Rosewill RX-358 V2 SLV (Silver) 3.5" SATA to USB & eSATA External Enclosure w/Int.80mm Fan

Pros: I've purchased several of these enclosures over the years - first the V1 and then recently the V2. I've been pretty happy with them. Recently I purchased a 4TB disk (WD4001FAEX) and decided to try it in this enclosure even though the documentation says that it works only up to 3TB. I tried it on three different systems (Win7-64 Pro and Home) using both eSATA and USB. I was successful in all cases. The only difficulty was that I had to upgrade the Intel storage driver on one computer since my old version didn't support a 4TB disk. None of my systems have a BIOS that supports GPT, so I do have to boot from another disk.

General pros:

Sturdy and well built; Fan keeps the disk cool.

eSATA is fast. I get slightly over 150MB/sec using the above mentioned 4TB disk.

Cons: No product is perfect. This one has a few minor annoyances:

1) The timeout feature that was added in V2 is annoying. The firmware upgrade corrects the problem and is easy to install.

2) The included eSATA cable is a bit flimsy and doesn't fit snugly into the connector (especially if the connector is oriented vertically). I purchased a few better quality cables to use when I have problems.

3) The enclosure has two blue LEDs. One is illuminated whenever power is on. The other LED appears to be a "drive in use" indicator, but it works only when using USB. When using eSATA, the LED just gives a very quick flash that can only be seen in a dark room. The V1 enclosure didn't have this problem and the "drive in use" LED worked the same for both USB and eSATA.

Pros: easy installation compared to other similar products I've owned

Firmware update easily found and used.
esata AND usb

Looks nice

Slim 80mm fan is a plus

option to choose between on with or without cooling fan on. Allows you to adjust noise level and cooling level.

Cons: easily slides around or falls over (see other thoughts for cheap/quick fix)

LEDs are extremely bright. I covered them with block out tape that I had and that helped. If you want to use this in a dark/theater type of environment be prepared to deal with the LEDs

Other Thoughts: I went to a local store and got some rubber stick on "feet" and the slippery case problem was fixed.

I almost snipped the LEDs off but I did want some indication that it was on/transferring data so I covered them up

If you don't want the drive to "sleep" after 5 minutes just update the firmware and stop complaining.

I bought this same thing a year or so ago and it still runs fine. I've had others (not this manufacturer's) that failed after a while, but failures were usually due to IDE cable problems. The esata connections on this model are sturdier and more reliable over time.

Pros: This is my second case. I like these because they are rugged, metal cases. The only plastic is on the sides and that is just trim. The first one I bought had a louder fan so it looks like they improved the design somewhat. I can hardly hear this fan at all when it is sitting right next to me. There is mesh on the front for improved airflow. These connect via USB 2.0 and eSata. It also comes with an eSata adapter to put in your computer case. Conntected with eSata I am getting around 92-93 Mb/s write transfer rate on a standard 7200 RPM drive. It works great for my uses. It will handle both 3.5 and 2.5 inch drives though I don't know why you would want a case this big for a 2.5 inch. I have never had a failure with these cases and I transport my old one quite often in the car. Still has the original 2 TB Western Digital in it I bought a long time ago.

Cons: It is a little large but I accept that for the cooling and rugged strength. They don't come with rubberized feet for your desk. I have my own I put on the cases to remove vibration and the possibility of scratching wood desks or tables. All of this is extremely minor in my eyes.

Other Thoughts: A good product from Rosewill.

Pros: METAL! fan works well to keep even 7200 rpm rives cool. Esata connection gives fastest transfer rates.

Cons: Needs to have some stick on rubber feet included.

Other Thoughts: I have two for backup use. One on site and one off site so I'm not running them 24/7 but haven't had any problems whatsoever with the cases. The driver are cooler then they were when I had them in a computer case before they were re-purposed for backup use.

I use esata so I can't comment on the USB connection but I assume that it works.

