OWC Drive Dock USB-C Dual Drive Bay Solution
- For Bare 2.5" & 3.5" SATA Drives
- 2 x 2.5/3.5" Drive Bays
- 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 Port
- Read Speeds up to 698 MB/s
Sabrent 3.5" / 2.5" SATA to USB 3.0 Tool-Free External Drive Enclosure
- Fits 3.5" & 2.5" SATA Hard Drives
- USB 3.0 Host Interface
- Tool-Free Design, Easy to Install
- Transfer Rates up to 625 MB/s
Xcellon M2NS USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 M.2 SSD Enclosure
- Supports NVMe & SATA M.2 SSDs
- USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 Host Interface
- Up to 10 Gb/s Data Transfer Speeds
- Fits 2230, 2242, 2260 & 2280 Size Drives
Sabrent USB 3.2 Type-C Tool-Free Enclosure for M.2 PCIe NVMe and SATA SSDs
- 1 x M.2 2242/2260/2280 SSD Bay
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (10 Gb/s)
- 100% Tool-Free Design
- Bus Powered
OWC Express 1M2 USB4 External SSD Enclosure
- 1 x NVMe M.2 SSD Slot
- Supports M.2 2230, 2242, and 2280 SSDs
- 40 Gb/s USB4 Interface
- Up to 3151 MB/s Data Transfer Speed
SanDisk Professional PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT
- Holds a PRO-BLADE SSD MAG
- 20 Gb/s USB-C Interface
- Up to 2000 MB/s Read and Write Speeds
- Records Directly from Cameras
OWC 2-Bay 2.5" / 3.5" U.2 & SATA USB 3.2 Gen 2 Drive Dock
- USB 3.2 Gen 2 Host Interface
- 2 x 2.5" / 3.5" Drive Bays
- Supports U.2 & SATA Drives
- Up to 1250 MB/s Throughput
StarTech USB Type-C 3.1 to 2.5" SATA Adapter Cable (20")
Sabrent USB Type-C Dual Bay SATA Docking Station
- Supports Two 2.5 & 3.5" Drives
- Up to 5 Gb/s Data Transfer Speed
- Offline Cloning Support
- USB Type-C Interface
StarTech USB 3.0 to 2.5" SATA III Drive Adapter Cable (19.7")
- Compatible with SATA I/II/III Drives
- USB 3.0 Technology
- Data Transfer Rates up to 5 Gbps
- USB Bus-Powered
ASUS Republic of Gamers Strix Arion M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure
- 1 x M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe Slot
- USB 3.2 Gen 2 Interface (10 Gb/s)
- USB Type-C Port
- Aura Sync Lighting
Sabrent Thunderbolt 3 to M.2 NVMe SSD Tool-Free Enclosure
- Thunderbolt 3 Interface
- M-Key M.2 2280 Size Support
- Plug and Play Design
- Aluminum Construction
SanDisk Professional PRO-BLADE STATION
- Four PRO-BLADE SSD MAG Slots
- Dual 40 Gb/s Thunderbolt 3 Ports
- Read Speeds up to 3000 MB/s
- Write Speeds up to 2600 MB/s
OWC Express 2.5" Portable USB 3.0 Enclosure Kit for SATA HDDs & SSDs (Black)
- Ventilated Pocket-Sized Enclosure
- Accepts 2.5" SATA III HDDs or SSDs
- Accepts Drives up to 9.5mm in Height
- USB 3.0 Connectivity
Plugable USB-A and C 3.2 Gen 2 M.2 NVMe Tool-Free Enclosure
- 1 x M.2 NVMe Drive Bay
- Supports 2230, 2242, 2260 & 2280 Drives
- USB-A and C 3.2 Gen 2 Host Connectors
- Supports Transfer Speeds up to 900 MB/s
Oyen Digital HDX Pro C USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 Hard Drive Enclosure (No HDD)
- 1 x SATA III 3.5" Drive Bay
- 1 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 Hub Port
- USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 Host Connector
- Internal AC Adapter & Cooling Fan
Sabrent USB 3.2 Gen 2 4-Bay 3.5" SATA Hard Drive Tray-Less Docking Station
- 4 x 3.5" SATA III Bays
- USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C Interface
- Hot-Swappable Design
- Locking Bay Doors
SanDisk Professional 16TB Professional PRO-BLADE STATION Kit with PRO-BLADE SSD Mag (4 x 4TB)
- 16TB Storage Capacity
- 4 x 4TB PRO-BLADE SSD Mags
- 2 x 40 Gb/s Thunderbolt 3 Ports
- Read Speeds up to 3000 MB/s
Sabrent SATA Docking Station
- Supports one 2.5 & 3.5" Drive
- Up to 5 Gb/s Data Transfer Speed
- Plug & Play Design
- Tool-Free Installation
OWC Mercury Elite Pro mini 2.5" SATA to USB Type-C Portable Storage Enclosure
- Compatible with 2.5" SATA HDDs and SSDs
- USB Type-C Host Interface
- Transfer Rates up to 10 Gb/s
- Backward-Compatible with USB 3.1/2.0
Sabrent USB Type-B Dual Bay SATA Docking Station
- Supports Two 2.5 & 3.5" Drives
- Up to 5 Gb/s Data Transfer Speed
- Offline Cloning Support
- USB Type-B Interface
HYPER HyperDrive USB4 NVMe SSD Enclosure
- USB-C (USB4) Host Connection
- 1 x M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD
- Max 4TB Storage Capacity
- Easy Snap-In Installation
