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1208 of 1244 people found the following review helpful.
Similar to adding an internal drive. Worry about heat. Product info needs to be more than just "It just works"
By Douglas B. Moran
NOTE: Amazon has combined the reviews for the 1TB, 2TB and 3TB versions of this product, with the 3TB version dominating the negative reviews (as of 2012-11-24), so pay attention to which version is being reviewed.The target market of the Seagate Expansion Desktop line seems to be people who want to add a performance drive, but don't want to, or cannot, install an additional internal drive, that is, this is a drive they won't be moving, at least not frequently. For example, a laptop where the extra storage can happily stay behind in the office. Or a small-form-factor PC (mini-PC, HTPC, "nettop") that doesn't have space. There are other lines of external drives from Seagate (and others) targeting more transient/mobile uses.For a range of potential buyers of this drive, the product information provided may be too sketchy. The focus of this review is to fill in some of the missing info, and it is structured to facilitate your skipping details that don't interest you. Note: At the time of this review, the product information here at Amazon is more than you will find elsewhere, including Seagate's website (no spec sheets, ...).TRANSFER SPEED:The drive in the enclosure is the same model used for internal drives in performance desktops (details below).With USB 3.0, transfers to this drive are slightly faster than the same transfers between the (older) internal SATA drives in my current computer (details below).The drive has the performance needed to benefit from USB 3.0: In my experiments, USB 3.0 transfers are 60-200% faster than USB 2.0 (details below).COOLING:Heat is the enemy and can shorten the lifespan of drives. For a drive that seems intended to be always on, I would have expected cooling to be a significant design feature. The enclosure is passively cooled with holes in the bottom and back. However, this doesn't seem to be enough to enable real/effective convection cooling (using rising heat to pull cooler air across the radiator). The enclosure is thin plastic (metal would be been a better conductor of heat).Part of the basic drive is a metal plate that serves as a radiator, and the typical installation positions the drive with the plate on top or to the side to facilitate heat rising off it. Here, the drive is positioned with the metal plate on the bottom to have it close to the vent holes in the enclosure. However, the enclosure's feet are absurdly thin -- the equivalent of 12 sheets of paper thick. Not only does this restrict air flow to the drive through those holes, it also turns the surface that the enclosure sits on into a heat reservoir, further inhibiting cooling. I strongly recommend increasing this gap. For example, I am using the (optional, unused) thick feet that came with another enclosure. And I recommend positioning it where it will benefit from the existing airflow in the room (and avoiding dead spots). Putting the drive on a sheet of aluminum, or other highly conductive material, negates the heat reservoir effect of typical furniture. Aluminum foil also worked, although I wouldn't recommend it as a longer term measure because the inevitable crinkles will inhibit air-flow.As an experiment, after powering down the drive and allowing it to physically spin down, I flipped the enclosure upside-down -- ventilation holes above the drive's radiator plate -- and the temperature dropped quickly (no surprise). Recognize that there aren't holes on the top of the enclosure for good reason -- to protect the drive from spills and to reduce dust reaching it -- so you should consider doing this only if you are going to remember to flip it back in a timely fashion.STATUS LIGHT has poor sightlines:There is a small blue LED that is lit when the drive is ready to use. There is a slight delay between the drive being powered on and it being spun-up and ready to use. This light is located on the top of the enclosure at the back. I would have much preferred it being on the front of the enclosure -- where it is on most similar products -- because it would be much less likely to be obscured. I put the disk next to my monitor stand and my sightline to that light is obscured by the monitor.NOISE:Caution: I am 60 years old -- younger ears will be more sensitive. In the evening in a typical residential setting during large-scale file transfers, I can hear the drive when my ears are about a foot away, but at two