Updated
Track the Cheapest Drives Worth Shucking Today
3.5-inch shuckable externals ranked by live post-shuck price per terabyte, refreshed every six hours
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability come from Amazon.com as of the last update and may change.
Quick answer
Shucking means buying an external USB hard drive, removing the plastic enclosure, and using the bare drive inside. Whether that beats buying the internal drive changes week to week, and in late 2026 it often does not, so the tracker measures it: every in-stock 3.5-inch desktop external of 4TB and up is ranked by post-shuck price per terabyte and compared with the cheapest new internal NAS drive of the same capacity. The headline pick is only ever a unit we can map to a known CMR drive. Prices refresh every six hours from Amazon.
As of October 27, 2026
How to read the tracker
Post-shuck price per terabyte is the external's price divided by its capacity, because after you shuck it the drive you keep is the internal. The "vs internal" column compares that to the cheapest in-stock NAS-rated CMR drive of the same capacity, so a green minus figure is how much per terabyte you save by shucking, and a grey plus figure means the bare internal drive is the cheaper buy.
Portable 2.5-inch drives, keypad-encrypted units, SSD and flash products and anything under 4TB are not shuck targets for a NAS. They are listed separately under the tracker with the reason, and never ranked.
The best shucks are usually the high-capacity WD Elements and easystore (14TB and up), which almost always contain CMR white-label drives in the WD Red Plus or Ultrastar class, and the larger Seagate Expansion Desktop units, which hold Exos-class CMR drives. Smaller externals (6-8TB) can hide SMR drives that are poor for RAID, so the tracker flags recording type from the shucking list.
Shuck or buy internal?
Shuck when
- The post-shuck $/TB beats the internal by a clear margin
- The capacity is 12TB or higher (almost always CMR)
- You can SMART-test and surface-scan before trusting it
- You do not need an on-drive manufacturer warranty
Buy internal when
- You want the full manufacturer warranty (3-5 years)
- The external is 8TB or smaller and might be SMR
- The price gap is small and not worth the risk
- You need a specific validated model for your NAS
Cheapest shuck right now
The lowest post-shuck price per terabyte on Amazon.com from a drive we can identify is $31.25/TB: the Seagate Expansion 16 TB at $499.99 (typically Seagate Exos / IronWolf-class (ST16000NM), CMR), about $8.12/TB cheaper than the cheapest equivalent internal NAS drive (a saving of roughly $129.92 on the drive). 16 cheaper listings are in the table but not counted here, because the drive inside is unmapped or may be SMR.
| External | Capacity | Live price | Post-shuck $/TB | Typical internal | vs internal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OSENTRiX externalUnmappedOSENTRiX BX100 14TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C External Hard Drive for Window | 14 TB | $359.99 | $25.71 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$12.86/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| AvolusionUnmappedAt our tracked lowAvolusion PRO-T8 Series 14TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive for WindowsOS | 14 TB | $359.99 | $25.71 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$12.86/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| OSENTRiX externalUnmappedAt our tracked lowOSENTRiX GX100 14TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C External Hard Drive with USB H | 14 TB | $359.99 | $25.71 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$12.86/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| OSENTRiX externalUnmappedAt our tracked lowOSENTRiX BX100 16TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C External Hard Drive for Window | 16 TB | $449.99 | $28.12 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$11.25/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| OSENTRiX externalUnmappedOSENTRiX BX100 12TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C External Hard Drive for Window | 12 TB | $339.99 | $28.33 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$8.75/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Seagate ExpansionUnmappedAt our tracked lowSeagate Expansion 24TB External Hard Drive HDD - USB 3.0, with Rescue | 24 TB | $679.99 | $28.33 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$15.84/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| OSENTRiX externalUnmappedAt our tracked lowOSENTRiX GX100 12TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) External Hard Drive with US | 12 TB | $349.99 | $29.17 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$7.91/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| AvolusionUnmappedAt our tracked lowAvolusion PRO-G2 12TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) USB-C External Hard Drive | 12 TB | $349.99 | $29.17 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$7.91/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| AvolusionUnmappedAt our tracked lowAvolusion PRO-G1 12TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) USB-C External Hard Drive | 12 TB | $359.99 | $30.00 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$7.08/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| OSENTRiX externalUnmappedAt our tracked lowOSENTRiX BX100 18TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C External Hard Drive for Window | 18 TB | $549.99 | $30.56 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$2.72/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| AvolusionUnmappedAt our tracked lowAvolusion M5 Series 16TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive for WindowsOS Des | 16 TB | $489.99 | $30.62 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$8.75/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| AvolusionUnmappedAvolusion PRO-G2 16TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) USB-C External Hard Drive | 16 TB | $489.99 | $30.62 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$8.75/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| OSENTRiX externalUnmappedAt our tracked lowOSENTRiX BX100 24TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C External Hard Drive for Window | 24 TB | $739.99 | $30.83 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$13.34/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| OSENTRiX externalUnmappedAt our tracked lowOSENTRiX GX100 18TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbpps) External Hard Drive with U | 18 TB | $559.99 | $31.11 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$2.17/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Seagate ExpansionUnmappedSold by AmazonSeagate 24TB Expansion Desktop Hard Drive | MicroB to USB-C (STNP24000 | 24 TB | $749.53 | $31.23 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$12.94/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| OSENTRiX externalUnmappedAt our tracked lowOSENTRiX GX100 16TB USB 3.2 (10Gbps) External Hard Drive with USB Hub | 16 TB | $499.99 | $31.25 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$8.12/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Seagate ExpansionCMRAt our tracked lowSeagate Expansion Desktop, 16TB, External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 (STKP160 | 16 TB | $499.99 | $31.25 | Seagate Exos / IronWolf-class (ST16000NM), CMRConfidence: high | -$8.12/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| UnionSine externalUnmappedUnionSine Desktop External Hard Drive 14TB, USB3.0 3.5" HDD Storage | | 14 TB | $439.89 | $31.42 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$7.15/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Seagate ExpansionCMRSold by AmazonAt our tracked lowSeagate 16TB Expansion Desktop Hard Drive | MicroB to USB-C (STNP16000 | 16 TB | $503.28 | $31.46 | Seagate Exos / IronWolf-class (ST16000NM), CMRConfidence: high | -$7.91/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| UnionSine externalUnmappedUnionSine Desktop External Hard Drive 16TB, USB3.0 3.5" HDD Storage | | 16 TB | $508.99 | $31.81 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$7.56/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| OSENTRiX externalUnmappedOSENTRiX BX100 10TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C External Hard Drive for Window | 10 TB | $319.99 | $32.00 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$7.99/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| AvolusionUnmappedAt our tracked lowAvolusion G2 16TB USB 3.2 (10Gbps) USB-C External Hard Drive for Windo | 16 TB | $519.00 | $32.44 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$6.93/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| OSENTRiX externalUnmappedOSENTRiX BX100 22TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C External Hard Drive for Window | 22 TB | $719.99 | $32.73 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$5.04/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Seagate ExpansionCMRSold by AmazonAt our tracked lowSeagate 20TB Expansion Desktop Hard Drive | MicroB to USB-C (STNP20000 | 20 TB | $658.92 | $32.95 | Seagate Exos / IronWolf-class (ST20000NM), CMRConfidence: high | -$5.40/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| OSENTRiX externalUnmappedAt our tracked lowOSENTRiX GX100 22TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C External Hard Drive with USB H | 22 TB | $749.99 | $34.09 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$3.68/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| UnionSine externalUnmappedUnionSine Desktop External Hard Drive 12TB, USB3.0 3.5" HDD Storage | | 12 TB | $409.99 | $34.17 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$2.91/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Seagate ExpansionCMRSeagate Expansion Desktop 16TB External