Monday, December 30, 2013

EZ-Fit Lite MB290SP-B & Flex-Fit Trio MB343SP Product review - posted by hitechlegion.com

Icy Dock MB290SPB EZ-FIT Lite and MB343SP EZ-Fit Trio Hard drive & SSD Bracket Review
Icy Dock has delivered many products designed to make the most out of given storage space, and the new Flex-Fit Trio and EZ-Fit Lite do exactly that. Both the Flex-Fit Trio (MB343SP) and EZ-Fit Lite (MB290SP-B) are designed to mount multiple smaller drives in the space of one standard larger drive. In the case of the Flex-Fit Trio, one 3.5” and two 2.5” drives can be mounted into the space of a single 5.25” optical drive. In addition, the Flex-Fit Trio can use the aforementioned 3.5” drive space for internal drives or for 3.5” drives such as floppies or card readers with full access from the front. The EZ-Fit Lite has mounting for two 2.5” drives which can be mounted into a single 3.5” drive bay. In addition, using both together gives you the option of mounting a total of four 2.5” drives into a single 5.25” optical bay..........Read More

EZ-Fit Lite MB290SP-B Product Page: http://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=165

Flex-Fit Trio MB343SP Product Page: http://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=167

Monday, December 23, 2013

ICY News: HiTech Legion 5th Annual Holiday Giveaway Spectacular 2013! (Dec 20-25, 2013)

Welcome Everyone to Grand Prize Week of the 5th Annual Holiday Giveaway Spectacular! This week we are giving away a Home PC worth over $3000.00. All the same rules apply that you find on page one. This week there will be three hidden words for extra entries. You can also receive extra entries by Tweeting the shares found after you submit your entry and then retweeting that same Tweet daily until this leg of the contest ends. You also receive extra entries for every facebook friend that enters after you share or invite.  You can also get extra entries by participating in our forums.
More info at: HiTech Legion 5th Annual Holiday Giveaway

Prizes Packages:
Grand Prize:

2nd Prize:

3rd Prize:

4th Prize:


Winners send and email to contest(at)hitechlegion.com with your contact information. Including Phone #. If all information requested is not in email your prize will not be sent.
For Extra Entries This week you must answer these two questions:
  1. How many products did HiTech Legion review in 2013? (From 1/1/13 to 12/20/13) --- 10 Extra Entries
  2. How many products in the Grand Prize has HiTech Legion reviewed? --- 5 Extra Entries

Entries:
  • One entry per person and you must be at least 13 years of age to enter.
  • Make sure you check page 1 to find out how to receive extra entries that are not posted here.
  • By adding your usernames for the various HTL Network Sites (form fields on entry form) you receive 4 additional entries. (Your Youtube, Twitter names will be checked to verify you are subscribed and follow)
  • If you are not a member of one HTL network site leave it blank. You will then receive 1 extra entry for each.
  • Winner will be randomly drawn from entrants. (If you participate for extra entries finding Hidden Words a wrong answer will result in one less extra entry)
  • Contest runs from December 20th - December 25th 2013.
  • Winner will be announced by HiTech Legion on its respective Social networking pages and on the HiTech Legion website and forum.

    More info at: HiTech Legion 5th Annual Holiday Giveaway
  • HiTech Legion 5th Annual Holiday Giveaway Grand Prize 2013

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

HiTech Legion 5th Annual Holiday Giveaway Spectacular 2013

Welcome Everyone to Week 3 of the 5th Annual Holiday Giveaway Spectacular! This week we are giving away 7 prize packages from Transcend x2, Enermax, Gigabyte, Noctua,Icy Dock, and Cougar. All the same rules apply that you find on page one. This week there will be three hidden words for extra entries. You can also receive extra entries by Tweeting the shares found after you submit your entry and then retweeting that same Tweet daily until this leg of the contest ends. You also receive extra entries for every facebook friend that enters after you share or invite. You can also get extra entries by participating in our forums.
 
Please Watch the Video!
 
