Hard drive enclosures are handy devices that allow you to access files from a computer hard drive without installing them inside the computer. With a hard drive enclosure, you can access files from any hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD) without installing the drive itself.
Adorama sells a variety of hard drive enclosures and accessories ranging from basic USB dongles for casual use, to high-speed Thunderbolt3 expansion systems for high-bandwidth activities like video editing.
External Hard Drive Enclosures
The most common form of hard drive accessory is an external enclosure bay, which encapsulates the drive inside a protective case. These devices typically offer a USB 3.0 interface, which provides ample read and write speeds for occasional backups or data archival.
StarTech is one of the leading brands that sell consumer-grade drive enclosures. They offer solutions for 3.5” hard drives, 2.5” laptop HDDs and SSDs, and even PCIe M.2 enclosures for compact data transport solutions.
Thunderbolt3 Drive Enclosures
The USB 3.0 data interface is fast enough for casual data transfer, but it’s not sufficient for constant access. If you need to add more storage space for regular access, like for a data dump for video editing, a Thunderbolt3 drive will be much better suited for the job. The Thunderbolt3 interface is roughly eight times faster than USB 3.0. You will find options from OWC, Accusys, and Sonnet in our selection of Thunderbolt3 drive enclosures.
Professional Rackmount Drive Expansion
Hard drive enclosures and accessories aren’t just for desktop applications. Rackmount drive enclosures allow network administrators to expand the available storage on existing servers without replacing the server hardware or existing hard drives. These enclosures link back to the server via a high-speed Thunderbolt3 connection or SAS cable.
Hard Drive Docking Stations
If you regularly find yourself needing to access data from loose hard drives that may have been removed from another computer, a hard drive docking station is a must-have accessory.
A docking station lets you hot-swap hard drives just like USB sticks. StarTech makes a line of toaster-style docks, which will enable you to drop your drive into a slot like bread into a toaster. Dual-bay toaster-style docks can also help you duplicate hard drives. If you prefer to keep your hard drive horizontal, Atomos’ line of docking caddies doesn’t require you to flip your hard drive.