ICY DOCK 4 Bay USB 3.0/ eSATA External HDD Enclosure with 120mm Cooling Fan - Black Vortex MB174U3S-4SB

The ICY DOCK MB174U3S-4SB is a stylish, easy-to-use four-bay 3.5" HDD enclosure, great for power users and geeks requiring massive storage for their endless music, videos, photos and games. It connects to your computer via 5Gbps USB 3.0, or 3Gbps eSATA, and is actively cooled by a 120mm LED fan. The EZ-Grip handles gives you the ability to replace drives in a matter of seconds. Plus, this docking station is toughly built with metal frame, assuring you unrivalled durability you and you drives can rely on.

Note: WD Green and WD Red hard drives have a feature called Intellipark. This feature makes the drives automatically park themselves after being idle for 8 seconds. There is a small chance that certain drives may appear offline to the USB host of the MB174U3S-4SB and can cause the USB host to refresh. This could cause the remaining drive(s) to power cycle, interrupting any data transfer and potentially causing data corruption on the drives. We recommend WD Green and WD Red drive users to disable the Intellipark feature to prevent this issue.

Great Capacity

As storage space remains an integral part of many applications, the MB174U3S-4SB aims to fill the void which the storage market has neglected. With support of up to 4 drives, the Black Vortex can provide ample storage space for all your data needs without occupying space within your system.

Multiple Interfaces

Boasting SuperSpeed USB 3.0, the Black Vortex MB174U3S-4SB can quickly transfer files between your computer and your external drives, or transfer the file in between the drives in the blink of an eye. MB174U3S-4SB also featuring UASP support, which delivers higher transfer speeds to supporting devices. With backwards compatible USB 2.0 support, you can connect it to many supporting devices that support external storage devices through USB 2.0 such as wireless routers, gaming consoles, NAS storage, and smart TVs that have USB interface.

This external enclosure also supports eSATA port-multiplier interface for those that don’t have USB 3.0 interface. (Requires eSATA port multiplier support from host end in order to detect all drives).

EZ-Grip Handles

Drive installation has never been easier with the EZ-Grip handles. Installing EZ-Grip to your hard drive only requires two screws. You can easily slide your drive into the Cage and lock the switch. Once your drives are locked in place, they’re not going anywhere.

The EZ-Grip handles are compatible with ICY DOCK portable docks such as the MB881 and MB981 HDD docking stations. You can quickly remove your drive from the Black Vortex, and insert them into the docking stations without removing the EZ-Grip handles. This is extremely useful when transferring data in between systems. Two bonus EZ-Grip handles are included so you swap between a total of 6 drives. The EZ-Grip handles are compatible with ICY DOCK 2.5” to 3.5’ HDD/SSD Ezconvert series: EZ-Convert MB382, MB482, MB882 & MB982 series, allowing you use your 2.5” HDD/SSD with the Black Vortex hassle-free.

Note: the USB host will refresh while swapping drive via USB. The remaining drive(s) will power cycle during this process)

Efficient Cooling

The Black Vortex MB174U3S-4SB gets its name from the whopping 120mm fan integrated in the unit, which allows it to efficiently cool your drives and increase HDD lifespan. The included 120mm fan effectively pulls cool air into the enclosure resulting in a lower overall temperature for your drives which prevents performance decrease from overheating disks. An adjustable 3 settings fan switch (high, low, and off) allows you more control over airflow, temperatures, and noise levels. The 120mm fan also features an adjustable built-in LED lighting that brilliantly illuminates and provides an ambient blue color. It’s a surefire way to grab the attention of everyone in the room.

Easy Maintenance and Controls

Controlling the enclosure is simple and can be done by accessing the front of the enclosure. With brightness controls, the 3 different settings (high, low, and off) allows you to dim and brighten the LED fan with a simple touch. Fan controls allow you to adjust the airflow from high, low, and off, and the 120mm cooling fan can be easily replaced to an aftermarket 120mm fan with 3 pin connector.

Clean up is a breeze with the included removable dust filter that can easily be detached and rinsed within a matter of seconds. The protruding handles can be removed if you’re looking for a more minimalist design and this enclosure is designed to be tough yet attractive.