2.5" External Enclosure Suggestions

[Stereodude]

I'm looking for two 2.5" external enclosures. One SATA and one IDE.

This one seems to be the one to get for a SATA drive with USB 2.0 interface.

This one looks like a good possibility for a SATA drive with a USB 2.0 and eSATA interface. However an eSATA cable can't supply power (per Wikipedia), so it has to use USB for power even when using eSATA.

This one looks like a good choice for an IDE drive. Or, maybe this one.

Any other suggestions or comments?

 

[ddrueding]

I have had drives fail due to heat in aluminum fanless enclosures. Make sure there is a good thermal interface between the drive and the case.

 

[Stereodude]

Well, either I picked the cream of the crop, or no one uses 2.5" enclosures. :-?

 

[Mercutio]

Mine are generic. I use these.

I carry two in my tech bag and have another on my desk at work. They're OK but they need the 2x USB Y-cable for power.

 

[Stereodude]

I ended up ordering this IDE one and this SATA one.

I don't understand the whole y-adapter thing. I mean, I know how it works technically, but I don't understand why they're needed when commercially sold drives don't need them. For example my 500GB WD Passport Elite has only a single short fairly thick gauge USB cable. It doesn't have two plugs, and there's no place to power it externally, and it has worked on every single computer I have tried it on.

On the other hand, have a few year old 2.5" IDE enclosure that I put an 80GB 2 platter 5400 RPM drive in it, and the same computers that will power the 500GB WD Passport Elite perfectly need the 2nd USB connection for more power.

Edit: You've got to be kidding... :erm: The shorter, heavier gauge USB cable that came with the 500GB WD Passport Elite will power the 80GB drive without any issue, but using the longer thinner cables that came with it, it needs the 2nd USB connection. :frusty:

I wonder where I can buy more of the type of cables that came with the WD drive. :scratch: It's an 18" long USB A to mini-B 5pin cable marked with "28AWG/1PR+26AWG/2C".

 

[Stereodude]

This cable looks like the most cost effective match to the WD one. It's actually a 24/28 AWG cable (fatter than the WD cable), but 2" shorter at 16".

I found another 24/28 AWG cable that's 18" long like the WD, but it is $$$. link

 

[Mercutio]

I'm fine with using the Y-cable.
My gaming desktop system seems to be able to deliver enough power from one port, but notebooks as a rule don't seem to be able to. Lots of low-end business desktops have a problem doing that as well.

Given that more systems than not need the Y-cable to be happy, I just use the Y-cable.

 

[Stereodude]

Well, I got my two enclosures today. The eSATA mode on the eSATA / USB one works great. In USB mode it works without using the 2nd USB connector for more power on my Desktop with the included cable.

The IDE one also works great. It powers up no problems with only a single USB connection, but that's to be expected IMHO since it's a SSD.

I'm now sold on eSATA even for 2.5" external drives. It's great. I wish my 2 WD 500GB Passport Elites had it.

Here's a eSATA vs. USB HD Tach comparison:


I'm not sure why the USB line is all goofy at the start, but it's probably safe to ignore that part.

 

[ddrueding]

Thanks for the screenshot. It's very clear where the USB performance cap is.

 

[Stereodude]

Thanks for the screenshot. It's very clear where the USB performance cap is.

I tested two other external 2.5" USB external drives and found the same flat line at 35MB/sec for read, so it's apparently fairly common.