Seagate Backup Plus 1TB Hard VS WD My Passport 1 TB
I still use my PC which has 5 year old specs. I have a 160 GB HDD (5200 rpm), 5 years back the options I had was either 80 or 160. Just a little bit later a bit pricier 320 GB option hit the stores. From their storage capacity skyrocketed for HDD. Price difference dropped significantly during this period making the external HDD a must have option for your laptop or Personal computer.
The dominant contenders in the exteral HDD market are Seagate and Western Digital. Both of them offers portable, solutions for storage needs at compelling price range. Let’s look at two very interesting and HOT 1 TB offerings.
A basic specs sheet is given below
Seagate Backup Plus 1TB
WD My Passport 1 TB
Capacity
1 TB*
1 TB*
USB
2.0 and 3.0
2.0 and 3.0
Size(mm)
14.5 x 81.1 x 123.4
15 x 82 x 111
Weight
224 g
138 g
Warranty
3 year
3 tear
Price (₹)
4900*
4700*
Build and Usability
External hard disks needs to be extremely portable and should be able to carry around with you. Seagate back up plus is over a 12 mm long than WD passport, but measures 0.5 mm thinner than the WD. But there is a significant difference in weight. WD excels in this category. Weighing in at just 138g its 86g lighter than what Seagate has to offer.
Both devices provide a feet long USB 2.0/3.0 connector. Which is convenient and annoying at the same time. The shorter length demands the hard disk to be placed in closer proximity to the attaching device, which is really unfortunate if you are a desk top user. I had to keep it on top of the cabinet which made the HDD annoyingly hot. I had similar problem with my Television also. Since the USB ports on my Samsung TV happened to be at the top, I had to let the HDD hanging most of the time, Sometimes I had to rest the HDD on a bundle of my old college books :(
L. I wish for a bit more cable length on both the devices but then again that’s just my opinion, if you are more of a lap-top user you should be fine.
In terms of usability WD has an edge. Its better build and thought out product than the Seagate alternative. Both devices are made out of plastic, but the rough finish on the WD passport gives a bit more premium feel compared to the glossy reflective finish on the Seagate back up plus. Both are available in different color options, I personally prefer the silver option on the WD. I started using it for 2 days and small visible scratches started appearing on the silver side. Which is really annoying and I had to pay a 100₹ extra for the silver option compared to the common passport black. Seagate offers all color options at the same price, which is cool. Seagate has visible groves along all the edges and at the top which felt a bit uneven and I was able to feel movements along these grooves (when I tires to move the sections applying very little pressure) which is unfortunate. WD on the other had felt more firm. It has two sections well put together to give it a more premium unibody feel.
Data transfer tests
System information used for testing are given below.
Tests were ran on both USB 2.0 and 3.0. WD scored remarkable upper hand over Seagate on all USB 2.0 based tests. But the result from USB 3.0 where rather close. Surprisingly the Seagate drive shown more consistent overall transfer rate on USB 3.0. The top transfer rate was marked on the WD passport which was around 133.7 MB/s Seagate scored 127.6 MB/s. Comparison can be found on the below charts. First two blocks on both chart represent internal HDD to the external HDD and the last two columns shows external to internal file copy. The test file used was a 1.29 GB ISO file.
USB 2.0 Transfer on WD
USB 3.0 Transfer on WD
Verdict
This comparison was rather easy, which means it’s fairly difficult to choose between them. Well looking at figures WD wins it all. It’s got the looks and performance that you want. But Seagate is not far behind. Considering the neck and neck result from USB 3.0 test they are on par. Results speaks for them self and it’s in favor of WD passport.
This is really a good question. I had been using them for about 2-3 Months so far I could not see any lag in performance any read errors. I could use only ~250GB. Its safe to say that my low conception rate has saved me the real threat of fragmentation.
Since you are planning for long term storage, fragmentation shouldn't cause any problems to u as well.
I'd personally suggest "WD".. Lemme know what your choice is..
I forgot about that.. By the way you do get some WINDOWS 8 specific apps for WD also. I really don't see any need for them now.. only the utilities to ensure drive security are essential from my perspective. Rest are bonus :)
Some data reliability test would be nice, as I'm planning to obtain a new hard drive for long-term backup purposes
ReplyDeleteHi Peter,
ReplyDeleteThis is really a good question. I had been using them for about 2-3 Months so far I could not see any lag in performance any read errors. I could use only ~250GB. Its safe to say that my low conception rate has saved me the real threat of fragmentation.
Since you are planning for long term storage, fragmentation shouldn't cause any problems to u as well.
I'd personally suggest "WD".. Lemme know what your choice is..
I am planning to buy a 1 TB hard disk for storing games and episodes.
ReplyDeleteWhich out of two should I buy?
Hi Akshit.
ReplyDeleteI use my WD Passport for the very same purpose. Its worth it.
Thanks for the reply.
DeleteHi
ReplyDeleteU should mention a special feature on Seagate is: Social media integration
I'd love to see a comparison between WD my passport ultra & Seagate backup plus? these days the price is almost same of these 2 devices
Thanks Ripansays
DeleteI forgot about that.. By the way you do get some WINDOWS 8 specific apps for WD also. I really don't see any need for them now.. only the utilities to ensure drive security are essential from my perspective. Rest are bonus :)