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Computer-Strut External Enclosure-R

mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
edited August 2007 in Strut Central
I'm going to upgrade the HD on my MacBookPro and want to keep my old HD around as an external drive (albeit a rather small one at only 80GB).That current drive is a SATA 2.5".If I want to get an external enclosure shell for it, am I correct in assuming that I will need to find one that uses an internal SATA interface? (I only ask b/c most of them seem to have an IDE interface though a handful are SATA-compatible). Also, USB 2.0 is faster than Firewire, right? It's not necessary that I find an enclosure that has firewire support so long as it has USB 2.0? And in either, I shouldn't need an external power supply either, right?Thanks!

  Comments

  • ZekeZeke 221 Posts
    I'm going to upgrade the HD on my MacBookPro and want to keep my old HD around as an external drive (albeit a rather small one at only 80GB).
    Are you planning to do this upgrade yourself? If so, I implore you not to.

    That current drive is a SATA 2.5".

    If I want to get an external enclosure shell for it, am I correct in assuming that I will need to find one that uses an internal SATA interface? (I only ask b/c most of them seem to have an IDE interface though a handful are SATA-compatible).
    Yes, it should be SATA compliant.


    Also, USB 2.0 is faster than Firewire, right? It's not necessary that I find an enclosure that has firewire support so long as it has USB 2.0?
    By spec Firewire 800 (800 Mbit/s max) is faster than USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/s max), but you'll probably pay much more for the enclosure and won't necessarily achieve those top Firewire speeds.


    And in either, I shouldn't need an external power supply either, right?
    Depends on the enclosure, but many have phantom power.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    Zeke,

    I don't plan to do the upgrade myself (hell no!) The tech services office on my campus will do it for me. The enclosure was a suggestion by a friend of mine who recently did the same thing with his laptop.

    Thanks for all your suggestions. My laptop isn't actually Firewire 800 compliant so I might as well just roll with USB 2.0. My regular, external HDs are all USB 2 and I've never had a big problem with the transfer rates.


    I'm going to upgrade the HD on my MacBookPro and want to keep my old HD around as an external drive (albeit a rather small one at only 80GB).
    Are you planning to do this upgrade yourself? If so, I implore you not to.


    That current drive is a SATA 2.5".

    If I want to get an external enclosure shell for it, am I correct in assuming that I will need to find one that uses an internal SATA interface? (I only ask b/c most of them seem to have an IDE interface though a handful are SATA-compatible).
    Yes, it should be SATA compliant.


    Also, USB 2.0 is faster than Firewire, right? It's not necessary that I find an enclosure that has firewire support so long as it has USB 2.0?
    By spec Firewire 800 (800 Mbit/s max) is faster than USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/s max), but you'll probably pay much more for the enclosure and won't necessarily achieve those top Firewire speeds.


    And in either, I shouldn't need an external power supply either, right?
    Depends on the enclosure, but many have phantom power.
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