Western Digital My Book Desktop Review

Read/Write Performance

For HDD-type models, the WD My Book easily has the fastest read/write performance that we observed throughout our testing.

When using it with Windows, its average random data read speed was 1.01 MB per second, and its average sequential read speed was 200.4 MB per second; over 50 MB per second faster than the next HDD.

When we ran our tests for macOS, the WD My Book outperformed the other HDD types significantly. For random data, its average speed was 0.49 MB per second. This model achieved an impressive 195.34 MB/s for sequential file reading.

During the second half of our read and write assessment, we manually timed the transfer of 1GB, 5GB, and 10GB files. Again, we ran all of our tests for macOS as well as Windows to uncover any differences in performance between the two operating systems, and the Western Digital My Book was at the head of the pack for HDD types in both systems.

Using Windows, this model could transfer a 1GB file in 12 seconds, a 5GB file in 55 seconds, and a 10GB file in 94 seconds. When we switched to macOS, the times changed to 8 seconds and 37 seconds for 1GB and 5GB files, respectively, while the 10GB file took 73 seconds. For macOS, these times average out to 132.4 MB per second. The average rate we measured using Windows was noticeably slower at 93.2 MB per second.

Usability

Right out of the package, the WD My Book Desktop works seamlessly and interchangeably with both macOS and Windows. It's ready for gaming systems, and as a bonus, we found that it worked great with Android while testing it with our phone. Included with the drive is a Micro-B to USB 3.2 Gen 1 cord.

As far as storage goes, it's hard to top the My Book. This model is available in storage sizes up to an impressive 22TB, making it ideal for media professionals and others who know they have a substantial amount of data to back up.

That said, the smallest storage capacity offered is 4TB, so if you don't need that much space, the My Book might be overkill, considering the fact that memory is directly linked to price. It also comes with 256-bit encryption to keep your sensitive files under lock and key. This drive includes WD Backup software and is compatible with Apple Time Machine, enabling it to back up your data automatically.

Portability

Portability is not a strong suit for the WD My Book. This particular drive was designed to be a permanent fixture in your office. There's no way to avoid the fact that this model is large and heavy. This big boy tips the scales at nearly two pounds — more than three times the weight of any other drive in our review.

Measuring 6.7" x 5.5" x 1.9", it is aptly named. Not only is it the size of a book, but it's also the size of a particularly thick book that would more closely resemble Harry Potter than your standard paperback. We calculated its cubic volume and compared it to the smallest models we've had the opportunity to test. The WD My Book is about 30x the volume of the most compact drives in our review.

The WD My Book lacks shock, impact, water, and dust protection, leaving it immensely vulnerable to mishaps. This drive also requires an AC wall plug, meaning that a laptop cannot power it on its own. If you like to get work done on flights or in coffee shops, this is not the drive for you.

Should You Buy The WD My Book Desktop?

Easily beating the competition in terms of storage space, the Western Digital My Book is one of the best external hard drives for those looking to back up a mountain of data — it will even perform automatically. It isn't exactly portable, but this drive's connectivity and compatibility are among the best. It reads and writes data faster than any other HDD in our review, and it features an unobtrusive design suitable for office use. Although it may cost more than other HDDs, the purchase is well worth it in terms of gigabytes per dollar.

What Other Hard Drives Should I Consider?

When it comes to portability, nearly every other model is more suited towards travel, but for a rough and rugged option that is less than half the size of a new iPhone, take a look at the SanDisk Extreme Portable V2 or Samsung T7 Portable. They're both SSD models, offering lightning-fast speeds combined with high-end protection against impact, water, dust, and shock, but at a higher cost. For a more budget-friendly option with similar transfer speeds to the My Book, consider the affordable and speedy Seagate Portable.