PC/HDD cheapest data storage for terabytes backup?

[Garyl]

What will be the cheapest offline way to store several terabytes (let's say 5TB) of data?
I am considering:
- external hard drive?
- internal 3.5 HDD with socket
- several smaller hard drives (cheaper?)
- DVD disks?
The data will be read/written rarely, it's just for storage...

 

[srizbf]

For Terabytes external harddisks

 

[CriminalLizard]

The cheapest way for offline backup is External Harddrive You don't have to renew your pro version or a premium like in online storage.

 

[BradtheRad]

I saw a discussion comparing cd backup to dvd backup. Comments said dvd disks are still a fragile (less durable) storage compared to CD's. One scratch on a dvd loses more data than a scratch on a cd.

CD's have proved decades as durable storage. DVD's don't have the same track record.

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I did the following after my XP laptop hdd went kaput. I installed a new hd. I found an external hdd enclosure capable of holding my laptop C drive. Then get a couple extra exclosures and hdd's. I installed an OS on each drive, switched things around, did tests, etc.