Hard Drive – USB 3.0, 3.5" HDD | 16 TB | $549.00 | $34.31 | Seagate Exos / IronWolf-class (ST16000NM), CMRConfidence: high | -$5.06/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| AvolusionUnmappedAt our tracked lowAvolusion PRO-G1 Series 20TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) USB-C External Har | 20 TB | $699.99 | $35.00 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$3.35/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| LaCieUnmappedLaCie d2 Professional 24TB External Hard Drive Desktop HDD – USB-C USB | 24 TB | $849.72 | $35.41 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$8.76/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD ElementsCMRSold by AmazonWestern Digital 10TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 | 10 TB | $357.39 | $35.74 | WD White-label WD100EMAZ (Red/Ultrastar class), CMRConfidence: medium | -$4.25/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Seagate ExpansionCMRSeagate Expansion 20TB External Hard Drive HDD - USB 3.0, with Rescue | 20 TB | $729.99 | $36.50 | Seagate Exos / IronWolf-class (ST20000NM), CMRConfidence: high | -$1.85/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD ElementsCMRAt our tracked lowWD 16TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 for plug-and-pla | 16 TB | $596.17 | $37.26 | WD White-label WD160EDGZ / EMFZ (Red Pro class), CMRConfidence: high | -$2.11/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Seagate Expansionmay be SMRSeagate Expansion STKP6000400 6 TB Desktop Hard Drive - External - Bla | 6 TB | $229.99 | $38.33 | Seagate BarraCuda-class; can be SMRConfidence: low | -$6.01/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Seagate ExpansionUnmappedAt our tracked lowSeagate Expansion 22TB External Hard Drive HDD - USB 3.0, with Rescue | 22 TB | $869.91 | $39.54 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$1.77/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Seagate ExpansionUnmappedAt our tracked lowSeagate Expansion 28TB External Hard Drive HDD - USB 3.0, with Rescue | 28 TB | $1,109.99 | $39.64 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$15.05/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD ElementsCMRAt our tracked lowWD 18TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive - USB 3.0, Black | 18 TB | $715.00 | $39.72 | WD White-label WD180EDGZ (Ultrastar/Red Pro class), CMRConfidence: high | +$6.44/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Seagate Expansionmay be SMRSeagate 8TB 3.5" Expansion Desktop USB 3.0 External Hard Drive | 8 TB | $325.00 | $40.63 | Seagate BarraCuda ST8000DM004 - often SMRConfidence: low | -$8.78/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD My BookUnmappedSold by AmazonAt our tracked lowWD 16TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, External HDD wit | 16 TB | $659.99 | $41.25 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$1.88/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD ElementsCMRSold by AmazonWestern Digital 18TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive USB 3.0 for | 18 TB | $782.99 | $43.50 | WD White-label WD180EDGZ (Ultrastar/Red Pro class), CMRConfidence: high | +$10.22/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD Elements DesktopUnmappedSold by AmazonAt our tracked lowWestern Digital WD 26TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 | 26 TB | $1,135.73 | $43.68 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$11.32/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD ElementsCMRWD 20TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive - USB 3.0, Black | 20 TB | $884.00 | $44.20 | WD Ultrastar DC HC560 / white-label EDGZ, CMRConfidence: high | +$5.85/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD My BookCMRWD 18TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, External HDD wit | 18 TB | $796.92 | $44.27 | WD White-label WD180EDGZ (Ultrastar class), CMRConfidence: medium | +$10.99/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD ElementsCMRWestern Digital 14TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 ext | 14 TB | $619.95 | $44.28 | WD White-label WD140EDFZ (Red Plus/Ultrastar class), CMRConfidence: high | +$5.71/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD My BookCMRAt our tracked lowWD 14TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, External HDD wit | 14 TB | $629.75 | $44.98 | WD White-label WD140EDFZ, CMRConfidence: medium | +$6.41/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD ElementsCMRSold by AmazonAt our tracked lowWestern Digital 12TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 ext | 12 TB | $549.99 | $45.83 | WD White-label WD120EMFZ / EMAZ, CMRConfidence: high | +$8.75/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| LaCieUnmappedLaCie d2 Professional 10TB External Hard Drive Desktop HDD – USB-C USB | 10 TB | $459.99 | $46.00 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$6.01/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Seagate