You can save lots of programs and videos with 8tb capacity, but not every external drive of this size is good. Here are the best 8tb external hard drives that are undoubtedly great.
When you like to download a lot of large programs and high definition videos, your internal hard drives will certainly run out of space in a hurry. You can try to cram in a hard disk inside your PC tower, but that’s a rather tedious exercise. It’s better to just plug in an 8tb external hard drives, especially when you fill it up with data that you tend to transfer to other devices. You can then plug in this same 8tb external hard drives to your huge LED TV, or maybe just transfer your files to another PC or laptop.
But the first 8tb external hard drive you find won’t always be the best for you. They’re not all the same, even though they all have 8tb capacity. Some are meant to work best for gaming consoles, or they may be designed to work best with Macs instead of PCs. Some are easier to use than others, and the file transfer speed can be faster in some of these external drives.
With lots of options when it comes to 8tb external hard drives, here are the top 10 best of them that may suit your needs.
Table of Contents
List of Our Top 10 Best 8tb External Hard Drives in 2023 Review On Amazon.com
10. Avolusion HDDGear 8TB USB 3.0 External PS4 Gaming Hard Drive
Many experts consider the Avolusion HDDGear as the very best gaming hard drive for gaming consoles. This is the separate version designed for the PS4, so if you have an Xbox you better get that version instead. The PS4 can only support a gaming hard drive up to 8tb, so with this, you maximize your storage options. This really offers a great investment, as you probably won’t need to buy another hard drive for your PS4 for many years to come.
What We Like:
- On average, this can fit in about 200 complete games, so you won’t get bored playing the same games over and over.
- This loads quickly enough with its 7200-RPM speed, so you return to your game fast.
- It also has a nice angular design that should fit in with your gaming setup.
- it doesn’t have a fan, so there’s no noise to disturb you.
- In addition, it comes with a 2-year warranty (though this may depend on the seller).
What We Don’t Like:
- It is slightly glitchy.
- There are random crashes occasionally.
9. Fantom Drives 8TB External Hard Drive – 7200RPM
Now, this 8tb External Hard Drive is more versatile, as it works for Mac and Windows computers as well as with the PS4 and Xbox gaming consoles. Most importantly, It’s a plug and play feature, so setup isn’t all that complicated. Finally, 8tb isn’t its maximum storage capacity. If that’s not enough, you can get this with 16tb.
What We Like:
- This also offers 7200 rpm performance, which is significantly faster than the 5400-rpm alternative by about 33%.
- This also comes with the USB 3.0, so you don’t suffer interminable transfer times.
- It’s 10 times faster than USB 2.0, though it still works with this slower option.
- This features an aluminum casing for durability, and it allows for a fan-less design more silent operation.
- It looks great, and it comes with a stand so you can set it up vertically or horizontally.
- This comes with a 1-year warranty.
What We Don’t Like:
- It is slightly noisy.
- It runs hot.
8. Seagate Game Drive Hub for Xbox 8TB
Now if you have an Xbox One instead of a PlayStation, this is the external hard drive you should get. You have enough space for at least 200 games, and the setup is as simple as just connecting and installing this. Moreover, the step by step setup doesn’t take long at all. This 8tb External Hard Drives features a couple of USB 3.0 ports in front, which gives you no-lag performance.
What We Like:
- It’s just as fast as using the hard drive of your gaming console.
- You’ll be able to play well when using the ports for accessories such as your controllers and steering wheel accessories.
- You can use this as your hub and connect your mobiles devices to it as well.
What We Don’t Like:
- The manufacturer does not offer a great warranty as promised.
- Not highly durable. Randomly stop working from times to times
7. Seagate 8tb Expansion Desktop
It’s no secret that lots of people have a tendency to hoard data by downloading them from the Internet. With torrent files, you can collect movies and TV shows along with thousands of music files, and even large video games. Most importantly, the hoarding tendency can quickly overpower your hard drive capacity, so it’s great that you can get a dependable 8tb hard drive for the extra downloaded data. Last but not least, what’s really great is having an extra 8tb capacity won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Even if you have a limited budget, you can get an 8tb hard drive option from Seagate.
