5 best external raid enclosures

• 0 GB Dual bay USB 3.1 Gen 1 and eSATA equipped performance RAID enclosure
• Hardware RAID 0, 1, span, and independent modes
• Fast USB 3.1 Gen 1 & eSATA connectivity-Accelerate your workflow with transfer speeds up to 407MB/s
• Supports 2 x SATA HDDs. All Cables included
• 1 Year OWC Limited Warranty

User questions & answers

Question:	I am considering this enclosure to set up two 6 tb hard drives on raid 1. which would you recommend: western digital black, blue or red drives
Answer:	All versions should work paired in the enclosure, but are rated for different applications. Black is the higher performance drive: Video work and higher access speeds at 7200rpm. Red is for long life in constant "trickle" streaming as in security, or for building a NAS, at 5400rpm. Blue is for general "consumer" storage applications at 5400rpm. There is also a Purple that is specified for security video use, but I usually use Reds for that application due to availability.
Question:	If one drive fails, is it as easy as just pulling the failed drive and adding a new one if configured in Raid
Answer:	Yes - though pulling involves powering the unit down and disassembling it, especially if the failed drive is in bay #1. It no longer matters which bay the new drive is in - the unit will rebuild to the empty drive. This is a huge improvement from their older RAID units where the good drive had to be in bay 1 because it copied from bay 1 to bay 2 no matter regardless of which was the empty drive.
Question:	In raid 1, if one drive fail and after the failed drive is replaced, can this enclosure rebuild its raid 1 without being connected to the pc
Answer:	Hello. This enclosure would need to be connected to a computer in order to properly power on and rebuild the RAID after a failure.
Question:	Does this enclosure work with ssd (solid state drives
Answer:	Hello! Yes this enclosure will work with SSD's. However they will not fit in the drive bays without the use of a 2.5" to 3.5" adapter Bracket. We recommend the Newertech Adaptadrive (found here: http://a.co/8beqOas) for situations like this.

Product features

OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual Performance RAID Enclosure

Mac / PC / USB3.1 Gen 1 / eSATA



Professional Grade Solution

Mercury Elite Pro Dual is the best dual-drive hardware RAID solution for creative workflows, project archives, and system backups where reliability and versatile performance count. With two fast hard drives, easily configured in multiple RAID modes at the flick of an easy-access switch, Mercury Elite Pro Dual is built to seamlessly integrate with any work environment from high demand production studios to your home office.



The Hardware RAID Workhorse

Reliable hardware RAID maximizes the full potential of two 3.5" 7200RPM hard drives in the Mercury Elite Pro Dual. It comes configured in high-speed RAID 0 mode for the maximum sustained throughput from your drives. With speeds up to 407MB/s, that's fast enough for HD video workflows. Configure the Mercury Elite Pro Dual in RAID 1 mode for the extra security of mirrored data, set up a span of the two drives, or use them independently.



Performance by Design

Mercury Elite Pro Dual features both high-speed USB 3.1 Gen 1 & eSATA ports to offer the connectivity and versatility to work with your current equipment at extreme speeds. A second-generation, free-flowing brushed-aluminum chassis with high-performance fan delivers cool, quiet operation. In addition, drive-activity LEDs give you an instant snapshot of the status of your RAID, and intelligent power management conserves energy and reduces wear by automatically spinning down the drives when inactive.



Highlights:

• Hardware RAID 0, 1, span, and independent modes
• Fast USB 3.1 Gen 1 & eSATA connectivity
• Accelerate your workflow with transfer speeds up to 407MB/s
• Second-generation aluminum design with low-decibel cooling fan

 

• 【Enjoy All Games You Like】Five hard drives can be mounted in this device, support with up to 80TB large capacity. A massive collection of newest or classic games, now you can store them all together. Gamers have never had this degree of storage for what they fascinated. No longer be forced to miss out some of the truly interesting/intense games with this immense and gaming-focused external storage system.
• 【See A Visually Stunning World】A 80mm RGB Silent Fan is located between the Translucent Frames on both sides. Lights will auto-changed from one color to the next, blursing the line between fiction and reality, and creating deepper gaming immersion. The main frame built by unibody aluminum. The large fan help to pull out the hot air from inside the enclosure, keeping the the hard drive cool during long hours of operation.
• 【Five Universal 3.5/2.5-inch Drive Bays】 This 5 bay hdd enclosure is designed for both 2.5" SSDs where speed is the priority and for 3.5" HDDs when it's important to maximize the storage capacity. The removable mental trays allow for easy installation and replacement of the drives. Your hard drives can be firmly fixed on the tray by provided screws, which can effectively protect your hdds from shock and interface damage.
• 【Powerfully Easy RAID】Supports RAID 0/1/3/5/10/Span/Clone/Normal RAID modes, you can configure multiple RAID modes at the flick of an easy-access switch for your specific needs. Or you can download the SoftRAID management, creating, managing and monitoring RAID mode you set.
• 【Wide Project Applicability】Convenient USB3.0 Type-B 5Gbps ports for peripherals and mobile devices. Reliable power supply-Up to 280W instantaneous power and output in 150W rated power, which will ensure the entire operation be safety and stable. It's also applicable to your other workingflow, like digital imaging, media ingest/manage, video production, video editing and system backups ,etc.

