Hard-Drive Enclosures

[Ambrosia7177]

I have some questions about hard-drive enclosures.

1.) For backing up my Retina using CCC, how much of a difference in performance/backup-time is there between Thunderbolt and Firewire and USB3?

2.) Is there much difference in the quality of HDD enclosure cases, or are they a commodity?

3.) Are there brands you swear by? I bought a Inateck USB 3 (?) a year or so ago and it seems to work well.)

4.) Do I need a different case or cable for a HDD versus a SSD?

 

[Bart Kela]

1.) I'm guessing in order from fastest to slowest would be: Thunderbolt, USB3, and FireWire. The latter is deprecated by Apple, not much sense in getting a FireWire device and you'll pay a premium for a multi-interface device (like USB3 & FireWire).

2.) I see the sub-$70 cases as commodities. Maybe the top quality cases are better, but for the purposes of a backup, random third-party HDD external enclosures are fine.

3.) No. The brands at a local store have changed over the years. For a while they were carrying Vantecs, today they stock more Comkias. Again, these are commodity parts to me.

4.) No, the connection interface should be the same. This is pretty well standardized these days. The connectors, physical size, mounting screw holes, etc. have been standardized for over two decades. There are changes over the years, but the hard drive industry make these changes as a group, hence the standards.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

1.) I'm guessing in order from fastest to slowest would be: Thunderbolt, USB3, and FireWire. The latter is deprecated by Apple, no much sense in getting a FireWire device and you'll pay a premium for a multi-interface device (like USB3 & FireWire).

2.) I see the sub-$70 cases as commodities. Maybe the top quality cases are better, but for the purposes of a backup, random third-party HDD external enclosures are fine.

3.) No. The brands at a local store have changed over the years. For a while they were carrying Vantecs, today they stock more Comkias. Again, these are commodity parts to me.

4.) No, the connection interface should be the same. This is pretty well standardized these days.

That was easy!


What do you think about a case like this...

http://www.orico.cc/goods.php?id=6351

And what do they mean by: "OutputUSB3.0 Micro B"

My Retina has two USB3 ports, so I need something that is a standard USB3 cable to plug into my Mac.

 

[Bart Kela]

USB is the interface protocol, 3.0 is a version number that has so definition of what it can carry and the speed. The data can flow through a number of connectors including USB-A, USB-C, Micro B, Thunderbolt, Lightning.

Perhaps you should read the USB entry at Wikipedia or type in "what is USB" into Google for a basic primer. Q&A forums are not ideal for long format reads or precise and detailed documentation.

I'm guessing your Mac has two USB type A connectors (the largest ones), so you'd need the appropriate cable to connect the drive enclosure to your Mac. The cable is in one of the photos.

I'm not sure I'd buy a plastic enclosure for a drive like the Orico one you linked to. Metal enclosures provide better cooling as they act like a heat sink. Plastic is a poor conductor.

I've never seen a plastic drive enclosure at the local store. This one appears to be a novelty/gimmicky item.

Also, I'm not understanding your rationale to employ a 2.5" drive as a primary backup device unless you are constantly on the go.

Part of a thoughtful backup strategy is to keep your backup safe and physically secure, which means not hauling around in the same bag as your computer. It can be easily lost/stolen/damaged that way.

Again, you would be better served seeking a detailed, well written long form article about backing up your computer elsewhere than this Q&A forum.

You seem to have a lot of questions in your various postings that would have been addressed by a well written primer. Here you are trying to assemble your own primer in an inefficient piecemeal manner, an incredibly wasteful way of expending your time and slowing your own learning.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

USB is the interface protocol, 3.0 is a version number that has so definition of what it can carry and the speed. The data can flow through a number of connectors including USB-A, USB-C, Micro B, Thunderbolt, Lightning.

I'm guessing your Mac has two USB type A connectors (the largest ones), so you'd need the appropriate cable to connect the drive enclosure to your Mac. The cable is in one of the photos.

I can't tell from the picture if the USB3.0 Micro B end is supposed to plug into the case or the laptop?

I assume the cable has a USB-3.0 A Male end for your computer, and a USB3.0 Micro B end to plug into the case.

 

[Bart Kela]

The Micro B connector plugs into the drive enclosure, hence the words "OutputUSB3.0 Micro B" in the enclosure's specifications.

