Icy Box or Vantec HDD enclosure

[knight01]

I've been looking to buy a hard drive enclosure. I've narrowed it down to three (Icy Box USB 2.0 IB-360StUS-BL, Icy Box IB-351StUS-B and Vantec NexStar 3 NST-360SU), just have a few questions before I choose.

Anyone know what is that little "button" just under the SATA connection for on the Icy Box IB-360StUS-BL? I read somewhere that the new versions have a option to turn off the blue light. Is that what the button is for?

Are the Icy box units eSATA compatible? It doesn't mention this anywhere, it just states that they have SATA to USB 2.0 and SATA host interface. Is this same as eSATA.

I was going to buy the Vantec NexStar 3 NST-360SU. This has everything I want (SATA to eSATA & USB 2.0, for 3.5" HDD). But can't find anybody who sells these.

Thanks for the help

[Mithrandir]

I got my Icy box from Scan and it is fantastic. It's a pATA version (ib-351u-bl)

You can't turn the lights off my one but it doesn't bother me so much.

[johnny02004976]

You can't turn the lights off my one but it doesn't bother me so much.

cant u disconnect the tubes mate??

Icy box all the way for me mate i have 3

[8bit]

Just had a look inside my Icy Box - looks like you could probably disconnect the cables for the lights - can't imagine why you'd want to tho

[davidstone28]

The curvy edged version of the Icy Box has a button to turn off the blue lights. The square version doesn't have the button.

[Dorza]

The newer version Icyboxes have a tiny switch to turn the LED lighting off. I welcome it, the under lighting isn’t that impressive tbh though the enclosure its self is nice and works well imo.

eSATA is External SATA quite simply it allows you to use external sata devices at full sata speed outside of the computer case. It has nothing to do with USB or Firewire. If I were you get an enclosure that supports eSATA if you can find one and get an eSATA back plate like This One. Connect the leads to the motherboard and then connect a sata cable from the back plate to the enclosure. You'll be able to use your sata hard drive at full speed then since its upto 6 times faster than a USB2 connection. put simply it puts USB2 and firewire to shame as far as transfer rates go. If you do this buy a sata lead that’s no more than 2m long that includes the length of the leads going from the motherboard to the back plate. Hope this helps