Good external 3.5" enclosure.

xen · Post by **xen** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 7:29 am

Hey guys,

I'm looking for a moderately quiet 3.5" usb/esata or firewire enclosure. I realize there's probably older topics covering this as well, and I did a search the other day, but I'm just asking for some quick advice here, nothing extensive.

First off, I realize no external enclosure is really silent.
Second, I know of fan problems (noise) with the Antec MX-1. This still true?

I'm not even sure I want a separate external enclosure, but I'm thinking it will be a flexible solution. I'll prolly just put in a WD Green Power drive and it will be fine. Only thing is that external enclosures usually have a real power switch (?) which means that when I take my pc out of stand-by, I'll have to manually switch on the HDD (enclosure) again - either that or leave it running. The WD My Book (Premium, USB+FW) I had earlier had this auto power on that I found annoying at first impression but was really convenient actually.

That said, any quick thoughts? I would probably fancy one of the A.C. Ryan Alubox'es, though I don't like its design that much - but whatever. It's only meant to sit next to my computer.

So if you have any clear favorites I'd love to hear them.

Kudos, Xen.

Aris · Post by **Aris** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 5:37 pm

is this for a home NAS solution, or a portable storage solution?

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:40 pm

I'm looking for this new 3.0 GB/s eSATA.
Same company (RaidSonic) also has Firewire models but not quite like this one.
Only available at a few countries in Europe yet. Have to wait.

http://www.raidsonic.de/de/data/data_pd ... s2-b_e.pdf
It is so cool. You can easily swap drives.

Want to put a WD GP EADS 1TB 32 MB Cache (3 platter) in it to start with.
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=559

As for power on/off i currently have a 1 Master/6 Slave power outlet steering I happened to find at LIDL some months ago. Got it very cheap about 10$ (80 SEK). Shuts everything off (Slaves) when I turn my computer off (Master). I already have my router and screen connected as slaves.

xen · Post by **xen** » Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:14 am

@Aris:

Oh yeah, sorry. It's really very generic use, just as a home 'NAS solution' but really just for ordinary use connected to my computer, for the moment. So it's not meant to be a standalone NAS.

@Alex:
The Master-Slave thing is really a good idea. That would (probably) definitely solve the whole stand-by thing. That Raidsonic ICY Box looks like it could be something as well. I'll keep it noted.

Aris · Post by **Aris** » Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:28 am

well as long as its not something you expect to be portable, QNAP makes some of the best NAS units available.

sNNooPY · Post by **sNNooPY** » Fri Nov 28, 2008 5:06 am

I got this a week ago, it's awesome:

http://www.raidsonic.de/en/pages/produc ... ectID=5152

Tzeb · Post by **Tzeb** » Fri Nov 28, 2008 12:47 pm

Would this fancy you? http://www.coolermaster.com/products/pr ... il&id=2520
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpzrmBePsaI (it is fanless)

xen · Post by **xen** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 1:12 pm

Aight. That ICY BOX IB-390 looks pretty nifty even though the idea of docking an external drive into your computer seems a slight bit pointless considering (e)SATA performance remains the same. And I've had a bad feeling about those "ICY BOX"es ever since I came across them. Don't like the fact that the website only sports flashy rendered images etc. But it might be a good option.

I'm not looking for a NAS, so the QNAP's are out of the question at this point. If I got one, I'd most likely be a Synology or a Kurobox, if I'd feel like tinkering with it.

That Cooler Master thing looks a bit too much like... well.... a Cooler Master device

. Like a gamer's case.

Right, thanks for the tips, thus far. Sounds like there is no clear winner as far as you guys are concerned? Looks like I need to go do some more looking around myself, I think. But thanks for the replies in any case. If anyone has some other favorite, let's hear it

.

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 2:22 pm

xen wrote:
@Alex:
The Master-Slave thing is really a good idea. That would (probably) definitely solve the whole stand-by thing.

Actually there is still one annoying problem left. The master is never turned off and i think my computer consumes quite a bit at idle (although everything connected to slave is definitely turned off).

So i still use an extra switch to be able to turn off the last idle drawing part (
PSU + Mobo).

PSU and Motherboards should be made to consume nothing or almost nothing at idle. There seems to be a lot more to do there.

xen · Post by **xen** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 4:07 pm

Hmm that's right. My current computer consumes 10W at both Stand-by and Hibernate. Right now I usually switch off the power outlet, but often I forget to do that so it keeps consuming 10W through the day or night. I would assume that 10W at the master would still keep the entire power outlet active, so then it wouldn't work

.

Hmm hmm hmm. Bit of an annoyance. Well, I'll see. But my experience shows that I would forget to manually turn the hard disk off.