Prizes Packages:
 
Transcend Prize Packages:
 
 
Package 2:
 
 
Enermax Prize Package:
 
 
Icy Dock Prize Package:
 
 
Cougar Prize Package:
 
 
 
Noctua Prize Package:
 
 
Gigabyte Prize Package:
 
 
Please view contest page at the link below for more info.
 
 

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

ICY News: Storage Review Used Two ICY DOCK MB996SP-6SB to Install 12 SSDs into Supermicro SuperWorkstation 5037A-i

Storage Review used two of our ICY DOCK MB996SP-6SB to install 12 SSDs into a Supermicro SuperWorkstation 5037A-i and converted the workstation into a very powerful, yet efficient, file server.

Please see the link below for the full article.

http://www.storagereview.com/supermicro_superworkstation_5037ai_review

Monday, December 02, 2013

ICY DOCK November ICY TIP Giveaway Contest Winner Announcement!!

Untitled Document
ICY DOCK November ICY TIP Giveaway Contest - 11/12/2013 ~ 11/15/2013
 
 
 

MB996SP-6SB & MB992SK-B ToughArmor review - posted by overclock.net

MB996SP-6SB & MB992SK-B: Monster storage, tiny bays
MB996SP-6SB

The MB996SP-6SB fits in a 5.25” bay. These are much more prevalent in modern gaming cases and I can’t think of another device that would allow you more drives in the same space. 2.5” are not legendary for their storage capacity, with only a handful over 1.5TB per drive. Still, this accessory provides what is likely the most convenient RAID 10 enclosure available for 2.5” drives. In the back of the unit is a single 40mm. The fan seems like a bit of an afterthought in how it juts from the rear of the unit. Luckily, the unit also has a switch that to disable the fan entirely. I am also a little perplexed by IcyDock’s use of regular Molex connectors for power. My guess is that, because of space limitations, they needed the connectors to mount vertically and 4-pin Molex were more convenient than regular SATA power. However, if you need to use their included adapters that can just add more clutter to your case.

MB992SK-B


The MB992SK-B fits in the smaller 3.5” form-factor. If you have a case with an oft-named “Floppy slot”, then this would make the MB992 a solid companion to the MB996 because they share the same trays. It’s really a no-frills device that fits the need of a compact RAID1/RAID0 device. It also has a nice lock and key so you can enforce a little more security of the drives. Unlike the MB991SK, there is no dust cover (something I really thought was neat about the MB991) but you have twice as many drives in the same location. The rear is fitted with two SATA data ports, but the unit only requires a single SATA power connector..........Read More

ToughArmor MB992SK-B Product Page: http://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=150

ToughArmor MB996SP-6SB Product Page: http://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=151

Thursday, November 21, 2013

FatCage MB155SP-B review - posted by tweaktown.com

Icy Dock FatCage MB155SP-B Drive Cage Review
The Icy Dock FatCage that we're looking at today has a server feel to it. The unit uses trays which is something we don't see too often anymore on add-on drive cages. The reason why Icy Dock needed to use drive trays instead of going with a trayless system is because the MB155SP-B fits five drives in just 5.25 inches of width.

Trayless designs add guides between each drive and in this case where space is at a premium, there simply isn't room to take up additional space.........Read More

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

ICY DOCK November ICY TIP Giveaway Contest (11/12/2013 to 11/30/2013)

Untitled Document
ICY DOCK November ICY TIP Giveaway Contest - 11/12/2013 ~ 11/15/2013
 
ICY DOCK will be giving one lucky contestant a prize of ToughArmor MB996SP-6SB 6 Bay 2.5" SATA HDD/SSD Hot Swap Mobile Rack valued at $99! Stay tuned as there will be many upcoming raffles in the future.
 
