[svlug] Hardware for a new server

[Eric De Mund]

Rick,

Rick:
] So, I think that's the direction I'm going to go:
]
] [...]
] $52 2x Vantec NST-280SU3-BK USB3.0 & eSATA NexStar 3 enclosure
]        ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817392047 )
] [...]

I'm reading that this new box (boxlet? (-:) will be very important to
you. Hence, are you sure you want to house its HDD in an external en-
closure that's passively rather than actively cooled? Also, the reviews
there on Newegg for this item, well, they don't really inspire. In fact,
they seem a little bit scary to me.

I don't know hardware, but last June, I did some research for an exter-
nal hard disk enclosure that was going to be for a neighbor. As it was-
n't going to be under my care and watchful eye, and as sometimes these
apartments here get ridiculously hot for a period each summer, I wanted
active cooling and a solid reputation. I ended up buying this unit from
Newegg:

    1 x ($47.99) Thermaltake ST0021U Steel Mesh & Ruggedized Plastic
    3.5" Black USB2.0 & eSATA Max 5 External Enclosure
    $50

Now, it's ridiculous that an enclosure costs $50 rather than $30 (I
think ten years ago, good enclosures with fans cost $30, no?), but
there it is. I've been extremely happy with this unit that's been run-
ning more or less full-time since June with a Seagate 9SL153-515 750GB
7200RPM 3.5 SATA hard drive in it. It's quiet, and even on hot days,
with its two 80mm fans, it stays cool to the touch. By quiet, I mean
that it sits on a shelf 3-4 feet to my left, and I have to look over
at it to confirm that it's on.

Downsides:

1.  For $50, I wish the unit were metal. But it's plastic. It's not a
    flimsy plastic, it feels better, more solid than that, but still.

2.  They use two hex-head screws to seal the unit. They supply a little
    hex Allen wrench, but I felt I was slowly stripping the screw heads
    each time I went in. I was happy to find that I could up and replace
    them with two normal hard disk screws.

3.  After 6 months, one of the eight "neato blue" LEDs on one of the two
    TT-8015 fans died. But the fan itself was and is still fine.

Upsides:

1.  Stays cool to the touch. Not just neutral, but slightly cool.

2.  Quiet.

3.  Once you're under the hood, past those two outside screws, it's
    tool-less on the inside with a snap-in arrangement.

4.  The SATA connector inside isn't flimsy. After putting half a dozen
    disks into this thing to test them out, I'm not afraid that I'm go-
    ing to accidentally bend the connector when I slide the hard disk
    along the tray to plug in to it. (Not so with a LaCie enclosure I
    recently bent a SATA connector in and had to carefully straighten
    out again.)

5.  Soothing blue mood lighting.

Ah, here are good, clear pictures, showing the insides of this thing:

    Thermaltake Max 5G USB 3.0 HDD Enclosure Review
    http://www.tweaknews.net/reviews/thermaltake_max_5g_review/index5.php

I hope this helps,
Eric

p.s. It was originally a toss-up for me between the above Thermaltake
Max 5G and one of the Macally enclosures, similar to this one (I didn't
save the Macally model in my notes):

    Macally Hi-Speed eSATA/FireWire/USB 2.0 Storage Enclosure for
    3.5-Inch SATA Hard Disk G-S350SUAB2 (Silver)
    http://www.amazon.com/Macally-Hi-Speed-FireWire-Enclosure-G-S350SUAB2/dp/B003VTZFN4

If memory serves, I ended up declining on the Macally because some of
the vents were fake, they only looked like vents. And the customer re-
views of the Thermaltake were more solid.
--
Eric De Mund   |  Yahoo: ead0002
ead at ixian.com  |  GTalk: ead.ixian at gmail.com