In an age where our digital lives are expanding at an exponential rate—from sprawling 4K video libraries and vast photo collections to immense game installs and essential system backups—finding reliable, high-capacity, and affordable storage is no longer a luxury; it's a necessity. Enter the Western Digital 872995 Easystore 14TB External USB 3.0 Hard Drive.
This unassuming black box has become a legendary figure in tech circles, forums, and among data hoarders for one simple reason: it consistently offers incredible value. But is it the right massive storage solution for you? We’ve spent months putting this drive through its paces to find out.
First Impressions: Unboxing and Design
Pulling the WD Easystore out of its minimalist retail packaging, you’re immediately aware of what you’ve purchased: pure capacity. The drive itself is surprisingly compact for housing 14 terabytes of data. It features a simple, no-frills design—a matte black plastic shell with a subtle textured finish on the top and sides that helps resist fingerprints.
The front has a small white activity LED that pulses gently during use, and the back is home to just three items: the USB 3.0 Micro-B port, the DC power input, and a Kensington lock slot. The inclusion of a physical power switch is a welcome bonus, a feature often omitted on cheaper external drives that allows you to completely cut power without unplugging it.
It’s not flashy, and it doesn’t need to be. The design philosophy is clearly function over form, and it excels. The included accessories are minimal: a power brick and a USB 3.0 cable. It’s worth noting that the power supply is relatively compact, which is a plus for portability.
Under the Hood: What’s Really Inside?
This is where the Easystore’s reputation is truly made. While Western Digital doesn't officially advertise the specific internal model, teardowns by the community have consistently revealed that these drives often contain WD's top-tier Red or White Label drives. These are essentially HGST Ultrastar helium-filled enterprise-class drives known for their reliability and performance.
This means you’re not just getting any old drive slapped into an enclosure. You’re getting a high-quality, CMR (Conventional Magnetic Recording) hard drive. Unlike SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) drives, which can suffer from painfully slow write speeds during certain tasks, CMR drives offer consistent performance, making them ideal for use in NAS systems or for large, sustained file transfers.
Key Specifications:
- Capacity: 14TB
- Interface: USB 3.0 (Backwards compatible with USB 2.0)
- Form Factor: 3.5-inch
- Cooling: Passive ventilation grooves on the underside
- Warranty: Manufacturer's limited warranty (typically 2 years)
Performance Testing: Speed and Real-World Use
Connected via USB 3.0 to a modern computer, the Easystore 14TB performs exactly as expected for a high-capacity 7200 RPM-class drive. In crystal disk mark benchmarks, we saw sequential read speeds consistently hovering between 190-210 MB/s and write speeds in the same range.
In real-world use, this translates to fantastic performance:
- Transferring a 100GB folder of mixed media files completed in just under 9 minutes.
- Writing a single massive 50GB disk image file took around 4 minutes.
- Streaming high-bitrate 4K video files is buttery smooth with no buffering or stuttering.
The drive does emit the expected audible seek clicks and whirrs during heavy activity, which is standard for any high-performance 3.5" mechanical drive. It’s not silent, but it’s not distractingly loud either. For a desktop environment, it’s perfectly acceptable. Under load, it remained cool to the touch thanks to its effective passive cooling design.
For the best balance of price and performance, this drive is frequently a top choice.
Check the current price on Amazon here.
Who Is The WD Easystore 14TB Perfect For?
This drive isn't a one-trick pony. Its massive capacity and reliable internals make it a champion for several key use cases:
- The Home Media Archivist: If you have a Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby server, this drive is a perfect candidate. Its CMR technology ensures smooth streaming and library scanning, and 14TB can hold thousands of movies and TV shows.
- The Prudent Backupper: Using software like Macrium Reflect, Acronis, or even Windows’ built-in tools, this drive can hold complete system images of multiple computers with room to spare for incremental backups.
- The Creative Professional: Videographers and photographers can use this as a primary archive for completed projects, freeing up precious fast SSD space on their workstations for current edits.
- The Shucker: A significant portion of Easystore buyers engage in "shucking"—removing the internal drive from its external enclosure to install it directly into a desktop PC or NAS. The value proposition here is often unbeatable, as the internal drive inside is frequently cheaper than buying a bare NAS drive of equivalent capacity.
The Verdict: Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Exceptional Value per Terabyte: Often available at significant discounts, it's one of the best cost/TB ratios on the market.
- High-Quality Internal Drive: Typically contains a reliable, helium-filled CMR enterprise-grade HDD.
- Consistent Performance: USB 3.0 provides ample bandwidth, and the CMR drive ensures steady speeds.
- Simple and Functional Design: Includes a physical power switch and Kensington lock slot.
Cons:
- Requires External Power: Needs a wall outlet, limiting true portability.
- Not Bus-Powered: The included power brick is an extra item to carry and manage.
- Audible During Operation: Not as quiet as a 2.5" portable SSD or slower laptop drive.
Final Thoughts
The Western Digital Easystore 14TB External USB 3.0 Hard Drive is a workhorse. It foregoes aesthetic glamour for raw, reliable storage capacity and outstanding value. Whether you need a monolithic backup target, a foundation for your home media server, or a prime candidate for shucking, this drive delivers where it counts.
It’s a testament to the idea that the best tech isn’t always the flashiest—it’s the product that solves a fundamental problem effectively and affordably. For anyone needing to conquer the ever-growing mountain of digital data, the WD Easystore 14TB is an easy recommendation and arguably one of the best storage deals you can find.