Expansionmay be SMRSeagate (STEB8000100) Expansion Desktop 8TB External Hard Drive HDD – | 8 TB | $372.40 | $46.55 | Seagate BarraCuda ST8000DM004 - often SMRConfidence: low | -$2.86/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Seagate externalUnmappedSeagate STEL8000100 Backup Plus Hub 8TB External Desktop Hard Drive St | 8 TB | $377.97 | $47.25 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$2.16/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Oyen DigitalUnmappedSold by AmazonAt our tracked lowOyen Digital Novus 20TB Rugged External USB-C 7200RPM Desktop Hard Dri | 20 TB | $949.00 | $47.45 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$9.10/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD ElementsCMRSold by AmazonWestern Digital 10TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 ext | 10 TB | $478.64 | $47.86 | WD White-label WD100EMAZ (Red/Ultrastar class), CMRConfidence: medium | +$7.87/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD My BookUnmappedAt our tracked lowWestern Digital Mybook 8tb 3.5in USB 3.0 Black | 8 TB | $385.99 | $48.25 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$1.16/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Seagate ExpansionUnmappedAt our tracked lowSeagate Expansion Desktop, 4TB, External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 (STKP4000 | 4 TB | $194.95 | $48.74 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$1.26/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD ElementsCMRAt our tracked lowWestern Digital 14TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 | 14 TB | $689.90 | $49.28 | WD White-label WD140EDFZ (Red Plus/Ultrastar class), CMRConfidence: high | +$10.71/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD ElementsCMRSold by AmazonWestern Digital 8TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 exte | 8 TB | $399.38 | $49.92 | WD White-label WD80EMAZ / EAZZ, CMRConfidence: medium | +$0.51/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD Elementsmay be SMRAt our tracked lowWD 6 TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive - USB 3.0, Black | 6 TB | $309.99 | $51.67 | WD Blue-class; can be SMRConfidence: low | +$7.33/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Oyen DigitalUnmappedSold by AmazonAt our tracked lowOyen Digital Novus 16TB External USB-C Rugged 7200RPM Desktop Hard Dri | 16 TB | $829.00 | $51.81 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$12.44/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD ElementsCMRWestern Digital 12TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 dri | 12 TB | $628.00 | $52.33 | WD White-label WD120EMFZ / EMAZ, CMRConfidence: high | +$15.25/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD Elementsmay be SMRSold by AmazonAt our tracked lowWestern Digital 6TB Elements Desktop USB 3.0 external hard drive for p | 6 TB | $314.99 | $52.50 | WD Blue-class; can be SMRConfidence: low | +$8.16/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD Elements DesktopUnmappedSold by AmazonWestern Digital WD 24TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive for Plug- | 24 TB | $1,268.30 | $52.85 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$8.68/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD My BookUnmappedWestern Digital 6TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, Exte | 6 TB | $317.90 | $52.98 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$8.64/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Oyen DigitalUnmappedSold by AmazonAt our tracked lowOyen Digital Novus 16TB Rugged External USB-C 7200RPM Desktop Hard Dri | 16 TB | $849.00 | $53.06 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$13.69/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Oyen DigitalUnmappedSold by AmazonAt our tracked lowOyen Digital Novus 12TB Rugged External USB-C 7200RPM Desktop Hard Dri | 12 TB | $649.00 | $54.08 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$17.00/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD My BookUnmappedSold by AmazonWD 22TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, External HDD wit | 22 TB | $1,239.99 | $56.36 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$18.59/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD easystoreCMReasystore is a Best Buy exclusive line; this Amazon.com listing is a third-party resale.At our tracked lowWestern Digital 8TB EASYSTORE External HDD (WDBCKA0080HBK-NESN) | 8 TB | $458.40 | $57.30 | WD White-label WD80EMAZ (sometimes red-label WD Red), CMRConfidence: medium | +$7.89/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| SanDisk Professional G-DRIVEUnmappedSanDisk Professional 24TB G-Drive Enterprise-Class External Desktop Ha | 24 TB | $1,379.99 | $57.50 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$13.33/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD ElementsCMRAt our tracked lowWestern Digital - WD Elements 10TB Desktop