Features & Specifications

The SATABAY425BK is constructed with aluminum, both chassis and racks, providing excellent passive cooling. The two fans in the rear cycle cold air into the mix. It's sturdy to the touch—it feels more solid than a typical optical drive. I think the aluminum is a thicker grade, and the device is meant for server and workstation usage, so the construction is a little more heavy-duty than average components.

Let's look at StarTech.com's full list of features for the SATABAY425BK:

• Two built in 4cm fans to ensure all your hard drives remain cool
• All aluminum construction for maximum durability and heat dissipation
• LEDs continuously report power and hard drive activity
• Plug and play, Hot swappable with key lockable trays
• Point to point free from master/slave settings
• Supports for RAID 0,1,5 with optional SAS or SATA RAID controller card
• Supports high performance transfer rates up to: SAS - 3Gbps; SATA I - 1Gbps; SATA II - 3Gbps

I remember reading about Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS) and Serial ATA (SATA) before the drives with these ports were ever released, and it made me excited to know that they're be interchangeable, or at least to an extent. SATA drives will work with a SAS controller, but SAS drives won't work with a SATA controller. It's an unfortunate circumstance, but at least the port layout on the back of the drives are the same. The SATABAY425BK can support either standard, even in a mixed mode if need be.

There are also two LEDs per drive, one to show that the drive is powered, and the other to show activity. There isn't a failure light, which may be something the manufacturer should look into. I'm still kind of bewildered that we can fit four 2.5" drives in a single 5.25" bay. Let's look at the technical specifications to get a better idea of all the physical dimensions and properties of the unit.

Sure enough, the physical dimensions look right at 1.25" tall by 7.2" deep by 5.25" wide. It's roughly the same size as an optical drive. Since the drives are much smaller than 3.5" drives, not much depth is needed. I think it's a little disturbing that the enclosure without any drives is about half as heavy as my MacBook, which weighs in at 5lbs. Let's move on to the installation of the unit.