The requirements to be eligible for November ICY TIP giveaway are simple:
1.
Like our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/icydockusa.
2.
3.
Find the answer to the following question: Using identical setup, which RAID configuration gives you more storage capacity and which RAID configuration gives you better security? (Hint. RAID 5 or RAID 6)
4.
Submit your information and answers through Google Doc - https://docs.google.com/viewform
Maximize Storage Density -
Build a Six 2.5" SSD/HDD RAID server with MB996SP-6SB
 
Entries:
The giveaway contest is available for USA and Canada only
One entry per person and you must be at least 13 years of age to enter
Winner will be randomly drawn from participants with the correct answer to the question posted
Contest runs from November 12th - November 30th
The Winner will be announced on our Facebook page and on our ICY DOCK blog
 
Prize:
One lucky winner will be able to win the following product:
 
 
Terms and Conditions: Event begins 11/12/13~11/30/13. Each participant is limited to one (1) entry per customer (U.S. and Canadian residents only). Posting on online forums or Facebook must follow the rules & guidelines as listed. All entries must be submitted by 11/30/13 midnight EST with all required information noted above otherwise they will be disqualified. The winner will be chosen / announced by end of September on our Facebook page and blog. Winner is required to contact tech@icydock.com to submit valid shipping information within 7 days of the winning announcement.
 

Monday, November 11, 2013

ICY TIP: Maximize Storage Density - Build a Six 2.5" SSD/HDD RAID server with MB996SP-6SB

ICY TIP: Build a Premium and Hot-Swappable Gaming or Media Storage Tower Case Using the FlexCage Tray-Less HDD Cage
Maximize Storage Density -
Build a Six 2.5" SSD/HDD RAID server with MB996SP-6SB
 
November ICY Tip Giveaway - 11/12/2013 to 11/30/2013
It’s that time again! We’ve come out with another Icy Tip for November, and along with this informative article, we’ll also be giving away an MB996SP-6SB to one lucky contestant. This contest will run from November 12 to November 30 and the product will be awarded to the person that answers our question correctly. Keep in mind that you’ll have to read the article to find out the answer. The luck winner will be chosen at random and will be announced on our Facebook page and blog. Head over to our News Page page to learn more about upcoming promotions, products, and contests.
 
According to Moore’s Law, the number or transistors on integrated circuits doubles approximately every two years (18 months). However the speed of advancement is not outpacing the growing demand for faster access of greater amounts of data. To keep up with this demand, greater space storage is important to today’s data servers. The problem many servers face today is not able to fit enough storage capacity into the limited amount of space while keeping your data safe. It seems that the 2.5” hard drive and SSD are the answer as they are significantly smaller, lighter and use less energy compare to the 3.5” hard drive. The question is how you optimize the space you have in your computer chassis, to fit as many as 2.5” HDD / SSD as possible.

ICY DOCK’s solution is to use 2.5” hard drive disks (HDD) or Solid State disks (SSD) with the ToughArmor MB996SP-6SB 6x2.5” SATA HDD Hot Swap Mobile Rack. This model allows six 2.5” HDDs/SSDs of 7mm to 9.5mm height to fit into a single standard 5.25” bay. The MB996SP-6SB allows for a dense yet highly efficient use of HDDs/SSDs.
 
Why 2.5” HDDs over 3.5”HDDs?
 
Though 2.5” HDDs/SSDs are smaller in size than 3.5” drives, 3.5” drives have capacities up to 4TB while the highest amount currently for a 9.5mm height 2.5” HDD is 1.5TB.

However, in one 5.25” bay, you can only fit one 3.5” drive which keeps your options limited. With the MB996SP-6SB, you can fit drives such as the HGST Travelstar 5K1500 1.5TB 2.5" Hard Drive for a total of 9TB of storage space. With 6 drives and a higher storage capacity, you have the options of a high performance compact storage unit with RAID (redundant array of independent disks) function.
 
Space Saving with RAID
Most servers have precious data and normally use a RAID function to protect the data. Typically, RAID functions require a big amount of physical space to fit more storage capacity with redundant drives for data protection. For example, RAID 5 and RAID 6 normally take up a lot of physical space because a minimum of three hard drives are required for RAID 5 and a minimum of four hard drives are required for RAID 6. However with 6 x 2.5” HDD in our MB996SP-6SB, you have the option of using certain RAID functions such as RAID 5 or RAID 6 which will give you better performance yet great data protection all in a 5.25” bay.

