I remember the time when a 500gb external hard drive still had that wow factor because most hard drives were limited to a 160gb or 320gb capacity. Today though, a 1TB external hard drive is far more common than it’s 500gb counterpart. But for those who do not require bigger storage, the external hard drive 500gb is good enough to store all those documents, pictures and videos. It’s also a good sized storage for those who need multiple external hard drives to categorize their files or for those who need an extra hard drive to accompany them during trips. I for one have one of these which stores mainly family photos so if one of my relatives wanted to borrow the drive they won’t be able to peek into my other files.

Top 500GB External Hard Drive Reviewed

We’ll go straight to the point and list our top 500gb external hard drive choices:

Western Digital My Passport Essential 500 GB

Arguably the most popular manufacturer of hard drives both external and internal is Western Digital. With a reputation like that, one cannot help but blindly trust them for their drive needs. Fortunately for us, Western Digital rarely fails. And with the addition of a new Western Digital 500gb External Hard Drive My Passport Essential, they have certainly created a winning product.

What we like about this 500gb external hard drive

• Compatible with both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 – if your machine supports 3.0, it’s a huge leap from USB 2.0 so better take advantage of this high speed transfer. It’s 3x faster than USB 2.0 which is definitely a huge advantage if you’re working with videos, photos and music.
• USB Powered – since this is a portable external hard drive, this doesn’t require a separate power source. Just plug in your USB cable and it’s good to go
• Very Portable! – It’s 2.5 inches thick which could easily slip into your laptop bags without the extra bulge. Plus it weighs only 5 ounces!
• Comes in various colors – If you hate having the same old black hard drive then you’re in luck, this one comes in a variety of colors from blue to silver.
• Backup Software – Like all western digital external hard drives, this one too comes with a backup software. Of course, you won’t be forced to use it but it’s definitely a nice to have.
• 2 year warranty – Even though other hard drives provide 3-5 years warranty, for us, 2 years is enough time for a western digital hard drive. They have proven time and time again that they are one of the best if not the best in the hard drive industry. Support is prompt and responsive as well so anytime you encounter problems with your hard drive, just give them a call.

Like most people, we too recommend the Western Digital 500gb hard drive. It’s one of the most heavily reviewed product and remains to be part of the bestsellers list. Even if your laptop or desktop does not have USB 3 support, it’s still a good buy since it also supports USB 2.0. And by the time you upgrade your machine, you can instantly take advantage of the USB 3 connection.

Buffalo Technology MiniStation Stealth 500GB External Hard Drive

It may not be as popular as the western digital hard drives, but it sure does the job and it does it well. Reviewed as the best portable external hard drive, it exceeded expectations. It’s slightly cheaper than the WD Hard drive and it only supports USB 2.0. But for a USB 2, the speed is definitely better than the average.

This gets our recommendation because it is both fast and tiny. Heating problems are also almost non-existent. Even with continuous transfers, it doesn’t get too hot compared to other drives.

Recommended Additional Accessories

Since you’re purchasing a portable hard drive and you’re obviously going to take it with you, we recommend buying a carrying case to help prevent scratches. It also helps in organizing your cables rather than having to dump the cable somewhere within your laptop bag or backpack. If you’re buying the western digital portable hard drive, you could get the carrying case here, won’t cost you more than $8.

Where to Buy

All items presented in this review can be bought over at Amazon. The links below will point you to the cheapest price we’ve found:

1. Get the Western Digital My Passport Essential 500 GB
2. Get the Buffalo Technology MiniStation Stealth 500GB External Hard Drive

If you stumble upon any 500gb external hard drive worth mentioning, just leave a comment so we could add it up on our list!