iStarUSA BPU-350HD 5.25" Drive Enclosure with 12Gb/s SATA/600

The iStarUSA BPU-350HD is a high-performance 5.25-inch drive enclosure designed to expand storage capacity in servers, workstations, and enthusiast rigs without sacrificing space or cooling. By channeling three 5.25" bays into a versatile rack that can host up to five 3.5" or 2.5" HDDs/SSDs, this enclosure delivers flexible, hot-swappable storage that scales with your needs. It’s built for reliability in demanding environments, combining a rugged aluminum chassis with efficient heat-dissipation features and clear LED indicators for quick health checks.

Designed for professionals who demand speed and expandability, the BPU-350HD leverages an internal Serial ATA/600 host interface to ensure strong data transfer with compatible SATA drives. The aluminum body isn’t just about looks; its conductive dissipation grooves provide superior thermal management, helping to sustain peak performance during long-running workloads. The enclosure’s color accents—black with red highlights—and a sturdy handle reflect a practical, industrial aesthetic that fits into data centers, editing suites, or on a high-end workstation bench. Power, fan, and high-temperature LEDs give you real-time visibility into the system’s status, enabling you to respond quickly to any issues and keep workloads flowing smoothly.

• Three 5.25-inch bays convert into a compact, hot-swappable rack capable of housing up to five 3.5" or 2.5" drives for expanded storage and flexible configurations.
• Internal Serial ATA/600 host interface (SATA 6Gb/s) delivers solid, compatible performance with current HDDs and SSDs, enabling fast data access and efficient throughput.
• Hot-swap readiness reduces downtime; drive trays are designed for quick insertion and removal without tools, ideal for data centers and media production workflows.
• Aluminum chassis with conductive dissipation grooves supports superior cooling and longer drive life under heavy I/O environments, helping sustain performance during RAID arrays and large transfers.
• Head-to-toe visibility with power, fan, and high-temperature LED indicators simplifies monitoring and maintenance, ensuring you stay ahead of thermal or power issues before they affect workloads.

Technical Details of iStarUSA BPU-350HD

• Drive bays: 3 x 5.25" to 5 x 3.5"/2.5" HDD/SSD hot-swap rack for flexible drive configurations.
• Interface: Internal Serial ATA/600 host interface (SATA 6Gb/s) to support modern storage devices and fast data transfer.
• RAID readiness: Supports RAID configurations when paired with an additional RAID controller; enclosure itself does not include a controller.
• Construction: Stylish aluminum design with conductive dissipation grooves for effective cooling; black body with red accents and a robust handle.
• Indicators: Power, fan, and high-temperature LEDs provide ongoing status monitoring of the enclosure and its drives.
• Thermal management: Heat-sink body and vented design complement the cooling system to maintain stable performance under load.
• Mounting and compatibility: Internal interface makes it suitable for integration into standard desktop or server chassis that support 5.25" bays and compatible SATA backplanes.

How to install iStarUSA BPU-350HD

• Power down your system and unplug all power sources; remove the side panel of your case to access available drive bays.
• Insert the BPU-350HD into an available 5.25" bay and secure it using the chassis mounting points or the appropriate rack-mount hardware provided by your chassis.
• Connect internal SATA data cables from your motherboard or RAID controller to the back of the BPU-350HD, and attach power cables from the PSU to the enclosure’s power connector.
• Install the desired number of drives into the 5.25" to 3.5"/2.5" trays, securing each drive with screws as needed; ensure drives are seated firmly in their trays for reliable hot-swap operation.
• If you plan to use RAID, install a compatible RAID controller card (not included) in your system, then enter the RAID utility to configure your array. After creating the array, initialize the drives in your operating system as required.
• Power on the system and verify that the enclosure and each installed drive are detected by the OS; monitor the LED indicators to confirm normal operation and ensure cooling is adequate during initial testing and sustained workloads.

Frequently asked questions

• Q: Does the BPU-350HD include a RAID controller? A: No. RAID configurations require an additional RAID controller. The enclosure provides the physical bays and connectivity, while the controller handles the RAID logic.
• Q: Can I hot-swap drives in this enclosure? A: Yes. The BPU-350HD is designed for hot-swap operation, enabling quick drive replacement with minimal downtime while the system is running.
• Q: What drive types are supported? A: The enclosure supports 3.5" and 2.5" SATA HDDs and SSDs through the 5.25" to 3.5"/2.5" bays, giving you flexibility for capacity and speed requirements.
• Q: Are cables included for installation? A: Cables for data and power are typically needed from your PSU and motherboard/RAID controller. The enclosure itself does not guarantee inclusion of all cables in every package; verify contents with your vendor.
• Q: What about cooling and indicators? A: The aluminum chassis features conductive dissipation grooves for efficient cooling, and it includes power, fan, and high-temperature LEDs to keep you informed about system health at a glance.