RAID 5 uses block striping with a distributed parity which gives it faster read/write speeds (speeds similar to RAID 0) while protecting the data. With RAID 5, the increased performance speed depends on the number of drives. The more drives the faster the speed. So a 6 x HDDs in RAID 5 will be faster than 3 x HDDs in RAID 5. When using 1.5TB HDDs in our MB996SB-6SB, the total capacity with RAID 5 will be 7.5TB with performance speeds up to 5x faster than a single drive and a fault tolerance of one drive.

Using RAID 6 will give you twice data protection but you will lose some performance and storage capacity compared to RAID 5. So with the 1.5TB HDDs in our MB996SB-6SB, there will be a 6TB capacity and performance speeds of up to 4x faster than a single drive but a fault tolerance of two failed drives. With the two drive failure tolerance, your data is protected even if a second drive fails while the array is rebuilding after one drive failed or when a wrong disk is hot-swapped due to operator error. Though RAID 5 has slightly better performance, RAID 6 is the better option when a large and reliable storage is required.
 
RAID 5 vs RAID 6 Comparison Chart
 
RAID TYPE
DESCRIPTION
MINIMUM # OF HDDS REQUIRED
SPACE EFFICIENCY
FAULT TOLERANCE
READ/WRITE PERFORMANCE
RAID 5
Block-level striping with distributed parity
3
1-1/n
1 drive
(n-1)X
RAID 6
Block-level stripping with double distributed parity
4
1-2/n
2 drives
(n-2)X
 
Performance Comparison with 1.5TB HDD
 
4x 2.5” HDD 1.5TB
 
JBOD (NO RAID)
RAID 5
RAID 6
STORAGE CAPACITY
6TB
4.5TB
3TB
FAULT TOLERANCE
NONE
1 DRIVE
2 DRIVES
PERFORMANCE
1X SPEED
3X SPEED
2X SPEED
6x 2.5” HDD 1.5TB
 
JBOD (NO RAID)
RAID 5
RAID 6
STORAGE CAPACITY
9TB
7.5TB
6TB
FAULT TOLERANCE
NONE
1 DRIVE
2 DRIVES
PERFORMANCE
1X SPEED
5X SPEED
4X SPEED
 
Improve Performance with SSD
With solid state drives (SSD) becoming better and cheaper, many are turning to them to replace their current HDD solution. SSDs may have slightly lower capacity and a higher price, but the added benefits they provide outweighs their drawbacks. With a small size, SSDs save physical space yet have lower power usage, generates less heat which lengths drive lifetime, better shock protection and of course, faster read/write speeds compared to HDDs.

When Storagereview.com tested our MB996SP-6SB with six 200GB Kingston SSDNow E100 enterprise SSDs, they measured a total write speed of 1,395MB/s and a read speed of 3,240MB/s. They also tested random 4K transfers and received faster random access speeds with write speeds of 262,628 IOPS and read speeds of 341,114 IOPS when performing random 4K transfers. This means that SSDs, along with the MB996SP-6SB, are great for highly used servers where random access speeds are important.

With the MB996SP-6SB all metal build and 6 SAMSUNG 840 EVO MZ-7TE1T0BW 2.5" 1TB SATA III TLC SSD in RAID 5, you can have a robust, compact 5TB server with excellent data protection in the space of a 5.25” bay. The MB996SP-6SB is designed to fit any 2.5” HDD/SSD in both 7 & 9.5mm drive height. So whether you prefer using the newer 7mm height SSD such as Intel 530, Crucial M500, Samsung 840, Mushkin Enhanced Chronos, Seagate 600 & Kingston SSDNow or any standard 9.5mm height 2.5” SSD such as Intel 335 / 520 series, Crucial C300 / M4, OCZ Vertex 4 & Kingston HyperX, it will all mount with the MB996SP-6SB.
 
The MB996SP-6SB is part of our ToughArmor series mobile rack. The designs are great for industrial, military and medical systems as well as high performance server builds. The ability to fit 6 x 2.5” HDD into a 5.25” bay allows support for a wide range of applications in a high capacity and space saving design. Not only can it run RAID 5 and RAID 6, it allows the option of doing different combinations of RAIDs such as putting 4 drives in RAID 0 plus a RAID 1 array for back up.

