1.8" SATA Drive Enclosure Recommendataions?

I'm looking for a 1.8" SATA drive enclosure to put a stock 1.8" Lenovo drive in (replacing it with an SSD), but I'm having some trouble finding one that looks useful. Most of the 1.8" drive enclosures I've found are either

1) IDE/ZIF, not SATA
2) Very large (really 2.5" enclosures with a converter)
3) Oddly expensive (~50+ seems a bit high for this kind of thing).

#2 bugs me, because it's a tiny drive, and I feel like I should be able to find a smaller enclosure for it, instead of having to lug around a big one.

Anyone have experience with these, and have one they can recommend? Yes, I'm aware of ebay. Many of those fit into the categories above, look sketchy, or don't list sizes (so I wonder if they qualify as #2). But I'm certainly not opposed to getting one there.

Thanks.

 

I am kind of in the same situation, I am looking for an enclosure for the 1.8" SSD so I can do a clone from T400s HDD to SSD

Any suggestions ?

 

I'm not aware of any express 1.8" SATA enclosures. However, you could probably daisy chain the Lenovo SSD adapter (FRU 42W8019) with a regular 2.5" enclosure. However, that would probably reach above $50.

 

I would have doubts that regular 2.5" HDD enclosures would provide 3.3V necessary for 1.8" drives. USB only provides 5V, so the enclosure would have to carry a circuitry for voltage conversion, which is not probable.

 

If I wanted to go that route, I could just get one of these: http://cgi.ebay.com/Micro-SATA-Encl...temQQimsxZ20090813?IMSfp=TL090813162003r32210
for $10 less. You do lose out on having the adapter that can fit into the Thinkpad, but if you can only take a 1.8" drive, then it's not necessary, anyway.

I'm not certain about the voltage requirements, but I think SATA has multiple pins/levels in the spec, so the other electronics in there take care of it.
Either way, I've seen enough products that specifically advertize doing it ( www.sataadapter.com/SS-125-SSD.html) that make me think it's fine.

I'd really prefer a smaller enclosure, though - after all that's one of the benefits of the smaller drive...

 

for USB to power +5V to the SATA channel, it must also provide +3.3V to the first three pins.   if it doesn't then it simply cannot properly power a 5V SATA drive let alone a 3.3V one.

read my post linked below and you'll understand why.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5250487#post5250487

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Micro-SATA-Enclosure-for-1.8-inch-Micro-SATA-Drives_W0QQitemZ290339349830QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20090813?IMSfp=TL090813162003r32210

This is what I have been looking at also, if I put my SSD in this enclosure, will I be able to clone my T400s HHD -> SSD via USB ?

 

Yes, you should be able to. As I mentioned, though, it's a bigger 2.5" enclosure, instead of a more compact 1.8" one.

 

Thanks for your post, erik, but I'm afraid I can't quite follow your reasoning. I don't have any deeper knowledge of electronics, let alone computer interconnects, so I cannot and do not want to argue with you about the technical aspects. However based on what I have read:

[1] Even the Wikipedia article you have referenced states 3.3V is not necessary to operate 2.5" and larger drives.

[2] There's a thread over at Lenovo forums where users are discussing ways of connecting their 1.8" SSDs externally. A few have tried putting 1.8" SSD in a 1.8"-2.5" storage converter and then using the assembly in a 2.5" HDD USB enclosure with no success. One user has even measured the voltage on pins 1-3 to prove 3.3V is not supplied in these.

So my question is, erik, have you actually tried it with any specific USB enclosure or are your claims based solely on assumptions?

 

be careful with your accusations.   i assume nothing and never make false claims.   everything i speak about comes from personal experience and over 25 years of using computers.   you may want to read this blog if you doubt my electronics background.

i've used my 1.8" SSD via USB using a 2.5" lenovo USB drive enclosure with a 2.5" drive adapter.   it worked.   i've also used my 1.8" SSD via USB using a 2.5" drive adapter inside a SATA ultrabay adapter connected to an ultrabay to USB adapter.   it also worked.   here is a photo of a known-working setup:



so, i'm sorry that users in the thread you've linked have had issues making this work.   i've had no problems whatsoever.

USB adapters supply +5V.   it's up to the 1.8:2.5" drive adapter to separate this out and push +3.3V to the first three pins.

there are adapters available on ebay that claim to work with 1.8" drives.   i haven't tried those adapters specifically but you may want to look into buying one.

