Antec MX-1: Actively Cooled External HDD Enclosure

JazzJackRabbit · Post by **JazzJackRabbit** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 1:10 pm

I've got the enclosure, and while I won't say it's quiet, it's one of the quieter enclosures out there. For that reason alone I will not be returning. Returning it would only make sense if there was something better. So while there was definitely room for improvement by using a better fan, it's still the quietest enclosure I've used (save for completely passive ones), so I decided to keep mine.

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:03 am

Has anyone with a "loud fanned" MX-1 enclosure contacted Antec tech support or customer service about this issue?

Jumper · Post by **Jumper** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 8:27 pm

Ralf Hutter wrote:Has anyone with a "loud fanned" MX-1 enclosure contacted Antec tech support or customer service about this issue?

No. I was planning on returning it to Newegg...

Part of me says "return it to Antec" though, because then their engineers can look at it and see what is up....

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 6:59 am

Jumper wrote:
Ralf Hutter wrote:Has anyone with a "loud fanned" MX-1 enclosure contacted Antec tech support or customer service about this issue?
No. I was planning on returning it to Newegg...

Part of me says "return it to Antec" though, because then their engineers can look at it and see what is up....

Why don't you call/email Antec tech support and see what they say when you complain about the fan noise.

IdontexistM8 · Post by **IdontexistM8** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 6:17 am

I've got two MX-1s, one fan is definitely louder than the other. They were both bought at the same time in UK. It's slightly annoying purely because of the frequency but I tend to use the louder one for backups.

I'm just about to buy a couple more, based on the fact no one else has a better solution. Plus I've not been impressed by the quality of other enclosures recently. I also blew an Akasa up too...but that's another story!

I hope I might cop lucky on the fans.

xen · Post by **xen** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 5:04 pm

I think having a 3.5" external is not such a strange idea for laptop users. Many people have no desktop computer, only a laptop, and the advantage is that you don't need a desk for it. So with a 3.5" external you can still have a > 250GB media collection (the largest mobile usb-powered harddisk I've seen is now 250GB). But if it wasn't for the size you'd be better off with a mobile 2.5", I concur.

IdontexistM8 · Post by **IdontexistM8** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 4:08 pm

I've just got my two new units and have been checking out the fan on one of them, independently of any drive. It's difficult to tell right now but tonally it appears similar to the noisier one of the two I already had. So slightly disappointing. I'll try the other unit tomorrow.

As they will predominantly backup drives that won't be continously running for long stretches such noise is just about bearable.

When I purchased seven months ago, I was probably fortunate to receive one quiet unit out of two. That one I do keep running throughout the day.

I really think Antec need to take a look at the fans. I notice there's no reference to dBA on any of the box packaging (new or old). Is it still on any of their datasheets?

It's a shame about this because the product is otherwise A1. If only they were a generic component that could be simply replaced. I think the blade width is 10mm, is that what they use in 80x80x15mm units? I guess it's not that simple.

But it is the only enclosure that I've bought or seen in the last 18mths that firmly holds the drive in place. From what I can tell the general quality of caddies has gone right down. Or the OEMs have got carried away with aluminium everything and made them, if anything, noisier.

xen · Post by **xen** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 4:16 pm

Maybe it would be a good idea if SPCR put a little notice on the main article about these things, cause if you're just comparing products you're (I am) not likely to check out the discussion here, so people may end up buying something that is not quiet at all before discovering that that was quite well known on these forums.

IdontexistM8 · Post by **IdontexistM8** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 4:54 pm

I think it probably is worth putting a 'fair warning' with the article. I wouldn't say the fan is loud in itself but the tone it produces is. A contradictory statement I suppose but that's the best way I can explain it.

Perhaps SPCR could contact Antec on our behalf to find out what the fan situation is as clearly there has been no substantial change/improvement in units over the last 6mths.

It just seems to be a case of rolling the dice and hope you are lucky. IMO that isn't good enough for a what is marketed as a premium product.

I have got two cheap and cheerful Sumvision eSata units but they do run hot and are not secured as well as I would like. After a disaster with an Akasa Integral this, for me, made the MX-1 the only viable choice or take a punt in another direction.

IdontexistM8 · Post by **IdontexistM8** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 6:07 am

Checked the second unit and it's relatively quiet.

