External Enclosure > Cool Design -POLL-

[themiragemaker]

Hi,

I'm looking for an external enclosure for my 250 GB Maxtor HDD/ DVD burner.

I'm hoping that this post would help other people post their favorite HDD enclosures if you're like me and want to get an enclosure but want it to actually look good as well.

So hopefully you can use the links in this post to help you if you're looking for one or if you've seen better, please post the links to that as well.

Amongst the enclosures being designed, I've noticed, there aren't many nicely designed enclosures . THAT SAID.....

I'm trying to find a 5.25"/3.5" enclosure so that if I need to switch it with my DVD burner I can do that as well-save some money and all that.

I've been looking around for ages on Newegg and something or the other is missing or it has it all but it looks like swearing editted by moderator

Here's what I'm looking for and I'm trying to find something that has all these requirements which I thought shouldn't be hard but it is....


-- 5.25"/3.5"

-- Support for 200+ GB HDD and DVD-RW's

-- Built in QUIET fan (cos if I'm using the HDD in it, it's going to be on for quite some time)

-- ALUMINUM enclosure only (same reason as above, too handle heat efficiently)

-- Firewire AND USB2.0 connectivity (Why? Cos even if you favor one of the two, the DVD-RW's in the market are pretty picky 'sometimes' about the connection you're using and I'm not looking for new coasters)

-- SHOULD LOOK GOOD (this is personal, but it helps if there isn't an ugly bit of machinery that isn't on your desk, right?)

-- OPTIONAL - can stand upright with an included base stand

I really like this one
http://www.ppa-usa.com/product_pages...sures/2230.htm
or for clearer pictures
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...155-214&depa=0

but, shiite man! it doesn't say anything about 3,5" hardrives on either site! So what's the point of it being 3.5" optional as well then?

Anyway that's the sort of design look I'm trying to find. Does anyone know if PPA has a 5.25" design that does it for HDD's as well?
Or this is my best bet so far - meets all the requirements except it doesn't look as good as the earlier mentioned PPA enclosure.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...145-152&depa=0
or
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...146-022&depa=0
---------------------------------------------------------------------
For examples of ugly ass design check out these external matchbox-design enclosures (once again this is personal and subjective, so if you don't agree, that's cool)
These are all examples of aluminum enclosures only because I'm looking for something sturdy, handles heat well to stay on for long periods supporting big HDD's. Not interested in plastic!

http://www.newegg.com/app/Showimage....145-357-05.jpg

http://www.newegg.com/app/Showimage....173-006-05.jpg

http://www.newegg.com/app/Showimage....146-199-05.jpg

http://www.newegg.com/app/Showimage....146-019-01.JPG

and whoooooh, look, colored lights - look at what it looks like with the lights off!
http://www.newegg.com/app/Showimage....146-311-10.jpg

[pam123]

Check out this thread : http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=118709

[themiragemaker]

Hi Pam,

Thanks for the link. I went through that post and there were some interesting comments in there. BUT this thread is different.
It isn't only about the capabilities of an external HDD enclosure but the main focus is the design.

There are tons of enclosures out there in the market and some have all the 'essential' features and some don't, but there are very few with actual smart design.

Too many products with crappy fonts on the enclosure or poor graphics or just plain dull dead looking enclosures. I'm trying to find enclosures that pertain to the above mentioned requirements AND have good design.

Just curious about what people have found in their search for enclosures and their opinion.
Thanks for the quick response

Keep the posts coming...

thanks
-themiragemaker

[bailey]

how about just typing external enclousers in google and go from there ?
doing that will give you all kinds of sources.

[themiragemaker]

Sighhh!!! ONCE AGAIN, this is not about just finding some external enclosure. Have you tried doing that in google!!! I did and it gave me 20+ PAGES of results.

This is about nicely designed enclosures! Nuff said.

I found a few more decent looking ones if anyones interested.

This one's exactly like the cool looking PPA model mentioned in my first post, except ADDITIONALLY it also comes with a case fan + it says its for both IDE HDDs and optical drives. AWESOME.

So there's no problem with that one.......Well, yes and no.
Everything looked perfect, except for one tiny thing.

