Product Description

Keep your data safe and cool in Antec's MX-1 portable Hard Drive enclosure. Features a blower fan to keep your drive running cool, and allowing you to operate the enclosure continuously. Simply install your drive, connect it to your computer and start transferring your data at blazing speeds over USB2.0 or eSATA. There's not even any need to install drivers. The MX-1 is made with a special dual-layer design that reduces noise and is lightweight for easy transporting.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1168 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Antec
• Model: MX-1
• Dimensions: 3.00 pounds

Features

• 3.5-inch USB/e-SATA external hard drive enclosure for PC
• Up to 480 Mbps USB transfer rate; 3 Gbps e-SATA transfer rate
• Dual-layer design reduces noise; patented blower keeps drive up to 15 degrees cooler
• Includes stand, USB cable, eSATA cable, and eSATA bracket
• 3-year limited warranty

Customer Reviews

The Best
I bought this as an enclosure for a Western Digital WD5000CSRTL 500GB hard drive that I hooked up to my Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR. The case is sexy and functional. The fan keeps the hard drive cool and is very quiet. The instructions were easy to understand and putting the drive in was pretty simple. I'd recommend using a long tweezer for the screws on the side as they can be pretty hard to reach without it. Luckily I had one on hand so it was very easy for me. I've been using this for about a month now and it's great. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to upgrade their DVR.

Looks great, works fine, sounds horrible
Some of the mounting screws to attach the HDD to the carrier are so large that they rub up against the plastic thereby negating the noise quieting you'd normally get from the silicone gasket the HDD rides against. I was able to modify the screws to get around this. Next up, the top part of the case is only held down with one screw and will rattle. I used a little silicone (like you use on a bathtub) to get around this. And finally, having quieted these design flaws, I was happy until the fan bearing blew out after a month of use. Now it sounds really horrible and I'll need a replacement. I'd also like to mention that the fan function is not monitored so when it finally dies you won't know (and couldn't replace it anyways since it's custom for this enclosure).

Good external enclosure
Pros: Antec designed external enclosure. They have a very unique and interesting airflow design which really helps keep the hard drive cool. This is the main reason why I purchased the Antec MX-1. The styling is ok, but it is better to have it / see it in person. I really like the fact that it has the on/off power switch. Yes this means it is less convient to most people, but I wanted an external with a power switch too. Has USB or eSATA connections, and for obvious performance reason the eSATA is a big plus. Good deal of accessories and well packaged.

Cons: Installation was straightfoward, but the removal of the two wired connections was quite annoying. The fan is supposed to be quiet, but it is currently the loudest computer component around my desktop (except when the hard drives are seeking). I made my computer as quiet as possible by installing the quietest fans on very low speeds. If the drive is set directly on the desk it will vibrate it and this also creates another extremely faint sound. I would put sound dampening characteristics in the pros section, but there is no point when the external enclosure is loud. The enclosure is also a bit big which makes it less convenient for travelling. External power brick (if it matters to you).

Conclusion: Antec designed product that offers excellent cooling technology, but the cooling "mechanisms" are loud. Not too unbearable for most, but it is not the product for silent computing. On/off switch. Great accessories that allow for both USB and eSATA connections. The size is too big for travelling.