External SATA hard drive enclosures
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: LHR/EGLL
External SATA hard drive enclosures
Anyone got any recommendations? I know there are a few out there, but I'm a bit hazy on whether they need to plug in to a SATA socket on a PCI card. I'd rather be able to use USB or Firewire.
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Lv426
Why do you need the speed of a SATA HD for an enclosure? I use mine as means to rip huge amounts of data from other machines so USB 2.0 is easily good enough (10 meg a second IIRC).
If you have a fast HD it should be your C drive, can't really see that a fast enclosure would help, even if your machine could support it.
You can get add on PCI cards which support SATA but I don't know whether they would support it over USB or Firewire.
If you have a fast HD it should be your C drive, can't really see that a fast enclosure would help, even if your machine could support it.
You can get add on PCI cards which support SATA but I don't know whether they would support it over USB or Firewire.
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: LHR/EGLL
I'm after one that can take a SATA drive because I have a spare SATA hard drive. Like you I'm going to use it to transport large amounts of data between my two desktops, which are 50 miles apart. I'd rather get an enclosure that can take a SATA drive, but plugs into a USB or Firewire port so I don't have to buy any more cards.
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From: Lv426
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: LHR/EGLL
Thanks for the link. I've looked there already. The enclosures that take IDE drives seem to use Firewire or USB, but those that take SATA drives all seem to need a SATA plug on the back of the PC, so I'll need to get another expansion card. I'm running out of space! 
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: LHR/EGLL