User questions & answers

Question:	Can i use the hard drives for diffrent stuff. Like 1 for pictures, 1 for school, 1 for game's etc
Answer:	Yes but original platform will not be installed in that case. Thanks.
Question:	Can you upgrade drives? example, i install 4, 5tb hdd, i then want to upgrade/ add additional storage, so can i remove one 5tb hdd, & replace to 10tb
Answer:	Yes, you can. Please search it by B07415TMBR
Question:	is normal option aka JBOD? i just want a bunch of drives for storage
Answer:	No... power base should not work there. There are bunch of wooden slats at the bottom.
Question:	Do the RGB fan lights remain on while the drives are asleep
Answer:	Package dimensions were the same as furniture. Everything came preassembled except the bed. Packing was not enough to prevent damage. Minor damage on some of the pieces.

Product features

Lightly Press Left

User-friendly design

Just lightly press left, the tray will be taken out easily. With four vibration-absorbing & non-slip feet,the 5 bay enclosure can turn into a quiet assistant to help you at the desktop.

80mm Slient RGB Fan

For gaming immersion

Built-in a whisper-quiet fan(80mm) with RGB lighting, works perfectly with your gaming equipment. With 1500 Revolutions Per minute it can effectively speed up the air convection for rapid cooling.

Removeable Drive Trays

For easy HDD/SSD installation

Designed to house up to five 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drives, the universal removable metal trays is for easy installation of the HDD/SSD.

2.5" HDD/SSD: Fixed with 4 screws at the bottom. 3.5" HDD: Fixed with 2 screws on both sides.

Translucent Frame

A visually stunning world

With the unique translucent board on both sides builts a visually stunning world. Perfect integration with your other RGB devices to create a deeper sense of game immersion.

150W Power Supply Inside

Powerful support for data transfer

The strong power supply can provide up to 280W instantaneous power and output in 150W rated power, Which can completely ensure stable operation of hard drives when you insert five 16TB HDD into the enclosure.

Two Large Handle

Make it easy to carry

The two Large handle provides comfortable grip when moving or relocating the device.

What you will get?

• 1x 5 Bay hard drive enclosure;1x Screwdriver;
• 40x Screws;1x Data cable(A-B); 1x User manual

Product description

Mediasonic HF2-SU3S2 ProBox is a 4 Bay Enclosure for 3.5" SATA I / II / III hard disk drive. It supports 4 HDD of different brand and capacity of hard drive. Note: Motherboard's SATA port MUST support Port Multiplier in order for your computer to recognize multiple hard drive if the unit is connected via eSATA.

• Support all brand of 3.5" SATA I / II / III* hard disk drive up to 16TB per drive, and up to 4 x 16TB
• Support SATA 3 6.0Gbps hard drive transfer rate
• Transfer Rate up to 5.0Gbps via USB 3.0, and 6.0Gbps vis eSATA
• Support Power Sync, S.M.A.R.T. and Smart Fan function with built-in Thermal-Sensor, auto & manual modes, and 3 speed levels
• One Button Interface selection to switch USB 3.0 or eSATA Interface. Note: Only ONE interface can be used at a time. Compatible with PC and Mac.