feet, I don't hear it even when I am listening for it. The whir of the drive tends to blend into the fan noise of most computers. The only time I have been aware of the drive has been when using it with my super-quiet computer in very quiet environments, such as after midnight, and even then it was only vague awareness.SPIN-UP?:The drive automatically controls power usage (see APM below). User control seems to be solely through the USB connection: The drive powers up when the USB connection is established and powers down when the connection is broken, either by physically disconnecting the cable, by a software "Safely Remove Hardware" operation. There doesn't seem to be a way to re-connect other than power-cycling or physically "cycling" the USB cable connection (neither of which I find attractive). When the attached computer is powered up/down (including sleep or hibernate), the USB connection is established and broken, so the drive is automatically powered up/down, as expected and desired.CAUTION: Unintended Spin-up during Sleep & Shutdown:Even when the computer the drive is connected to is in Sleep (ACPI S3) or Shutdown (ACPI S5), the drive _can_ spin/power up, and thus heat up, if you plug it in (power cycle, but not if you simply leave it plugged in). On _my_ computer, this occurred regardless of the BIOS "Power Management Setting" for "USB Wake Up from S3"--I had expected that "Disabled" would make the USB port appear disconnected. However in S5 with "ErP Support" ("<1W in S5") enabled, this spin-up did not occur. This spinning up can be easily missed because it does not generate an event that wakes the computer -- the only warning is the small blue LED that is easily missed because of its position at the back of the enclosure (above).ADVICE: (1) Plug this enclosure into a socket that you won't be tempted to "borrow" - when my computer is in Sleep/Shutdown (S3/S5), I am long habituated to such borrowing being harmless. Failing that, label it (Being paranoid, I did both). (2) Consider enabling ErP Support in the BIOS (after checking what this disables). This is trivial: The warnings to less experienced users against modifying the BIOS is because once they start, some just can't resist fiddling with settings they don't understand, and that can get them into lots of trouble.CABLE:The connector on the enclosure takes the USB 3.0 Micro-B connector, so although the other end of the provided cable plugs into USB 2.0 ports (it is a Standard-A connector), you cannot use your generic USB 2.0 A-B cable should you misplace this one. Not a serious problem because this cable configuration is increasingly common and seems destined to be the "normal" cable.PROBLEM with SeaTools for Windows (v1.2.0.6 = current):The information reported by "Drive Information" is unreliable: Most of the time it reports values of zero (displayed as "0", "False", "Unsupported",...), but occasionally it reports non-zero values. The problem seems to be with SeaTools, not the drive -- CrystalDiskInfo and PassMark's DiskCheckup (free for personal use) gave me credible (and extensive) output. Be aware that not all third-party utilities for reading S.M.A.R.T. data handle USB-attached drives.RELIABILITY:Can't comment: I have had this only for a few days. If you haven't bought a drive recently (since the floods in Thailand), you may be surprised by the widespread decrease in warranty periods (this model's is only 1 year) and the increased reports of early failures of many models.AUTORUNWhen you first mount the drive, the Autorun (if enabled) is a program to help register the product. I see no evidence that it does anything else. There is no other software included.SN confusion: The registration software reports the serial number in reverse order ("12345678" is displayed as "87654321") from what is printed on the enclosure, the outer packaging, and what is reported by SeaTools.NO SECURITY CABLE SLOTfor a Kensington-type Cable (example). Mentioned for those few customers for which this is relevant.FIRMWARE UPDATE??One review here mentions a firmware update to CC9H (2012-June-15 by "RandomGibberish"), but I couldn't find mention of it on the web except in copies, and apparent extracts, of that review on other sites. Details below.WINDOWS UPDATE (added 2012-11-24):From other reviews here (see 1- and 2-star sections), unpatched Windows 7 Backup doesn't work with the 3TB version. Seagate's response is given in the comments to those reviews and seems to be that a standard Microsoft patch should fix this problem. That patch is KB982018 of March 2012 and I had already installed it as part of normal Windows-Update. However, it was listed as a "Recommended" (vs "Important" or "Optional") patch, so some may not have installed it. For more information, see those reviews and Seagate's responses (in the comment sections). Since I don't have the 3TB version, I cannot confirm that info.=======
