This topic may be old hat for some of you I-hacked readers, but with the recent decline in prices of internal IDE harddrives I would like to would like to write on how you can build external drives for almost HALF what retailers charge. These external drives are perfect for backing up your movies, mp3s, and other important files. Add the fact that they are totally portable, and HOT SWAP-ABLE (meaning you dont have to turn off the computer to plug one in or disconnect it) and do not require any drivers for Windows/Mac/Linux OSs -- there really isnt reason you shouldnt have one.
Let's discuss some of the different formfactors that we will be dealing with:
2 ½ External Drives. These are normally known as Laptop harddrives. These enclosures are quite a bit smaller and portable than their 3 ½ cousins. However these drives can easily get expensive so the storage to cost ratio of these drives is not as good as the larger ones. We will be discussing creating an 80GB external 2.5" drive. 80GB External At BestBuy $189.99 We can build for around $100.
3 ½ External Drives. Thes are your standard internal IDE drives. I need to mention that you are going to want to purchase an IDE (as in not SATA) drive for this conversion. These drives have a GREAT size to cost ratio, meaning we can purchase a LARGE drive for our backups. I use this type of external drive for backups, I don't really carry it around with me. That is what the 2 1/2 is for. 300GB At BestBuy $259.99 We can build this for around $150
Building the 2.5" External Drive I decided that if I was going to write an article on this subject, I should test both the "cheapo" enclosure along with a higher-quality enclosure. The Generic external drive enclosure that I will be using costs around $10, and the higher-quality (Vantec Nexstar3) enclosure runs about $25 at online retailers. I wanted to see if there was any advantage to the more expensive enclosures -- I found very quickly that the Vantec was worth the extra $15.
Required Parts: (you only need one enclosure)
Generic Enclosures can be found for around $10. Here are a few at one of my favorite retailers Newegg.com
Vantec NexStar3 enclosure: Can be found for around $25 at Newegg.com
80GB 2.5" HardDrives can be found for around $100, but I suggest you read the article on finding the best deal online before you purchase one. A lot of times you can find these for a lot cheaper. Also, dont forget about ebay! With some patience and searching you can find this drive and enclosure for around $100 total.
First off lets take a look at the $10 enclosure. Style isnt too bad, It is plain, but that is ok.
Here is how the enclosure works. You plug the laptop hdd into the PCB (making sure pin1 of the harddrive connects to Pin1 on the PCB), and then screw the PCB into the case. Very simple process, however I found that the plastic that was used to secure your Drive+PCB was very fragile. In fact, just screwing in the drive and removing it, caused the plastic to break, only allowing one screw to hold it all together. Not only did it break there, but the plastic surrounding the USB connector (not to USB Spec btw) ALSO CRACKED! I treated this thing with care -- and it broke. I cant image how it would stand up being thrown around for a few years. Lets check out the Vantec case. From the first look, I could tell that the Vantec Nexstar3 was made with quality in mind. The laptop hard drive sits on and connects to the PCB on the left, and then that slides into a very sleek aluminum enclosure. One small detail that I found helpful is that by screwing the hard drive down to the PCB, it can only go on there one way. There is no need to line up pin 1 on the hdd to pin 1 on the PCB as with the generic enclosure. Now for the kicker.. They also enclose a carrying case which makes it very easy to carry with you.
Once you have put your harddrive into the external case, all you have to do is connect the supplied (in both cases) USB cable to to your computer. Both cases received power via the USB cable, eliminating the need for any type of exteral power supply. Your computer should then recognize the drive, allowing you to access this drive as you see fit. Remember, If the harddrive is new, you will still need to partition & format it before use. Also, this is Hot swapable, meaning you can plug it in and unplug it without doing anything. You do not need to reboot!
Now that we have looked at 2.5" drives, lets take a look at their 3.5" cousins.
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