There is no comparison between a hdd enclosure and a mobile hard drive, because the hdd enclosure is just a box and does not have storage capabilities by itself. It needs to be used with a hard drive, while a mobile hard drive is an integrated hard drive + hdd enclosure.
In addition to the difference in nature, their convenience is also different: mobile hard drives have multiple specifications and are smaller than hdd enclosurees. In addition, it also supports some of the latest TYPE-C, USB 3.1 interfaces, etc., making the transmission faster and more convenient to use.
Both hard disk boxes and mobile hard disks can be used as removable storage media, so which one is better?
As the name suggests, the hard disk box is a carrier for loading the hard disk. The prices of hdd enclosurees vary greatly, depending on the transmission interface and materials. For example, aluminum alloy Thunderbolt hard drive enclosures are relatively expensive, while plastic-cased 3.2Gen1 interface hard drive enclosures are relatively cheap. Moreover, there are many different switching solutions, and it requires a certain amount of professional knowledge to choose one that is easy to use and stable.
The main advantage of hard disk enclosures is that they are flexible. You can choose the corresponding hard disk enclosure according to your own hard drive. For example, if you use a high-speed hard drive with the NVMe protocol, you can choose a 20Gpbs hard drive enclosure or a Thunderbolt hard drive enclosure, so that solid-state performance can be achieved More complete release, it also has advantages in speed compared to ordinary mobile hard drives. And if you are using a popular hard drive with SATA protocol, you can use a hdd enclosure with USB3.1Gen1 interface, which is affordable. And the hdd enclosure has a variety of appearances. You can choose the appearance you like to make it more personalized.
On the shortcomings, the transfer scheme has problems such as data loss and disk drop. In particular, many hdd enclosurees cut corners, have weak power supply, and insufficient heat dissipation. Long-term use will also cause irreparable damage to the hard drive, and because of the transfer scheme, the hard drive The volume of the box is often larger than that of the mobile hard drive.
2. Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Hard Drives
The mobile hard drive is not a self-assembled product and can be smaller in size than the hdd enclosure solution. And it has been strictly tested by the manufacturer, so the stability and materials used are generally better than those of hdd enclosurees. And as a separate product, if the mobile hard drive is damaged, it can be covered by normal warranty. The consumer must pay for the damage to the hard drive caused by the hdd enclosure.
Of course, the shortcomings of mobile hard drives are also obvious. Due to the market environment, manufacturers often do not launch products with all capacities. The manufacturer may not have the capacity you like in this series, and some mobile solid-states that only provide small capacities will have obvious capacities. question. In addition, for products with the same speed, a mobile hard drive is often slightly more expensive than a combination of a hard drive and a hard drive enclosure, and the price/performance ratio is slightly lower.
hdd enclosure and mobile hard drives each have their own advantages and disadvantages, and the specific choice should be based on personal needs and scenarios. For users who need to carry data frequently or use it on the go, a mobile hard drive may be more suitable. For users who need to store a large amount of data and do not need to move it frequently, a hard drive enclosure may be more suitable1.