 

[Cordorb]

If at any time you decide to put a SSD in a case not all will support TRIM ( ie the interface board in the case )
The Thunderbolt case can - not sure if a USB3 only case ever will do TRIM for SSD.

 

[kohlson]

A few points:
- 3.5-inch drives have changed slightly (whaaat?). Drives around the 6TB size and large have mounting holes in a different place than earlier/smaller versions. So depending on if you're building something out yourself or not, this may matter.
- USB 3 cables seem to come with 2 different ends: One that looks like the others that came before it (and plug into Macs); and micro-USB, which are skinnier and have a crimp near the middle. Some drive enclosures use these.

- For comparison purposes, I have a 480GB SSD in an Inateck USB3.1 enclosure. Using Blackmagic Disk, IIRC it gets about 380MB/sec - probably near the limit you can get with a Sata3 device over USB. ymmv.

If you don't mind 3.5-in, both WD and Seagate sell external drives for pretty reasonable prices.

 

[BrianBaughn]

If you have multiple 2.5” drives in a drawer and will not be connecting more than one at a time to your computer a single “adapter” type cable such as this one might work for you.

 

[kschendel]

I've used Orico enclosures, although probably not that one. They worked. I wouldn't worry about plastic vs metal, especially for a backup drive, since you aren't going to run it continuously. I have a 2.5 VM drive in a plastic case (the case it came in) which on occasion gets run steadily for a few hours, and it only gets mildly warm.

I agree that USB SATA enclosures are pretty much of a commodity. I suppose it's possible that there's a particular enclosure chipset out there that's faster than the average, but I couldn't possibly be bothered to benchmark enclosures to find out. Subjectively, all the ones I've used seem about the same.

 

[ZapNZs]

1.) It depends on the drive being used IMO. In regards to single SATA HDDs and SSDs, the difference between USB 3.1 gen 1 (AKA USB 3.0) and Thunderbolt is pretty limited to a point where the higher costs of Thunderbolt components are difficult to justify unless other TB-specific features are intended to be utilized (e.g., TRIM, daisy chaining, video, how some HDDs seem to 'play' nicer with sleep settings for constantly on storage, etc.)

2.) For drives that will constantly be on, some cases dissipate heat a bit better than others, but the association between heat and drive failure isn't as clear-cut as it once was believed. Some enclosures also have more impact resistance than others (and HDDs are quite vulnerable to impact.) With USB enclosures, the quality of the chipset being used will have some effect on transfer speeds, although this is usually more noticeable with SSDs, and most modern chipsets now all support UASP. If you are constantly plugging and unplugging the drive-side cable, I feel USB-C is more durable than Micro-B or Mini variants (and you can use any and all of the above with the USB-A ports on your MBP.)

3.) For a backup drive that will presumably only be running periodically to make and update clones, I can't say I would have any specific brand preference. If I wanted to buy an enclosure for longer term usage, I would probably lean towards one of the models with a chipset that supports 3.1 gen 2, is made of aluminum, and uses a Type-C port (these models do tend to carry a premium and, as your system only supports 3.1 gen 1, even with a SSD you would not see the larger gains that a MBP that supports gen 2 would.)

4.) You do not, provided we are talking about 2.5-inch SATA drives.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

I've used Orico enclosures, although probably not that one. They worked. I wouldn't worry about plastic vs metal, especially for a backup drive, since you aren't going to run it continuously. I have a 2.5 VM drive in a plastic case (the case it came in) which on occasion gets run steadily for a few hours, and it only gets mildly warm.

I really like the look of the Orico drive, but it worries me that I can only find it on eBay. I am leery of buying electronic devices online for fear they could have been modified by a hacker. And since all of the sellers look shady in my mind or from China, that doesn't help.

Am I being overly paranoid?

Seems weird no one sells them in the U.S.

Same issue with the Inateck case I bought a few years ago... I love it and want to buy another, but they are only sold in China and from no name eBayers which is a red flag to me.

 

[Bart Kela]

Am I being overly paranoid?

That's really your call.

These are commodity PC components, I don't see any advantage in going to an off-shore vendor for a part that can be adequately handled by something from a reputable local computer store.

