Which 3.5" HDD Enclosure Can Provide Maximum Cooling & Durability?

[catboy]

I need to purchase a 3.5" HDD enclosure with maximum cooling and durability.

I would like the enclosure to give me the best chance for helping the HDD within it to live for as long as it possibly can.

I am going to stick a WD Black 4TB HDD into the enclosure, and then use it as an external drive which stores a back up copy of my data.

Before I made this thread, I have tried searching the internet for 3.5" HDD enclosures, and so far I didn't find any that look ideal.

Most of the enclosures on the market seem to have no fan, although some of those fanless ones look good aesthetically.

I've found a few with an 80mm fan, but they are ugly (although I'd still accept an ugly enclosure if it is the one that provides maximum cooling and durability). And those 80mm fans do not seem to be user-replaceable.

Do any good 3.5" HDD enclosures exists with a 120mm fan (preferably that is user-replaceable)? If none have a 120mm fan, do any exist with a 80mm fan that is user-replaceable?

What would you recommend as the best possible product that I can buy which meets the criteria I've described?

 

[sdifox]

Why not just have a fan blow at the enclosure you like?

 

[Coup27]

Either I am missing something or you're trying to do something you don't need to.

Are you just going to plug in this drive over USB3, backup your data, remove it and hide it away again? If so, why does it need to be cooled? Why not just buy a WD My Book or WD My Passport Ultra?

 

[catboy]

Why not just have a fan blow at the enclosure you like?

I'm not sure what type of fan I would use in order to do that? If you mean a regular-sized household fan, then I'd be concerned that it would blow dust and debris into my computer and monitor. But is using their own fan what most people with HDD enclosures do?

Are you just going to plug in this drive over USB3, backup your data, remove it and hide it away again? If so, why does it need to be cooled? Why not just buy a WD My Book or WD My Passport Ultra?

Yes, I am intending to back up my data and then remove the drive, and to repeat that process on a regular basis.

I don't want a WD My Book because: one, it a uses WD Green/Blue drives; and two, I've read in other posts on this forum that its encryption system is designed so that if the controller fails, then all the data becomes lost even if the HDD itself still works.

I don't want WD My Passport Ultra because: one, I'm not sure if any of the issues I've just mentioned apply to it as well; and two, I don't like SSDs because they are guaranteed to fail over time since they are subject to write endurance.

As for why does it need to be cooled: because I want it to last for as long as possible.

 

[sdifox]

I'm not sure what type of fan I would use in order to do that? If you mean a regular-sized household fan, then I'd be concerned that it would blow dust and debris into my computer and monitor. But is using their own fan what most people with HDD enclosures do?



Yes, I am intending to back up my data and then remove the drive, and to repeat that process on a regular basis.

I don't want a WD My Book because: one, it a uses WD Green/Blue drives; and two, I've read in other posts on this forum that its encryption system is designed so that if the controller fails, then all the data becomes lost even if the HDD itself still works.

I don't want WD My Passport Ultra because: one, I'm not sure if any of the issues I've just mentioned apply to it as well; and two, I don't like SSDs because they are guaranteed to fail over time since they are subject to write endurance.

As for why does it need to be cooled: because I want it to last for as long as possible.

I use one similar to this one to cool my rack. There is like 15 external hdd there with my server, router and upses. I don't see any serious dust accumulation. I don't understand why you think there would be a difference in dust between built in fan and external fan.

http://bydab.com/26-industrial-fan/

it doesn't need to be cooled if you are just backing up and then turning it off. Mine are on 24/7

 

[nerp]

Just buy one from a reputable brand. I bought some inexpensive one that has a metal housing, no fan, and it houses an HGST 2TB drive that is on 24/7 on a home server connected via USB and not a single issue. In fact, it runs cooler in the enclosure than the other drives jammed in the server where I have 6 hard drives stacked on top of each other. If you're only using it here and there, I'd not worry too much about heat. The key is to not knock the thing or drop it or lat it move around while in use.

 

[nerp]

Another thought: consider a 2.5 inch drive over a 3.5 inch drive. Mobile/laptop HDs often have built-in protections against shock and such since they are designed for portable devices that can get some abuse.