Pros: Has a cooling fan and supports eSATA and USB 2.0. Comes with the expansion plate to add an eSATA port to the back of your tower which plugs in to a regular internal SATA connection. 2TB drive is compatible with Windows XP

Cons: Installing the WD Red 2TB drive was a little snug at first when I plugged the drive in and could only install 2 screws. I was worried to force the drive for fear of straining the connector. Then I realized I could install 4 screws in to the drive and slide it back on to the SATA and Power connection before tightening the screws. Once I did that the connector seemed to plug in smoothly without stressing the enclosure PCB or hard drive. USB 2.0 works, but is about half as fast as even the SATA I that my desktop supports. The unit also has no feet and sits with the drive upside down in the enclosure to allow the fan to move air. I plan to get some rubber gripper stick on feet to prevent the enclosure from being knocked off the desk.

Other Thoughts: I installed the firmware update to disable sleep mode first thing after putting the drive in, based on other reviewers recommendation. You can't install the update without a drive installed. The instructions for the update were obviously translated from some other language to English, so they are poorly written, but the included screen shots make it clear what to do. Will update review if there are any problems in the months to come. This is primarily for a backup drive so it won't be powered unless I'm running a backup.

Pros: Quiet, still seems to work.

Cons: The metal tabs that support the drive are too high relative to the data/power connector on the enclosure's PCB. The PCBs for the drive and enclosure bend when pushing the drive down so the drive screw holes line up with the enclosure screw slots.

Other Thoughts: Base isn't wide. Seems like it would be easy to knock over from vertical position.

Pros: Fan keeps drive temps cool & fan switch is convenient. Looks great.

Cons: Enclosure stopped feeding power to my hard drive. LED status lights remain off, so I know the enclosure is faulty. The same hard drive ran when hot swapped into my tower. RMA is in progress and I will update when I get a working enclosure.

Other Thoughts: I must have received a lemon. I hope the next one works.

Pros: Nice Looking, reasonable price

Cons: Bought 3 of these things and the fans rattle like a beer can full of marbles. Extremely annoying. Disconnected the fans.
Don't waste your money on this thing

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you very much for purchasing this unit.
We strive to provide the most reliable and highest quality products to our customers.

Please kindly contact the Rosewill support team
Phone: 1- 800-575-9885
Email: rma@rosewill.com

So we may assist you with your problem

Thanks,
Rosewill Customer Care

Pros: The enclosure keeps the drive inside at an acceptable temperature.

Cons: I tried this enclosure with two separate drives. With both, the drives click and start up repeatedly, once every five minutes or so. I thought the first drive, a new drive, was defective because of this and almost sent sent it back, but apparently it wasn't. It might be the drive controller trying to keep the drive from going to sleep during periods of inactivity. It's really annoying and also rather worrisome. The drive in the enclosure now came from another external enclosure and never made this sound. I'm thinking I'll have to put this enclosure aside and look for another one. It's not worth the hassle. I won't buy this model and make again.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you very much for purchasing this unit.
We strive to provide the most reliable and highest quality products to our customers.

We have just been informed a firmware patch has been released with instructions to disable power saving.

Please go ahead test it out and let us know if you encounter problems.

http://www.rosewill.com/products/916/ProductDetail_Download.htm

If you still have questions/concerns please kindly contact the Rosewill support team
Phone: 1- 800-575-9885
Email: rma@rosewill.com

Thanks,
Rosewill Customer Care

Pros: built like a tank
esata
fan

Cons: Fan is way loud

Other Thoughts: Yeah I've has this enclosure, in May, will be 4 years. It just keeps going and going. It never fails or ever has. The only issue I've had is the fan in this thing is way loud...I mean to the poitn were it's distracting when you have it one if your watching something. I thought it was just a symptom of the unit itself but I decided to troubleshoot the problem by removing the fan from my USB 3 358 model and nope. Plugged it in and that fan spun up like a turbine from a jet. My guess is that's the the way it is or the fan controller on the little pcb board is just worn out. My 358 USB 3 model is dead silent.

Outside the fan issue this is one solid ext. enclosure. I have no major complaints. If your considering buying another ext. enclosure you should have your head checked. I've used this thing way beyond normal wear and tear and it's still going strong. Like an old army mule, it's still kicking.