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Yes—if you need several terabytes for backups, photos, video or a game library, a portable hard disk usually delivers much more capacity per dollar than an external SSD. The current deal reported by Wccftech puts the 5TB WD Elements Portable at $219 and the 5TB WD My Passport at $228.90, each described as 20% below list price. Amazon pricing, sellers, stock and discount labels can change, so confirm the final price and exact model at checkout in your country.

What the $219 and $228.90 deals include

Drive Capacity Reported deal price Reported list price Best fit
WD Elements Portable 5TB 5TB mechanical HDD $219.00 $274.99 Lowest-cost bulk storage and backups
WD My Passport 5TB 5TB mechanical HDD $228.90 $284.99 Portable storage with the My Passport product line

Wccftech reported both prices and a 20% discount in 2026. Those figures are deal-report prices, not a guaranteed current Amazon offer. The Amazon listing identifies the Elements listing as a portable 5TB mechanical hard drive with USB 3.0/2.0 compatibility. Check that the listing is sold in your Amazon marketplace, shows 5TB capacity and matches the intended SKU before paying.

Why an SSD can feel expensive for large-capacity storage

External SSDs are compact and substantially faster for frequent transfers, editing and scratch-disk work, but high-capacity models often cost more per gigabyte. Tom’s Guide lists the WD My Passport SSD in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities and measured 855.9 MBps read and 855.3 MBps write in its Blackmagic Disk Speed Test. It reported a 1TB price of $0.19 per gigabyte, calling that model one of the most expensive drives it tested.

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That makes the choice straightforward: an SSD is generally the better working drive when applications repeatedly read and write large files, while a 5TB HDD is the more economical destination for a large backup set or archive. Neither 5TB deal should be treated as SSD-speed storage.

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WD Elements Portable 5TB: specifications and limitations

  • Model: Western Digital WDBU6Y0050BBK-WESN.
  • Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 1 (also referred to as USB 3.0), with USB 2.0 compatibility.
  • Operating system: Supports Windows 10 and later as supplied; other operating systems may require reformatting.
  • Warranty: Two-year worldwide limited warranty.
  • Storage type: Mechanical hard disk, so it is more vulnerable to shock, vibration and wear than an SSD while operating.

Reformatting can erase existing data. If you plan to use the drive with macOS, Linux, a game console or a cross-platform workflow, decide on the file system first and keep a separate copy of anything already stored on the disk.

WD My Passport 5TB: when the small premium makes sense

Western Digital’s My Passport documentation lists 5TB portable HDD SKUs in the WDBPKJ0050BBK family. At the reported deal prices, the My Passport costs $9.90 more than Elements. That premium may be reasonable if the exact listing, enclosure design, availability or included features better match your setup, but no published product information establishes a performance advantage over Elements. Compare the current listing’s SKU, warranty terms and return policy rather than assuming the product name means faster transfers.

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SSD or 5TB HDD? Use this decision guide

Your priority Better choice Reason
Several terabytes for the lowest upfront cost 5TB HDD Much higher capacity than the cited 500GB–2TB SSD range at a lower reported deal price.
Editing video directly from the external drive External SSD Higher measured throughput and no spinning mechanism, which suits frequent large-file access.
Cold storage, photo libraries and periodic backups 5TB HDD Capacity matters more than peak transfer speed when writes are occasional.
Frequent travel or rough handling while powered on External SSD No mechanical platters, making it less sensitive to operating shock.
Compatibility with older computers Either, after checking ports Both cited HDDs support USB 2.0; an adapter may be needed for USB-C-only devices.

How to check the Amazon deal before ordering

  1. Open the Amazon store serving your location and search for the exact product name and capacity.
  2. Verify that the listing says 5TB, identifies a portable mechanical HDD and shows USB 3.0/2.0 or USB 3.2 Gen 1 compatibility.
  3. Compare the model number: WDBU6Y0050BBK-WESN for Elements or a WDBPKJ0050BBK-family SKU for My Passport.
  4. Check the seller, dispatch date, return window and warranty information. A changing seller can change the practical value of a deal.
  5. Read the checkout total, including tax and delivery, and confirm that the advertised discount is still applied.
  6. After delivery, inspect the capacity and model in your operating system before moving irreplaceable files.

Protect the data after purchase

A single external drive is not a backup strategy by itself. Keep at least one additional copy on another drive or in a separate location, and disconnect the HDD when it is not being used for scheduled backups. Mechanical drives should be transported in a padded case and allowed to stop before unplugging. For a working project, keep the active files on an SSD or internal storage and use the 5TB HDD for a second copy, exports and archives.

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Bottom line on the two 5TB offers

The reported $219 WD Elements deal is the capacity-per-dollar winner, while the $228.90 My Passport offer is only $9.90 more. Choose either if your main requirement is inexpensive 5TB storage and your workflow can accept mechanical-drive transfer speeds. Choose an SSD instead when fast, repeated access matters more than terabytes, and verify the live Amazon price, region and SKU before ordering.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are these 5TB drives suitable for video editing?

They can store video and project backups, but the cited SSD test results are much faster for active editing. Use an SSD or internal drive for the working project when responsiveness matters.

Will the WD Elements work with a Mac?

The supplied specification explicitly supports Windows 10 or later and says other operating systems may require reformatting. Check the Mac file-system requirement and back up the disk before reformatting.

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Is a discounted 5TB HDD a replacement for cloud backup?

No. Keep another copy in a separate location or service; one portable HDD can fail, be lost or be damaged.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.