User questions & answers

Question:	has anyone tried putting a 2.5" 1 TB HDD in this thing? Do I have to use an 3.5" adapter or can I just plug in the 2.5" HDD
Answer:	Note: A Normal adapter/brace will not work that you would used for mounting a 2.5 in a PC case. The connections for the power and data transfer are fixed solid to the board in the back of the case. A normal adapter will leave the 2.5 drive well short of the connections and you will need to run cabled for the power and data, very very short cables. Additionally, the metal plate that functions to hold the drives in place will not fit snugly with the 2.5 drive adapter meaning it will float around in there just a little to make some noise. Due to these reasons I would suggest only using it for 3.5 drives as they fit perfectly in the drive bays.
Question:	If I install 4 x 4TB drives on this unit and connect it to my computer, I see 4 new USB hdds in my PC or just one big drive
Answer:	You will see 4 separate drives, but if you want, you can use the RAID option that is built into windows 10 (assuming you have windows 10) and you can merge disks together, I have four 4TB drives in mine, two of them run on RAID 1 where I keep important files, and the other two drives are set up as single drives and that's where I got all my games installed and stuff I wouldn't mind losing, all the drives work great so far in any configuration I try.
Question:	Is there any way to make these units turn on after a power fail w/o pressing the button? I tried the 3 sync modes and regardless of what the attached server does it seems I have to manually press the power on button to get these to start responding after a power failure (USB
Answer:	A comment to Abi and Phillip on chaining UPS units: I think the issue is total current draw, and usually if someone is adding another UPS, they plan to draw that much more current through the system, and that would indeed be bad. In general, it is good advice not to chain UPS or surge power strips, given how people normally just keeping plugging things in until all outlets are occupied. But... if Abi is disciplined and only plugs the one thing into that chained UPS that otherwise would occupy a plug on the first UPS, I'm not seeing the problem. Maybe Abi should tape over or toddler-plug the remaining outlets on the chained UPS as a reminder to avoid dangerous current draw situations? The total load on the first UPS then is almost unchanged (modulo the power overhead of the chained UPS itself), and if there is some reserve capacity on the first UPS, that shouldn't be a problem. Is there some other consideration I am missing here?
Question:	has anyone tried 4tb hard drives in this unit? it states it supports it
Answer:	Yes: WD Red 4TB, Linux, Fedora 20, GPT partition table, USB3, Intel NUC, the whole capacity of the drive shows up, no problems.Here's the smart data from the drive:=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===Model Family: Western Digital Red (AF)Device Model: WDC WD40EFRX-68WT0N0Serial Number: WD-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXLU WWN Device Id: 5 0014ee 25e8d978cFirmware Version: 80.00A80User Capacity: 4,000,787,030,016 bytes 4.00 TBSector Sizes: 512 bytes logical, 4096 bytes physicalRotation Rate: 5400 rpmDevice is: In smartctl database for details use: -P showATA Version is: ACS-2 (minor revision not indicated)SATA Version is: SATA 3.0, 6.0 Gb/s (current: 3.0 Gb/s)Local Time is: Sat Aug 30 12:38:41 2014 PDTSMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.SMART support is: EnabledFYI, I used "hdparm -J" to set the idle3 timeout to 120 seconds. It did not brick the drive and appeared to work; however, I will express the strong caveat that is a dangerous operation.# hdparm -J /dev/sdddev/sdd: wdidle3 = 120 secs (or 13.2 secs for older drives)

Product features

Smart Fan Function

• 3 Level of fan speed. Auto or Manual mode fan speed selection.
• Built-in temperature sensor to control fan speed in auto mode.

4 x Hard Disk Drive

• Support 4 x 3.5" SATA hard drive up to 16 TB per drive.
• Support 4 x 2.5" SATA hard drive up to 12 TB per drive. (bracket adapter required, sold separately}

Power Sync & S.M.A.R.T

• Power On / Off in synchronization with Computer. (Does not support auto power on when encounter power failure).
• Support S.M.A.R.T.

USB 3.0 & eSATA Interface

• Transfer rate up to 5.0Gbps via USB 3.0
• Transfer rate up to 6.0Gbps via eSATA connection.

Additional Features

• Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10 (32 / 64 bit) (GPT partition)
• Mac OS 10.3 or later

One Button Interface Selection

• User can choose either USB 3.0 or eSATA interface to connect this enclosure to the computer. The selection button in the front panel.

Important Note:

• 4Kn Native Drive is Not supported
• Power Disable Feature hard drive is not supported. For example, WD Enterprise HDD, HGST HDD.
• Motherboards eSATA port Must support Port Multiplier in order for your computer to recognize multiple hard drive if the unit is connected to eSATA port.
• You can use Only One interface at a time. (Either USB 3.0 or eSATA)

Product description

Mediasonic PRORAID HUR5-SU31C is a 2 bay 2.5-inch & 3.5-inch SATA hard disk drive enclosure. HUR5-SU31C supports both 2.5” and 3.5” SATA I / II / III hard drive speed up to 6.0Gbps with USB-C interface and UASP Protocol.



Hard Disk Drive Support

3.5-inch SATA I / II / III hard disk drive up to 16TB per drive

2.5-inch SATA I / II / III SSD / HDD up to 10TB per drive (Bracket adapter required and included in the package

Support hard drive transfer rate up to 6.0Gbps

Support UASP Protocol



RAID Mode Features

Single Mode: Computer will show up as two independent drives

JBOD Mode: Raid 0 Spanning mode. Two hard drive will show up as one large single drive. Spanning is an array (not Raid) that is written sequentially across two drives

Raid 0 (Stripping Mode): Two hard drives will show up as one large single drive but speed performance will boost up. The two hard drives will write data in “column effect”

Raid 1 (Mirroring Mode): Using this mode will require two identical hard drives. It will create an extra copy (or mirror) set of data to second drive



Supporting Operating System

Window 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10 (32 bit and 64bit)

Mac OSX 10.8 or later



Package Content

HUR5-SU31C x 1

2.5-Inch HDD Bracket Adapter x 2

Power Adapter x 1

USB 3.1 Type C to USB-C Cable x 1 (3.3ft) with E-Mark IC

Screw Pack

User Manual



Technical Support and Warranty Service

[email protected]



Warranty Period

18 Month Warranty from Mediasonic Store

• Hardware embedded Raid controller ensure data integrity with redundant back up capability, support Single Mode, JBOD Mode, Raid 0 Mode, and Raid 1 Mode
• USB 3.1 Gen 2 transfer rate up to 10Gbps. USB-C / USB Type C Interface.
• Support all brand of 2.5-inch & 3.5-inch SATA SSD / HDD up to 16TB per drive, and support SATA III 6.0Gbps speed.
• Support UASP for faster transfer rate, LED light indicator for system status monitoring.
• S.M.A.R.T function with built-in temperature sensor control. Please Note: 4Kn hard drive is supported. However, Power Disabled Feature hard drive is NOT supported. For example: WD Enterprise HDD and HGST HDD.

User questions & answers

Question:	Does it start copying automatically from the C drive or is there a step to start the process
Answer:	After set up and format, You need to move or copy files over as you need.
Question:	Sorry i would like to now if this case works with a usb-c to usb 3.0 cable? is this cable included
Answer:	Yes, It will work. But the speed will reduce due to cable limitation. The cable included is USB-C to USB-C cable, NOT USB-C to USB-A.
Question:	Does this enclosure support 12TB drives
Answer:	No, 10TB per drive limit.
Question:	Is it compatible with the new 14tb hdd
Answer:	Currently we know it support 12TB as tested. We have not tested with 14TB yet. Once We test We will update the support info.

Product features

3.5" SATA HDD Support

Support all brand and capacity of HDD.

2.5" SATA SSD / HDD Support

2.5" to 3.5" HDD Brackets included. Support 7 mm / 9.5mm / 12.5mm / 15mm SSD / HDD up to 10TB.

USB 3.1 GEN-II 10Gbps Speed

Super Fast data transfer rate.

USB-C to USB-C Cable

High quality USB-C cable provides fast and reliable date transfer.

Single Mode

Non-Raid setting. Computer will show up as two independent drives.

JBOD Mode

Two HDDs will show up as one large single drive.

Raid 0 Mode

Two HDDs will show up as one large single drive, but speed performance will boost up.

Raid 1 Mode - Mirroring

It will create an extra copy (or mirror) set of data to second drive.

• 2.5" USB C SSD raid enclosure supports two 2.5" SATA SSD drives in JBOD, BIG, RAID0 and RAID1 configurations; USB C SSD Enclosure provides with optional power cable provides stable drive performance to serve as an external RAID enclosure
• USB C to SATA SSD Enclosure offers convenient and fast data back-up for temporary or long-term use; Diagnose internal SSD drives for replacement or repair with the SATA SSD adapter
• 2X faster than USB 3.0 data transfer rate support by this SSD dual bay enclosure for computers with USB A or USB C. Supports USB-A, USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 computers with the included cables
• High speed USBC enclosure storage is compatible with Windows and Mac computers; USB Type C to SATA enclosure in a sturdy metal housing provides a cost-effective solution for adding additional memory without opening up your laptop
• Dual bay USB-C enclosure for portable hard drive and external SSD is compatible with SATA SSD drives such as the Samsung 860 EVO, Kingston A400 SSD, SSD Plus, Crucial MX500, WD Blue 3D NAND PC SSD

