Professional 2.5 HDD and Enclosure.

[Vedi]

Would love anyone to recommend me a quality built (Metal/Aluminum) SATA USB 3.0 enclosure and a fast HDD drive to go with it.

I was thinking WD Black 7200 RPM 500 to 2 TB drive( 16MB or 32 MB cache) drive maybe an Ankar Case, StarTec or SIIG?

Anything welcome that blows away the WD ultra passports.

Building it for a person who is selective on quality and specs.

Best regards Vedi!

 

[corkyg]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817392043

 

[Vedi]

I like that one. Thank you for the link.

 

[Vedi]

What is a premium 2.5" HDD by WD for reliability and speed?

 

[Vedi]

Is this a great option?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236561

 

[Harvey]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817392043

I second this Vantec NexStar CX. I've used the previous USB 2 version for a long time, and they're rugged, reliable and reasonabley priced. This one's USB 3. :thumbsup:

 

[13Gigatons]

Is this a great option?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236561

I only buy the wd black edition for hdd, otherwise ssd is also an option if drive space isn't important.

 

[Carson Dyle]

I question the assertion that a metal enclosure is necessarily of higher quality than the plastic ones available. Many of them are cheaply made. That Vantec may work well, but it certainly isn't the most attractive case.

Now this is a good looking aluminum case:

But for a 2.5" portable drive that requires no power adapter... After having used drives with attached USB cables, I'll never use anything else. They make a very neat package, with no additional cables to carry or lose. I have a couple of these drives from Apricorn and love them (the cable is longer than shown; it wraps around the top and side):

 

[Valantar]

I'm partial to this design:

http://www.amazon.com/Optimized-Tool...uasp+enclosure

Supports UASP too, so it's a bit more up-to-date than most enclosures. I haven't tried it myself, but have had it recommended several times.

 

[Harvey]

I question the assertion that a metal enclosure is necessarily of higher quality than the plastic ones available. Many of them are cheaply made. That Vantec may work well, but it certainly isn't the most attractive case.

I disagree. Of course, the construction quality of products from different manufacturers can vary, but in general, metal cases will be stronger than those made from plastic, and it has the advantage of providing shielding, that both blocks outside interference and prevents stray radiation from the SATA - USB electronics in the case to the outside world.

The Vantec case is cast, not sheet metal, and the parts fit together well and securely. I don't think this is an unattractive case.

But for a 2.5" portable drive that requires no power adapter... After having used drives with attached USB cables, I'll never use anything else.

The weakest point in the construction of such products is often an attached cable. Typically, the insulation can crack at the entry point to the chasis which puts strain on the shielding and, eventually, to failure. If the cable fails for that reason, or any other, replacing it would require stripping the insulation from one end of an existing USB cable and all the individual wires, unsoldering the old connections from the circuit board in the chassis and soldering in the replacement cable... assuming you know how to solder well.

OTOH, if a non-attached cable fails or is lost, replacement USB cables are inexpensive and easy to find.

Another more subtle feature of the Vantec case is that, when plugged into a computer, it allows the machine to read the make and model number of the drive in the case, whereas some manufacturers' electronics mask that information and show only the name of the manufacturer of the case.

 

[Carson Dyle]

I disagree. Of course, the construction quality of products from different manufacturers can vary, but in general, metal cases will be stronger than those made from plastic, and it has the advantage of providing shielding, that both blocks outside interference and prevents stray radiation from the SATA - USB electronics in the case to the outside world.

"Stronger" how? It _might_ be more shatter resistant. Needless to say, though, if your drive experiences forces strong enough to shatter the plastic enclosure, the drive itself is very unlikely to survive the trauma.

Shielding is a non-issue, or else there would be problems with millions of plastic housed drives out in the real world.

The Vantec case is cast, not sheet metal, and the parts fit together well and securely. I don't think this is an unattractive case.

IMO, it's run-of-mill and covered in unneeded graphics.

The weakest point in the construction of such products is often an attached cable. Typically, the insulation can crack at the entry point to the chasis which puts strain on the shielding and, eventually, to failure.

If that happened, true, it would require a repair or replacement of the case. I've had one Aegis drive for more than eight years with no such failure. If you're really rough on your portable drives, you should probably avoid that design and its many advantages.

 

[Harvey]

"Stronger" how? It _might_ be more shatter resistant. Needless to say, though, if your drive experiences forces strong enough to shatter the plastic enclosure, the drive itself is very unlikely to survive the trauma.

We disagree. If the drive and case fall, the drive MAY be damaged regardless of the case material. OTOH, if the drive survives, a plastic case, itself, is still more susceptible to damage ranging from cosmetic to catatrophic.

And that's before we get to "soft" trauma accidentally sitting or stepping on it?

Shielding is a non-issue, or else there would be problems with millions of plastic housed drives out in the real world.

Again, we disagree. Without getting deep into it, I design audio electronic products where shielding and grounding are always major issues. How much experience do you have with shielding and RF issues?

IMO, it's run-of-mill and covered in unneeded graphics.

Form follow function. This one works so everythng else is just a matter of cosmetics and taste. IMHO, the Vantec graphics are a clean representation of the make and model and not gaudy or overstated in any way.

If that happened, true, it would require a repair or replacement of the case. I've had one Aegis drive for more than eight years with no such failure. If you're really rough on your portable drives, you should probably avoid that design and its many advantages.

And there you have it. Choose what you want for your own reasons, but based on the many good experiences as I've had with the my own cases and those I've recommended to my friends, for $16, I'll take the Vantec in a heartbeat.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Again, we disagree. Without getting deep into it, I design audio electronic products where shielding and grounding are always major issues. How much experience do you have with shielding and RF issues?

