iStarUSA BPU-340HD Drive Enclosure for 5.25" to 4x 3.5"/2.5" HDD/SSD, Internal SATA/600

The iStarUSA BPU-340HD is a high-performance drive enclosure designed to maximize storage density without sacrificing accessibility or reliability. Engineered for professional workflows—whether you’re building a robust backup solution, running a media production rig, or expanding a small data center—the BPU-340HD converts three 5.25" bays into a versatile rack that can hold up to four 3.5" or 2.5" drives. Its premium aluminum chassis features a heat-dissipating design with grooves and a dedicated heat-sink, ensuring efficient thermal management even when drives are under sustained load. With an internal SATA/600 host interface, this enclosure delivers solid data transfer performance, making it a dependable backbone for demanding storage applications. The sleek black-and-silver finish, combined with a high-quality color handle, gives the unit a premium look while providing practical ease of installation and serviceability in dense environments. The BPU-340HD is purpose-built for hot-swap capabilities and RAID configurations ( RAID controller required), so you can optimize redundancy and performance in ways that align with your specific data strategy.

• Flexible drive layout: Converts 3x 5.25" bays into a 4-bay 3.5"/2.5" hot-swap rack, enabling seamless expansion for HDDs and SSDs while keeping your system organized in a compact form factor.
• Efficient thermal design: An aluminum body with conductive dissipation grooves and an integrated heat-sink keeps drives cooler during heavy workloads, helping sustain performance and prolong drive life.
• Hot-swap readiness and RAID compatibility: Built for quick drive replacement without powering down, and designed to work with an external RAID controller to enable configurable RAID levels for redundancy and speed.
• Visible health indicators: Power, fan, and high-temperature LEDs provide immediate feedback on enclosure status and drive health, making monitoring straightforward in busy production or data-center environments.
• Premium build and aesthetics: Rugged construction with a stylish black and silver finish and a sturdy color handle—ideal for installations in racks, workstations, or front-of-house storage setups where both looks and reliability matter.

Technical Details of iStarUSA BPU-340HD

• Model: iStarUSA BPU-340HD
• Drive bays: 3x 5.25" bays converted to 4x 3.5"/2.5" hot-swap drive slots
• Interface: Internal Serial ATA/600 (SATA III) host connection
• Drive support: 4x 3.5" HDD or 2.5" SSD/HDD in the hot-swap rack configuration
• Construction: Aluminum chassis with heat-dissipation grooves and integrated heat-sink
• LED indicators: Power, Fan, and High-Temperature indicators for quick status checks
• Hot-swap: Yes, designed for drive removal and replacement without powering down the system
• RAID readiness: Supports RAID configuration when used with an external RAID controller
• Color/finish: Black body with silver accents and a color handle for ease of handling
• Placement: Internal, suitable for installation in server racks, workstations, or storage desktops

How to install iStarUSA BPU-340HD

• Power down your system and disconnect the power source before starting any installation to prevent electrical damage.
• Open the chassis or rack area where you plan to install the BPU-340HD. Remove any necessary front or back panel covers to access the 5.25" bay area.
• Slide the BPU-340HD into an available 5.25" slot or mount in the designated rack space, ensuring the enclosure sits firmly and aligns with mounting holes if used in a rack.
• Connect the internal SATA data cable from the motherboard or host controller to the SATA backplane of the BPU-340HD. Connect the appropriate power cable from the PSU to the enclosure’s backplane or power input as required by your build.
• Install your 3.5" or 2.5" drives into the hot-swap trays. Ensure each drive is properly seated and locked into its slot to prevent movement during operation.
• If you plan to use RAID, install and configure your RAID controller in your system per its documentation, then connect any required cables from the controller to the BPU-340HD backplane as applicable. Power on the system and observe the LED indicators to confirm healthy initialization.
• Enter your operating system or RAID controller setup utility to initialize and format the drives as needed. Confirm that the drives appear correctly in the OS and that the RAID configuration (if used) is recognized by the system.
• Monitor the enclosure’s LEDs during initial operation to verify stable power, cooling, and normal temperature ranges. If LEDs indicate over-temperature, adjust airflow or reduce drive loads to maintain safe operating temperatures.

Frequently asked questions

• What drives can I install in the BPU-340HD? You can install up to four drives in the hot-swap rack, choosing between 3.5" HDDs and 2.5" drives (HDD or SSD). The enclosure is designed for flexible configurations, depending on your RAID strategy and available host resources.
• Do I need a RAID controller to use RAID with this enclosure? Yes. The BPU-340HD supports RAID configurations, but you will need an external RAID controller to define and manage the RAID levels. The enclosure provides the hot-swap capability and the backplane, while the RAID controller handles redundancy and performance tuning.
• Is the enclosure hot-swappable? Yes. The design supports hot-swap of drives, allowing you to replace or upgrade drives without powering down your system, which reduces maintenance windows and downtime.
• What interface does it use? The BPU-340HD uses an internal Serial ATA/600 (SATA III) host interface, enabling fast data transfer between drives and the host system. This interface is suitable for modern HDDs and SSDs that support SATA III speeds.
• How does the cooling system work? The enclosure features an aluminum body with conductive dissipation grooves and a heat-sink design, along with LED indicators that help you monitor temperature-related status. Proper airflow around the enclosure is recommended for optimal performance and longevity.