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Because of the My Book 3.0's design, you can't upgrade the hard drive yourself. This means you won't be able to replace the built-in SATA 2 (3Gbps) hard drive with a SATA 3 (6Gbps) drive. If you could, the My Book 3.0 could potentially operate faster since USB 3.0 can transfer files up to 4.8Gbps.
The My Book 3.0 doesn't include backup software, so you'll need to buy a third-party app if you want to use this drive to backup your system.
Performance
We tested the My Book 3.0 with both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 and were happy with its performance. The My Book USB 3.0 operated quietly and remained cool throughout the testing process, even during extended heavy loads.
When connected via USB 3.0, the device registered speeds up to 75.1MBps for the Write test and 59MBps for the Read test. These scores were in the same range as the Seagate BlackArmor PS 110 USB 3.0 and the Ineo USB 3.0 HDD Docking Station .
When connect via USB 2.0, the My Book 3.0 registered 24.9MBps for the Write test and 31MBps for the Read test. These numbers were among the fastest of USB 2.0-based external hard drives we've tested.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Service and support
Like most external hard drives, the My Book 3.0 won't require a lot of tech support. The most important thing about this type of product is the warranty, and Western Digital backs the drive up with a rather short two-year guarantee. Generally, we'd want to see a longer warranty period for storage devices. The company's toll-free phone support is available Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT, Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Western Digital's Web site offers e-mail and tech support, FAQs, a searchable knowledgebase, and downloads.
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