The MB996SP-6SB is capable of holding up in various environments with the heavy duty full metal construction. The superior heat dissipation of the metal body along with anti-vibration technology and EMI grounding provides a stable environment for the hard drives or SSDs used and improves their lifespan and reliability.

As a product for 2.5” small form factor, the MB996SP-6SB and other similar products consists of many small parts and having durable parts is very important. However, unlike the MB996SP-6SB which has an all metal build, other similar products use plastic parts which will break much easier than metal. The all metal build of the MB996SP-6SB is a huge advantage when it comes to product durability and protecting your costly investments inside. Lastly, like all of our products, the MB996SP-6SB comes with our 3 year warranty.
 
MB996SP-6SB Key Features:
 
Full metal construction from the inside out which is perfect for rugged applications
and is compliant with flammability requirements
Drives are fully removable & hot?Swappable
High density design, fits up to 6 x 2.5” SSD in a single 5.25” device bay
Support latest 2.5” SSD or HDD from 7mm to 9.5mm height
Covered by 3 year warranty with global customer support
Manufacturer direct support - provided by ICY DOCK
 
Please check out our ToughArmor series for even more build options.
 
1 x 2.5” SSD or Hard Drive Mobile Rack in 3.5” Floppy Bay
MB991IK-B
MB991SK-B
1 x 2.5” SAS/SATA HDD/SSD
Fits 7 -15mm Height Drive
1 x 2.5” SATA HDD/SSD
Fits 7 -15mm Height Drive
 
2 x 2.5” HDD/SSD Mobile Rack
in 3.5” Floppy Bay
2 x 2.5” HDD/SSD + 1 x ODD
in 5.25” Device Bay
MB992SK-B
MB994IPO-3SB
2 x 2.5” SATA HDD/SSD
Fits 7 - 9.5mm Height Drive
2 x 2.5” SAS/SATA HDD/SSD
Fits 7 – 15mm Height Drive
1 x SATA Slim Optical Drive
 
4 x 2.5” HDD/SSD Backplane in 5.25” Device Bay
MB994SP-4S
MB994SP-4SB-1
4 x 2.5” SAS/SATA HDD/SSD
Fits 7 - 15mm Height Drive
4 x 2.5” SATA HDD/SSD
Fits 7 - 15mm Height Drive
 
6 x 2.5” HDD/SSD Backplane
in 5.25” Device Bay
Question?
MB996SK-6SB
6 x 2.5” SATA HDD/SSD
Fits 7 -15mm Height Drive
Tech Email: tech@icydock.com
Sales Email: sales01@icydock.com
Tel: 626.956.8800
 
 
ICY DOCK USA

11740 Clark St.
Arcadia, CA 91006
Tel: 626.956.8800
Fax: 626.956.8811
 

Wednesday, November 06, 2013

MB994SP-4SB-1 & MB991SK-B ToughArmor review - posted by overclock.net

IcyDock MB994SP-4SB-1 & MB991SK-B: Drive bay domination continues
MB994SP-4SB-1 -- Four for one, and one for all

The 4SB is a 5.25” form-factor drive bay that is able to accommodate up to 4 x 2.5” SATA drives. IcyDock offers an even denser array with the MB996SP-6SB (not surprisingly, storing 6 drives) but, unlike the MB996, the trays for this series support drives up to 15mm in height.

MB991SK-B -- You weren’t using that 3.5” bay anyway


The 991SK-B is a 3.5” bay device that can fit a single drive. It uses the same size tray as the 4SB. The tray is lockable for convenient way to make sure the drive doesn’t walk off or get ejected unintentionally.

