HDD Drive Enclosures - Recommendations (SATA - 12TB)

Alan6984 on 23/05/2023 - 11:34
Last edited 23/05/2023 - 11:40 by 1 other user

Hi All,

I am looking for suggestions / recommendations for two drive enclosures for 12TB SATA drives that will be connected to one or both of a Windows machine, and a Linux server.

They will be used primarily for backups, so speed is not critical per se (although faster is always better than slower of course!)

Ideally USB3, but if it had only USB2 and was much cheaper, then I could go with that (it won't really matter if file transfers take hours, as they will be backups being copied to the drive using RSync / RoboCopy to be taken off-site and then rotated over time).

I'd definitely consider a NAS, but I am guessing that will be much more expensive than a simple enclosure (but maybe not if buying two enclosures?) I wouldn't rule a NAS out though if the price differential was not too significant.

I'm very comfortable with the software / administration side of things, but I am not a hardware guy, hence looking for suggestions.

Thanks,

Alan.

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  wellydeal on 23/05/2023 - 14:03

  Not an enclosure, but a dock Orico Dual Bay 2.5" & 3.5" SATA to USB 3.0 - This lasted just over a year & then stopped working.

  Once that stopped, I purchased this one instead Unitek Y-3026 USB3.0 to Dual Sata HDD Aluminium Docking Station with Offline clone function - so far had it about 6 months without issues.

  I have used both docks with 1x16TB & 1x4TB. More recently I have acquired an enclosure from a Seagate 4TB desktop drive that the previous owner has shucked

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    ace310 on 23/05/2023 - 14:12

    One thing I don't like to do with 3.5" drives are to keep them in open environment especially when they are used for backups. 3.5" have delicate moving parts and dust is the main enemy. I will always consider NAS as a long term solution or a computer as such.

    Docks are useful for temporary usage won't recommend to use them on daily basis.

    Just my thoughts.

  • 

    Alan6984 on 23/05/2023 - 14:28

    Hi Wellydeal,

    Not an enclosure, but a dock Orico Dual Bay 2.5" & 3.5" SATA to USB 3.0(pbtech.co.nz) - This lasted just over a year & then stopped working.

    Once that stopped, I purchased this one instead Unitek Y-3026 USB3.0 to Dual Sata HDD Aluminium Docking Station with Offline clone function(pbtech.co.nz) - so far had it about 6 months without issues.

    I have used both docks with 1x16TB & 1x4TB. More recently I have acquired an enclosure from a Seagate 4TB desktop drive that the previous owner has shucked
    

    I'm really after an enclosure (or possibly a small NAS) as the drives will be taken offsite regularly, so they need to be reasonably well protected, whereas a dock would mean the drive is left 'naked'.

    Thanks,

    Alan.

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  Drcspy on 24/05/2023 - 07:26

  Protected drives ? Naked ? Dust ? Bumps are more likely an issue . HDDs don't suffer from the environment really unless you're in extremes of temperature and dust is irrelevant as they're very very well sealed…..dust is NEVER any kind of enemy for a Hdd…

  • 

    Alan6984 on 24/05/2023 - 08:11

    Protected drives ? Naked ? Dust ? Bumps are more likely an issue . HDDs don't suffer from the environment really unless you're in extremes of temperature and dust is irrelevant as they're very very well sealed…..dust is NEVER any kind of enemy for a Hdd…

    If the drive it 'naked' (not sure if that is the right term), outside of an enclosure (say) you can see the circuit boards and stuff, so it seems like it would be more exposed / less protected than if it is inside an enclosure?

    Given they will be regularly moved offsite, some bumping is almost guaranteed, although I would hope nothing severe.

    Are you saying that the suggestion above to use a dock is a better solution than enclosures? I have found basic enclosures for about $45 each, so they aren't too expensive (call it $100 for two for easy reckoning), but I would only have to acquire a single dock if we went that way.

    • 

      Drcspy on 25/05/2023 - 07:26

      Circuit boards are 'exposed' when the drive is mounted in a computer also. They don't suffer from dust issues - ever. And enclosure is fine use what ever you like. I just took issue with the person who said dust could be a problem - that's completely incorrect. Bump the drive at your own risk. Do NOT bump it while it's running ! There's some reasonable argument for an enclosure as being slightly more protection than nothing I guess but the best thing you can do is simply be careful with them. Mechanical Hdds are indeed susceptible to damage from being dropped/bumped etc. Other than that they usually are pretty safe with the exception of liquid being spilt on them or similar unfortunate event.

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  CheapAzChips on 24/05/2023 - 19:16

  Enclosures will generally be safer.

  Dust isn't much of an issue other than potentially clogging the SATA interface but you'll have the same issues with USB on an enclosure.

  However enclosures will generally provide a small amount of both shock resistance and electrostatic protection, just by nature of them providing a buffer and extra layer of protection over - you're right - the circuit board.

  For your proposed use case, definitely use an enclosure. If it's damaged in transit, chances are pretty good that the drive inside is still good. If a naked drive is dropped or damaged, chances are you're hosed.

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    Alan6984 on 24/05/2023 - 21:43

    Cool - that was my original inclination.