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Best Buy

WD 8TB Elements External USB3 Drive - $179.99

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[Best Buy] WD 8TB Elements External USB3 Drive - $179.99

I waited all week for a non SMR drive to go on sale. Not sure how I missed this as x3camel says it's been this price since Black Friday, which is the lowest. The Best Buy US price was $130 and after exchange this is only $10 more.

I've already got a few EZAZs from My Books, these will be my first EMAZs.

SD thread

(Edit: Nov 30th) Updated the deal from Amazon to Best Buy which has extended their sale until Dec 9. Surprised Amazon hasn't extended also to match. Would have gladly picked one up in person and started the Smart Long test days earlier. Amazon isn't shipping mine until Sunday. I think it took 3 or so days to finish last time and I do 2 of them.
Last edited by theSPOOLER on Nov 30th, 2018 8:57 am, edited 4 times in total.
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I write a lot to my raid for Plex - unraring etc. Would these be better for my Plex setup ?
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These are still on sale at Bestbuy for the same price if you don't want to wait for shipping.

8TB Western Digital Elements

Amazon only allowed me to buy one, so I picked up a 2nd at BB and shucked the drives out of both (White Label EMAZ) to stick in my QNAP.
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theSPOOLER wrote: I waited all week for a non SMR drive to go on sale. Not sure how I missed this as x3camel says it's been this price since Black Friday, which is the lowest. The Best Buy US price was $130 and after exchange this is only $10 more.

I've already got a few EZAZs from My Books, these will be my first EMAZs.

SD thread
Deal is good, drive is awful. It whizzes, bang, clicks and clacks and drops connections. I bought bestbuy deal and returned two days later. Just buy a wd red or black and a cheap enclosure and save yourself the headache.

Sloooooooooooooooow file copies. Stay away.
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grego9198 wrote: These are still on sale at Bestbuy for the same price if you don't want to wait for shipping.

8TB Western Digital Elements
Not sure how I missed that, but I see Amazon is just price matching Best Buy, which means the deal probably ends today when Best Buy's sale does. Plus 3% Ebates from BB.
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dyalect wrote: Deal is good, drive is awful. It whizzes, bang, clicks and clacks and drops connections. I bought bestbuy deal and returned two days later. Just buy a wd red or black and a cheap enclosure and save yourself the headache.

Sloooooooooooooooow file copies. Stay away.
Sounds like you got a bad one. Personally, I don't want an external drive, I've going to take it out. But in general, if a USB3 drive is slow and it's not a full SMR drive, it's your Window's Volume Policy, not the drive.
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theSPOOLER wrote: Not sure how I missed that, but I see Amazon is just price matching Best Buy, which means the deal probably ends today when Best Buy's sale does. Plus 3% Ebates from BB.
Bestbuy are WDBBKG0080HBK-AESN and Amazon are WDBWLG0080HBK-NESN

Any difference ? Probably some relabel white red drive ?
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Can either of those drives (Amazon or Bestbuy) be shucked ? I want to remove the drive and put it to my Desktop or NAS server
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moneytech wrote: Can either of those drives (Amazon or Bestbuy) be shucked ? I want to remove the drive and put it to my Desktop or NAS server
i want to do the same and put it in my nas.
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chowder wrote: 100%?
They can 100% be shucked. What will you get inside ? 99.5% a white labelled drive.

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I got one from Best Buy. Its an emaz white. Should be fine for 4k movies. Need another already. Have to look into a proper setup.
Last edited by dan668 on Nov 29th, 2018 1:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Netixx wrote: Bestbuy are WDBBKG0080HBK-AESN and Amazon are WDBWLG0080HBK-NESN
Any difference ? Probably some relabel white red drive ?
chowder wrote: i want to do the same and put it in my nas.
Netixx wrote: Yes they can and you will probably get a white labelled drive. Same as a Red drive.
https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/co ... d_a_weird/

I don't think that is necessarily the case that BB gets you a WDBBK box. I ordered 2 from BestBuy online late last week at the 'VIP' BF sale and they are now sitting next to me. They are both labelled WDBWLG0080HBK-NESN on the box (and Made in Thailand) and inside are two EMAZ drives (model # WDC WD80EMAZ-00WJTA0, white label 5400 rpm, 256mb cache, TLER enabled by default just like 'real' red drives).

So yes, if you win the lottery (which has way better odds than your favourite scratch and win - at least for 8tb and 10tb WD externals!) you should end up with very 'shuckable' white label drives with all the features you would get with the Red equivalent except for 1 yr of warranty. Of course, keep in mind if you remove the drive from the enclosure, you void warranty unless you can put it back in and keep it looking pristine.

BTW - anyone wanting to use this in a NAS should be following the 'Ongoing' NAS RFD Superthread:
nas-superthread-current-deals-nas-devices-1132685/
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emmjaibi wrote: I don't think that is necessarily the case that BB gets you a WDBBK box. I ordered 2 from BestBuy online late last week at the 'VIP' BF sale and they are now sitting next to me. They are both labelled WDBWLG0080HBK-NESN on the box (and Made in Thailand) and inside are two EMAZ drives (model # WDC WD80EMAZ-00WJTA0, white label 5400 rpm, 256mb cache, TLER enabled by default just like 'real' red drives).

So yes, if you win the lottery (which has way better odds than your favourite scratch and win - at least for 8tb and 10tb WD externals!) you should end up with very 'shuckable' white label drives with all the features you would get with the Red equivalent except for 1 yr of warranty. Of course, keep in mind if you remove the drive from the enclosure, you void warranty unless you can put it back in and keep it looking pristine.

BTW - anyone wanting to use this in a NAS should be following the 'Ongoing' NAS RFD Superthread:
nas-superthread-current-deals-nas-devices-1132685/
Were they the same price at the VIP sales ?

Thanks for the info BTW
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Netixx wrote: Were they the same price at the VIP sales ?

Thanks for the info BTW
Yup - same price. In fact, still at that price but sale ending today

https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/wd ... 46791.aspx?

What is weird is, yes the BB listing shows the BBK-AESN part number but like I said, what I actually had shipped to me was the BWL-NESN product. Can't say for sure it will be that but worth checking online or in store. Either way, the internal drive should be similar but might be a 128Mb cache version instead of the 256Mb version.
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Netixx wrote: Were they the same price at the VIP sales ?

Thanks for the info BTW
I believe so, I went on BF to pick one up at $179 but the line up was like 40 people deep so I waited until Sunday and did an ISPU instead.

Both drives are humming away in my NAS now.

I initially wanted the 10TB Easystores (which contain helium WD REDs according to /r/datahoarders) from BB USA but by the time I factored in the XE rate and mail forwarding, this 8TB was a more cost effective option.

There are a few tutorials on youtube for the taking apart Easystores, the Elements are the same procedure. Just use a cut up gift card to pop the tabs on the case to prevent any damage to it in case you need to warranty the drive.

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