Product Details
- Size: 4 TB
- Brand: Seagate
- Model: STBV4000100
- Released on: 2013-03-15
- Dimensions: 1.48" h x
4.65" w x
7.07" l,
2.06 pounds
- Hard Disk: 4TB
Features
- Instantly add 4 TB of storage space to your computer
- Simple plug-and-play connectivity via USB cable
- Power supply and USB 3.0 cable included
- USB 3.0 interface for extremely fast data transfer speeds (USB 2.0 compatible)
- Drive is automatically recognized by Windows; no software installation required
S ========TRANSFER TESTS:I transferred several mixes of files from one internal drive to another, and then from that internal drive to this external drive.1. 9GB of photos: 37MB/s between internal drives; 40MB/s via USB 3.0; 24MB/s via USB 2.02. 8GB single file: 87MB/s between internal drives (range 82-98MB/s during transfer); 94 via USB 3.0 (range 88-102MB/s); 32MB/s via USB 2.0Note: The internal-internal transfers has slight disadvantages in these test: (1) Not a freshly formatted file system (but freshly defragmented), (2) space on the middle of the platter rather than the beginning, (3) older technology (below).THE DRIVES:The drive in my enclosure is a Seagate ST2000DM001 (part# 9YN164), which is a member of the Barracuda 7200.14 series: SATA 6Gb/s, 64MB cache, 4KB sectors (Advanced Format technology). The internal drives used for comparison are 20-month old Seagate ST310005N1A1AS-RK, which are members of the Barracuda 7200.12 series: SATA 3Gb/s, 32MB cache, 512B sectors.HEAT:With the air gap underneath the enclosure widened (to 0.3") and the drive positioned at a corner of my desk (for air flow), the maximum drive temperature was 45-47C = 113-116F (S.M.A.R.T. ID=C2 via CrystalDiskInfo), and was fairly consistent for ambient temperatures of 73-82F. This level was reached after 2.5-3 hours with moderate but intermittent activity. For sustained activity, it was approached after the transfer of about 20-40GB of normal files (several tests), with only a small increase for a subsequent 40GB of similar files.For comparison, the temperature of the corresponding internal drive being used in the transfers had only half that increase -- 10C=18F -- rising only to 36C=97F, both drives having started at ambient 26C=80F. Recognize that 47C is _not_ a bad temperature -- on devices I am familiar with, concern and alarms start at 55-60C -- but lower temperatures are better.2013-03-17: [ For some time, I have had the drive sitting on a sheet of metal (aluminum) that extends over an inch beyond both sides, providing a radiator (rather than a heat reservoir) below it. I had noticed that this substantially reduced the rate of increase in internal drive temperatures, but I hadn't done a reasonable test. I just copied 170GB (yes, "gigabyte") of data to the drive starting at an ambient temperature of 21C=70F. Increases: +7C @ 90GB copied (impressive), +15C @ 140GB, +20C (= 41C) @ 170GB (final). This was a continuous transfer taking 90-120 minutes (failed to record exact times). At these temperatures, the thickness of the conductor is irrelevant: standard kitchen aluminum foil worked just a well in a second test as the 1/16-inch thick sheet (that I had salvaged from a broken laptop cooler). If you choose to use aluminum foil (ignoring/reveling in its tackiness), recognize the inevitable crinkling makes taller feet even more important. And recognize that YMMV, so check how well your set-up works, using the utilities mentioned above (or similar). ]During active transfers, the drive draws 8-10W (power=heat). Less than a minute, sometimes seconds, after the transfer stop, power consumption drops to less than 0.1W (my Kill A Watt EZ shows 0.0W), although the drive continues spinning (I can feel the vibration with my fingertips) -- see APM below.Because I suspected that the enclosure was a factor, I measured temperatures beneath it. For transfers of 40-80GB (eg, a disk image, a multitude of photos), the increase was 16-20F (36C=97F at 77F ambient). In most of my tests, this increase came during the first 20GB but there were two cases where it rose much slower for reasons unknown. The temperature on top of the enclosure tended to be 9-12F above ambient. After I powered off the drive, the temperature below rose another 1F (loss of the small airflow created by the platters and heads?) and