But actually that ICY BOX comes in handy since I can just internalize the whole harddisk if that is what I would turn out to be doing. Hmm hmm hmm.

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 5:51 pm

xen wrote:Hmm that's right. My current computer consumes 10W at both Stand-by and Hibernate. Right now I usually switch off the power outlet, but often I forget to do that so it keeps consuming 10W through the day or night. I would assume that 10W at the master would still keep the entire power outlet active, so then it wouldn't work .

No problem with Slaves turn off. You turn a screwnob to the shut/off threshold on master you want (8 W - 80 W). I just turn it to a position somewhere between idle and computer on consumption.

That way it will start when I push the computer start button and IT WILL turn Slaves off completely (lights or whatever you connect) when computer is turned off (shut down in Windows works).

My screw has to be turned up quite far so that my computer can start without any problem. Screw it to somewhere between where your computer barely starts at repeated trials and below what is needed for it to stop when shutting down in Windows. My screw is nearer 80W than 8 W endpoint. Therefore I suspect it might draw up to 35-45 W at idle?
This figure is taken out of the blue because I do not even know if the screw potentiometer is linear or logaritmic, and there is no middle value on the scale. There are only values (80 W and 8 W) on end points marked.

About the ICY BOXes. I'm not to fond of the power cable (multiple pin probably multiple voltage) that some of the older boxes have.
The box i suggested has one sturdy 12V connection only (see picture of the backside). Then it probably produce 5V internally for the the hard disk.
Also it looks slim. just about the size of the hard disk. The "leatherlike" coatings must feel a lot more comfortable and look more stylish than pure aluminium to me. Hopefully it will feel less cold to hold if your room is cold. It might not cool the disk as much but I do not think that is necessary with the hard disk i suggested since it draws so little power.

On top of that you can swap disk without silly trays that have to be bought and attached (screwed) to hard disks, on yours, or your friends disks to be able to mount them. Ease of use (and simplicity) is what makes a product fun to use and thatÂ´s the product that I will get satisfied with I think.

Also it has 3 GB/s eSATA. The other ones they made (same company) only seem to support 1.5 GB/s eSATA. Faster eSATA might be nice to have in the future if disks get faster.

johnbentley · Post by **johnbentley** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:06 am

Snnoopy, a couple of questions about your ICY BOX IB-390StUSD-B.

Are you using it externally or internally? How is the heat and noise? Is installing a HDD into the caddy/enclosure as easy as it looks?

sNNooPY · Post by **sNNooPY** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 10:33 am

johnbentley wrote:Are you using it externally or internally?

sorry for this looong dealy. xen PMed me. I forgot about this topic.

So, the case is easy to install. I use it internally on my home server and externally on another (via eSATA).

johnbentley wrote:How is the heat and noise?

Didn't measure the temps, but the noise is...well, there's no noise. I'm using WD 640AAKS in it. really, it's dead silent. O_O

johnbentley wrote:Is installing a HDD into the caddy/enclosure as easy as it looks?

yea. it is a bit weird, especially the little "key" and pulling it out (you'll see what I'm talking about when you get it).
But once you have it installed in enclosure it stays there and feels pretty secure to me.
For external use, simply connect the power and esata (or USB 2.0) and fire it up.
for internal use,just slide it into the 5.25" post until it it "clicks" and the OS will recognize it without a hitch.
hotswap/hotplug works - although I would recommend enabling SATA2 on your motherboard (that's AHCI on most of the boards) as SATA-II mode transfer supports 3.0Gbps transfer rates (in theory of course) and hotswap/hotplug, NCQ, etc.

johnbentley · Post by **johnbentley** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 5:25 pm

Hey Snnoopy thanks for the reply. No worries about the delay

The Icy Box sounds ideal. I think I'll go for the 2.5" version with the 3.5" frame, the IB-290StUSD-B.

For external use it has "USB bus power, no power supply necessary"

xen · Post by **xen** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 9:27 am

Same here, Snoop master, thanks for the reply.

I made my decision and my order today.

I had a WD My Book Premium Edition 320GB that I RMA'd and I got a return value for worth 110 euros, which is quite a lot, given that a WD Elements Desktop (their 'value' edition external drive) of 640GB sells for about 70 euros.

Out of those 110 euro's I ordered one of those black WD Elements Desktop 640GB and one external enclosure.

I still have an unused 640GB Samsung Spinpoint F1 lying around so I ordered an external enclosure to go with it. I wanted something cheap and silent. So I ordered one "Sharkoon Rapid-Case eSATA" which sells for less than 25 euro's.

