RAIDON ST1000 Two in One Internal Drive Modules

Model: RAIDON ST1000 Two in One Internal Drive Modules
Manufacturer: RAIDON Technology Inc.
Provided By: RAIDON USA

If you've gone shopping for an drive enclosure, it's more than likely that you've come across the name RAIDON. This Taiwanese company has been developing innovative storage solutions for more than a decade. Along with a number of pocket sized enclosures, RAIDON currently offers a variety of internal and external storage systems capable of holding as many as eight hard drives.

While RAIDON's main focus is the enterprise, its ST1000 series of internal drive modules are aimed squarely at the tech-savvy consumer. The ST1000-2-S2C (SATA) and ST1000-2-U5C (SATA/SAS) fit into a standard 5.25" drive bay and feature a hot swappable tray for a 3.5" hard drive as well as a mounting point for a 2.5" hard drive or SSD. This design allows you to install your operating system onto the 2.5" drive and save your data onto the 3.5" drive, which can then be removed from the computer and taken with you or swapped out for another one. The tray in these modules is also compatible with many of RAIDON's other products and can be used interchangeably.

Box Contents:

Looking at the boxes, it's pretty clear which markets these two drive modules are marketed towards. Where the ST1000-2-S2C comes packaged in an attractive blue and white box, the more enterprise-oriented ST1000-2-U5C ships in a plain brown box. Both boxes show the drive modules from various angles and list many of their features.

The contents of both boxes are very similar. Along with the drive module, you get a printed manual and a spare parts pack which includes an assortment of mounting screws as well as two plastic keys.

Physical Features:

From the front, the ST1000-2-S2C and ST1000-2-U5C look nearly identical. In fact, if it weren't for the large "SAS" logo on the ST1000-2-U5C, it would be impossible to tell them apart. Along the right hand side of both, you can see the panel opening button and the power and failure indicators.

RAIDON ST1000-2-S2C

RAIDON ST1000-2-U5C

With the front panel open you can see the removable hard drive tray. This is the same tray design used in many of RAIDON's external hard drive enclosures. Before you can remove the tray, you'll first need to unlock it by inserting one of the plastic keys. Once this is done, the tray simply slides out of the drive module.

The ST1000-2-S2C and ST1000-2-U5C also look very similar from the rear. Both feature a 4cm cooling fan as well as a SATA port and 4 pin molex power connector. Along the bottom you can also see the slot where you can mount a 2.5" hard drive or SSD. The only real difference between the two modules is the additional SAS port on the ST1000-2-U5C.

RAIDON ST1000-2-S2C

RAIDON ST1000-2-U5C

While the front and back panels of the ST1000-2-S2C and ST1000-2-U5C are plastic, the body is constructed out of aluminum, which is strong, lightweight and does a pretty good job of keeping hard drives cool.

Take note that these two drive modules are quite long. At 194mm in length, they're a good 10-20mm longer than most of the optical drives on the market today.

Looking below, you can see that backplanes inside the two drive modules are very different. Where the connector inside the ST1000-2-U5C accepts both SAS and SATA hard drives, there's an additional notch on the ST1000-2-S2C's connector which prevents you from plugging in an SAS drive.

RAIDON ST1000-2-S2C - SATA Backplane

RAIDON ST1000-2-U5C - SATA/SAS Backplane

Those handy with a screwdriver won't have any problems installing the ST1000-2-S2C and ST1000-2-U5C in their computer. If you plan to install a 2.5" hard drive or SSD, you'll need to do this first.

To install a 2.5" hard drive, slide the bracket off the bottom of the unit and mount the hard drive onto it using the included screws. When you're done, slide it back onto the drive module and screw it into place.

With the 2.5" hard drive in place, you can mount the 3.5" hard drive to the removable tray and install the unit in your computer by inserting it into an empty drive bay, hooking up the cables and screwing it into place. With the module in place, you can insert the removable tray and turn on your computer. If everything goes as planned, the computer's BIOS will recognize the hard drives and they'll show up in the Device Manager.

Believe it or not, I did have some problems installing the ST1000-2-S2C and ST1000-2-U5C. Due to their length, they would not fit in some drive bays without hitting the motherboard or some other component. When I finally did find a computer where both would fit, the bezel had an extra piece of plastic around the drive bays that prevented the front panels from opening. While this really isn't RAIDON's fault, it's something you should consider when installing one of these modules.

Final Thoughts:

If you're looking for an easy and affordable way to swap out your hard drives, look no further than RAIDON's ST1000 series of internal drive modules. The ST1000-2-S2C and ST1000-2-U5C are fairly well constructed and let you install not one, but two, hard drives into a standard 5.25" drive bay. Along with a hot swappable tray for a 3.5" SATA or SAS hard drive, the modules offer a mounting point for an additional 2.5" hard drive or SSD.

Aside from the length of the ST1000-2-S2C and ST1000-2-U5C, my only real issue is that the two drive modules require a key to unlock the tray. While this sort of thing is fine in situations where you'd only be removing a tray to replace or upgrade a hard drive, it does get a bit tiring when you're swapping out trays on a daily basis. Then again, this is the same tray used in many of RAIDON's other hard drive enclosures and can be swapped interchangeably.

The RAIDON ST1000-2-S2C and ST1000-2-U5C are available now and can be purchased from online vendors like Newegg.com and Timeline Digital, Inc. for as little as $30.

Highs:

• Well constructed
• Install two hard drives into single 5.25" drive bay
• Hot-swap removable tray
• Supports both SAS and SATA hard drives (ST1000-2-U5C)
• Tray works with other RAIDON products
• 4cm cooling fan
• Reasonably priced

Lows:

• Key required to unlock and remove tray
• Longer than your average optical drive