Mapower 3.5″ Aluminum HD Enclosure

Review – Joe

SUMMARY: A very sturdy solution for HD portability with good cooling.

The good guys at Mapower Electronics were nice enough to send their 3.5″ external drive enclosure model # H31M to try out. This unit uses a USB 2.0 port.

Key Features:

• Aluminum case (2mm thick) with front screen
• USB 2.0 interface
• Outer case aluminum, plastic front and rear panels
• Includes USB cable, external power supply, foot stand and mounting screws
• PC and MAC OS compatible

The enclosure ships with a stand, external power supply, USB cable and W98 driver disk:

The rear panel the USB port, power port and On-Off switch:

The front panel is a screen for air flow with a green power LED:

Two screws on the rear panel facilitate the removal of the internals:

The PCB is relatively compact:

The rear of the PCB features the external ports and power switch:

Once the HD is screwed onto the mounting rails, it’s ready to slip into the case:

I tested temps by mounting a thermocouple on the base of the HD’s spindle; temps were measured with the HD in the case and outside:

Not bad for passive cooling – a difference of 3.5ºC.

I tested HD transfer rates with HD Tach:

Transfer rates will be dependent upon the HD’s specs.

Mapower’s 3.5″ Aluminum HD Enclosure is a very sturdy solution for HD portability with good cooling for a passive system.

Thanks again to Mapower Electronics for allowing us to try this out.

Email Joe