So I've got the same as before, one noisy one quiet. Both bought together, seven months apart but from different companies.

Really is pot luck guys.

Immortals · Post by **Immortals** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:54 pm

I just got mine. It is definitely one of the chainsaw loud ones. I'm not even in a quiet room and i can definitely hear it from 2 metres away. Louder than the drive itself (which is several years old). Very dissapointed. I've bought heaps of Antec products in the past. It's definitely not the same product that Mike got to review. I just hope he bought it and a "cherry picked" version wasn't given to Mike by Antec.

Immortals · Post by **Immortals** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 2:08 pm

IdontexistM8 wrote:
I really think Antec need to take a look at the fans. I notice there's no reference to dBA on any of the box packaging (new or old). Is it still on any of their datasheets?

http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=77150
Quotes 20dbA with lid closed. Mine certainly isn't

Yes I agree with you. It's a great product except for the noise. I contacted Antec and they said they weren't aware of fan issues and that I could replace it if necessary but I'll probably get another equally noisy unit. I suspect they have quietly (or not so quietly) changed suppliers. I was planning on using the enclosure to house my primary hard drive but now I'll probably get another primary drive and use it just as a backup.
Product is highly not recommended for silent PC use for me

hadje · Post by **hadje** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:42 pm

i just received my "chainsaw" today...i wish that i had found this article before purchasing. i had read the review but somehow this thread escaped me.

this is way, way louder than my WD MyBook external drive.

now i have to decide on whether to return or roll the dice on an exchange

peace

IdontexistM8 · Post by **IdontexistM8** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 6:11 am

An aside but mildly of interest..with my new 750gb Samsung drive the LED doesn't work. Why I couldn't tell you..works fine with 500gb drives.

Myth! · Post by **Myth!** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 9:11 pm

has anyone powered one of these directly from an eSata port (without connecting the external PSU) ?

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 6:48 am

Myth! wrote:has anyone powered one of these directly from an eSata port (without connecting the external PSU) ?

Wasn't aware that you could do it that way.

Myth! · Post by **Myth!** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 7:28 am

i think i read somewhere that the eSata spec gives power on the connector, not sure how much or if I only dreamed it

i know using the backplate wouldnt give power but a mobo with eSata ports already onboard might.

Myth! · Post by **Myth!** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 7:37 am

from the wiki

Where a PC-hosted port is concerned, eSATA connectors cannot supply power, and would therefore be more cumbersome to use.

but also:

From the second half of 2008, SATA-IO expects eSATA to provide power to eSATA devices without the need for a separate power connection. In a news release from 2008-01-14, SATA-IO calls it the "Power Over eSATA initiative."

Immortals · Post by **Immortals** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 12:48 pm

Myth! wrote:from the wiki

Where a PC-hosted port is concerned, eSATA connectors cannot supply power, and would therefore be more cumbersome to use.

but also:

From the second half of 2008, SATA-IO expects eSATA to provide power to eSATA devices without the need for a separate power connection. In a news release from 2008-01-14, SATA-IO calls it the "Power Over eSATA initiative."

Myth, What they're saying is that current implementations of eSATA require a power connector. The next generation of this connector "Power Over eSATA" will not. Therefore you require power with the mx1

Myth! · Post by **Myth!** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 7:12 pm

Yep I know I was proving myself wrong

I was thinking I had read it in my Asus Striker manual though, was probably just wishful thinking

dom · Post by **dom** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 3:45 am

Does anyone else have this problem: I bought that enclosure last summer, and it was nice and quiet at that time. But now the fan is making an annoying clicking noise.

Is that kind of things to be expected? Is that fixable?

Myth! · Post by **Myth!** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 7:23 am

maybe a baby triffid has nested inside

Edwood · Post by **Edwood** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 5:14 pm

Antec hasn't fixed a thing.

Just bought a new one from Fry's today. The fan is pretty noisy, it has a low constanting buzzing noise. Back it goes to Fry's. Their lenient return policy is why I bought it from Fry's.

-Ed

Edwood · Post by **Edwood** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 6:27 pm

Hmm. Now that I've been using it for a bit, The fan is not nearly as noticeable when a meter away, and with it installed in place.

I do like how well it dampens HDD noise and vibrations. I have a 7200.11 1TB SATA drive in it, and it's pretty quiet (not silent, but it's pretty good).