MAAN, they added some peter-pan inscription of their own on the side. Some flowy, flowery, la-la-la, gradient text that says...get this... "AWESOME".
Awww, yes your consumers would feel so special with those necessary inscriptions on the side! DAMN YOU POWERPOINT USERS!!!!
Here look at it yourself.
http://www.dealsonic.com/stpmsi5inalc.html

and a cool black one.....with the text!!!
http://www.dealsonic.com/sabl5inslalu.html

There are some other pretty decent ones on this site that I haven't seen anywhere else (including Newegg), so if you don't care too much about the "inscriptions" on the side, check 'em out.

This is a pretty solid one that fulfills most of the requirements mentioned in my first post but its 3.5". On the plus side it has cool spec called a HDD vibration dampener (not on this link but I saw it somewhere else, can't recall)
http://www.xpcgear.com/vanufens35.html

Here's a pretty cool design but I think it's plastic
http://www.xpcgear.com/ufens2355case.html

And then there's this guy....for the ones who want to burn a hole in their pocket
http://www.cooldrives.com/blalfi8001us.html


Keep the posts coming....

themiragemaker.

[HAL9000]

themiragemaker, you're earning your first warning about swearing on the board.. incorrectly spelling your swearing only confirms you know you're getting around the filter and shouldn't be doing it to begin with.

-Moderator

[themiragemaker]

I apologize. I didn't think I was swearing too profusely, but if those are the rules, then those are the rules. No more.

That said, I would like to request you to remove this post and your previous post, only in order to not detract from the main topic of this thread. I am really hoping people respond actively too it and I spent a lot of time researching and sharing what I've found on this topic.

Peace,
themiragemaker.

[HAL9000]

No prob... If you check with the FAQ, we run a VERY tight ship here... we generally don't remove posts unless we send them to archives...

Be assured the members here will not be detracted from the original topic and things will continue as they should from this point.

[bailey]

I am having a hard time understanding just what his question is.
I think he is looking for a very specific type of encloser, but not sure.

[HAL9000]

basically looking for;

-- 5.25"/3.5"

-- Support for 200+ GB HDD and DVD-RW's

-- Built in QUIET fan (cos if I'm using the HDD in it, it's going to be on for quite some time)

-- ALUMINUM enclosure only (same reason as above, too handle heat efficiently)

-- Firewire AND USB2.0 connectivity (Why? Cos even if you favor one of the two, the DVD-RW's in the market are pretty picky 'sometimes' about the connection you're using and I'm not looking for new coasters)

-- SHOULD LOOK GOOD (this is personal, but it helps if there isn't an ugly bit of machinery that isn't on your desk, right?)

-- OPTIONAL - can stand upright with an included base stand

[themiragemaker]

Hellooooo !!!
.:BUMP:. Just trying to make this thread alive again.

Is there anyone around here interested in external enclosures??

Please...atleast post any good enclosures that you might have come across here. Let's build a little database people!

-themiragmaker.

[foolishone]

I really don't know what you are looking for exactly, but I know that I like very clean, sharp, neat cases, no neon anything like that.

Feel free to disguard any, and sorry if I was wrong on your expectation/what you were looking for.

Arrow

AMC

Belkin

^fo

[glc]

Here's my favorite.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...155-604&depa=0

[SkullznXBones]

I use this one myself with a 120gig drive in it...


http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...146-603&depa=1

[themiragemaker]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for the replies...

[foolishone]
Don't be sorry. You actually answered the question to the tee. My interest is what YOU think is a good design in terms of enclosure design. As in what would you go in for. Just trying to build a little database because this seems to be becoming more and more popular( buy an internal drive and slap an enclosure onto it, save money)
thanks again.

[glc]
nice. I like the fact it comes with a stand too. The PPA Intl. #2230 that I bought didn't have a stand but the cool thing about that enclosure is, it doesn't even need one. It stands horizontally and vertically, plus if you go in for more of them they should stack up nicely as the base has rubber which would sit perfectly on top of another one of these enclosures. As you already know I was a happy camper until I decided to be smart and flash it without thinking...(sigh!)

[SkullznBones]
that one is so sweet. I looked into that one earlier but as tempting as the FW800 was, my pocket couldn't open up enough at the time.

Keep the poll going.... Well it's not really a poll...more of a database

-thanks again for the replies
themiragemaker.