Vantec eSATA /USB2 SATA HDD case

[Eazy]

Tried copying a Movie from the internal drive to the external and got between 21-22 MB/s

I used to get around 22 - 24 MB/s with my Vantec PATA USB case and a Hitachi 160GB HDD on a P4 875 chipset setup - but when I changed to the A8N-E this speed went up to around 32 - 33 MB/S. This is for a PATA Vantec case NOT the eSATA.

BUT

With my P4 setup I used to get SATA 1 HDD transfer speeds around 52MB/s and this has come down to around 45MB/s with the A8N-E. This is for HDDs connected to the MoBo internally.

GO FIGURE !!!

 

[superczar]

Actually as long as the data transfer speeds are enough for my torrent client to write data to the external disk and for my machine to read the AV files for playback, I am happy

 

[Quad Master]

Hey Eazy , that Vantec Casing always makes me droooooooooooool.

Also the way u take pics is so tempting for me to spend some money and get that thing but the Vantec Casing is costly i feel.

Any Cheaper external Sata casing.

 

[superczar]

I got an external 3.5" SATA casing from a brand called Zippys' for 1.3 K..

Runs 24X7 without hitches

But why do you want an external casing really?

a 3.5" casing doesn't make sense unless you have a specific need for it

(given the lack of portability, and the external power requirements)

Oh, and BTW Stay away from from something called Techcom, i picked it up for 700/- and it gave me nothingn but woes!

 

[Eazy]

Hey Eazy , that Vantec Casing always makes me droooooooooooool.

Also the way u take pics is so tempting for me to spend some money and get that thing but the Vantec Casing is costly i feel.

Any Cheaper external Sata casing.

YUP I too felt this case was a wee bit expensive - as it is sold in U.S. for $50 - but when I read the features of it in a review I had to have it at any cost

For me the main advantage of the Vantec eSATA case is that I can run XP from a HDD in this case. I often need to do this to restore a backup image after a XP screwup

Nilesh of APEX is expecting the Cooler Master external cases shortly - maybe those will be cheaper.

Most of the peeps here spend a lot of display cards and expensive mobile phones and other stuff.... I spend on HDDs and cases and fun hardware tools. I have 10 HDDs and I am looking to buy 2 more and I will also buy the Cooler Master eSATA case with a USB hub which allows cascading of drives mentioned by PCJedi ... this I MUST have hyeah:

 

[chic_magnet]

wow this is nice...... i was in the hunt for a sata case sometime back... cause i wanted to use one of my 160 giggers as portable . and get another 320 gigger sitting inside my cabby(have a 80gigger ide as portable though).. couldnt find any sata/usb cases then so didnt sell my hdd....

anyways..btw..... eazy... hot swappable.. you tried it?? with xp running , you removed the esata cable? did anythin bad happen to xp ..( i dread the hot-swappable thingy..lol)

and also.. one end of the sata connector is on your mobo right?? ....

 

[Eazy]

... hot swappable.. you tried it?? with xp running , you removed the esata cable? did anythin bad happen to xp ..( i dread the hot-swappable thingy..lol)
and also.. one end of the sata connector is on your mobo right?? ....

MAN .... one bad thing about the external cases.... The HDD gets HOT ... very HOT..... I have 3 other external USB2 cases - but I never knew the HDD temps in these cases as using the HDD as a USB2 device does not show its temperature - I never knew what the HDD temp were in the USB2 cases - now with this eSATA giving this info I saw that the HDD was at 63C during formatting of the HDD :O Its idling at around 48 - 50C :O this same HDD when in the computer case idles at 38C. :O :O Jeeeese !!!!

I tried starting the eSATA HDD when XP was running off another HDD connected to the MoBo ... NADA... XP no find eSATA HDD by powering up when XP running ..... but if I restart XP then the eSATA drive is found. So powering up before boot required for this eSATA HDD. I dont have the guts to switch off the power to the eSATA case when it is running in XP as there is no "safe to switch off" thingy in the systray for this drive. The eSATA is recognised as a regular HDD not like a USB2.

In my first post I put up a picture of a bracket and cable - the cable has a SATA connecter at the end which goes to the MoBo's SATA socket. Just like the brackets the MoBo makers supply for Serial and USB ports.

I checked in the StorageReview forums and found that the Seagate 7200.9 160GB SATA HDD is the coolest running HDD ... anyone have a price on this HDD ? I think it must be about 8C cooler than my Maxtor DM9 120GB SATA HDD which I am now using in this case.

 

[Eazy]

I tried starting the eSATA HDD when XP was running off another HDD connected to the MoBo ... NADA... XP no find eSATA HDD by powering up when XP running .....