 

[sdifox]

Another thought: consider a 2.5 inch drive over a 3.5 inch drive. Mobile/laptop HDs often have built-in protections against shock and such since they are designed for portable devices that can get some abuse.

they are also slower.

 

[corkyg]

I have three Vantec Nexstar, all aluminum cases. One runs all the time my PC runs - a data drive. It houses a WD black drive, and no matter how long it runs, it is never more than pleasantly warm. I would say it is very reliable - has been running over 6 years and with the all aluminum construction, no fan is necessary. I connect it via eSATA.

 

[sdifox]

I have three Vantec Nexstar, all aluminum cases. One runs all the time my PC runs - a data drive. It houses a WD black drive, and no matter how long it runs, it is never more than pleasantly warm. I would say it is very reliable - has been running over 6 years and with the all aluminum construction, no fan is necessary. I connect it via eSATA.

I think I have 6 Nexstar3

 

[smitbret]

I think I have 6 Nexstar3

I have a couple and have never lost a drive in one, yet. I consider the warm case to be a good thing since it is dissipating heat.

 

[nerp]

they are also slower.

Sure but for semi-regular backing up, that's OK. Especially if the tool being used is smart and only writing new data as it is created.

 

[Coup27]

I don't want a WD My Book because: one, it a uses WD Green/Blue drives; and two, I've read in other posts on this forum that its encryption system is designed so that if the controller fails, then all the data becomes lost even if the HDD itself still works.

I don't want WD My Passport Ultra because: one, I'm not sure if any of the issues I've just mentioned apply to it as well; and two, I don't like SSDs because they are guaranteed to fail over time since they are subject to write endurance.

My Book uses Green/Blue drives because those drives are specifically designed for the purpose of backing up and storing large volumes of data. Using a higher performance Black drive for backup purposes is overkill.

You are correct about the encryption system, however as this is a backup, if the drive dies you already have at least one other copy of your data elsewhere to make a fresh backup.

My Passport Ultra is not an SSD. It is a 2.5" HDD with capacity up to 4TB specifically designed for the purpose you are looking for.

The drive will not need external cooling for reliable operation. The reason you are struggling to find a cooled caddy is because it is not necessary.

If the only copy of your data exists on your computer I would buy 2x My Passport Ultra's 4TB and backup onto both of them. If/when one fails, replace it.

No offense, but you're making this far more difficult than it needs to be, however it is your choice.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I haven't investigated the options available for the last eight years or so pertaining to external HDD boxes. The options available in 2003 through 2008 were certainly bulkier, less predictable and less reliable than those today.

I'm constantly receiving spam from WD promoting some new storage device -- external drives with "cloud" capabilities. I don't block them; I just delete them; I may need to see some in the future.

So, continuing the story. It didn't take me long between 2006 and 2008 to find a box reliable for several purposes:

USB2-to-IDE
Separate power supply inside the box
Easy disassembly/assembly
full-size optical-drive capable (DVD-burner, for instance)

That was then. Here's the picture of the model -- code for which (A2xxx something) I forgot -- the Thermaltake Silver River. That model line was recycled to later Tt designs with much less in common with mine:

These were cleverly designed with pop-off vinyl-plastic vented parts which just require fingernails and a good tug:

They were originally designed for USB2 connection of IDE 3.5" HDDs or ATAPI optical. It was easy to mod them for eSATA by removing the IDE-to-USB converter circuit board, modding holes in the back of the unit for SATA-to-eSATA, and harvesting some old motherboard-bundle parts to connect an SATA drive:

I bought six of these units at a Provantage or Egg price ~$50 each. So I still have a couple high-capacity IDE drives in service, and I've redeployed old SATA-II and SATA-III drives to the remainder of those boxes. For the latter, all I need to do (and haven't done yet) is to cable an activity LED to any proper pinouts on the SATA drives, if there are any.

This old model Thermaltake Silver River was rock-solid for the IDE-to-USB2 operation. The power-supply, which I'd seen fail on other earlier external box models was just as solid. With six of them, I can put five power-bricks and cables in storage, and simply use the drives one at a time.

