External Case or Docking Station for 3.5" WDC Black 1.5TB

[sati-edimax]

Hi!

Hi

I've got as a Christmas gift from my boss - 2 WDC Black 1.5TB 3.5" hard drives. Those aren't new models, but programs like CrystalDiskInfo and Active@ Disk Monitor show that both are in a very good shape. Problem is - I don't have free SATA slots in both my PCs and exchanging drives that I already have for those won't really benefit me (I would gain like 500 GB or so + my drives have lower "Power on hours" values*). So I decided that I will use those HDD as an additional external backup storage.

What would you suggest to use to plug those drives into my PC that:
- would increase the durability of those drives compared to them just laying on my desk
- would be decent/easy to use (plug&play, not many additional cables aside from PC cable and power one, decent to carry from room to room)
- would either support both drives for like 60$ or each separately for 30$
- would allow to switch disks later (like if the disk failed or I would build a new PC and use those drives there)
- preferably something with USB3.0

I was thinking about either a HDD External Case or a HDD Docking Station but I never used any of those so I have zero experience with it. I would skip all kind of RAID solutions as I don't need a RAID1 setup (I want to use the whole 3 TB on those drives, plus most of my data is recoverable from various sources but it will be just easier to plug the disk, copy-paste data, unplug disk if something happens).

I'm open to suggestions.

If it's needed I got Windows 7 Pro and Windows 10 Pro on my PCs, if that might help with anything.

Additional I can say that I already have a IDE/SATA<>USB3.0 adapter but the sata port is bending when I connect the drive (I need to put the drive on something to leverage it) so I'm sure it might break on more often usage. And I mostly got that adapter to connect old IDE drives. I'm not sure if I can use a SATA+power cable to connect the adapter to disk. So this is question number 2:
Can I use a cable like InLine 29652A 0.3m SATA SATA III Multicolour SATA cable https://images.morele.net/i500/873422_0_i500.jpeg to connect a SATA disk to IDE/SATA<>USB3.0 adapter like this one Media-Tech MT5100 http://www.media-tech.eu/MT5100en (actually this is exactly the same adapter I have).

Thanks in advance!



*Power on count is higher cause those Blacks were mounted in a server so yea, good that server wasn't restarted that often 😛

 

[velocityg4]

I'd just get a two drive dock. Easy to swap out disks. As it is open air can easily get at the drives. So, no need for noisy fans.
https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-FD2002-Dual-Bay-Docking-Function/dp/B00N1KXE9K/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1516715959&sr=8-4&keywords=hdd+dual+external+enclosure

I don't see why you would carry them room to room. Just share them from one computer and access them on others over your network. If you do insist on carrying them around. I'd make it less cumbersome with a dual drive enclosure.
https://www.amazon.com/Yottamaster-Aluminum-External-Enclosure-Support/dp/B06XKVVBGQ/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1516716230&sr=8-9&keywords=hdd+dual+external+enclosure

Although you could probably go down to Goodwill or similar thrift store. Pickup a PC for $25. Install a light Linux distro and Gig Ethernet card (if not already equipped). Plug it into your router. Then have it act as a NAS.

 

[USAFRet]

2 bay toaster
$35
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Duplicator-Function-EC-HDD2/dp/B00IKC14OG

 

[sati-edimax]

Thanks both velocityg4 & USAFRet! I'm going to search for a decent docking station in shops that I can buy (I'm not from US so amazon can be an overkill for me with shipping 😀 I'll mark this thread as answered when I'll get the station and test it.

And just to answer:

I don't see why you would carry them room to room. Just share them from one computer and access them on others over your network.

I want to share this "3 TB" storage with my family members too, so that when I'm at work and they would want to backup stuff then they will just move the drives and not turn on my PC with the station plugged into it. That's why I wouldn't want a solution that weights like 10kg and is troublesome to move around

 

[velocityg4]

I want to share this "3 TB" storage with my family members too, so that when I'm at work and they would want to backup stuff then they will just move the drives and not turn on my PC with the station plugged into it. That's why I wouldn't want a solution that weights like 10kg and is troublesome to move around

How about picking up a old computer from a thrift store or flea market. Then use it to create a NAS using those drives. That way it is always available to everyone on your home network.

 

[sati-edimax]

I want to share this "3 TB" storage with my family members too, so that when I'm at work and they would want to backup stuff then they will just move the drives and not turn on my PC with the station plugged into it. That's why I wouldn't want a solution that weights like 10kg and is troublesome to move around

How about picking up a old computer from a thrift store or flea market. Then use it to create a NAS using those drives. That way it is always available to everyone on your home network.

I have an old PC laying around in my home (P4, 4GB RAM, some ASUS mobo with I think 4 SATA slots) but a running PC will eat way more power (so cost more) then a docking station/disk case. Plus that one has a vacuum sound fans so you can't really be in the same room. So that would require a fix -> costs for something that I don't know how long can even work (the PSU has like ~10 years if not more so I wouldn't put my bet it won't stop working soon). Oh and an UPS (don't have a spare one, and sadly it's a must in my case). And as the last thing that makes an PC/NAS as bad solution for me would be the need to buy a new router/switch (well switch as my current router works just as a switch + AP) as I have zero slots left. So additional costs, that summed will cost more then a case/docking station.

(maybe if I had more disks then I would consider it, I might end up this or next year buying a new PC and then converting my current PC to work as a RDP+FS+DownloadPC, but that's far future)