it was almost an hour before it dropped 2F (latent heat in the desk below it?). When I powered on the drive after it being off for 3 hours, the drive reported being still 12F above ambient (SMART data).Absence of convection: I put some thin hairs (from my cat) next to the vents at the back of the drive and the air flow was so negligible that they didn't even quiver.APM (Advanced Power Management): PassMark's DiskCheckup, under Device Info, reports that APM is enabled with the level set to "Minimum power consumption without Standby". When a drive enters Standby, it spins down and parks its heads. Excessive spin-down & parking can reduce drive life, and this APM level seems to be a response to problems with earlier versions of this (and similar) drives.Aside: Regarding a complaint in another review about the power supply being a "wall wart" instead of being integrated: Recognize that an integrated power supply would add roughly 25% more heat to the enclosure (based upon a typical efficiency of 80% for switching power supplies) and that this would almost certainly raise the operating temperature of the drive. Manufacturers may choose wall-warts and bricks for lower costs and other reasons, but sometimes it is also good design.FIRMWARE:My unit came with firmware CC9E. However, when I went to Seagate's web page for firmware updates, the entry for this model mentions CC4H as current -- four not nine for the third digit -- and doesn't mention the *E as one of the relevant versions for my disk's part number. Normally a product's firmware is a single sequence, but Seagate _may_ have bifurcated the firmware because of difficulties making the internal and external versions of the code co-exist.Seagate's "Drive Detect" software (link on their firmware page) malfunctions for this drive (but works for my other Seagate family drives). Web search found people asking questions about the CC9* series, but no useful answers.To find the web page about this, go to the Seagate website and search on "Firmware Updates for Seagate Products" and click on "Barracuda (1TB/disk platform)". Aside: I cannot provide a direct link because of Amazon's well-motivated policy of prohibiting external links because they are potentially malicious.-- Douglas Moran199 of 213 people found the following review helpful.
Nothing New But The Firmware
By RandomGibberish
Summary* Same internal drive as the old version* Runs just as hot as the old external drive (in my testing)* APM is now turned off by default - this might be huge, people online have blamed this feature for the grinding noises and premature death of some seagate drives* Firmware update from CC9D to CC9E (CC9H firmware is available online)* Looks a little better* Not worth more than the old version imoEdit #2: When I used the Serial Number from Crystaldiskinfo to check the warranty (google "Seagate Warranty Checker") it showed that my drive was under warranty until the end of August 2013. That's almost 14 months, which still isn't long, but make sure you check online and do not just assume your warranty is dead after 12 months exact.I needed another 3tb drive and decided to go out on a limb and spend the extra $10 on this "new version" of the seagate drive.I will admit that at least the case looks different - its rectangular on the front instead of being rounded off, it has a matte finish instead of the old shiny black look, and the activity light is now blue instead of green. I think it does look marginally better but who buys these things for the looks?Crystal Disk info tells me that inside lives the exact same drive I found in the "old" model of the seagate 3tb external - a ST3000DM001-9YN166 (in fact some people have pulled even better drives out of the "old" version externals so ymmv)The firmware on this new drive is version CC9E while the old version did have firmware CC9D.This case does have small holes drilled on the top of the back panel to act as a "vent" - HoweverI ran a full stress test on the external and it reached temps of 56*C, a mere 2 degree lowers than the old model I got a few weeks ago, so I do not find that any significant improvement has been made in regards to the heat trap issue of the "old" model.In conclusion - Nothing has changed on the inside. If you think it looks better than the old one or if you want the new firmware and are too lazy to do it yourself - Only then is it worth a price premium over the old version.EDIT: APM is now turned off by default, in contrast to the old version of this drive, which could be a huge benefit to some
183 of 197 people found the following review helpful.
