their suitability for various tasks. This matters as it offers a practical solution for users to repurpose existing hardware for external storage needs, potentially saving money amidst rising prices for new external drives.