Sabrent USB-C Enclosure for M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe SSD
- Fits a M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe SSD
- Integrated USB-C Cable (10 Gb/s)
- Aluminum Alloy with ABS Plastic Design
- Bus-Powered | Plug and Play
EZQuest Magnetic USB-C M.2 NVMe SSD
- Fits an M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe SSD
- USB 3.2 Gen 2 Host Interface
- Up to 10 Gb/s Data Transfer Speeds
- MagSafe Compatible
Oyen Digital Novus USB Type-C Rugged 3.5" HDD Enclosure
- USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C Interface
- SATA III Drive Interface
- Thunderbolt 3 Support
- ASMedia ASM235CM Chipset
StarTech Universal USB 3.0 Docking Station for Bare Hard Drives
- 1 x SATA & 1 x PATA (IDE) Drive Bays
- Supports 3.5 & 2.5" HDDs & SSDs
- 1 x USB 3.0 Port
- Power & Drive Activity LED Indicators
BLACKJET Thunderbolt 3 4-Bay Cinema Dock System
Patriot VXD Portable RGB M.2 SSD Enclosure
- For 2230, 2242, 2260, & 2280 M.2 Drives
- PCIe 3.0 x4 Drive Interface
- Up to 1000 MB/s Read & Write Speeds
- USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 External Interface
Learning About External Hard Drive Enclosures and Docks
Put your spare hard drives to good use by converting them into external storage drives, with hard drive enclosures and docks. Whether you're reclaiming internal hard drives from old PCs or buying new ones to use as external drives, you need enclosures and docks to connect them to your computer. The cases link the interfaces used by storage drives with the USB ports of computers. They also serve as protective shells for fragile hard disk drives (HDD).
What's the Difference Between Hard Drive Docks and Enclosures?
An enclosure encompasses a hard drive completely. Some enclosures hold single drives while others have multiple bays for two or more hard drives. A dock has slots rather than bays. Since a hard drive goes into a dock vertically, part of it remains exposed. This design makes hot-swapping drives easier. To remove the drive in an HDD enclosure, you have to first open the casing.
How to Choose the Right HDD Enclosure and Dock
Key factors to consider include material used, hard drive size and interface, and connection type. Most docks and enclosures are metal, rubber, or plastic. Metal units are very durable, while rubber ones offer excellent protection from shock and impact. Aluminum is a common choice that's both strong and lightweight. Some enclosures and docks can only accommodate the 2.5-inch drives commonly used by laptops, while others can fit desktop-class, 3.5-inch drives. To fit a 2.5-inch drive in a bay or slot made for 3.5-inch units, you'll need an internal hard drive cage. This converter bracket makes 2.5-inch hard disk and solid-state drives (SSDs) just as big as 3.5-inch HDDs.
You should also make sure the chosen enclosure or dock supports your drive's interface. SATA interfaces are the most common, but they have different subtypes (SATA I, II, and III). Choosing a SATA III casing is advisable, as it'll be backward-compatible with the older standards. Most docks and enclosures connect to computers via USB ports. Like SATA, there are multiple generations of USB (1.1, 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1). For fast transfer speeds, choose a casing with one or more USB 3.0 ports. Some have USB-C ports. These are smaller, reversible USB ports, increasingly found on computers and mobile devices. An Apple Thunderbolt enclosure can connect to the ultra-fast Thunderbolt ports found on high-end computers. While Thunderbolt 1 and 2 use the Apple Mini DisplayPort connector, Thunderbolt 3 employs the widely adopted USB-C connector.
What's in a Hard Drive Enclosure Kit?
This package contains everything you need to install an internal hard drive in an enclosure. In addition to the protective case, the kit includes a USB drive adapter cable and SATA adapter. Some manufacturers also provide mounting screws and screwdrivers.
Reuse old hard drives by placing them in hard drive enclosures and hard drive docking stations. Find a wide selection of RAID enclosures and SSD enclosures among B&H Photo and Video's extensive inventory of external and internal hard drive accessories.