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Seagate Basic, 1TB, Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, for PC Laptop (STJL1000400)
Seagate

Seagate Basic, 1TB, Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, for PC Laptop (STJL1000400)

Bottom line: The Seagate Basic: 1TB capacity in a lightweight, bag-friendly enclosure; main trade-off: ships Windows-formatted; Mac users must reformat first.

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By , Founder & Editor-in-Chief · Listing data updated

Mike Perry — Hardware researcher since 2014. For external drives and portable storage, synthesises manufacturer specs and independent reviews rather than first-hand lab testing. Core beat: GPU performance across gaming, rendering, and local-LLM inference.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓ 1TB capacity in a lightweight, bag-friendly enclosure
  • ✓ USB 3.0 cable included, so nothing extra to buy
  • ✓ Bus-powered design needs no separate power adaptor
  • ✓ Drag-and-drop transfers with no backup software to learn

Cons

  • ✗ Ships Windows-formatted; Mac users must reformat first
  • ✗ Spinning hard drive, so slower than an SSD of the same size
  • ✗ Moving parts make it more drop-sensitive than flash storage
  • ✗ USB 3.0 rather than a newer USB-C interface

Manufacturer description

The Seagate Basic 1TB portable external hard drive (STJL1000400) is built around one idea: keep your files with you without adding bulk to your bag. It is a plug-and-play USB 3.0 drive, so you connect the included cable to a Windows laptop, mini PC, or desktop and start dragging folders across immediately. There is no power adaptor to pack, no setup software to install, and no account to create before your first backup. The minimalist black enclosure is designed for daily transport, and 1TB gives you room for photo libraries, project archives, game captures, or a straightforward second copy…

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SpecPicks Verdict

SpecPicks scored Seagate Basic using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the external storage category. Seagate's external storage lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.

Common buyer scenarios for external storage of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Seagate Basic 1TB work with a Mac?

Yes, but not out of the box. The drive ships formatted for Windows, so you need to reformat it on your Mac before the first use.

Do I need a power adapter for this drive?

No. The Seagate Basic draws power over the included USB 3.0 cable, so a single connection to your PC or laptop is all it needs.

What comes in the box?

The 1TB Seagate Basic portable hard drive (model STJL1000400) and a plug-and-play USB 3.0 cable. No power adaptor is included because none is required.

Is any backup software included?

The drive is built around drag-and-drop file transfer rather than bundled software. You copy folders across in File Explorer, or pair it with the backup tool you already use.

Key Features

  • Seagate Basic is a portable hard drive featuring a lightweight, minimalist design for life on the go
  • Transfer files with quick, convenient drag-and-drop functionality
  • This external hard drive for Windows includes a plug-and-play USB 3.0 cable (reformat for Mac)

Full Specifications

BrandSeagate
Item Width8 centimeters
Model NameSTJL1000400
Read Speed120 megabytes_per_second
Unit Count1 Count
Form Factor2.5-inch
Item Length11.7 centimeters
Media Speed1
ConnectivityUSB
Model NumberSTJL1000400
CompatibilityPC, Mac
Built-In Medialead
Hard Disk Size1 TB
Item Type NameSeagate Portable Hard Drive 1TB
Hard-Drive Size1 TB
Mfr Part NumberSTJL1000400
Number of Items1
Special FeaturePortable
Hardware PlatformLinux, Mac, PC
Installation TypeExternal Hard Drive

Ready to buy?

Seagate Basic, 1TB, Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, for PC Laptop (STJL1000400) is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.

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Seagate Basic, 1TB, Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, for PC Laptop (STJL1000400)
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