 

I didn't mean to offend nor accuse you and I'm sorry you have understood my post in that way. I have never questioned that the setup you were describing might work under some circumstances, rather I was questioning your generalisation that it always works. All I wanted was to draw attention of those intending to run such a setup to the potential problems that might be involved. Hence the thread I was referring to.

I don't have time nor will to do any extensive testing on this subject, even more so because it's of no particular interest to me. Still I believe that standard third-party USB-powered enclosures would not supply 3.3V, because it would require additional circuitry (=extra cost) when all that is needed to power 2.5" notebook HDD is 5V (which is provided conveniently by USB). Yes, I have seen USB enclosures, which were more expensive and specifically claimed to have voltage conversion for 1.8" drives and these would certainly work.

I have no means to test it because I don't own one (you have so you can give it a try) but based on what other users wrote in the Lenovo forums, 1.8"-2.5" storage converters from Lenovo (42W7888 / 42W8019) don't have any on-board voltage conversion.

See here: Re: Micro SATA SSD using external adapter - not powering up

 

these users are correct in saying that neither of the storage adapters have any conversion circuitry.   all they do is route the power and data pins from the SATA socket to the corresponding pins on the micro-SATA socket.   if a USB caddy does not supply power to the +3.3V pins for some reason (which breaks SATA specifications) then of course a 1.8" drive will not work.   what i said above does not apply to improperly-designed storage caddies.

my personal experience with two USB-based solutions has been positive thanks to using properly-designed hardware.

 

Back on topic, anyone know of good enclosures?
The (potential) best I've found is one like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1-8-SATA-to-USB...rnal?hash=item439a017aef&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

But I can't quite tell, and I'm waiting to hear back about some specs.

I'm continually amazed when I see enclosures like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-2-0-PORTABL...rnal?hash=item45ede80b88&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
Most specifically:
Dimensions 2.8"x3.2"x0.4"
Hardly a 1.8" enclosure, now is it! (Nor is the interface type clear).

Suggestions still greatly appreciated.

Thanks.


Edit: I'll also post this one, in case anyone else is interested: http://cgi.ebay.com/SATA-IDE-USB-1-...ries?hash=item19b63d5646&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
A very nice (and relatively inexpensive) external multi-interface/size device.

 

if size is your biggest concern, have you considered buying a small external drive like the trekstor microdisk?   it's only 3.3" x 2.2" x 0.3".

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EMRNE4/

i've been searching for dedicated 1.8" micro-SATA enclosures for over a year and have yet to find one.   everything i've seen uses a 2.5" drive enclosure with an adapter of some sort.

 

Oooh, shiny! Size is a little bit of a concern, but at the same time I do want to use the extra drive I'll have (1.8" replaced with an SSD), which is why I was looking for an enclosure. I just figured "why have a larger enclosure for a tiny drive"? Or do you think it would just be better to sell the drive on Ebay, and get something else as a replacement? The 120->250 (HDD) isn't a whole lot and it seems rare enough online that it might be worth a premium - I didn't find the bigger one listed anywhere.

 

So I head back from the seller of that first item. He says it's a 1.8" drive enclosure (78mmx88mm, outside), but that it's standard SATA instead of micro SATA, and there's no room for a connector. I was confused, and then remembered I'd seen some drives with the SATA connector on the long side, instead of the short side. I guess that's the difference - the older style drive.

Back to searching, unless someone thinks it'd be a better idea just to sell it.

 

I saw your post and I thought I should share with you where I found an enclosure for my Micro SATA Drive 3.3V. This link is http://www.microsatacables.com/catalog/c60_p1.html they have a lot of options for enclosure cases that use an adapter for 3.3V that you plug into the case.

The case worked great.

 

Good to hear they have some positide review. I'd seen them and had been tempted, though I'd thought they were priced a bit high. But the extra knowledge that they're reliable might be worth it.

 

Very helpful, worth every penny

 

One more follow up question, here. Did this drive require a USB-Y adaptor (to steal extra power)? Do most 2.5" drive enclosures need this? I ask because I was about to buy this one, and noticed that there are a ton of 2.5" enclosures for far cheaper than the $40 shipped, and I could buy the sata-to-microsata converter for about $10. However, I'd prefer not needing to use the extra USB port that most enclosures seem to. Or is this not possible?
Why not, considering the spec is for 5V?

 

** bump **