StarTech.com USB 3.0 / eSATA Dual-Bay Trayless 3.5" SATA III HDD Enclosure with UASP

Unlock expanded storage capacity with a high-performance, dual-bay external enclosure designed for reliability, speed, and easy drive management. The StarTech.com USB 3.0 / eSATA Dual-Bay Trayless 3.5" SATA III HDD Enclosure with UASP delivers robust performance for creative professionals, IT admins, and power users who demand fast data transfers, flexible connectivity, and a streamlined installation process. With two hot-swappable bays, support for SATA III drives, and UASP acceleration, this enclosure is built to handle large media libraries, backups, and demanding workloads while keeping your workspace organized and efficient.

• Dual-bay trayless design for expanded storage: Accommodates two 3.5" SATA drives, providing ample room for backups, large media collections, and fast file transfers without the clutter of extra trays or tools.
• Trayless, tool-free drive installation: Slide drives in and out quickly without dealing with drive trays. The trayless design reduces downtime during upgrades and makes maintenance hassle-free, so you can swap drives on the fly to keep your workflow uninterrupted.
• Flexible connectivity: USB 3.0 and eSATA: Choose the connection that best suits your system environment. USB 3.0 delivers high-speed transfer rates up to 5 Gbps, while eSATA offers up to 6 Gbps for systems with native eSATA support, enabling versatile compatibility across desktops, workstations, and media servers.
• UASP acceleration for faster transfers: The included UASP support optimizes data throughput and reduces CPU load on compatible systems, delivering significantly improved performance for large file transfers, backups, and disk-intensive workflows.
• Supports SATA III 3.5" drives and SATA III transfer speeds: Built to work with modern 3.5" HDDs, delivering up to 6 Gbps per drive for rapid data access, making it ideal for demanding applications like 4K video editing, large photo libraries, and enterprise-grade backups.

Technical Details of StarTech.com USB 3.0 / eSATA Dual-Bay Trayless 3.5" SATA III HDD Enclosure with UASP

• Bays: 2-bay trayless enclosure for 3.5" SATA drives
• Interfaces: USB 3.0 and eSATA external connections
• Data transfer rates: USB 3.0 up to 5 Gbps; eSATA up to 6 Gbps per interface (where supported by system and hardware)
• Drive compatibility: Supports 3.5" SATA drives (SATA III capable)
• Design: Trayless, hot-swappable bays for quick drive insertion and removal
• Performance feature: UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) support to improve throughput and reduce CPU usage on compatible systems
• Enclosure type: External USB/eSATA SSD/HDD enclosure designed for desktop use

How to install StarTech.com USB 3.0 / eSATA Dual-Bay Trayless 3.5" SATA III HDD Enclosure with UASP

• Prepare your drives: Ensure you are using 3.5" SATA hard drives that are in good working order. Back up any data before installation if you are repurposing drives with existing content.
• Open the enclosure and position drives: Since the design is trayless, simply align each 3.5" drive with the corresponding bay and slide it into place until it seats securely. Confirm that the drives are fully inserted before proceeding.
• Choose your connection: Decide whether you will connect via USB 3.0 or eSATA. For USB, use a USB 3.0 cable; for eSATA, use an eSATA cable compatible with your system. If your enclosure includes a power adapter, connect it to a suitable power source as required.
• Connect to your computer: Attach the enclosure to your computer using the chosen interface. If the computer requires, power on the enclosure or ensure it receives power through the connected interface. Wait for the operating system to recognize the new storage device.
• Initialize and format (if needed): In your operating system’s disk management tool, initialize the new drives if they are not automatically detected. Create or assign partitions and format the drives with your preferred filesystem. After formatting, the drives are ready for use and can be managed through your favorite file management workflow.
• Safely eject when needed: When you are finished using the drives, use your OS’s eject or safely remove hardware feature before disconnecting the enclosure, especially if you are switching to USB for continued use or transport.

Frequently asked questions

• Is this enclosure hot-swappable?

  Yes. The dual-bay design supports hot-swapping, allowing you to swap drives without powering down the enclosure, provided your operating system and hardware support safe removal of drives. Always follow proper OS-specific removal procedures to avoid data loss.

• What interfaces does it support?

  The enclosure supports USB 3.0 and eSATA connections, offering flexible, high-speed options for transferring data. USB 3.0 provides up to 5 Gbps, while eSATA provides up to 6 Gbps on compatible systems.

• What size drives can I install?

  The enclosure is designed for 3.5" SATA hard drives. It is intended to work with SATA III drives to maximize performance, but compatible SATA II drives may also work depending on your system configuration.

• Does it include RAID functionality?

  RAID capabilities are not specified for this enclosure. It functions as a dual-bay external storage device and can be managed by the host operating system for data redundancy or striping through software RAID if desired.

• How do I format or initialize the drives?

  After connecting via USB or eSATA, access your operating system's disk management utility to initialize any new drives, create partitions, and format with your preferred file system. This process is OS-specific and typically straightforward for Windows, macOS, and Linux environments.