I chose that Sharkoon because the silent pc vendors in the Netherlands have it listed, so I'm hoping it is decently silent as far as it goes for external enclosures.

So I send back one old 320 GB disk and get one new 640GB disk and a half in return

. I'll post my experiences with them when I've been able to compare.

xen · Post by **xen** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 5:00 pm

I have some updates on my external enclosure adventure.

I purchased two external usb disks/enclosures

- one WD Elements Desktop 640GB (WD 6400AAK)
- one Sharkoon Rapid-Case eSATA together with a Samsung Spinpoint F1 640GB (Samsung HD 642JJ)

I didn't purchase the F1 specifically for the enclosure, but I had one lying around, so I bought a matching enclosure.

sound.
Just from close and far listening, I can tell that

- the WD is actually quite loud. Almost as loud as my former WD My Book. It makes a loud woosh. Still, the seeks are very quiet.
- the Sharkoon/Spinpoint makes a loud hum if on solid surface (even thin carpet). When I put some packaging foam under it, the hum disappears. Without the hum, it is MUCH quieter than the WD. Seeks are very audible.

At a meter's distance, the WD is still very audible, completely masking the noise of the Sharkoon/F1 if both are turned on. When the WD is turned off, I have a hard time making out the Sharkoon/F1, because its noise is masked by my computer, but when I turn it off, I do hear a clear difference at 1m. For some reason, the Sharkoon/F1 (when standing vertically) emanates noise horizontally (my ear level with the enclosure) but vertically (sitting or standing) I hear much less. It is clearly audible, though, but no unpleasant sound.

ease of use
The WD has no power switch, but goes into auto standby when the computer is powered off or USB is disconnected. The WD has no vertical stand, it will topple over. The WD is quite mobile, given its format, and its smaller power brick.
The Sharkoon enclosure has a power switch, and will also honor the system's standby and resume commands, as well as "safely remove hardware", by going into standby itself (and coming back online). It will keep spinning, though, when the USB link is disconnected, but that is no biggy. I have not tested eSATA. The Sharkoon comes with a vertical stand.
Both power bricks have an integrated plug, meaning it takes up space on your multi socket.

activity led
The WD has an activity led on the back of the drive that you normally can't see.
The Sharkoon has an activity led on the front, which changes from blue to pink when activity occurs.

speed
Both enclosures manage about 10-12MB/s, but that is most likely due to limitations of my system.

power consumtion
The WD boots up reaching 18W but quickly settles down at 7W idle, 7W reading and 8W busy seeking.
The Sharkoon/F1 boots up reaching 22W but quickly settles down at 6.5W idle, 7W reading and 9W busy seeking.

conclusion
I cannot recommend the WD Elements Desktop for any silent system.
The Sharkoon enclosure is pretty quiet especially if placed on the floor on some bubble foam. Perhaps coupled with a WD GreenPower, it would be quieter still.

I have chosen the Sharkoon as my main drive and the WD to serve as a backup copy, and also as a more mobile version of my data, than is the Sharkoon (even though they are almost exactly the same size, verticle stand excluded).

I am using the software called "SyncBack" to keep the two disks in sync. I tried Unison with the GTK gui, but the gui is relatively poor and the software was slow and error prone. SyncBack has poor progress indicators but it works like a charm.

xen · Post by **xen** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:00 pm

I was too fast by saying that the Sharkoon doesn't go into standby when the system does; it does. It seems to work flawlessly. It never seems to go into 'idle standby' though. I can really recommend the Sharkoon enclosure for anyone who is okay with some low level noise, but not for die hard silencers - I think that applies to all external enclosures.

russd1978 · Post by **russd1978** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 10:00 am

Alex wrote:I'm looking for this new 3.0 GB/s eSATA.
Same company (RaidSonic) also has Firewire models but not quite like this one.
Only available at a few countries in Europe yet. Have to wait.

Sorry to revive an old thread, but was just wondering if you managed to source this IcyBox IB-362 anywhere? Im looking for something that can handle up to 3 Gb/s eSATA.

xen · Post by **xen** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:46 am

Sorry to revive an old thread, but was just wondering if you managed to source this IcyBox IB-362 anywhere? Im looking for something that can handle up to 3 Gb/s eSATA.

It is not available anywhere in the Netherlands I think, but since this is a German product...

http://www.ciao.de/sr/q-raidsonic+ib+362

russd1978 · Post by **russd1978** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:21 pm

Ahh thanks Xen. I cant post a link yet due to my low post count, but it is also available at Amazon UK if you search for it for Â£32 just in case anyone is interested. Search for "Ib-362stus2-b"