Best Raid Enclosures

A RAID enclosure is a place to store several hard disks, external to your PC. Instead of keeping the hard disks inside the computer case, you can keep them outside. RAID itself stands for “Redundant Array of Inexpensive (or “Independent”) Disks”. It refers to a method of storing computer data on several small, inexpensive hard drives, instead of on one large, expensive hard disk. The reasoning behind it goes like this: An array of many small disks may be more vulnerable to failures and loss of data. This is because any one of the hard disks might suddenly die on you. But, the bulk of your data will be on the other drives. And,  if there is sufficient “redundancy” (safeguards to retrieve lost data, by storing the same data in several places), you will be better equipped to retrieve data from the dead hard drive. Compare that to the situation where you’ve put all of your data on one hard drive (putting all of your eggs in one basket), and it gets damaged. You run the risk of not being able to retrieve any of your data! 

But besides storing the data on several disks, they have to be kept securely. They have to be protected from overheating--so RAID enclosures will have fans to keep the disks cool. You’ll also notice that these RAID enclosures will have several methods of storing information. And that different enclosures will store different types of hard disks. It’s worth doing some research before buying a RAID enclosure.

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting a RAID enclosure. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of RAID enclosure,

• See useful tips about that type of RAID enclosure,

• Read reviews of different RAID enclosures, and what customers are saying, 

• Select the right brand of the best RAID enclosure, and 

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

We can distinguish between the various types of RAID setups. They differ in how they store the data to ensure better speed, as well as the redundancy that protects the data against disk failure.

• RAID 0: This setup focuses just on improving performance speed. But it doesn’t contribute to reliability, and actually makes you more vulnerable in the event of a hard disk failure. It takes two hard drives and splits the data across the drives--a process called “striping”. This doubles the read and write performance overall. But if one drive fails, you lose the data on both drives. This is only good in the event that you do frequent backups, to make sure that you can recover from a disk drive failing.

An illustration of Data Striping, as performed in RAID 0. The contents of files A and B are striped across Disks 1, 2, and 3.

• RAID 1: Here, you have the capacity and performance of one drive, but you also use a second drive for redundancy--to ensure that you don’t lose the data from the first drive. The second drive mirrors the content of the first drive. If one drive dies, you still have all of the data on the other drive.

Data redundancy in RAID 1, where Disk 1 mirrors the data stored on Disk 0

• RAID 5: This requires a minimum of 3 hard drives. It gives increased speed, besides redundancy. The third hard drive serves as a summation of the data on drives #1 and #2. If drive #2 dies, it can retrieve it from comparing the data on drives #1 and #3. But, if two drives fail, then the data may be irretrievable. 

• RAID 10: Here, the “10” doesn’t mean “10th”, but rather that it combines the advantages of “RAID 1” and “RAID 0” (it’s also called RAID 1+0). You’ll have 4 drives, for example, where Disk 0 and Disk 1 share data, as in RAID 0. But then this data is stored redundantly (=mirrored) on drives 2 and 3, as in RAID 1. This way, even if you lose 2 drives, and can still have all of your data retrievable.

Data redundancy in RAID 10, where Disk 0 and Disk 1 have data striping, and Disks 2 and 3 mirror Disks 0 and 1

The most common RAID setups are RAID 0 and RAID 1. There are other RAID setups available, but they are more technical for specialized uses.  

You'll see RAID enclosures that can also house JBOD disks. That is a non-RAID array, which stands for “Just a Bunch of Disks”. There is no redundancy to store the data and avoid data loss. 

• Easier than opening up a computer case: People who used the Vantec NexStar RAID enclosure said that it is a convenient way of securing precious material on your hard disk, whether they are family photos, music, videos, or games. Using a RAID enclosure is much simpler than inserting a hard drive into your laptop or desktop: you don’t have to fiddle with wires or connections, and possibly risk damaging your computer or hard disk.