But the way they design these things currently, the advantages of my decade-old purchases won't fall on you. If they made boxes like the Silver River today, though, I'd say you want to look at something similar for the cooling. The blue LED fans in these boxes may not all be that quiet, but they take a licking and keep in ticking . . .

And they can always be replaced with some Noctua jobs . . .

 

[sdifox]

I haven't investigated the options available for the last eight years or so pertaining to external HDD boxes. The options available in 2003 through 2008 were certainly bulkier, less predictable and less reliable than those today.

I'm constantly receiving spam from WD promoting some new storage device -- external drives with "cloud" capabilities. I don't block them; I just delete them; I may need to see some in the future.

So, continuing the story. It didn't take me long between 2006 and 2008 to find a box reliable for several purposes:

USB2-to-IDE
Separate power supply inside the box
Easy disassembly/assembly
full-size optical-drive capable (DVD-burner, for instance)

That was then. Here's the picture of the model -- code for which (A2xxx something) I forgot -- the Thermaltake Silver River. That model line was recycled to later Tt designs with much less in common with mine:

These were cleverly designed with pop-off vinyl-plastic vented parts which just require fingernails and a good tug:

Man that is ancient. Early 2000 me think. 5.25" external enclosure.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Man that is ancient. Early 2000 me think. 5.25" external enclosure.

Yeah! Absolutely! Positively! Ancient! But I have an SATA-III VelociRaptor in one of them, maybe a TB Blue drive in another. They're 5.25" for the optical-drive option. When wouldn't you need an external USB DVD-ROM or Burner, if you build and fiddle with several computers? They would've attracted many more buyers as 5.25" enclosures for 3.5" drives.

This isn't about brand name, or advising purchase of some particular model.

It is about design. Those things are all aluminum but for the vinyl vent brackets. The only time I'll ever need to buy another external box would be need for a USB3 drive enclosure (or even USB2) for mobile use with my laptop -- which is only USB2-capable anyway.

Now let me tell you about the ongoing integration of my 1994 Belkin Omni-View 4-port PS/2 KVMs with USB, DVI and HDMI. I almost checked out last week for certain model USB/DVI KVM for use even with DVI-to-HDMI cables. I had had some anomaly that caused two computers using the Belkin with simultaneous mouse freeze-ups -- which might have something to do with the KVM. Turned out a UPS battery needs to be replaced.

I'll take my time buying the replacement KVM.

 

[sdifox]

Yeah! Absolutely! Positively! Ancient! But I have an SATA-III VelociRaptor in one of them, maybe a TB Blue drive in another. They're 5.25" for the optical-drive option. When wouldn't you need an external USB DVD-ROM or Burner, if you build and fiddle with several computers? They would've attracted many more buyers as 5.25" enclosures for 3.5" drives.

This isn't about brand name, or advising purchase of some particular model.

It is about design. Those things are all aluminum but for the vinyl vent brackets. The only time I'll ever need to buy another external box would be need for a USB3 drive enclosure (or even USB2) for mobile use with my laptop -- which is only USB2-capable anyway.

Now let me tell you about the ongoing integration of my 1994 Belkin Omni-View 4-port PS/2 KVMs with USB, DVI and HDMI. I almost checked out last week for certain model USB/DVI KVM for use even with DVI-to-HDMI cables. I had had some anomaly that caused two computers using the Belkin with simultaneous mouse freeze-ups -- which might have something to do with the KVM. Turned out a UPS battery needs to be replaced.

I'll take my time buying the replacement KVM.

Usb stick or iso mounts have replaced dvd rom drives and remote desktop replaced kvms.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Usb stick or iso mounts have replaced dvd rom drives and remote desktop replaced kvms.

That is so true, but there are times you can't depend on Remote Desktop.

Also, I'm moving away from installing any DVD drive in my systems. But there's always that time when you want a quick-connect USB DVD for any number of purposes.

 

[ronbo613]

I've got a few of these enclosures. They've been pretty solid.

 

[XavierMace]

That is so true, but there are times you can't depend on Remote Desktop.

That's what out of band management is for.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I've got a few of these enclosures. They've been pretty solid.

Those look pretty good -- "aluminum and plastic" as the description at Egg shows them -- I could say my own ancient Tt boxes are "aluminum and plastic."

But the Rosewill looks like a winner.