DIY extension cables

GrayOldman1 · Feb 21, 2023

Hope this is the right forum. I bought

Amphenol CS-SATDRIVEX2-001 Serial ATA SATA Drive Connector Extension Cable, 1 m, 3.3'

So I could have a hard drive out of the computer for backups. I need some type of inclosure to keep the drive safe. I could build one out of wood. Is the anything out there that will take a 3.5 drive and does NOT have electronics? I do need to get some cable sleeve since what I have done works. Way faster then dropping into a Usb hub. My NAS will be for photo's and music.

Berton · Feb 21, 2023

Those pictured cables seem to be more for the SATA data and power connections. A different cable would be for a computer that has an eSATA port, usually on the back with the USB ports.

eSATA cable at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

I use both portable 2.5" cases and External USB 3.5" cases, main difference is the 3.5" need both 12VDC and 5VDC power but the 2.5" need only 5VDC power. Don't have a computer with the eSATA port. The 3.5" needs a separate power supply where the 2.5" takes power from the USB port.

I also have a device similar to this in my toolbox:

https://www.amazon.com/AGPtek-Drive-Adapter-Converter-External/dp/B00BIE996S?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1155GBV4DPEXU

barman58 · Feb 21, 2023

There are a number of storage cases available for 3.5 Drives that could be modified quite simply to use standard cables/connectors

I use these [for storage purposes on a bookshelf] but they would be simple enough to modify for your purpose and should be available in all markets

SIW2 · Feb 21, 2023

isnt it easier to have a hotswap caddy in a 5.2.5 bay.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32383530551.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.15.44117ff6F4vqrQ&algo_pvid=898ff956-90ee-4a38-95d0-3b5029ecf2f3&algo_exp_id=898ff956-90ee-4a38-95d0-3b5029ecf2f3-7&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2210000000220872088%22%7D&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21GBP%2110.76%213.35%21%21%21%21%21%402145265416770212071923745d0704%2110000000220872088%21sea%21GB%210&curPageLogUid=ciA7iFzY0CjA

Pop the hd into the caddy when you want to create/access backups, and keep it in a plastic box when not in use.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32823706742.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.21.44117ff6F4vqrQ&algo_pvid=898ff956-90ee-4a38-95d0-3b5029ecf2f3&algo_exp_id=898ff956-90ee-4a38-95d0-3b5029ecf2f3-10&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2210000015306228133%22%7D&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21GBP%2115.11%213.82%21%21%21%21%21%402145265416770212071923745d0704%2110000015306228133%21sea%21GB%210&curPageLogUid=PnfWzy9hto3k

bobkn · Feb 21, 2023

Not quite sure why anyone would do this.

If the PC has a USB 3.0 interface or better (5Gbps), an external enclosure or dock should give the full performance of a spinner.

hsehestedt · Feb 21, 2023

I agree with bobkn, USB is probably a better way to go these days, or at least USB chassis are far easier to find. However, if you do have an eSATA port, you certainly could go that route. Just be aware that the max length of a SATA cable is 1 meter.

CountMike · Feb 22, 2023

I used to have one of these, it's just SATA (not eSATA) so it uses normal SATA cables.
had that one with MOLEX for power because those were disks I had,

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-3-5-inch-Front-Molex-Power/dp/B002HWZJTQ

GrayOldman1 · Feb 22, 2023

My computer does not have a eSATA port. What I was going to do was take the outside port from a Old Coolermaster Case. It had a spot to connect a a hard drive on top for off site storage. After looking at it more it would take to much time to tried to get it. Drilling and cutting the top of the case. When I found the

Amphenol CS-SATDRIVEX2-001 Serial ATA SATA Drive Connector Extension Cable, 1 m, 3.3'

It fit the bill on what I wantend to do. Hook a harddrive up to sata and have the computer power it. Way faster speeds the the Sabrent 3.0 case that I have.

hsehestedt · Feb 22, 2023

GrayOldman1 said:
Way faster speeds the the Sabrent 3.0 case that I have.

I would dispute the assertion that it is way faster. SATA 3 is limited to 6Gbps. Depending upon what version / Generation of USB you have, it may be 5Gbps, 10Gbps, 20Gbps, or even 40Gbps. Of course, that gets limited by the SATA HD itself, but the point is that USB should be easily capable of keeping up with the drive. If it's a spinning disk (not an SSD) then the drive itself will be the bottleneck anyway.

GrayOldman1 · Feb 22, 2023

It my case USB 3.0 is on the slow side. Not ready for a New case and a New Motherboard.

bobkn · Feb 22, 2023

GrayOldman1 said:
It my case USB 3.0 is on the slow side. Not ready for a New case and a New Motherboard.

There's always that. 5Gbps is the nominal for USB 3.0, but you may not get that.

hsehestedt · Feb 22, 2023

Even if you have a slow USB 3 connection, it's going to be faster than a slow spinning HDD. A spinning disk is a slow (in relative terms ) device. While the interface speed is 6Gbps, the drive can never hope to keep up with that speed. 6 gigabits per second is about 750 megabytes and on the best of days no spinning drive is going to read or write 750 MB per second.

GrayOldman1 · Feb 23, 2023

Explain this for me. Using Macrium Reflect it shows file saving at 648 mbps with drive in USB 3.0 device plugged into a 3.0 . Now saving to a drive hooked up to sata shows 2.4 to 2.7 Gb/s.

bobkn · Feb 23, 2023

GrayOldman1 said:
Explain this for me. Using Macrium Reflect it shows file saving at 648 mbps with drive in USB 3.0 device plugged into a 3.0 . Now saving to a drive hooked up to sata shows 2.4 to 2.7 Gb/s.

https://www.verbatim.com/UserFiles/File/USB%203%20FAQs.pdf

It claims that typical sustained data rate for USB 3.0 is 85MBps (680Mbps). Much less than 5Gbps.

However, USB 3.2 Gen1 is nominally the same as USB 3.0, but there are claims of real world sustained reads of 3.2Gbps (400MBps).

2.4 to 2.7Gbps (300 to 338MBps) seems a little high, but maybe data compression (which Reflect performs) explains it.

So: if you have a poor USB 3.0 port, it's too slow. If you have a good USB 3.2 Gen1, port, it's fast enough.

It's unfortunate that the industry standards count for so little.

CountMike · Feb 23, 2023

I don't back up to USB 3.0 connected HDD but just copy monthly made full system backup to it. My daily incremental backup from fast NVMe

To another NVMe SSD

At these speeds according to MR

GrayOldman1 · Feb 24, 2023

I did this last night. I time the saves of a backup(same). Slowest was my NAS at 36 minutes. Then the USB at 28 minutes. The new external drive (Sata Ironwolf 6TB) with the cabling 13 minutes. Internal drive (Sata Ironwolf 3TB) at 14 minutes.

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Amphenol CS-SATDRIVEX2-001 Serial ATA SATA Drive Connector Extension Cable, 1 m, 3.3'

Amphenol CS-SATDRIVEX2-001 Serial ATA SATA Drive Connector Extension Cable, 1 m, 3.3'