Storage Solutions How good are Pibox enclosures / Docking station ?

awestorr

Herald
Anyone using pibox enclosures/Docking station.
How good are they?
Looking to either one of them for a 3.5inch drive ,since they are around 850inr
 
Anyone using pibox enclosures/Docking station.
How good are they?
Looking to either one of them for a 3.5inch drive ,since they are around 850inr
Please talk to pibox directly, ask about which chips are on which enclosures and order the non realtek ones.

The new versions come with realtek RTL9201 chips which have a set spindown time of 3 minutes. It is difficult if not impossible to change this behaviour.

This is for the 3.5 inch enclosure.

I use an older version of the same enclosure with the JMicron JSM578 and the quality is quite good. This also has a spindown time, but is much easier to change.

I can't comment on the docking stations.
 
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Please talk to pibox directly, ask about which chips are on which enclosures and order the non realtek ones.

The new versions come with realtek RTL9201 chips which have a set spindown time of 3 minutes. It is difficult if not impossible to change this behaviour.

This is for the 3.5 inch enclosure.

I use an older version of the same enclosure with the JMicron JSM578 and the quality is quite good. This also has a spindown time, but is much easier to change.

I don't know about the docking stations.
The below utility is a must have on windows irrespective of whatever setup you have as there are many internal/external hdd models nowadays on which you cannot disable sleep mode for 1-2 min of inactivity. For linux you can setup a cron job to write a small text file every few seconds/min to target drive just like what this utility does.
@awestorr
 
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Please talk to pibox directly, ask about which chips are on which enclosures and order the non realtek ones.

The new versions come with realtek RTL9201 chips which have a set spindown time of 3 minutes. It is difficult if not impossible to change this behaviour.

This is for the 3.5 inch enclosure.

I use an older version of the same enclosure with the JMicron JSM578 and the quality is quite good. This also has a spindown time, but is much easier to change.

I can't comment on the docking stations.
How to change the spindown time for the JMicron based enclosure?
 
How to change the spindown time for the JMicron based enclosure?
Use this article for guidance.

You have been warned!
If something goes wrong, you can kiss your warranty goodbye.
 
Using nvme RGB enclosure, been going well so far. Build quality is also decent.

Limited-time deal: NVME M2 LED Enclosure, PiBOX India NVMe/NGFF SATA Dual SSD Enclosure - USB 3.2 10Gbps, Tool-Free M.2 NVMe Case, PCI-E NVMe Reader, USB-C, Supports M & B&M Keys, 2230/2242/2260/2280 SSD RTL9210B https://amzn.in/d7gVAct
 
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The cheaper one does not support NGFF/m.2 sata drives only NVMe m.2 drives. Also, reviews suggest the fan does not work all the time but only when load/temps exceed certain threshold. Also keep in mind that usb type c to type c cables are bit more finicky than usb type A cables so a slight disorientation/loose connection/insertion will result in them working at usb 2.0 speeds (as mentioned in some negative reviews) so if you are getting 40MB/s speeds from such enclosures then issue is almost always the connecting cable. Another thing to keep in mind is that source/destination drives both should be supporting 10gbps speeds otherwise only way to see those 950MB/s speeds is in those benchmark tests like crystaldiskmark.
 
The cheaper one does not support NGFF/m.2 sata drives only NVMe m.2 drives. Also, reviews suggest the fan does not work all the time but only when load/temps exceed certain threshold. Also keep in mind that usb type c to type c cables are bit more finicky than usb type A cables so a slight disorientation/loose connection/insertion will result in them working at usb 2.0 speeds (as mentioned in some negative reviews) so if you are getting 40MB/s speeds from such enclosures then issue is almost always the connecting cable. Another thing to keep in mind is that source/destination drives both should be supporting 10gbps speeds otherwise only way to see those 950MB/s speeds is in those benchmark tests like crystaldiskmark.

Thanks so much for the input mate, appreciate it.

Regarding the fans though I think in both the units the "smart" fans only spin up if the SSD temps cross a certain threshold.
 
Is the ASUS ROG Strix Arion better than these Pibox enclosures? I've been itching to buy the Asus enclosure... absolutely love that ROG logo that lights up! But that stiff price...
Contact @Prosenjit in his open box thread.

Listed price is 3025 with 7 days warranty but maybe you can negotiate further.
 
@guest_999 : Continuing the discussion here...

Is it better to get a NVMe + Enclosure or just get this Crucial instead:

Crucial X6 1TB Portable SSD

Main purpose would be for saving documents and media while traveling which will be accessed on Laptop or my Tab.

BX500 1TB currently cost 4799 & orico 2.5" usb sata enclosure cost 410 so total 5209-10% sbi cc offer so final price 4688. You will be paying 5399 for crucial X6 1TB for same performance but a better & more durable enclosure as mentioned in above review.

If want to keep the cost similar but better performance then get MX500 500GB with same orico enclosure. If really require 1TB space then I would suggest SN580 1TB for 4889 after sbi card discount & this enclosure:

The in-built fan is supposed to spin when temperature exceeds certain limit & should help with the cooling but considering the price there is always the chance of fan/enclosure not performing as per expectations.
 

BX500 1TB currently cost 4799 & orico 2.5" usb sata enclosure cost 410 so total 5209-10% sbi cc offer so final price 4688. You will be paying 5399 for crucial X6 1TB for same performance but a better & more durable enclosure as mentioned in above review.

If want to keep the cost similar but better performance then get MX500 500GB with same orico enclosure. If really require 1TB space then I would suggest SN580 1TB for 4889 after sbi card discount & this enclosure:

The in-built fan is supposed to spin when temperature exceeds certain limit & should help with the cooling but considering the price there is always the chance of fan/enclosure not performing as per expectations.


Thanks so much... that was very helpful indeed. Really appreciate the amount of details you usually pour into your tech posts here.

I think I'll just keep hassles to a minimum and get the Crucial portable drive. I'll as it is be using it for quick data transfers of documents and media while traveling so it should suffice nicely. Will be using the SSD on my Laptop and Tab.
 
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