The drawback with USB 3.0 is that it's not as common as USB 2.0, and Macs only adopted the format in mid-2012.įireWire is more prevalent in Macs than PCs. USB 3.0 is currently the fastest available interface on enclosures and is backward-compatible with USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is a good value choice and great for broad compatibility, but has the poorest performance among available interfaces. Most media devices and routers only support USB drives. A vast majority of enclosures are USB 2.0-only enclosures. On the other hand, if you're using a 5,400rpm laptop drive for portable use, a plastic enclosure is fine.Ĭhoosing an external interface depends a lot on how you want to use your drive and how much you want to spend. Occasionally, you can find a plastic one with a fan, but the drawback with fans is that they can get pretty loud, especially if they're sitting on top of your desk. Plastic enclosures are generally cheaper than aluminum ones, but aren't as good at cooling. If you plan on running your external hard drive 24x7 or using a 7,200rpm drive, we suggest going with an aluminum enclosure. Choosing your enclosureĪluminum enclosures are more durable than plastic and inherently better at keeping drives cool.
If you choose the faster, hotter drive, the enclosure's ability to keep the drive cool will be an important consideration. 7,200rpm drives are faster than 5,400rpm drives, but they tend to run hotter and are less energy efficient than 5,400rpm drives. Note the size of your drive before deciding on an enclosure.ħ,200rpm and 5,400rpm hard drives are the most common rotational speeds for internal hard drives.
While most 2.5-inch drives are 9.5 mm in height, some are 12.5 mm. However 2.5-inch drives are a better pick for portable use. 3.5-inch drives offer higher storage capacities than 2.5-inch drives, so if you want 2TB of storage, a desktop drive is your only choice. Most enclosures support one or the other, so it's important to know which internal interface your drive has.ģ.5-inch drives are used in desktop computers, while 2.5-inch drives are normally used in laptops. If you're reusing an old drive, it's possible that it's a PATA (IDE) drive, with 40 pins. If you're buying a new drive, it'll be a SATA drive. Modern hard drives have SATA interfaces and are easy to identify because they only have 7 pins.
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