please advise on my external 2.5" enclosure purchase

hey everyone, i've ordered a 7200rpm 100gb hitachi travelstar to replace my factory 4200rpm 160gb drive that came standard in my toshiba satellite p105-s921

the drive i'm replacing, as copied from the user manual is "160GB (4200rpm) Serial-ATA (SATA) hard disk drive; 12.5mm height

i'm looking to purchase an external enclosure to turn my replaced toshiba hard-drive into an external drive, for standard file storage and such. i'm most likely going with newegg, since i'm comfortable w/them and their prices, however i'm nervous about getting something that isn't proper.

so far, from searches on this forum and google, i've discovered i want a USB 2.0 enclosure so there's no power brick, and apparently aluminum is the way to go if possible. but what i'm confused on, is if i need to buy an enclosure that specifically meantions SATA compatibility "internal interface" i think is the term used on newegg, or if i can get any 2.5"

the below link is a newegg search that shows a number of enclosures, but a few of the descriptions specifically mention IDE, and i'm worried that that means my drive won't work with them, can someone advise?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...54207132+1054007129&Submit=ENE&SubCategory=92

the below is a specific SATA search, very fewer enclosures available, and theyre more expensive, so i'd like to avoid this option if it's possible, please advise!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...53807124+1054107131&Submit=ENE&SubCategory=92

that you very much for any advice given!

 

also, what's eSATA?

 

eSATA is an external device interface, like USB for example. The difference is, it's a lot faster. It offers similar transfer rates to Serial ATA (SATA). It is usually only used in high speed external Hard Drives. To be able to use eSATA on a notebook, you'll probably need an Express Card or PCMCIA -> eSATA adapter, which cost around $50.

IDE is also called Parallel ATA (PATA) and is the older type of connection. It has slower transfer rates that Serial ATA (SATA). IDE and SATA are not compatable with each other. Also, you need a 2.5" enclosure, not a 3.5" one.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817145392

I'd get that one. It's good price, has eSATA and USB connections, as well as a power supply which is useful. Shop around the site though, and look for an enclosure that is big, as some people have run into problems where the HDD did not find on the board or into the case.

 

i notice it seems like the USB 2.0's dont have power bricks, where the USB/eSATA's do, if i'm using eSATA, do i HAVE to have a powerbrick connected? if my external supports USB + eSATA, do i at least NOT have to use a brick while using the USB method?

to clarify, you're saying my factory SATA drive i'm replacing will not work w/any of the externals in this link, right?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...SubCategory=92

also, you're saying if i buy a USB/eSATA external, i'll HAVE to buy an express card seperately?

i'm basically hoping to be able to not use a brick or any other extras while using my external (for portability)

 

What you got to becareful of is your current drive is 12.5mm thick. Most notebook drives are 9.5mm thick... I remember very old drives use to be 12.5mm thick and some current server drive also use this thickness. Make sure your new drive will fit into you laptop first.

Again most external 2.5" USB2 enclsures are designed for 9.5mm thick drives and not 12.5mm. Are you definitely sure its 12.5mm? Have you measured it?

 

haven't meausured anything, just copied what's in my laptop's spec pdf at toshiba.com

says "12.5mm height" but i guess height/thick is the same thing?

EDIT: also, even if my new rive is 9.5 vs the 12.5, isn't smaller thickness fine? larger i can see being a problem. you got me scared now! **** wasn't cheap and it's already on its way!

 

yeah...

Its strange its 12.5mm... This is the first time I've heard of 160GB 4200rpm drive.

 

yeah.... what? i should be fine? or this 12.5 vs 9.5 thing could be a problem?

 

Yes the 9.5mm vs 12.5mm could be a problem. If the new drive fits into your notebook then great but then you'll may still find a problem finding an enclosure for 12.5mm drive.

 

You should be able to run without a power supply, as 2.5" drives can easily take their power from USB ports. If power from 1 USB port is not enough, you can always use a USB Y cable, which obtains power from two USB ports.

http://www.pexagontech.com/products/cables-and-accessories/30-usb-y-cable-for-store-it-drive-61.php

Link is not working. Perhaps you could post it again...

Yes. very, very few laptops on the market have eSATA ports. There's more information about eSATA on this thread:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=108825

The measurement of 12.5 mm could be the height of the HDD, and the casing around it. Take your HDD out of its casing, and measure the height. To be sure, measure the height of the drive from the side where the SATA connector is.

Which HDD did you order? There should be physical dimensions and more information about the size of the chip board and enclosure casing on the product page.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...54207132+1054007129&Submit=ENE&SubCategory=92

what if i bought a USB/eSATA combo enclosure but had the intention of only ever using the USB 2.0 connection method (i do) would i not have to worry about the card? i ask because there are significantly more USB/eSATA combination enclosures then pure USB ones, but i only want to use the USB functionality.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822146053

thank you VERY MUCH for everyone helping me understand this!

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...SubCategory=92

sorry I'm kinda confused It says on the Hitachi page that the Hitachi drive in the link above is 9.5mm high, so there should be no problems with size.

http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/7k100/7k100.htm
(scroll to Physical size section)

USB only and USB/eSATA enclosures are very similar price, so you may as well go for the combo one. Just because it has an eSATA port, you dont have to use eSATA. You can just use USB. Likewise, if you only want to use eSATA, you don't have to use USB. But I wouldnt use both at the same time. The computer might recognise it has two drives instead of one, because there are two interfaces connecting to the drive. But this isnt an issue, as using both interfaces at the same time is something I've never heard of

If you want to be gaming or video editing off your HDD, it may be worth buying an eSATA adaptor, as you'll want drive transfer rates to somewhat match your internal HDD's. If its just for file storage and backup, then just use USB, and if it takes hours, then you can leave it on overnight.

 

i dont know why i've been saying inches, but yes the incomign drive is 9.5, whereas the one i'm taking out is reportedly "12.5mm height" so i was afraid the size difference (even though the new one is smaller, so should "fit") would be a problem, but you're saying no? hope you're right!

next question then i guess, is should i be worried about all these external enclosures for 2.5 drives not fitting my 12.5mm i'll be taking out?