Hardware External HD Power Question

[Jiryn]

So I've read on a few boards and posts that the Wii U doesn't have enough power to run most external HDs.
(Someone said this may also be the reason my disc based games aren't running correct either)

So I was curious, would it have enough power to run this?
What about a SanDisk Ultra fit thumb drive?

I am currently using a WD 500GB My Passport Go SSD Cobalt Portable External Storage and it seems to be working fine.

 

[FAST6191]

I have never seen anybody do a proper power test on the Wii U USB ports (something like https://es.aliexpress.com/item/32820662689.html where you can get nice data, set loads and whatever else) but it is hardly uncommon for embedded devices to not deliver as much power as some thirstier devices might like. Similarly if the rail responsible for the USB is also responsible for the DVD power (whether laser or logic) then a hard drive pulling it low by trying to draw too much power could well in turn cause problems there. It is also the sort of thing you can discover empirically (remove everything that does not need to be there and try again being one of the first stages in diagnosing problems).

As far as "SanDisk Ultra fit thumb drive" then that is a thumb drive. They are usually slower than hard drives, cost more for the same storage capacity and might not be as reliable in the longer term if being used 24/7 but as far as power and systems go then they are usually designed to use acceptable levels. Don't know if the wii u or homebrew for it has any preferences for drive type but I have not heard anything there really, certainly nothing like the original xbox or wii.

 

[mightymuffy]

A simple solution regarding the Wii U is to buy a y-cable and plug into the second port - job done. Like Fast says, a thumb drive is not a good option. If you're looking to increase storage space from that 500GB then your best option would be to grab a larger external drive, and probably pick up a cheap y-cable alongside it just to be on the safe side. More often than not, as you've heard, there isn't enough power from one usb port to power an external. I'd personally also go the hdd route as it's cheaper - you're not getting an advantage from an ssd on Wii U (using those usb2.0 ports..)

 

[lwiz]

Personally, I only buy enclosures with external power supplies for my consoles. Less worrying for the strain on psu and more USB-ports free.