With almost complete disappearance of 3.5” floppy drives from the modern PC, it only makes sense to put that empty location to good use for extra storage..........Read More

ToughArmor MB991SK-B Product Page: http://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=162

ToughArmor MB994SK-4SB-1 Product Page: http://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=142

Introducing the ICY DOCK EZ-Fit Lite MB290SP-B 2 x 2.5” to 3.5” Drive Bay SATA/IDE SSD/HDD Mounting Kit / Bracket / Adapter


The EZ-Fit Lite MB290SP-B is a great choice if you’re looking to install 1 or 2 SSDs/2.5” HDDs into a single 3.5” bay. If you’re looking for storage density, compatibility, flexibility, and durability without the hassle of a complicated installation, go with the EZ-Fit Lite MB290SP-B. It’s never been easier to effortlessly install 2.5” drives in a system. We, IcyDock, put a lot of thought into the design to fulfill the needs of our customers, whether they’re building Home Theater Systems (HTPC), Gaming PCs, or Mini-IPX systems. Our EZ-Fit Lite MB290SP-B certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Effortless Installation

IcyDock continues to raise the level of exceptional craftsmanship and design that our products are renowned for. The EZ-Fit Lite is our newest 2.5” HDD/SSD bracket and we’ve pulled out all the stops to engineer this unit to be both user-friendly and highly advanced. The EZ-Fit Lite accepts up to 2 x 2.5” SATA, or IDE SSD/HDD drive from 7mm to 9.5mm in drive height, which uses a completely new flex design system to simplify our drive installation process –all you need to do is insert the drive, and push inwards until it “clicks.” Our EZ-Fit Lite MB290SP-B has self adjusting tabs on the side that automatically conform to different drive heights (7mm and 9.5mm) to securely lock it in place. Lastly, the eject button allows for quick hard drive swapping in a matter of seconds without removing the entire bracket from the chassis. The best part about this device is it’s completely tool-less drive installation –just insert the drive and you’re set. It doesn’t get any easier.
Brilliant Design

We have blended a combination of flexibility & compatibility to create the EZ-Fit Lite MB290SP-B - a product that cannot be replicated by any of our competitors. The EZ-Fit Lite MB290SP-B provides a whopping 60 screw holes to accommodate 3.5” bay installation in practically every computer chassis. Compare this with a standard 3.5” hard drive that only offers a measly 10 screw holes, and you’re offered a lot more options. In addition to 60 screw holes, there are 12 different ways you can mount the EZ-Fit Lite MB290SP-B in your system in comparison to the 2 positions you get with a standard 3.5” drive; this gives you option to finely tune and adjust your drive installation. There are screw holes located both on top of the unit and on bottom to give you extra compatibility. Furthermore, the plethora of screw holes provides a backup measure in case of installation failure.
Unbelievably Lightweight with Remarkable Cooling

Our EZ-Fit Lite MB290SP-B is constructed with highly robust ABS plastic and fuses desirable traits such as durability and lightweight. One piece construction means there are less moving parts to be concerned with, which in turn means it’s less likely break. Additionally, creating a one-piece design makes manufacturing this unit very cost efficient and allows us to pass the savings onto our customers. The frame has a weightless flexible stabilizer that secures the drive in place and provides shock absorption and anti-vibration properties –great for protecting your drives against impact. Open air designs allow the drive to be cooled by the fans in your chassis. With our skeletal design, the EZ-Fit Lite MB290SP-B allows airflow in all the crucial areas of the drive which helps drive performance. Elevated ridges on the platform raise the drive just enough to allow heat dispersion keeping your SSD/HDD cooler. We’ve also included side vents on the bracket to let heat escape from the drive
Suggested Applications

Desktop PC, Gaming PC, Home Theater PC, Mini-ITX Systems, Home Server Systems
Key Features

* Durable one-piece design
* Anti-Vibration design for improved reliability
* Fits 2 x 2.5” SATA/IDE SSD/HDD into one 3.5” drive bay
* Compatible with 2.5” SSD & HDD with 7mm to 9.5mm drive height
* Quick release eject mechanism for hassle free tool-less drive installation
* Universally designed screw placement for maximum compatibility
* 60 screw holes provide maximum flexibility of installation

Quick links:

MB290SP-B Product Page

MB290SP-B Product images
MB290SP-B Datasheet

ICY DOCK

Tel: 626.956.8800
Fax: 626.956.8811
11740 Clark St.
Arcadia, California 91006
Sales e-mail: sales01@cremax.com
Support e-mail: tech@icydock.com