u/Danitigre232

Hi, I’m looking for some basic storage advice.

I need a drive to temporarily back up my computer (~370 GB) for about 1–2 weeks. After that, I’d reuse it for lighter storage (around ~100 GB of photos and files).

Constraints / context:

• Budget: around $20 USD (I know it’s low)
• Prefer a single drive (don’t want to split files across multiple drives)
• Needs to connect easily via USB (my PC also has USB-C)
• Doesn’t need to be fast, just reasonably reliable
• I’ve avoided USB flash drives since I’ve read they’re not great for data retention

I’ve also seen very cheap external drives online, but I’m concerned about:

• Repackaged/refurbished old drives
• Fake capacity / controller issues
• Reliability of no-name brands

Main question:
For this use case, would you go with a cheap HDD or a low-end SSD, or just whatever is most reliable at this price point?

I’m not trying to build a long-term setup or anything — just want something safe enough for a short backup and reusable afterward without overspending.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

Hi, I’m looking for some advice because I don’t know much about storage.

I need something to temporarily back up my computer (~370 GB) for about 1–2 weeks. After that, I’d probably keep using it for lighter storage (maybe ~100 GB of photos and random files).

Some context / constraints:

• Budget: ideally around $20 USD (I know it’s low, but this is mainly for short-term use)
• I want a single drive, not splitting data across multiple drives
• I want something that connects easily via USB (my PC also has USB-C and HDMI, if that matters)
• Doesn’t need to be super fast or high-end
• I’ve read that USB flash drives aren’t great for long-term storage, so I’d rather avoid those
• I’m aware prices have gone up recently, so I’m trying to find the best compromise

Also, I’ve seen some very cheap external drives online, but I’m concerned about:

• Repackaged/refurbished old drives (e.g. old laptop HDDs inside enclosures)
• Fake capacity / controller issues
• General reliability of no-name brands

For this use case, would you pick HDD over a low-end SSD, or vice versa?

I’m not trying to build a long-term archive or hoard TBs — I’m not as tryhard as a lot of people in this subreddit — I just want something reasonably safe for a short backup and reusable later without overspending.

Questions:

• Is ~$20 even realistic for something safe/reliable?
• Should I go HDD or SSD for this use case?
• Are super cheap drives (like no-name brands) a bad idea even for short-term use?
• Any specific models or brands I should look for or avoid?

Thanks!