lsudvm

I have a Seagate 400 gb drive that I am RMAing to Seagate. They going to send a replacement. I want to put it an exclosure/dock and use it as an external backup. I was looking at either an icy dock: http://www.icydock.com/product/mb662us-2s.html

or a nextstar: http://www.vantecusa.com/front/product/view_detail/372

The vantec has good reviews. Any thoughts as to my choices or other items i should look at?

thanks

pippolo

Them are of different type... both are hotswap (you can swap easily the HD) but the Icydock is mainly for a stable setup and the Vantec is more suited for a temporary setup (ie when you use HD as floppy).

I own the single slot version of the Vantec and it's working flawless (the only problem is the color.. white as a WC and Apple craps; but when I bought it the shop had sold all the others and this was the only available).

You must choose depending on the type of use. If you will have only up to 2 HD to place inside it, go for the Icydock, otherwise go for the Vantec.

Only a couple of notes:

1) choose one with eSATA port and use it. USB is too slow for a normal use.

2) both of the docks have inside a 'port multiplier' chipset. In order to use them with eSATA you need an eSATA port (on your PC) capable to support the port multiplier sata extension (a lot of Silicon Image controllers and some Marwell).
Intel claims that the ICH9R supports the 'slow' version of the capability but I don't think that it works with the newer drivers.

The Icydock is very similar to a 2.5" dial RAID box that I have. it uses a 'light' version of the Silicon Image chipset and it's capable to combine the 2 HD in several RAID modes (0, 1, BIG, JBOD, SAFE33 & SAFE50) using a dip-switch.
The 2 HD are visible as one also using a normal eSATA port. If you sets the dip-switch into a specific position and attach the case to a port multiplier enabled, you can configure the different raid setups using the software.

I don't know if the Vantec is similar, but from the specs seems that you can't use it with the eSATA port without a 'port multiplier' esata controller.

Oupavoc

Yes exactly what he ^^^ said, also I've heard great thing of Icydock

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eflyguy

Whatever you decide, make sure it has a fan.
..a

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