User questions & answers

Question:	What can i do with this drive using only one cable (not using the power via micro usb
Answer:	If your target drive is has a smaller capacity than your source drive this will not work as a stand alone solution. It can however be used to dock the target drive in. You must use software to clone your OS to a lower capacity HDD or SSD. This unit will not work for that as a stand alone solution. It's fairly easy to clone the OS partitions to a lower capacity target HDD with software like Macrium Reflect. There are plenty of videos on YouTube for moving an OS to a lower capacity HDD or SDD. As long as both drives have equal capacity this unit will work as a stand alone solution. If you wish to use this to clone a lower capacity HDD to a higher capacity this unit can do it. Using this or any unit to clone a lower capacity drive to a higher capacity drive will leave you with an unallocated partition on the target drive. This partition can be initialized and either used as a storage partition or it can be initialized and merged to give you one larger OD drive. A good example would be cloning a 1TB source drive to a 2TB target drive. If you do with with this devise unit your target drive will show up on your PC as a 1TB drive. You will have to go to Computer Management and initialize the other 1TB before it can be used. I find myself cloning 2TB OS HDDS to 1TB SSD more than anything else. Many if not most PCs made in the last few years came with a 2TB mechanical drive. It's far cheaper to buy a 1TB SSD than a 2TB SSD so this is the best way you get your PC upgraded to an SSD without buying an SSD of equal size and twice the price.
Question:	I have two ssds in my pc that i have spanned to form one drive. if i put those two drives in this and toggle to big mode, will it work? or lose data
Answer:	Certainly. I am doing the very same thing (too many hard drives?? ;-) )Occasionally my system "forgets" a drive (Win 7/64), so I just go to "computer management" and "disc management" and restore the drive letter. It's not a frequent occurance, and I REALLY like the Dock! Good Luck!
Question:	Max capacity per drive anyone? Anyone using 2 x 4tb samsung evo ssd's
Answer:	You need a little patience sometimes. I thought that something was wrong with the unit. It took me 6 hours to clone my 1TB HHD (about 1/3rd full) to my 1TB SSD, but the transfer was perfect and my laptop is operating much much faster. I tried cloning via the USB method, but kept getting error messages.
Question:	I want to use 2 ssd drives not in raid on my mac mini so they each show up independently. is this ok
Answer:	It can copy an os drive over to another and make it bootable.

Product features

Cost-Effective External RAID Storage

The Cable Matters USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 2 Dual-Bay External Enclosure provides a convenient way to connect two SATA 2.5” SSD drives to a computer. Add back-up storage to a computer with USB-A, USB-C or Thunderbolt 3. This compact enclosure supports JBOD, RAID0, RAID1 and BIG storage configurations to back-up computer files. The SuperSpeed+ USB 3.1 10Gbps data transfer rate increases RAID performance speed when connected to a USB 3.1 Gen 2 compatible computer port

Sturdy Construction with Optional USB Power

The aluminum housing on this compact enclosure shields the SSD drives from EMI electromagnetic noise for reliable data transfer. Air vents dissipate heat and an optional USB power cable ensures stable drive performance when transferring large files.

Important Note

Not compatible with 3.5" hard drives or 2.5" SSD/HDD thicker than 7mm.

Programmable RAID Storage

• Supports 2.5" SSD drives up to 7mm
• Configure the storage mode with dip switches
• Supports RAID0/1, BIG, JBOD modes
• SSD LEDs confirm the drive status

Double the Bandwidth

• USB-A & USB-C compatible
• USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface
• Backwards compatible with USB 3.0/2.0

USAP Compatible

• UASP support with compatible equipment
• Increases Read/Write speeds
• Improves CPU utilization

Thunderbolt 3 Port Compatible

• Supports USB-C ports
• Supports Thunderbolt 3 ports
• Backwards compatible with USB-A ports with included USB-C to USB-A cable

Sturdy Metal Enclosure

• Optional Micro-USB power port designed for low power
• Aluminum enclosure limits electromagnetic (EMI) noise

USB-A and USB-C Compatible

• 1x USB Type-C Gen 2 External Dual-Bay SATA SSD Enclosure
• 4x SSD mounting screws
• 1x Enclosure Stand
• 1x USB 3.1 Type-C 10Gbps cable
• 1x USB 3.1 Type-C to Type-A 10Gbps cable
• 1x USB power cable
• 1x Screwdriver
• 1x User Manual (available in a PDF format)