(3.5 stars) Back-up your files, now! A good option for backup or other intermittent use
By Snap, Crackle and Pop
THE QUICK TAKE: The Seagate Expansion 2TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive STBV2000100 is a good option as a backup drive, or as an expansion drive that isn't used intensively. It may also serve well as a working drive that's used more intensively but for temporary or replaceable files - such as a scratch drive or a media server.This drive is large enough and priced low enough that you can backup multiple computers for not a lot of money.However, if you're looking for an expansion drive - a second drive to augment a laptop or desktop - that you will use intensively, consider options with cooling and perhaps backup, especially if you will use the drive for your only copy of files.A DESKTOP DRIVE: This is a desktop drive, not a truly portable drive. You could use it to backup multiple computers around a home or office, but you're not going to enjoy carrying the drive and the power supply.A FAST CONNECTION: USB 3.0 really is fun to use, if you have the right port on your computer to use it. No more sitting around watching file transfers - the speeds are similar to those of a built in drive.KEEP A BACKUP: One of the keys to happiness in modern life is to keep at least two copies of every computer file you need. If you have anything you would rather not have vanish tomorrow, get a hard drive - any hard drive - and make a copy. Right now. Err on the side of caution.ALL HARD DRIVES FAIL - SO REPLACE THEM BEFORE THEY DO: Hard drives are complex mechanical devices. They will absolutely, inevitably fail. So manage them accordingly.I replace all my drives after about three to four years (if they survive that long). It's much easier to replace a drive before it fails - it's very easy to copy a readable drive. It's much harder to recreate a drive, especially a boot drive, after it fails - you need to reinstall all the software and settings, and maybe reconstruct the folder structure.And hard drives are cheap enough to make it not worth the risk to keep drives around longer than that. I can usually get a bigger, faster drive for much less money than the original drive.Once you start to accept the reality that hard drives will fail, and manage your drives and data appropriately, you can drastically reduce the disruption that hard drive failures cause.BUY A GOOD MODEL OF DRIVE, THEN KEEP A CURRENT BACKUP: As much as people like to claim that particular brands are better or worse, statistics don't really seem to back that up. Buy a good model from one of the top brands - Seagate, Western Digital, Hitachi, Samsung - and then manage them as described above.That being said - some drives (or the firmware they are shipped with) have turned out to be real lemons. Most of the big manufacturers make good drive models, and they have made bad drive models. So much like your uncle, who never bought a new model car until they'd worked the bugs out of it - let someone else be at the bleeding edge of hard drives. Buy models that have been tested by other users.It's a little soon to tell for the drive installed in this particular model, and some of the early feedback is mixed.COOLING QUESTIONS: I can't really figure out why the cooling is so unconvincing on almost all external drives (like this one). A tight-fitting plastic case, with no effective ventilation? Really? While drive temperature isn't perhaps quite as big an issue as some would make it out to be - that level of cooling just doesn't seem adequate for a drive that's running more than a fraction of the time. If your needs fit that description - that is, if you need a back up drive, or an intermittently used expansion drive - then this Seagate external drive may be a good matchFOR AN INTENSIVELY USED EXPANSION DRIVE, CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS: If you need more space in an expansion drive, and plan to use the drive intensively, consider other options. Perhaps a NAS (network attached storage) or a drive enclosure with more effective cooling, and possibly something with multiple drives and built in backup.WATCH HOW YOUR DRIVES ARE SHIPPED: One of the key factors in whether a drive will last is how it's handled and shipped. External drives such as this one are usually packaged somewhat well, although online vendors still don't seem to really get the concept of filling the shipping box so the product inside doesn't bounce around on its way to you.
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