Startech releases USB 3.1 Dual 3.5-inch SATA HDD Enclosure with RAID
It used to be that laptops were pretty much just for portability. If you wanted, say, tons of storage, a desktop tower was the way to go. Thanks to faster external options using USB and Thunderbolt, it can be easy to add 3.5-inch hard drives with large capacities to a notebook setup. For instance, you can keep an enclosure on your desk, and when you get home or to the office, you can connect it for access.
USB 3.1 Generation 2 is the fastest such USB connection, and it will allow a very seamless experience when connecting an external storage device. True, when using mechanical hard drives, you won't be saturating the 3.1 gen 2 interface, but it can't hurt to have. Today, Startech launches a new such product -- the USB 3.1 Dual 3.5-inch SATA HDD Enclosure with RAID. It can accommodate two 3.5-inch mechanical hard drives. As the "Raid" in the name implies, it can do RAID 0, RAID 1, SPAN(BIG) and JBOD. It even includes both Type-A and Type-C cables depending on your connection needs.
"Create a high-capacity, external data storage solution with support for two 3.5-inch HDDs, SSDs or SSHDs. This 2-bay 3.5-inch drive enclosure delivers fast file transfer rates up to 10Gbps with USB 3.1 Gen 2 performance. It supports SATA I, II and III and is enhanced with UASP to maximize the performance and speed of your SATA III drives." says Startech.
The company also says, "This dual-drive enclosure is an ideal data storage solution for small businesses or anyone looking to manage files efficiently and securely. Creative and business professionals can easily access, back up and transfer their large files without relying on a network connection. An enthusiast building a personal data storage setup will appreciate this product’s multiple RAID modes and flexible connectivity."
Startech shares the following specifications.
| Hardware | |
|---|---|
| Bus Type | USB 3.1 Gen 2 |
| Chipset ID | ASMedia - ASM1352R |
| Compatible Drive Types | SATA |
| Drive Installation | Fixed |
| Drive Size | 3.5in |
| Fan Bearing Type | Sleeve Bearing |
| Fan(s) | Yes |
| Fans | 1 - 50 mm |
| Interface | USB 3.1 Gen 2 |
| Number of Drives | 2 |
| Performance | |
| 4Kn Support | Yes |
| Max Drive Capacity | Tested up to 10TB |
| Maximum Data Transfer Rate | 10 Gbps |
| MTBF | 100,000 hours |
| RAID | Yes |
| Supported RAID Modes | RAID 0 (Striped Disks) |
| RAID 1 (Mirrored Disks) | |
| JBOD - (Just a Bunch of Disks) | |
| BIG (Spanning or Concatenation) | |
| TRIM Support | Yes |
| Type and Rate | USB 3.1 Gen 2 - 10 Gbit/s |
| SATA III (6 Gbps) | |
| UASP Support | Yes |
| Connector(s) | |
| Drive Connectors | 2 - SATA Data & Power Combo (7+15 pin) |
| Host Connectors | 1 - USB 3.1 USB Type-B (9 pin, Gen 2, 10 Gbps) |
| Software | |
| OS Compatibility | OS independent; No software or drivers required |
| Indicators | |
| LED Indicators | 1 - Power |
| 2 - Drive Activity | |
The enclosure is available starting today, for a reasonable $129.99. It can be had from the typical retailers, such as Amazon and Newegg. Keep in mind, the enclosure does not include the 3.5-inch drives -- you will need to provide those yourself. While it is designed for 3.5-inch mechanical hard drives, you can probably make 2.5-inch HDDs and solid state drives work too.