41 replies to this topic

[JB90]

I was watching a few Wii U videos on YouTube last night to fill the early hours while I couldn't sleep and one guy had a Toshiba single USB drive plugged in and working absolutely fine. So does a drive that has no external power source, and only uses one USB work fine? As Nintendo seemed to claim otherwise...

[Tacomywaffles]

it could be that Nintendo just wanted to be on the safe side.

if i recall correctly they said they can not assure that a single USB HDD without power supply will work and thus recommend using a dual USB-cable.

sounds to me like they just want to be politically correct and dont want to be blamed in case there is one that doesnt work with only one USB connection

Edited by Tacomywaffles, 03 December 2012 - 02:49 PM.

[Goose]

Yeah they said some single USBs will work, but most with a dedicated power supply will also work.

[alan123]

That's a USB drive, not a Hard Drive, all USB flash drives will work.

[cannonshane]

^^^ Im pretty sure he meant a USB HDD, Not a Flash drive.

[Lethal]

Some USB hard drives without it's own power source, do work. The problem with that though, is that you will then be taking power from the Wii U and demanding more out of it. This could lead to problems down the road. Burning out the power supply in the console and such.

Using a thumb drive is much safer as it does not require hardly any power.

[cannonshane]

^^^ I used a USB hdd on my Wii for years and it only ever ran off one USB port.

[Lethal]

^^^ I used a USB hdd on my Wii for years and it only ever ran off one USB port.

There are external hard drives that run off more than one USB port??

Nobody said that there is a 100% chance that the console would run in to a problem. But I am 100% certain that there is a chance something could happen by sharing the same power source.

[cannonshane]

At the end of the day a USB will only put out the power that is needed. Much like your house power. So it would be the HDD that suffered from a possible failure not the console itself.

[Lethal]

At the end of the day a USB will only put out the power that is needed. Much like your house power. So it would be the HDD that suffered from a possible failure not the console itself.

That is not how it works. The Wii U power supply has limited watts that it puts out. If your Wii U is supplying power to the console and an external hard drive that is demanding more power than the power supply was designed for, then it can result in failure.

This is why computers have different size power supplies. You can not just throw in any video card in to your PC because you think the power supply will just magically be able to keep up. Your home uses a circuit breaker that can put out more juice if needed.

Your reply could end up costing someone their Wii U. The only correct reply here would be to suggest that they use something with an external power source to prevent a possible short in the console.

Edited by Lethal, 03 December 2012 - 05:13 PM.

[cannonshane]

I can tell you now no external hdd that you could buy at your normal electronics store would draw enough current to cause damage. I have studied electronic components as part of my degree for years.

Edited by cannonshane, 03 December 2012 - 05:30 PM.

[Lethal]

I can tell you now no external hdd that you could buy at your normal electronics store would draw enough current to cause damage. I have studied electronic components as part of my degree for years.

lol, wow. You are so incredibly wrong. And your comment about the house power as an example, makes me think you are full of it. Sorry. But I know what I am talking about here. The OP needs to listen to my suggestion, as it is the ONLY correct answer here.

Edited by Lethal, 03 December 2012 - 05:33 PM.

[cannonshane]

No i just don't have time to spend sitting here explaining the theory to someone who is most likely a 12 year old like nearly every other person on this forum. 100% the hdd would pack it in long before any damage was caused to the console. Simple as that

[Lethal]

No i just don't have time to spend sitting here explaining the theory to someone who is most likely a 12 year old like nearly every other person on this forum. 100% the hdd would pack it in long before any damage was caused to the console. Simple as that

You failed to even mention the extra work load would cause an increase of heat on the console. This extra heat could also cause damage. There is a reason why Nintendo highly suggests that you only use an external HDD with it's own power source. But you would know better than Nintendo, right?

And I am 32 and finished college long ago. A certified computer technician at that..

Edited by Lethal, 03 December 2012 - 05:38 PM.

[cannonshane]

Nintendo is a nanny company, they only say this to cover there own ass like most huge companies these days. Extra heat ? do you even have a Wii U ? i played mine for no joke 10 hours the other day without even turning it off once. The console felt no warmer than it did when i turned it on. Its all just legalities they use to cover there own asses.

Edited by cannonshane, 03 December 2012 - 05:40 PM.

[Lethal]

Nintendo is a nanny company, they only say this to cover there own ass like most huge companies these days. Extra heat ? do you even have a Wii U ? i played mine for no joke 10 hours the other day without even turning it off once. The console felt no warmer than it did when i turned it on. Its all just legalities they use to cover there own asses.

Ohhhhhh, ok. Well that confirms that you know more than the company that designed the console. Feeling the console with your hand? They teach you that in school while studying for your electronics degree? lol, sorry but I could not resist!!! I will stick to my answer though.

Edited by Lethal, 03 December 2012 - 06:25 PM.

[cannonshane]

LOL what ever mate. Couldn't care less.

[CoffeeBuzz]

In regards to a USB HDD causing damage to the WII U. It wont happen, the WII U will already be able to supply all the USB ports with the required USB 2.0 power, and no more than that even if the HDD wants more, it wont get it.

That is why Nintendo warned against single USB drives without external power, if they need even a little more power than what USB 2.0 is designed to deliver they could fail. You cant pull more power through the nintendo system than its desined to supply to it. Thats the power brick and other components in action. Drives that reliably pull less than or up to USB 2.0 compliant power draw will work just fine.

[cannonshane]

^^^ Exactly what i tried to explain without going in depth. Thank you

[Lethal]

In regards to a USB HDD causing damage to the WII U. It wont happen, the WII U will already be able to supply all the USB ports with the required USB 2.0 power, and no more than that even if the HDD wants more, it wont get it.

That is why Nintendo warned against single USB drives without external power, if they need even a little more power than what USB 2.0 is designed to deliver they could fail. You cant pull more power through the nintendo system than its desined to supply to it. Thats the power brick and other components in action. Drives that reliably pull less than or up to USB 2.0 compliant power draw will work just fine.

This is not entirely the case. Not all hard drives draw the same power. You have different rpms, and the Wii U can push more power than is necessary for a stock console. However, by using an external HDD that is not supplying its own power, you are making the Wii U constantly push extra juice to that external HDD. This causes a rise in heat within the console. This can lead to burning out the PSU, and lead to overheating. This is no different than a PC trying to run a video card that requires a larger PSU. It will still power the card, but in time, it could cause damage.

I am not saying this WILL happen. But telling someone they have nothing to worry about, is simply giving false information. There is always a possibility of running in to risks when you use an external hard drive running off of the consoles PSU. Most consoles have amperage designed for that console to run properly. Taking away from that could lead to issues.