User level: Level 1 (8 points)I have a new iMac M4 desktop. What brand of external hard drive should i use for my Time Machine backups? WD Discovery seems to be intel based
Posted on Oct 11, 2026 11:07 AM
User level: Level 10 (242,520 points)Oct 13, 2026 3:32 PM in response to janed0225
No such thing as Intel based hard drives.
Any comercial hard drive should work fine for Time Machine, some may be more relaible than others.
What can be intel based is any accompanying software the drive has bundled in, but you do not need to, want to or can use it at all for Time Machine backups. Time Machine can set up and format the drives without any software from their vendors.
I personally use a PNY SSD Sata III internal drive in a UGREEN enclosure and it works perfectly fine. But pretty much any drive out there will work similarly.
click here ➜ Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support
User level: Level 9 (55,707 points)Oct 13, 2026 7:11 AM in response to janed0225
Backup disks you can use with Time Machine - Apple Support
Time Machine originally worked with HFS+-formatted disks, but was redesigned several years ago to work with APFS-formatted ones.
Some external drives come pre-formatted using the Windows filesystem NTFS, and many of those include Mac drivers for NTFS. Those drivers may be Intel-only, but even if they aren't, you do not want to use NTFS for a Time Machine drive. Use Disk Utility to erase the drive and reformat it as APFS.
User level: Level 6 (17,937 points)Oct 11, 2026 4:55 PM in response to janed0225
I use WD blue series 3.5" drives. You can also use other drives like SSD's but the cost is now out of sight. Just get a mechanical drive, get an enclosure and you will be all set.
User level: Level 4 (1,299 points)Oct 13, 2026 2:24 PM in response to janed0225
I like the HDDs from OWC (MacSales.com). They are reliable and come with good warranties which are kept.
Personally I have a 4 TB SSD from OWC that I bought before the Strait of Hormuz and the data center boom.
User level: Level 2 (256 points)Oct 11, 2026 1:51 PM in response to janed0225
I use other Brands, for my Time Machine Back-ups!
WD, is an option, but there are good ones too!
Using, WD for several decades, is probably, just over the Top, I would think?
Using the right Brand to your Time Machine Back-ups...........That's a good question?
The Time Machine Back-up, on a External Harddrive, has saves my rear up, I´m little unsure whether you're saying behind or rear up, to several times, on my Mac Computers!
Time Machine, is a good choice.
User level: Level 10 (462,771 points)Oct 11, 2026 11:20 AM in response to janed0225
[Glitch in system resulted in a duplicate post.]
User level: Level 10 (462,771 points)Oct 11, 2026 11:21 AM in response to janed0225
I have used WD drives for Macs for several decades. If they sound Intel base it's because the bundled software tends to only be for PCs, not macOS. Just format the drive to a format appropriate to your OS version. Time Machine will probably automatically do this for you or change an incorrect type to the type it wants. For more information read Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support
Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256374314