If you've been seeking additional external storage for a NAS or as a backup solution, traditional spinning disk drives still hold value in 2026. Particularly, they're more budget-friendly compared to the rising prices of SSDs. The 18TB WD Elements external drive is currently priced at £275 on Amazon, marking its lowest price in recent times. To find it cheaper than this, you'd need to look back at least two years when it was similarly priced during Black Friday and Christmas sales.
The standout feature of this drive is its massive capacity. With 18TB of space, it's perfect for storing high-resolution media files such as music and videos—high-quality 4K videos can take up significant space! It can also be used as an expansion for NAS systems, enhancing storage capabilities. While it could serve as a storage option for your growing Steam library, keep in mind that load times will be slower than with premium gaming SSDs, characteristic of mechanical hard drives. Personally, I have a smaller 8TB version, and this model nearly triples my space.
This drive is an excellent alternative for both Xbox Series X and PS5 users seeking additional game storage. However, remember that while you can store games on this external drive, playing them will require transferring them to your console's internal SSD for optimal performance.
For anyone in search of a substantial amount of storage at an incredibly reasonable price, the WD Elements 18TB drive presents exceptional value.
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