Considering the millions of plastic encased drives on the market, apparently your experience in your field has no bearing on the product in question.

 

[Valantar]

Form follow function. This one works so everythng else is just a matter of cosmetics and taste. IMHO, the Vantec graphics are a clean representation of the make and model and not gaudy or overstated in any way.

Not to go too off topic here, but this is a pretty clear case of form not following function. The labelling is both redundant and unnecessary. True, the make and model are useful. Stating that it's a 2.5" HDD enclosure? One would think the owner already knows that. Stating - twice (thrice?) - that it has USB 3.0? See my last comment.

The enclosure does look tough, though. Cast metal > plate metal. With some rubber edging (sugru?) I'd bet it could take a beating without destroying the HDD.

I first thought the groove along the side was for cable storage, but it seems purely an aesthetic choice. Odd, in my eyes. And definitely not form following function.

And the cable. Oh my. Sure, USB A connectors are durable. But replacing that if it breaks, compared to a Micro USB? Exceedingly difficult. USB A-A cables are a dumb idea for a standard that differentiates between hosts and clients, and letting them proliferate increases the chance of idiots using them as computer to computer connections and frying their motherboards.

 

[Harvey]

Considering the millions of plastic encased drives on the market, apparently your experience in your field has no bearing on the product in question.

ANY clocked digitial product CAN radiate RF. It's up to the designer to make sure that radiation is contained. In fact, any product such sold in the U.S. is supposed to pass FCC regulations on the subject. The extent of the problems a radiating product can cause depends on the sensitivity of any other electronics in the RF field.

Sorry, but if you have no hard data, I'll trust my professional experience over your unsupported surmise.

Not to go too off topic here, but this is a pretty clear case of form not following function. The labelling is both redundant and unnecessary. True, the make and model are useful. Stating that it's a 2.5" HDD enclosure? One would think the owner already knows that. Stating - twice (thrice?) - that it has USB 3.0? See my last comment.

Except that the USB 3 version is relatively new, and other than the USB 3 label, it out looks almost identical to the previous USB 2 models I own.

The enclosure does look tough, though. Cast metal > plate metal. With some rubber edging (sugru?) I'd bet it could take a beating without destroying the HDD.

Mine could take, and HAVE taken, a couple of non-distructive (and involuntary) rough falls.

I first thought the groove along the side was for cable storage, but it seems purely an aesthetic choice. Odd, in my eyes. And definitely not form following function.

Other than making it easier to grip than fully rounded edges.

 

[Carson Dyle]

In fact, any product such sold in the U.S. is supposed to pass FCC regulations on the subject.

Which tells us that the plastic enclosures housing millions of drives are more than sufficient to shield the amount of radiated RF produced by hard drives and that a metal enclosure provides no additional benefit in that regard.

 

[Harvey]

Which tells us that the plastic enclosures housing millions of drives are more than sufficient to shield the amount of radiated RF produced by hard drives and that a metal enclosure provides no additional benefit in that regard.

No, it just tells us that all such products are SUPPOSED TO meet FCC regs, NOT that they do. I've seen lots of cheap offshore products on the market that I know don't meet FCC specs or even UL safety standards.

In fact, last year, I was part of a design team for an audio product. My analog audio circuits worked (and still work) correctly, but the clowns in charge of packaging the whole product did such a piss poor job of designing the switching power amps and supply that the first items were nowhere close to spec, and the rework cost my client thousands of dollars and six months time to market.

Honest, please don't argue your guesswork against real world experience. Unless you've been there, you really don't know.

 

[Valantar]

Other than making it easier to grip than fully rounded edges.

That's an excellent point. Which is why making the case round in the first place is an excellent example of form before function. After all, the most logical casing for a square-edged device is a square-edged casing.

Except that the USB 3 version is relatively new, and other than the USB 3 label, it out looks almost identical to the previous USB 2 models I own.

Does that necessitate three different labels stating some form of USB 3.0/SuperSpeed? I doubt it. There's a reason why cars have the make and model on the back, but not a badge saying "car."

 

[Carson Dyle]

Honest, please don't argue your guesswork against real world experience. Unless you've been there, you really don't know.

The lack of simple common sense in your arguments is amusing.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

No, it just tells us that all such products are SUPPOSED TO meet FCC regs, NOT that they do. I've seen lots of cheap offshore products on the market that I know don't meet FCC specs or even UL safety standards.

"Fun" fact: USB3 has a nasty habit of interfering with WIFI...

 

[Harvey]

The lack of simple common sense in your arguments is amusing.

Honest, please don't argue your guesswork against real world experience. Unless you've been there, you really don't know.

The lack of simple common sense in your arguments is amusing.

The lack of any hard data in yours to support your opinion is appalling. I sincerely hope you arern't responsible for designing anything where people's lives and/or money are on the line.

Now, can we stop derailing the thread and get back to helping the OP?

 

[Carson Dyle]

The lack of any hard data in yours to support your opinion is appalling.

And your sage advice is based on all the issues you've encountered with unshielded hard drives, right?

I'm done with this. It's gotten silly, but it certainly was good for a chuckle on a Saturday afternoon.

 

[Harvey]

And your sage advice is based on all the issues you've encountered with unshielded hard drives, right?

No, my sage advice is based on designing successful electronic products for over forty years. And your lame ramblings are based on what???

I'm done with this. It's gotten silly, but it certainly was good for a chuckle on a Saturday afternoon.

It's about freaking time. Now, depending on where you live, go outside and design a snowman or a sand castle or something else of equal consequence. You're not qualified to design anything more significant.