Just tried Add New Hardware from Control Panel and the HDD was picked up - no need to restart ...... GREAT !! :clap:

Removed the lid of the Vantec case and kept HDD standing up and the HDD temp is now at 40C .... GREAT GREAT !!! :clap:

 

[zhopudey]

So, the hdd gets hot cause its all enclosed and theres no airflow? Seem like a bad design :no:

 

[Eazy]

So, the hdd gets hot cause its all enclosed and theres no airflow? Seem like a bad design :no:

No MAN .... it is NOT only this case which heats the HDDs - all external cases will heat a HDD (unless they have fans attached to the case)..... BUT .... this is the only case which actually shows in XP the HDD temperature as the HDD is recognised as a regular SATA drive.

 

[superczar]

I used to keep the top of my casing open to allow air to flow in ...

Nevertheless, the HDD would seem quite hot to the touch

suddenly, one day I realized that metal sides of the casing are supposed to act as thermal conductors for the HDD as they make a snug fit with the HDD body...

So I screwed the top tightly back on, and now the entire casing feels warm to the touch uniformly, which is perhaps a good thing indicating the metal body is conducting the heat away from the disk

 

[chic_magnet]

yup... every case ..hdd gets hot... cant help it... but have seen cases with 20mm fans... lol.. are they worth buying?? ?cause 20 mm doesnt make sense.. unless ya there is also a outlet to take the hot air out.. . hmm

my hdd`s running at 33C each. ya that`s inside my cabby with a fan to cool em each..but the one in my ide-usb case.. runs atleast above 50C... cause it feels frigging hot.... aftersometime of operation.

 

[Eazy]

suddenly, one day I realized that metal sides of the casing are supposed to act as thermal conductors for the HDD as they make a snug fit with the HDD body...
So I screwed the top tightly back on, and now the entire casing feels warm to the touch uniformly, which is perhaps a good thing indicating the metal body is conducting the heat away from the disk

YUP it is a good thing if you feel heat on the case - as that indicates that the heat is being tranferred off the HDD.

I measured the temp with case and without case cover + a table fan blowing directly over the open HDD..... and with the second method the HDD was cooler by about 5 - 7C. NO CONTEST external case stays open with table fan for me.

I have a Maxtor 120GB SATA drive in the case and this HDD runs quite HOT - it is the wrong drive for use in an external case. I check at StorageReview and the drive they recommend is a new Seagate 160GB SATA II 7200.9 model ST3160811AS single platter - this is very slim about 0.75" high OR they recommend the Hitachi T7K250 HDD. The Seagate is a new HDD release but they have put it in the older 7200.9 family.

Links for the cool Seagate HDD.....

Barracuda 7200.9 SATA - ST3160811AS

Barracuda 7200.9 SATA - ST3160811AS Product Family

 

[deejay]

edited out::

 

[deejay]

Since i am the official pauper of TE i make do with this poor man's eSATA.



The card in red box above came with asus m/b. i am planning to attach this to a 5 1/4 inch blank plastic face plate and attaching it in front of the pc case.

using any standard molex to sata (2) power cables (green box)i can attach 2 (two) Sata hdd's to the system without opening the case.

and no temp issues too.

God i love free stuff......

Neverthless this vantec case is good. members having huge library of music / movies and share them on routine basis should have one in their inventory after suitably "bargaining" offcourse.

ps: i have 3 small fans running off +5V volts which is ideal for such cases, i.e. if you can find a spot on the case to install it. contact me and take it away for free.

 

[Eazy]

Since i am the official pauper of TE

Please stand in "Q" ... first in line I understand is Darky and I am second..... I am retired so I am always broke

using any standard molex to sata (2) power cables (green box)i can attach 2 (two) Sata hdd's to the system without opening the case.

and no temp issues too.

What about the eSATA DATA cable ? Like Maggie Ketchup - "IT IS DIFFERENT" hyeah: Are eSATA cables available in Lamington Road ?

Neverthless this vantec case is good. members having huge library of music / movies and share them on routine basis should have one in their inventory after suitably "bargaining" offcourse.God i love free stuff......

MAN I really tried a lot to make Nilesh bring his price for this eSATA case lower .....NO LUCK....

i have 3 small fans running off +5V volts which is ideal for such cases, i.e. if you can find a spot on the case to install it. contact me and take it away for free.

Sadly no place for fans The case is a pretty tight fit over the HDD. I have a few smallish fans too which I could have tried to use on the case. What I may do when I feel tired of the cases good looks ..... is cut holes on top and bottom of the case and attach a 80mm fan on top of case for air flow. I have done this to a BAFO USB2 case - used a 60mm fan - made a big difference to HDD cooling.

 

[deejay]

Please stand in "Q" ... first in line I understand is Darky and I am second..... I am retired so I am always broke

What "Q "?. Darky is a funny chap in these matters. dont believe him.hyeah: if he qualified as pauper he would not be getting inspired with gskill wallpaper tonight.:rofl:, You retired comfortably and i am seriously contemplating retiring from the pc scene all together. strange pc / net fatigue has set in inside me and one of these days might sell / give away all i have and buy a cheap, antique laptop and live happily in my pauperdom.:clap: as one grows up the priorities and perspective of life changes.