If my local store carries Vantec NexStar disk enclosures, well, it's probably because they don't suck. If they did suck, there would be hundreds of irate customers driving back to the store for refunds.

Not sure about your justification to buy off-shore commodity PC parts, but then again, I don't understand the reasoning behind many of your choices.

Best of luck with your purchase decision.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

That's really your call.

These are commodity PC components, I don't see any advantage in going to an off-shore vendor for a part that can be adequately handled by something from a reputable local computer store.

If my local store carries Vantec NexStar disk enclosures, well, it's probably because they don't suck. If they did suck, there would be hundreds of irate customers driving back to the store for refunds.

True.

Not sure about your justification to buy off-shore commodity PC parts,

Because I like the clear case design.

but then again, I don't understand the reasoning behind many of your choices.

That's a loaded comment if I've ever seen one!

Care to explain...

 

[Bart Kela]

Well, one example specific to this thread is your reasoning why you are looking for a backup drive based on a 2.5" drive.

I explicitly pointed out the downside of carrying around a portable backup drive with your main system, a comment you blithely ignored.

Worse, the gigabyte/dollar value of 2.5" drives is much lower than that of 3.5" drives.

To your credit, you finally admitted that you like the clear case design, the aesthetics of that particular case design rather than prioritizing function (although the rest of this discussion is entirely about function). You should have posted up front that you liked the design of the clear plastic case, practicality/price be damned.

Those are two examples where your reasoning is clouded in obscurity. Do you care more about an affordable and safe computer backup system or are you more interested in some sleek and "sexy" (cough cough) gadget.

If you prefer the latter, no one here will stop you, but why not post it up front so you won't be wasting certain people's time?

I'm bowing out of this conversation now. I have clearly overstayed beyond the moment where I could contribute anything of any value to this particular discussion.

Enjoy whatever gadget you fancy.

 

[kschendel]

The gigabyte/dollar value only matters if you can use it all. OP didn't state his size needs, if 1 Tb will last at least several months, it's cheaper to go with the 2.5 inch drives. I've had backup drives fail (both 2.5 and 3.5 inch, of various brands), so I prefer to replace my backup drive every several months to a year. The old ones go into a drawer, or a safe deposit box, and I retrieve them and spin them up a couple times a year just to make sure they don't freeze.

As long as the enclosure works, I don't think you need to worry about hacking or modification. Where would the data go? The circuitry for a USB/SATA translator is pretty simple, and I think it would be easy to spot an extra set of chips for a wireless interface. The white van sitting outside your house might be a tip-off, as well.

 

[monokakata]

I've started buying USB-C enclosures. My reasoning is that USB-C is becoming more and more common, and because most manufacturers will give you a USB-A -- USB-C cable, I can use the enclosures immediately on my USB-A only Macs. Eventually I'll have to buy C-C cables, but not new enclosures.

As for brands, I've always been pleased by Oyen Digital enclosures, both in 2.5" and 3.5" sizes.

 

[macs4nw]

.....If my local store carries Vantec NexStar disk enclosures, well, it's probably because they don't suck. If they did suck, there would be hundreds of irate customers driving back to the store for refunds.....

I own several of these and like them precisely for their overall design and (mostly) aluminum enclosures. I chose the black variants for maximum heat dissipation, two of them 2.5" and one 3.5", all three the USB3.1 gen 2 versions for a bit of future proofing, although currently only one of them holds an SSD, where the higher transfer rate might matter.

So far all three have worked flawlessly.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

As long as the enclosure works, I don't think you need to worry about hacking or modification. Where would the data go? The circuitry for a USB/SATA translator is pretty simple, and I think it would be easy to spot an extra set of chips for a wireless interface. The white van sitting outside your house might be a tip-off, as well.

Then you should spend some time reading up on things like the Thunderstrike attack and EFI malware...

Your Mac can easily be infected with a Thunderbolt device that has been hacked, so I reason that buying anything from overseas off of eBay is risky, including a $10 enclosure.

What makes EFI malware so scary is that you will never know you have it.

I think you will see a growing trend of hackers targeting devices like happened with Thundestrike, and let's just hope that Apple stays ahead of the bad guys with firmware updates.

 

[kschendel]

I'm not sure why buying from overseas would be any more likely to have issues. I think you're fooling yourself on that one.

If you are really concerned about that stuff, I suggest you build your own enclosure.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

I'm not sure why buying from overseas would be any more likely to have issues. I think you're fooling yourself on that one.

I should have said, "From unknown, questionable sources..."

If you are really concerned about that stuff, I suggest you build your own enclosure.

Or buy from a known source that I feel I can trust, like OWC or B&H...

 

[Fishrrman]

For backing up, you need nothing more than USB3. (snapped this pic a minute ago)

Want a quick backup?
Then get a "bare" SSD, and one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-2-5-...478&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=sabremt+usb3+to+ssd

Cheap, easy -- and you can use the adapter with other 2.5" drives, as well.
Need more space? Just buy a bigger drive, and use the same adapter.

You don't need "the fastest" SSD, either (after all, it's only backup).
A "Sandisk Plus" will serve you well.

There's no reason to go mucking around with more expensive solutions.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

For backing up, you need nothing more than USB3. (snapped this pic a minute ago)

Want a quick backup?
Then get a "bare" SSD, and one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-2-5-...478&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=sabremt+usb3+to+ssd

Cheap, easy -- and you can use the adapter with other 2.5" drives, as well.
Need more space? Just buy a bigger drive, and use the same adapter.

@BrianBaughn mentioned something similar above.

I think that is a good idea from both of you.

My only two issues with the "cable only" approach is that...

1.) You don't have something to protect the drive, which for a SATA drive with exposed circuitry is important the moment you take it off your desk. (And on static-filled Winter days, I would want the case even if the drive never leaves my desk!)

2.) The cables I looked at last night cost more than a cable and a metal/plastic case! Explain that?!

You don't need "the fastest" SSD, either (after all, it's only backup).
A "Sandisk Plus" will serve you well.

There's no reason to go mucking around with more expensive solutions.

I usually use HGST drives for backups and they are very affordable.

I only asked about SSD above because I had bought one last year thinking I could install it internally on my Retina only to find out many months later that it won't fit into my Retina, so there went an extra $250-$300 I shouldn't have spent!

 

[ZapNZs]

I really like the look of the Orico drive, but it worries me that I can only find it on eBay. I am leery of buying electronic devices online for fear they could have been modified by a hacker. And since all of the sellers look shady in my mind or from China, that doesn't help.

Am I being overly paranoid?

Seems weird no one sells them in the U.S.

Same issue with the Inateck case I bought a few years ago... I love it and want to buy another, but they are only sold in China and from no name eBayers which is a red flag to me.

If you like the clear enclosure, OWC makes one with a reasonable chipset.
https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/MOTGS3U3/

(That said, IMHO the firmware on the HDD itself seems to be a more vulnerable target, and for the price you could purchase a Oyen aluminum enclosure with USB-C and a chipset that supports 3.1 gen 2 for slightly less.)

 

[Ambrosia7177]

If you like the clear enclosure, OWC makes one with a reasonable chipset.
https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/MOTGS3U3/

Yes, I saw that last night. Very pricey! Plus it looks a lot bigger/thicker than the one I liked.

I should just stick with the black Inateck case I bought at Fry's two years back.

(That said, IMHO the firmware on the HDD itself seems to be a more vulnerable target, and for the price you could purchase a Oyen aluminum enclosure with USB-C and a chipset that supports 3.1 gen 2 for slightly less.)

Not following your comment here.

FWIW, all firmware is very susceptible to attacks and most people just don't get that. With Thunderstrike, you plug in a Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter that was infected, and every device you plug in gets infected. And because it is EFI malware, installing a new hard-drive or OS won't do sh**!

If they can do that to a Thunderbolt adapter, why not a USB3 adapter? (See my concern?)

All of this is ironic, because without China goods there would be no electronics in the U.S.!

However, based on what I have read, I am now much more careful before I run off to eBay and get some "great deal" on computer goods.

I'm sure there are lots of honest people on eBay selling computer parts - including those in China - but why buy from someone whom you don't know?

I trust Apple or Micro Center or OWC more, and if they ever sold infected goods, they'd be out of business overnight. Whereas that dude in Taiwan couldn't give a rat's hind-quarters...

Just sayin...