Hard Drive - USB 3.0 for La | 10 TB | $577.09 | $57.71 | WD White-label WD100EMAZ (Red/Ultrastar class), CMRConfidence: medium | +$17.72/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| SanDisk Professional G-DRIVECMRSold by AmazonG-DRIVE 22TB External Desktop Hard Drive, Enterprise-Class 7200RPM Ult | 22 TB | $1,289.09 | $58.60 | WD Ultrastar (stated on the listing), CMRConfidence: medium | +$20.83/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD ElementsCMRWD 22TB Elements External Hard Drive, Desktop HDD Storage, USB 3.0 Com | 22 TB | $1,317.11 | $59.87 | WD Ultrastar DC HC570 (WUH722222) class, CMRConfidence: high | +$22.10/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Glyph Production Technologies externalUnmappedGlyph Blackbox PRO 20TB 280 MB/s USB-C Enterprise Class Desktop Hard D | 20 TB | $1,199.99 | $60.00 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$21.65/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| SanDisk Professional G-DRIVECMRSanDisk Professional 22TB G-Drive Project - External HDD, Thunderbolt | 22 TB | $1,364.99 | $62.05 | WD Ultrastar (stated on the listing), CMRConfidence: medium | +$24.28/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Glyph Production Technologies externalUnmappedGlyph Blackbox PRO 16TB 280 MB/s USB-C Enterprise Class Desktop Hard D | 16 TB | $999.99 | $62.50 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$23.13/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Glyph Production Technologies externalUnmappedAt our tracked lowGlyph Blackbox PRO RAID 32TB 550 MB/s USB-C Desktop Hard Drive | USB 3 | 32 TB | $1,999.99 | $62.50 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$52.99/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| Glyph Production Technologies externalUnmappedGlyph Blackbox PRO RAID 32TB 550 MB/s Thunderbolt Desktop Hard Drive | | 32 TB | $2,249.99 | $70.31 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | -$45.18/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| SanDisk Professional G-DRIVECMRAt our tracked lowSanDisk Professional 18TB G-DRIVE Enterprise-Class Desktop Hard Drive | 18 TB | $1,299.99 | $72.22 | WD Ultrastar (stated on the listing), CMRConfidence: medium | +$38.94/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| SanDisk Professional G-DRIVEUnmappedAt our tracked lowSanDisk Professional 12TB G-Drive Hard Drive Bundle (Dark Gray) | 32GB | 12 TB | $899.99 | $75.00 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$37.92/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| SanDisk Professional G-DRIVECMRSold by AmazonAt our tracked lowG-DRIVE 12TB Project, High-Capacity Hard Drive, Thunderbolt 3, USB (10 | 12 TB | $909.99 | $75.83 | WD Ultrastar (stated on the listing), CMRConfidence: medium | +$38.75/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| SanDisk Professional G-DRIVEUnmappedAt our tracked lowG-Technology 18TB G-DRIVE USB-C (USB 3.1 Gen 1) Desktop External Hard | 18 TB | $1,399.99 | $77.78 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$44.50/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD My BookUnmappedAt our tracked lowWD 4TB My Book Desktop HDD USB 3.0 with Software for Device Management | 4 TB | $324.99 | $81.25 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$31.25/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| SanDisk Professional G-DRIVEUnmappedSanDisk Professional 6TB G-DRIVE Enterprise-Class Desktop Hard Drive H | 6 TB | $529.99 | $88.33 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$43.99/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| WD My BookUnmappedAt our tracked lowWD 4TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBFJK0040HBK-N | 4 TB | $378.09 | $94.52 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$44.52/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| SanDisk Professional externalUnmapped6Tb Sandisk Prof G Drive | Up to 250MB/s read, 250MB/s read speed | 6 TB | $644.99 | $107.50 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$63.16/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| SanDisk Professional G-DRIVECMRSanDisk Professional 12TB G-DRIVE PRO - Enterprise-Class Desktop Hard | 12 TB | $1,299.99 | $108.33 | WD Ultrastar (stated on the listing), CMRConfidence: medium | +$71.25/TB | Buy on Amazon |
| SanDisk Professional G-DRIVEUnmappedAt our tracked lowSanDisk Professional 4TB G-Drive PRO, Enterprise-Class Desktop Drive, | 4 TB | $899.99 | $225.00 | Unmapped: drive model and recording type not known. Never the headline pick. | +$175.00/TB | Buy on Amazon |
Post-shuck $/TB is the external's price divided by its capacity: the drive you keep after removing the USB enclosure. "vs internal" compares it to the cheapest in-stock NAS-rated CMR internal of the same capacity on Amazon.com. Shucking voids the external's warranty and some WD units need the 3.3V pin-3 tape workaround. Always SMART-check and surface-test a shucked drive before trusting it in a RAID array.