What about the eSATA DATA cable ? Like Maggie Ketchup - "IT IS DIFFERENT" hyeah: Are eSATA cables available in Lamington Road ?

I dunno ...must be, but i have 2 good quality SATA cables which i had bought recently from Bangkok for about Rs. 275/- each. but imho good quality normal sata cables should suffice too. and incase one needs a better "shielding" then just wrap any thin metallic foil tightly around the cables and ground it at one end and you will have all the EMI /RF shielding you require or need. these are easily available in cigarette packs (free !!!!), cadbury dairy milk choclates or the silver foil used to cover food (again free !!!)

MAN I really tried a lot to make Nilesh bring his price for this eSATA case lower .....NO LUCK....

No harm in trying ...is it ? anyways this is a mantra i keep on repeating like a "Parrot" to one and all. it is your fundamental right and one should always enforce it.

Sadly no place for fans The case is a pretty tight fit over the HDD. I have a few smallish fans too which I could have tried to use on the case. What I may do when I feel tired of the cases good looks ..... is cut holes on top and bottom of the case and attach a 80mm fan on top of case for air flow. I have done this to a BAFO USB2 case - used a 60mm fan - made a big difference to HDD cooling.

Well you can always remove the power button at the rear of the case. a small fan can fit there with some minor cutting / filing. the power button can be replaced with a small switch which can be fixed just above the eSATA port. these fans which i have were removed from a old compaq laptop so if it can keep a lappie cool it would surely lower the hdd temps a bit.

 

[superczar]

Please stand in "Q"

as one grows up the priorities and perspective of life changes.

i am the first one in the queue

and as for growing old, as my 30s approach me, i feel older each passing day

the very backache that i would attribute to an improper sleepin position a few years ago now gets attrbuted to my age....:'( (being on the wrong side of the 20s)

 

[Eazy]

and live happily in my pauperdom. .

You mean "PAPAD-dom" ?? hyeah:

I dunno ...must be, but i have 2 good quality SATA cables .

NAHI YAR ..... the eSATA cables are DIFFERENT in size ... NOT interchangeable with regulat SATA cables. They look thinner and wider.

Well you can always remove the power button at the rear of the case. a small fan can fit there with some minor cutting.....

Here is a screenie of MBM ... the HDD in the Vantec case is the 120GB HDD ..... this temp is with the Lid of the Vantec case removed..... I must get the Seagate 160GB SATA II 7200.9 model ST3160811AS single platter HDD as this is supposedly the coolest running HDD in production today.


... is it possible that the HDD is reporting a wrong temperature reading - caused possibly by the Vantecs electronics ??

 

[deejay]

You mean "PAPAD-dom" ?? hyeah:

No i meant living a simple, back to the nature life.

NAHI YAR ..... the eSATA cables are DIFFERENT in size ... NOT interchangeable with regulat SATA cables. They look thinner and wider.

Yes. You are right. The eSATA connector is Different. here are details
Serial ATA
and here
http://www.sata-io.org/docs/External SATA WP 11-09.pdf
summary:
The external cable connector is a shielded version of the connector specificed in SATA 1.0a with these basic differences:

• The External connector has no “L†shaped key, and the guide features are vertically offset and reduced in size. This prevents the use of unshielded internal cables in external applications.
• To prevent ESD damage, the insertion depth is increased from 5mm to 6.6mm and the contacts are mounted further back in both the receptacle and plug.
• To provide EMI protection and meet FCC and CE emission requirements, the cable has an extra layer of shielding, and the connectors have metal contact points.
• There are springs as retention features built into the connector shield on both the top and bottom surfaces.​

The external connector and cable are designed for over five thousand insertions and removals while the internal connector is only specified to withstand fifty.

Only Fifty .... . (members to note and try not to exceed this limit for data security)

Here is a screenie of MBM ... the HDD in the Vantec case is the 120GB HDD ..... this temp is with the Lid of the Vantec case removed..... I must get the Seagate 160GB SATA II 7200.9 model ST3160811AS single platter HDD as this is supposedly the coolest running HDD in production today.

... is it possible that the HDD is reporting a wrong temperature reading - caused possibly by the Vantecs electronics ??

No. i dont think the vantec electronics will be involved in reading temps. the SMART HDD monitoring is read directly from the HDD.
anyways my fan suggestion was just an imagination. i am not implying that you actually do it.hyeah: it is these small matters which a "pauper", cheap DIY guy like me always and immediately notices.

Edit: my next DIY mod to replace the current sata HDD and m/b Sata connectors to eSATA. :cool2: