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1 2 3 4 5 NextIcy Dock Blizzard HDD Enclosure & EZ-Dock Docking Station
February 6, 2013 by Lawrence Lee
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Product
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Blizzard MB080U3S-1SB HDD Enclosure |
EZ-Dock MB981U3S-1S HDD Docking Station |
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Manufacturer
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Icy Dock |
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Street Price
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US$60 |
US$45 |
The storage accessory market has many cheap products built by nameless/faceless
OEMs, resold with cosmetic tweaks under umpteen brands. They are good enough
for those looking for the bare minimum — utilitarian equipment that does
what it's designed for and nothing more. Icy Dock devices are a bit more expensive
than the usual rabble but more extra goes into their products, whether it be
in build quality, aesthetics, or features.
Icy Dock Blizzard (MB080U3S-1SB)
Hard drives enclosures are designed for adding semi-permanent external storage
to a PC or NAS/router. They are usually composed of an interface adapter and
a metal or plastic casing to protect the drive from outside elements like errant
hands/feet, unruly pets, and curious children. The 2.5 inch models can be powered
through a USB, FireWire, or powered eSATA cable, making them great for portable
operation. The Icy Dock Blizzard belongs to the larger 3.5 inch variety, supporting
full sized desktop drives that require AC power. Higher-end models come with
a fan which isn't a bad idea if the drive used is to be left on 24-7 but there's
more to the Blizzard than that.
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 Blizzard unboxed.
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This is one of the most unusual looking enclosures on the market. It's a single
bay model equipped with an 80 mm fan positioned at the front, blowing across
the entire drive. Most actively cooled enclosures place the fan on the side,
which limits cooling but has minimal impact on the overall dimensions. Furthermore,
the Blizzard's fan is placed at an angle, giving it an odd diamond shape at
the front while the rear is substantially thinner. The fan has both automatic
and adjustable speeds and there's a brightness dial at the back for fan LEDs,
which come in two colors, blue for normal operation, and red when/ if the drive
temperature exceeds 50°C. To top it all off, assembly is completely tool-less
Our sample version of the Blizzard supports both USB 3.0 and eSATA (the MB080USEB-1SB
has eSATA, USB 2.0, and FireWire) and ships with thick cables measuring about
a meter long.
Icy Dock Blizzard MB080U3S-1SB: Specifications
(from the product website)
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| Model Number |
MB080U3S-1SB |
| Color |
Black |
| Drive Fit |
Single 3.5" SATA I / II / III hard drive |
| Host Interface |
1 x eSATA 3Gb/s port
1 x USB 3.0 port (USB 2.0 compatible) |
| Transfer Rate (max. bus speed) |
Up to 3Gb/s via eSATA
Up to 5Gb/s via USB 3.0
Up to 480Mb/s via USB 2.0 |
| Drive Cooling |
80mm fan |
| Fan Speed Control |
High/ Low/ Auto |
| HDD Access Indication |
Flashing orange LED |
| Power Indication |
Green LED |
| Over Heat Indicator |
Red ambient LED light (when temperature reach 50° C) |
| OS Requirement |
Windows XP/ 2003/ VISTA/ 7/ 8
Mac OS 10.22.8 and higher |
| Power Supply |
12V/2A power adapter |
| Structure |
ABS shell with metal frame |
| Dimension (L x W x H) |
237.5 x 126 x 146 mm |
| Weight |
648g |
Icy Dock EZ-Dock (MB981U3S-1S)
Hard drive docking stations can be used just like an enclosure but it's a more
transitory solution that doesn't afford the drive any physical protection. The
advantage is the ability to swap drives in and out very quickly which makes
it especially convenient for IT professionals. At SPCR, we find docking stations
extremely useful for quickly installing system images onto drives used for hardware
testing. These devices work with both 2.5 inch and 3.5 inch drives, which isn't
always the case with enclosures.
|
 EZ-Dock unboxed.
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The EZ-Dock lacks the many bells and whistles of the Blizzard. For a docking
station it is quite attractive, decked out in glossy black with smooth contours.
The dock is seemingly encased in an outer shell that affords some protection
to the release mechanism. It gives the whole unit a sense of extra stability
though it might actually be sturdier overall with a unibody design. Like the
Blizzard, it connects through both eSATA and USB 3.0 with one meter long cables.
An alternate variant, the MB981U3-1SA trades eSATA connectivity for old
school IDE support.
Icy Dock EZ-Dock MB981U3S-1S: Specifications
(from the product website)
|
| Model Number |
MB981U3S-1S |
| Color |
Black |
| Drive Fit |
2.5" / 3.5" SATA 1.5 / 3 / 6 Gbps hard drive or SSD x 1 |
| Connection Interface |
SuperSpeed USB 3.0 & eSATA |
| Transfer Rate |
Up to 5 Gbps via USB 3.0
Up to 480 Mbps via USB 2.0
Up to 3 Gbps via eSATA |
| Structure |
ABS |
| LED Indication |
Device Power & Drive Activity |
| LED Display Color |
Power: Amber; Drive Activity: Amber flashing |
| Power ON / Off |
Power Button |
| Dimension (L x W x H) |
150 x 79.7 x 92mm |
| Weight |
361g |
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