Toshiba 500GB 3.5" 7200rpm SATA HDDs - Opinions?

invalid@example.com (Mantrid-Drone), Mantrid-Drone
Fri, 24 Apr 2026 18:07:33 +0000
Memory and Storage

A few weeks ago I bought a couple of these 500GB HDDs for under £25 ea.($34) which is cheap nowadays compared the more well known HDD brands. They're well presented in what looks like OEM factory sealed packaging and everything apparently as it should be.

The first one initialized and formatted without any trouble and Crystal DiskInfo showed it as genuinely new and with light use since then has worked OK.

However today I decided to use the other one and it quickly turned out that it was a dud. HDD death click with Windows reporting as being unable to format it. Tried it in a different external housing and, surprise, surprise same result.

Anyone else here had experience with Toshiba branded HDDs like this? Any problems? Any chance they're fake? If so are there any known tell tale signs?