What We Like:
- This works automatically for any Windows computer (or laptop).
- It comes with a power adapter and an 18-inch USB 3.0 cable, and the setup is automatic and quick.
- This also works for a Mac, although you’ll first have to reformat this hard drive first.
- Just because it’s affordable doesn’t mean it’s no good, since here you also get the USB 3.0 compatibility.
- While this works with USB 2.0 as well, do try to attach this through the USB 3.0 ports—the transfer rate is 10 times faster.
- In real life, the transfer rate is about 160 MB/s which isn’t all that bad.
- It also comes with a 1-year warranty.
What We Don’t Like:
- It is not highly durable.
- Not too reliable.
6. Seagate Backup Plus Hub 8TB
Like any external hard drive, this Seagate offers lots of extra storage capacity for downloading games and movies. It features quick file transfer rates and the storage is quite dependable. As the name Backup Plus Hub indicates, this offers 2 crucial services for your PC aide from just offering extra space. Most importantly, you can use this to back up your important files (such as your thesis) just by using the Seagate backup software included in your purchase. All it takes is a single click, and you can schedule these backups automatically.
What We Like:
- You also have a couple of USB 3.0 ports conveniently located at the front.
- This can charge your mobile devices, and it can also allow the transfer of data files from devices such as smartphones and tablets.
- You can also transfer the files from your digital camera.
- your purchase also includes a 2-month membership to the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan. During this time, you’re able to use their terrific video and photo editing apps for free.
- This is preformatted for Windows, but don’t worry if you have a Mac. You can use it for your Mac too after you format it properly.
- You can rely on this to work without any trouble, and the warranty is for 2 years.
What We Don’t Like:
- the drive began making grinding and chattering noises.
- Poor seagate unit and warranty.
5. Western Digital 8TB EASYSTORE External HDD
This doesn’t just come with the needed USB cable and a power adapter. You can also use this for your Mac or Windows PC, or even for your PlayStation. On the other hand, you have the Western Digital Drive Utilities that also lets you configure and diagnose the drive. Last but not least, you can also use compatible programs to automatically back up your files to the server.
What We Like:
- you can also enjoy the USB 3.0 transfer speeds.
- It’s plug and play feature.
- you get a 2-year warranty.
- It works very well, and it doesn’t heat much even with continuous use.
What We Don’t Like:
- It is average speed.
4. LaCie d2 Professional 8TB External Hard Drive Portable Desktop HDD
This works for Mac and Windows machines, and it’s also ready for the Apple Time Machine. It’s set for Mac computers as is, but it comes with software to let you format this for Windows using. Additionally, try this for backup for your Mac, and the first backup takes a faster speed.
What We Like:
- you can use it with USB 3.1 an3.0 ports. It will work with a USB 2.0 computer as well.
- This machine can even let you charge your MacBook and MacBook Pro if you have the USB Power Delivery Profile on the computer.
- It uses up to 240MB meaning less time moving files from camera cards into Adobe and more time filling camera cards with new photos and footage.
- It comes with a 5 years warranty.
What We Don’t Like:
- It is slightly expensive.
3. Seagate Desktop 8tb
If you don’t really need your external hard drive to work as a hub, you can get this Seagate Desktop instead. You don’t get the 2 extra ports, but since you don’t need them you end up paying less for this external hard drive. This provides you with the hard disk capacity you need with the fuss or the hang-ups.
What We Like:
- The interface is via USB 3.0.
- it comes with the required cable, but it will work with USB 2.0 if that’s what you have on your PC.
- The transfer speed is about 160 MB per second, so even Blu-ray high-def movies won’t take long to transfer.
- This is automatically configured for a Windows PC, but it works for Macs too. You just need to reformat it for the Mac, and you’re good to go.
- For your piece of mind, it comes with a 1-year warranty.
What We Don’t Like:
- Transfer speed is slightly slow in reality.
