EZ-Dock MB981U3-1S review - posted by thinkcomputers.org

Icy Dock MB981U3-1S Hard Drive Dock Review

There always comes a time where a hard drive dock comes in handy. It could be you are building a new system and need to transfer files, want to share files with a friend, or you can even use a hard drive dock for an external hard drive setup. Hard drive docks are extremely convenient and today we are taking a look at the MB981U3-1S from Icy Dock. This USB 3.0 hard drive dock supports 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SATA hard drives and has USB 3.0 Boost UASP support. Let’s take a look.........Read More EZ-Dock MB981U3-1S Series: http://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=168

ICY News: Seagate ships first 8TB HDD

Seagate has announced that it is confident it will be successful in bringing its promised 8TB mechanical hard drives to market, claiming to have received 'very positive' feedback from customers receiving pre-production prototypes. 

Seagate outlined its plans for large-capacity spinning-rust hard drives back in May this year. At the time, the company promised that it would follow its 6TB enterprise-grade products with 8TB and 10TB models before the end of the financial year....Read more: Bit-tech: Seagate ships first 8TB hard drives

ICY News: HGST launches the world's largest 10K RPM HDD, a 2.5-inch 1.8TB drive

HGST launches its new Ultrastar C10K1800 drive, a 2.5-inch 1.8TB 10K RPM drive, the world's largest and highest performing 10K RPM HDD (NASDAQ:WDC) HGST has just unveiled its latest Ultrastar C10K1800, something the company is pegging as the world's highest capacity, highest performing 10K RPM HDD. The new drive is a 2.5-inch 1.8TB drive, that cranks along at 10,000 RPM. The drive uses HGST's media cache architecture, which uses a portion of the platter as drive cache. This allows a massive 2.5X increase in random write performance, and a 23% improvement in sequential performance over previous generations of 2.5-inch 10K RPM HDDs. According to the company, this new Ultrastar C10K1800 is also more power efficient, with up to a 7% improvement in active and idle power savings. HGST's new Ultrastar C10K1800 ships with the fast 12Gbps SAS interface, but even with 10K RPM under its belt, it won't make great use of that like an SSD or four will. It has a maximum sustained transfer rate of 247MB/sec on its 12Gbps bus. Read original post at: http://www.tweaktown.com/news/38973/hgst-launches-the-world-s-largest-10k-rpm-hdd-a-2-5-inch-1-8tb-drive/index.html

Introducing the ICY DOCK Black Vortex MB074SP-1B 3.5” SATA HDD 4 in 3 Hot-Swap Module Cooler Cage

Every PC builder wants to customize their system to be aesthetically pleasing, and they want components that are elegant yet unique --but looks can only get you so far. There’s a demand for unique looking parts that can also deliver performance and we have just the thing! We’re proud to introduce the Black Vortex MB074SP-1B. The Black Vortex MB074SP-1B is a hot-swappable 4 bay 3.5” SATA HDD cooler cage built robust from durable metal. It has many configurable options such as fan speed control, fan LED brightness control and power button for each of the drive bay. The hot swap function and EZ-Grip handles give you the ability to swap drives without breaking a sweat. The quiet 120mm cool blue LED fan combined with all metal ventilated design keep your drives cool, lowering your overall system temperature and thus increasing your hard drives’ life span. The removable dust cover prevents dirt and dust from entering the case. The Black Vortex MB074SP-1B is a must-have HDD cooler cage for any PC builder seeking quality components with a ton of features and rugged good looks. Low Profile Accessibility with Energy Efficiency The core of the Black Vortex’s design is to include all conceivable hard drive cage functions and have them easily accessible from the front panel for an effortless configuration. The cooling fan, fan speed control, fan LED brightness control, drive power button, dust filter and hard drives can all be accessed from the front so you can easily configure the HDD cooler cage without opening up the case. The space saving design converts 3 x 5.25” front bays into 4 x 3.5” hot-swap HDD bays. It also uses only two 15 pin SATA power connectors to power up all 4 drives, reducing power and power connector usage. Individual drive power buttons allows you to power down the drives you don't need to effectively extend your drives' life span and to prevent data vulnerability from unknown viruses such as Cryptolocker. Efficient Cooling The Black Vortex MB074SP-1B gets its name from the whopping 120mm fan integrated in the unit, which allows it to efficiently cool the drives and improve the air flow of your entire system. The included 120mm fan effectively pulls cool air from outside the system resulting in a lower overall temperature which prevents performance decrease from overheating drives. We’ve included an adjustable 3 settings fan switch (high, low, and off) to allow you more control over your system performance and noise levels. The Black Vortex features an adjustable built-in LED lit fan that brilliantly Illuminates your case and provides an ambient blue color. It’s a surefire way to grab the attention of everyone in the room whether you’re at a LAN party or just inviting guests over. The 3 different brightness settings (high, low, and off) allows you to dim and brighten the LED fan with a simple touch. The 120mm cooling fan can be easily replaced to an aftermarket 120mm fan with 3 pin connector. Finally, the included removable dust filter can easily be removed and cleaned within a matter of seconds. EZ-Grip Handles Drive installation has never been easier with the EZ-Grip handles. Installing EZ-Grip to your hard drive only requires two screws. Easily slide your drive into the Cage and lock the switch, once they’re locked in place, they’re not going anywhere. The EZ-Grip handles are compatible with our lineup of portable docks such as the MB881 and MB981 HDD docking stations. You can quickly remove your drive from the Black Vortex, and insert them into our docking stations without removing the EZ-Grip handles. This is extremely useful when transferring data in between systems. The EZ-Grip handles are also compatible with our 2.5” to 3.5’ HDD/SSD converters: EZConvert MB382, MB882 & MB982 series, allowing you use your 2.5” HDD/SSD with the Black Vortex hassle-free. The Finer Details It’s just not an ICYDOCK product unless it’s been fine tuned to incorporate all of our customers’ needs. You’ve voiced your concerns, and we’ve added features based on your requests. We’ve made the protruding handles removable so it will be compatible with computer cases that have front doors. For system builders that are concerned about loose power connections to the unit, we’ve also added our customized locking latch that will firmly clasp onto any 15 pin SATA power connector with the locking mechanism. Once connected, it’ll stay secure until you decide to remove it. The Black Vortex is made by full metal frame that complements any computer chassis. Crafted to be ruggedly stylish and extremely robust, the Black Vortex is meant to endure the harshest conditions. Your drives are guaranteed to be protected when they’re enclosed in a full metal surrounding. The symmetrical web-like pattern adds a dash of flair so you can be confident that your system will turn heads. Key Features * Fits 4 x 3.5” HDD into 3 x 5.25” hot swappable Device Bays * Fits 3.5” SATA I/II/III HDD, up to 6TB * LED brightness control and Fan speed control * Hard drive activity light for each individual bay * Individual shrouded drive power buttons * Removable handles for computer cases with doors * Custom locking latch for 15 pin SATA power * Front access with hot-swap design to easily install/remove drives * EZ-Grip handles allow easy installation and compatible with HDD docking stations * Compatible with ICY DOCK 2.5” to 3.5” HDD/SSD EZConvert converters * Huge 120mm cooling fan effectively keep the drives cool and decrease overall system temperature * Fan is replaceable with aftermarket fans * Ventilated architecture allows maximum airflow * Easy to clean dust filters prevent dust from entering your system * Built with a robust full metal frame that’s made to last * Beautiful ambient blue LED fan glow illuminates your chassis Quick links: MB074SP-1B Product Page MB074SP-1B Product images MB074SP-1B 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