If the room is totally silent, I can just barely hear the fan buzz. I'd like to see if it's possible to swap the fan out with a quieter one. Was wondering if any possible fan would fit.

-Ed

mr lahey · Post by **mr lahey** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 2:02 am

Just bought an MX 1 and fired it up.

Sounds like a smurfs' chainsaw.

Not acceptable, I wouldn't recommend it to a deaf person.

SPCR, please update the article, it is no longer relevant to consumers, the blower fan has changed.

Erssa · Post by **Erssa** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:54 am

I'm going to chime in on this. I bought my MX-1 already last year and I have to agree, it's terribly loud especially compared to my computer.

Few weeks ago I changed my external hard drive to WD GP. Somehow I managed to hit the fan connector. It has really poor connection, so the fan stopped spinning. Before I knew it, my WD GP was baking as drive temps quickly rose above 55 degrees.

WD GP was also dissapointing. I was hoping for quiet seeks, but when the drive is installed in MX-1 it has louder seeks then my 150GB inside SQD. And I'm not exaggerating. The seeks inside MX-1 are nasty hollow. I already regret I didn't buy a Samsung, although I blame MX-1 more.

I almost regret purchasing MX-1. Luckily I only have to listen to it, when I do a hard drive image with Norton Ghost.

Immortals · Post by **Immortals** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 12:55 am

Erssa wrote: WD GP was also dissapointing. I was hoping for quiet seeks, but when the drive is installed in MX-1 it has louder seeks then my 150GB inside SQD. And I'm not exaggerating. The seeks inside MX-1 are nasty hollow. I already regret I didn't buy a Samsung, although I blame MX-1 more.

I own a MX1, SQD, WD GP and a samsung 2504. My samsung is definitely not quieter than the WD GP. I've already expressed my disappointment with the Antec MX-1 acoustically earlier in this thread. I didn't return it because it's not worth the trouble but i regret buying it. The MX1 would do nothing for quieting seek noise and may actually amplify it whereas the sqd dampens it somewhat . the samsung would be slightly worse. Have you tried the WD GP and SQD combination? It's the best combination i've found. (just don't expect miracles). Inside a case mounted on soft feet or sorbathane i'd call it close to inaudible

Erssa · Post by **Erssa** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 5:14 am

Immortals wrote:I own a MX1, SQD, WD GP and a samsung 2504. My samsung is definitely not quieter than the WD GP. I've already expressed my disappointment with the Antec MX-1 acoustically earlier in this thread. I didn't return it because it's not worth the trouble but i regret buying it. The MX1 would do nothing for quieting seek noise and may actually amplify it whereas the sqd dampens it somewhat . the samsung would be slightly worse.

I actually had T166 320GB Samsung in MX-1 before I bought GP. I don't recall my Samsung ever sounding so nasty. Idle noise doesn't matter, since the fan is louder. Before I had my MX-1 on top of my case. Now with GP, I have even placed it on 5 cms of foam, in futile effort to silence the seeks.

Yes, I know SQD is not a miracle worker. It was quite the disappointment when I bought it. Imo it's not worth trying to put GP in SQD. It's way too slow for me to use it as a primary hard drive. I bought it just to replace my Samsung as external backup device. I also dislike the SQD, because it makes drives sound hard mounted and it's so big, that effective soft mounting is pretty much impossible. At least with my previous 2 cases.

theyangster · Post by **theyangster** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:38 pm

I'm going to chime in too

I bought this enclosure a couple days ago b/c of the sale at fry's (going for 29 bucks)

I bought it more on a whim since I remembered the SPCR review on it and to accompany the 750gb seagate drive I just bought too

I'm going to agree that this is louder than expected, while I don't think it's a chainsaw, it definitely has become the loudest computer equipment, surpassing my 4 year old system....

I agree it's more of the tonal noise that is annoying, and the silicone gasket doesn't do much for the vibration reduction

jimmyzaas · Post by **jimmyzaas** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:14 am

MX-1 continues to disappoint me. Noise aside.. there is some serious QC issues.

I forgot to turn it off last night after a backup. The hard drive WD5000AAKS was baked and was hot to touch.

Turns out the fan stopped spinning. Now it won't spin if you turn the unit on without an hdd installed. Seriously, wtf antec.

Antec MX-1: Actively Cooled External HDD Enclosure

just got a noisy one