ToughArmor MB996SP-6SB 6×2.5″ SATA HDD Hot Swap Mobile Rack
Outside the housing:
At the rear we find molex power connectors. There are two, but you don't need to connect both if the power needs do not warrant it (they are both internally bridged together).
The fan is switched for high or low speeds and can be disabled for completely silent operation. The low speed is quite difficult to hear at all – even while listening closely. One note – the fan will not spin up if no drives are installed, which is handy as it goes dead silent with no drives installed.
We used an Intel SSD 320 with the 2.5mm spacer to show this enclosure fits 9.5mm SSDs and HDDs without issue. To the left is a plastic part that must be removed from the leading edge of the drive trays prior to installing a drive. This part is to stop air from simply diverting around empty drive trays. Nice touch actually.
It's a bit tough to see in the picture, but the trays light green for powered drives and amber (red plus green) when active. The amber color looks much clearer in person, and the lighting overall is clearly visible without being annoyingly bright.
You may be wondering why there are no test results. There is no need, as this chassis simply bridges the electrical signal connections from the rear SATA ports directly to the installed drives. This enclosure will not impact performance and has no problem passing through SATA 6Gb/sec, making it no different than if those drives were directly wired to a SATA controller.
ToughArmor MB996SP-6SB is on
ToughArmor MB996SP-6SB is on sale $83.64 (same link in the article) and Prime shipping!!
Just bought one!
Thanks Allyn!
I do have the 4 slot version
I do have the 4 slot version of the tough armor. It came with dual 40mm fans and I tell ya, those fans were the loudest thing in my whole system.
I see that the MB996SP-6SB come with a single 40mm fan. Is it still loud?
It can be switched off, and
It can be switched off, and it's nearly inaudible in slow speed. High is still nowhere near as loud as the old style fan that was used in the old model.
A valuable option that was
A valuable option that was left out of the 4 bay version. Had to stick a piece of tape in them to shut the fans off.
I have the 4 slot version,
I have the 4 slot version, and disconnected its fans (the system / PS fan pull enough air through to cool down the drives). I very much love this device. 🙂
So ‘armor’ which usually
So ‘armor’ which usually protects one knight (or a vehicle) is a fixed spot for six drives, while ‘bento’, a box of several small tasty items, is a mobile case for just one drive. Marketing fail!
haha nice one 😉
haha nice one 😉