2. Western Digital 8TB Elements Desktop Hard Drive
Do you simply want a basic external hard drive without the bells and whistles you don’t really need? If you don’t care for frills like password protection, hardware encryption, Dropbox or Cloud Service, then the WD Elements is the way to go. You get what you need, and you don’t pay for features you have no use for. In addition, this works with Windows without any fuss, but you can reformat it to work with your Mac. Not only that, but it works with your PS4 as well as gaming storage. Most importantly, this is a highly regarded hard drive, even though it doesn’t seem to have all that many features. But this is because it is extremely reliable, and you won’t have problems using this at all.
What We Like:
- This works with USB 2.0, but you may want to upgrade your PC if this is your only USB option. That’s because this gives you a lousy file transfer rate of only 30mb or so per second.
- You’re better off if you have USB 3.0, as this hard drive can then transfer files at a rate of about 170mb per second.
- You also get a 2-year warranty.
- Check around online and you can see that most customer reviews for this hard drive give it perfect scores—it really is that good despite the apparent simplicity.
What We Don’t Like:
- It is not highly durable.
- Slow drive for some device.
1. WD 8TB My Book Desktop (Single Drive)
This is one of our top choices of best 8tb external hard drives, and we’re not the only ones who consider the best overall among all the external hard drives offering 8tb of storage. The Western Digital brand itself is one of the most respected names in the industry, and this particular hard drive is just great. In addition, this provides you with the performance, reliability, and convenience that others may not be able to match.
What We Like:
- It’s fairly compact, and it stands upright. It measures 6.7 inches tall, 1.9 inches wide, and 5.5 inches deep.
- It should fit right in on your desktop and it comes with a power adapter.
- This has a single USB 3.0 port, and the file transfer speed is just as fast as other models.
- It’s also backward compatible with USB 2.0 ports.
- You can use this for backup, as it comes with the WD Backup software for Windows.
- It also works with Time Machine for Macs.
- You also get the WD Security software, and this gives you password protection for your files.
- it even comes with a warranty for 3 years.
What We Don’t Like:
- There is no software support to turn off auto sleep.
- Lots of spaces but slow drive.
Buying Guide to Choosing the Best 8tb External Hard Drives
Investing on a good external hard drive is a good choice, if you need to use a lot of spaces. However, it can be a little overwhelming choosing the suitable one within your budget and your software needs. Especially, purchasing online you to get the right one at the first shot without having to hassle it with a return. Here are a few features you should consider before getting a 8TB External hard drive.
Physical size
This is one of the most important factors you should consider. For example, if you want to be able to carry it around while you work at any spaces, you might consider getting the portable one. The portable hard drive is small and compact and easily fit in your backpack. There is also a desktop-class hard drive, which normally comes in bigger sizes. As a result, it comes with one or more spinning-platter drives inside and requires a dedicated power cable plugged into AC power to work.
Interface
Most external hard drives commonly use USB or Thunderbolt. Today, the fastest mainstream connection type is Thunderbolt 3. If you have a drive that’s SSD-based, or a multi-drive, platter-based desktop hard drive, it will work perfectly with Thunderbolt.
Storage
It is important to determine how much storage you need since the external hard drives offer a wide range of storage space. Our recommendation is starting 500GB to start as they give you a lot of space without spending a lot of money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why do we need 8tb external hard drives?
A: 8tb external hard drives would provide a lot of storage space which is good for all kinds of document storing. Especially, it would be good for those who like to download movies to watch later.
Q: How many games can 8tb hold?
A: In general, it would be able to hold up to 200 games.
Q: What is a larger external hard drive than 8tb?
A: You can also go for a larger external hard drive of 16tb.
Conclusion
As you can see, the best 8tb external hard drives offer utter peace of mind with their reliability and durability. You can also transfer files at a quick rate, and you may be able to use it for your gaming consoles as well.
Thank you for spending your time reading our best 8tb external hard drives. I hope you one of these best 8tb external hard drives is can be your favorite.