Raidsonic IcyBox IB-3220StU-B review

Verdict:

Review Date: 15 Feb 2008

Price when reviewed: inc VAT

Our Rating 2 stars out of 5

Review
Specs

RaidSonic's IcyBox IB-3220StU-B is an external hard disk enclosure that can accommodate up to two SATA hard disks. The packaging claims that the IcyBox supports JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks) technology, but this isn't true.

JBOD allows two separate hard disks to be recognised by Windows as a single drive. This can make storing and managing large amounts of data more convenient. However, we found that any pair of disks inserted into the IcyBox - no matter the model or manufacturer - were recognised by Windows as separate disks. RaidSonic's technical support and a closer examination of the IcyBox's instructions confirmed that this is its intended mode of operation. Although the IcyBox still saves space and reduces cable clutter compared to using a pair of single-disk enclosures, the lack of JBOD support is disappointing and misleading.

Fitting a hard disk into the IcyBox is more cumbersome than it should be. The drive bay doors can only be unlocked using the provided plastic keys, which are easy to break or lose. The locking mechanisms are prone to jamming, and required delicate shimmying to open and close them properly. When it came to performance, we were disappointed by the IcyBox's below-average performance in our file transfer tests when fitted with a pair of identical 500GB disks.

The IcyBox IB-3220StU-B is a missed opportunity. Its fiddly installation, disappointing performance and lack of JBOD support all count against it. Unless you're severely lacking desk space, Cooler Master's X Craft 360 is a better hard disk enclosure.

Author: Alan Lu

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