• Beware of non-RAID versions: Mediasonic makes enclosures that are RAID as well as non-RAID. The RAID version lets you create an array of hard disks yourself. If you buy the non-RAID version, there will still be Windows or Apple software to let you set up an array of RAID hard disks.

• Easy installation: Many RAID enclosures make it easy to install the hard disks. There is a pressure plate on the front that you remove, allowing you to slide the hard disks into their respective slots. You then put back the pressure plate, attach the USB cables and power cord, and you’re done!

• Types of drives that it can accommodate: You’ll notice that different enclosures will be able to fit different drives. There are hard disks that are 2.5” wide, which are primarily used in laptops (or even in desktop computers, to conserve space). And there are 3.5” hard drives, that fit into the slots of a desktop computer tower. 

2.5” SATA Toshiba Hard Drive

3.5” SATA Toshiba Hard Drive

• Types of SATA drives that it supports: There are presently three generations of SATA (=Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) hard drives, marked SATA I, SATA II, and SATA III. They differ in their data speeds and bandwidth throughput. SATA I can transfer data at 1.5 Gb/s, SATA II at 3 Gb/s, and SATA III at 6 Gb/s.Some also accommodate eSATA--external SATA connection, that you attach by means of a USB cable.

For example, the HornetTek MultiBay Raid Enclosure is suitable for 2.5” SATA I/II/III HDD and SSD disks, whether you want to use a RAID 0, RAID 1, or JBOD. It also has USB ports for USB 3.0, which will also work with USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 devices. It has one USB port that is powered by standby power, indicated by a lightning bolt symbol. This means that it will power a device even when the RAID enclosure is technically turned off. That’s useful for recharging a phone or other device.

HornetTek MultiBay RAID Enclosure. Note the standby power USB port on the far right.

On the other hand, the Mediasonic ProBox RAID enclosure houses up to four 3.5” hard disks. If you want to put in a 2.5” disk, you’ll need a special type of adapter for it to fit inside.

Mediasonic ProBox SATA HDD Enclosure

• Hot-swappable: One big advantage of these external RAID  enclosures is that they are “plug-and-play”: you can attach them via a USB connection while your computer is still running. (Another term for this is “hot-swappable”. This is as opposed to inserting an internal hard disk: you have to power down the computer, install the hard disk, and power up again while waiting for the computer to recognize the additional hardware.)

• Not a substitute for backups:  The fact that you have a RAID setup that ensures your data, you will still have to back up the system regularly. You are still vulnerable to viruses or data loss due to an inadvertent deletion.

• Fan: Hard drives will generate a lot of heat, which should be dissipated for them to work properly. Take note of the fan on the RAID enclosure, as that is an indication as to how well it will dissipate heat. The Mediasonic ProBox RAID enclosure has a thermal sensor built into the device, and a very large exhaust fan, which works continuously to cool off the hard disks.

Mediasonic ProBox RAID Enclosure

• Vantec is a computer accessories company based in Fremont, California. They were founded in 1994. Vantec specializes in computer hard drive enclosures and docks, hard drive adapters and converters, add-on cards that you insert in a desktop PC, and other computer solutions.

• Mediasonic was founded in 2002 and is based in Richmond, British Columbia, and City of Industry, California. They make hard drive enclosures with as many as 8 HDD bays, as well as Bluetooth speakers, antennas, and many other computer accessories.

• HornetTek was founded in 1999, as specialists in multimedia enclosure products. Their headquarters is in Walnut, California. They make hard disk enclosures, disk burners, HDMI products, accessories for portable electronics, and more.

• Syba is located in Chino, California. They are makers of networking devices, controller cards, HDD enclosures, adapters, cables, switches, computer and IT accessories, and more. 

• OWC stands for “Other World Computing”. They specialize largely in products for the Mac. They deal in solid-state and hard drives, docks and hubs, computer memory, audio and video products for the computer, and more. They were founded in Woodstock, Illinois in 1988.