Advice needed on ext HDDs / Icybox etc.

TheBigCheese

TheBigCheese

TheBigCheese

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Hi guys

I'm needing an external hard drive where I can transfer between 20-30GB of data three or four times a week between different machines.

Networks are too slow and I'm finger tapping with USB 2, which is what I use now with WD Mybooks and Seagate Freeagents.

I'm looking at eSATA drives for their improved transfer speeds (all the PC's I use have eSATA on the motherboards) but am a bit flummoxed as to which to get...

I was going to go for a Seagate Freeagent Pro until I read today that the eSATA connection is 'piggybacked over the USB 2 so isn't significantly faster', whether that is true or not I have no idea...

I was wondering about a WD drive then I have noticed the external enclosures such as Akasa Integral and Icybox...but I'm not exactly what these devices are.

Will they perform exactly the same function as an ext HDD if I put my own choice of HDD in them? Or are they designed for being left sat on a desktop and not moved around between PC's?

Many thanks in advance for any advice or product suggestions! :)
 
Can anyone recommend an Icybox that does SATA drives and USB+Firewire connectivity? I can only find IDE and USB+Firewire or SATA and USB. 3.5" I think.

Do all Icybox require an external power source (other than those that specifically say power from USB)?

It is to be used as a backup for my laptop.
 
For some reason there are very few USB+Firewire caddies for SATA drives. There is an IcyBox one but I've not seen it for sale anywhere.

All 3.5" HDD based devices will require an external power brick since USB can only supply 500mA at 5V (2.5W) whereas a 3.5" HDD needs about 15W across 5V & 12V supplies.
 
Thanks a lot. I notice it now that 2.5" ones are generally usb powered and classed as portable but 3.5" ones aren't. I'll keep looking...
 
This one's what you need. It comes with everything: USB and eSATA cables, eSATA backplate and mains PSU. The drive is also easily changed from the front of the box, without screws.
 
That's a decent wee unit if you only ever want to use USB or eSATA but if you want to swap between them you need to take the caddy apart and switch a cable over to use the other interface.
 
A related question: can I use an existing laptop 2.5" sata hard drive with data already on with one of the Icybox and connect that to my own laptop via USB?

Are there any issues accessing the docs, media, etc on it considering it has an OS, programs and so on.

Basically my cousin dropped his 'dead' laptop round mine as the power socket is broken but he reckons everything else is fine, including his hd. He hasn't got a backup (idiot) so wants me to retrieve it. I thought I could kill 2 birds with 1 stone by using the Icybox to retrieve his stuff and then maybe use the hd as my backup drive if his laptop cannot be fixed.
 
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I have two of these style icybox external caddys http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-004-BT&groupid=701&catid=14&subcat=72. I have come to the conclusion that i really dont like them. Personally, i think they look horrible in real life (the picture isnt really representative), and they feel cheap and nasty too.

One thing i would warn you of is that i broke the SATA connector on one of mine within 2 minutes. This is my own fault, and i wasnt being particularly gentle, but the SATA cable it comes with is much longer than is needed. As such u have to bend the cable to fit it inside the caddy. When i did this it puts stress on the SATA connector, and the plastic SATA connector fell off mine. Fortunately all the pins were still intact so i just slid the plastic connector back down. It still works, but it just confirmed to me that they arent particularly well built IMO.
 
rpstewart said:
For some reason there are very few USB+Firewire caddies for SATA drives. There is an IcyBox one but I've not seen it for sale anywhere.

All 3.5" HDD based devices will require an external power brick since USB can only supply 500mA at 5V (2.5W) whereas a 3.5" HDD needs about 15W across 5V & 12V supplies.
Click to expand...

Agreed - for some reason they are not many around.

In fact, I have only found one so far (an IcyDock model). It arrived today and is working fine with a 400Gb Spinpoint SATA drive via firewire with my macbook. But I forgot to order an extra caddy (£6.50). :(
 
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