Not shuckable: kept out of the tracker
These in-stock externals are listed for reference only and are never ranked above. The tracker covers 3.5-inch desktop units of 4TB and larger.
| External | Capacity | Why it is not in the tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Apricorn AegisApricorn 20TB Aegis Padlock DT 256-Bit Encrypted USB 3.0 Hard Drive (A | 20 TB | Hardware-encrypted unit: the drive is tied to the enclosure's encryption controller |
| Seagate One TouchSeagate 16TB One Touch Desktop Hard Drive | USB-C (STNB16000400) | Bus | 16 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| Apricorn AegisApricorn 12TB Aegis Padlock DT 256-Bit Encrypted USB 3.0 Hard Drive (A | 12 TB | Hardware-encrypted unit: the drive is tied to the enclosure's encryption controller |
| SanDisk Professional G-DRIVESANDISK Professional 7.68TB G-DRIVE PRO STUDIO SSD - Enterprise-Class | 7.68 TB | Not a hard drive (SSD or USB flash product) |
| WD Elements PortableWD 6TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive for Windows, USB 3.2 Gen | 6 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| WD My PassportWD 6TB My Passport, Portable External Hard Drive, Red, Backup Software | 6 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| WD My PassportWD 6TB My Passport for Mac, Navy, Portable External Hard Drive with Ba | 6 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| WD My PassportWD 6TB My Passport Ultra Blue, Portable External Hard Drive, Backup So | 6 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| Seagate One TouchSeagate One Touch, 5TB, Password Activated Hardware encryption, Portab | 5 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| WD Elements PortableWestern Digital WD 5TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive for Windo | 5 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| Seagate PortableSeagate Portable 5TB External Hard Drive HDD – USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, PS | 5 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| WD My PassportWD 5TB My Passport for Mac, Navy, Portable External Hard Drive with ba | 5 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| WD Elements Portable5TB WD Elements Portable Hard Drive for Windows, Mac and Compatible De | 5 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| Seagate Expansion PortableSeagate Expansion Portable, 5TB, External Hard Drive, 2.5 Inch, USB 3. | 5 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| WD My PassportWD 5TB My Passport Portable Hard Drive, Works with USB-C and USB-A, Wi | 5 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| SP Silicon Power externalSilicon Power 5TB Rugged Portable External Hard Drive Armor A60, Shock | 5 TB | 2.5-inch portable drive, not a 3.5-inch drive for a NAS bay |
| WD My PassportWD 5TB My Passport, Portable External Hard Drive, Blue, Backup Softwar | 5 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| WD My PassportWD 5TB My Passport Ultra, Blue, Portable External Hard Drive, backup s | 5 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| WD My PassportWD 5TB My Passport Ultra for Mac Silver, Portable External Hard Drive, | 5 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| Seagate PortableSeagate Portable 4TB External Hard Drive HDD – USB 3.0, 1-Year Rescue | 4 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| Seagate Expansion PortableSeagate 4TB Expansion Portable Hard Drive | MicroB to USB-C (STNN40004 | 4 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| WD My PassportWD 4TB My Passport, Portable External Hard Drive, Black, Backup Softwa | 4 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
| Toshiba CanvioToshiba Canvio Basics 4TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0, Black | 4 TB | 2.5-inch portable drive, not a 3.5-inch drive for a NAS bay |
| WD My PassportWD 4TB My Passport, Portable External Hard Drive, Blue, backup softwar | 4 TB | 2.5-inch portable: the USB bridge is soldered to the drive's own circuit board, so there is no SATA connector to plug into a NAS |
Frequently asked questions
What is hard drive shucking?
Shucking is removing the internal drive from an external USB enclosure and using it as a bare internal drive. External desktop drives are frequently the same CMR drives sold internally, but priced lower, so shucking a WD Elements or Seagate Expansion can beat the internal price per terabyte by a wide margin.
Is shucking safe for a NAS or RAID?
Yes, if the drive inside is CMR, which the 12TB and larger WD Elements, easystore and Seagate Expansion almost always are. Avoid SMR drives (common in 6-8TB externals) for RAID because their rebuilds are slow. Always run a SMART check and a full surface test before adding a shucked drive to an array.
Does shucking void the warranty?
Opening the enclosure voids the external's warranty. Some sellers still honor the bare drive's own warranty by serial number, but do not count on it. Weigh the lost warranty against the saving the tracker shows before you shuck.
What is the 3.3V pin problem?
Many shucked WD drives have a pin-3 reset feature that some power supplies drive high, so the drive will not spin up. The fix is to cover pin 3 with a small piece of Kapton tape, or use a Molex-to-SATA power adapter that has no 3.3V line. Seagate drives rarely have this issue.