Devices · 19h ago
Repurposing Old Drives as External Storage: Speed vs. Cost
A Tom's Hardware test shows that using old hard drives, SATA SSDs, or NVMe SSDs in enclosures can provide cost-effective external storage for as little as $10. However, performance varies widely, with NVMe enclosures reaching up to 80 Gbps while older HDDs lag significantly. The trade-off is between saving money and accepting slower speeds for less critical data.
Meridian48 take
The guide is practical for budget-conscious users, but the speed differences are stark—don't expect an old HDD to match modern external SSDs.
Read the full reporting
Testing old drives as external storage to avoid price hikes — hard drive, SATA SSD, and NVMe in enclosures up to 80 Gbps, tested →
Tom's Hardware
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