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Aluminium at ten gigabits, with the compatible-computer clause written in

Cable Matters 2.5-inch aluminium enclosure, USB 3.1 Gen 2, 10 Gbps stated, UASP, TRIM and S.M.A.R.T.

The aluminium enclosure on this shelf, ten gigabits with the qualification printed alongside, and the only 2.5-inch listing here that names the drives it has been matched to.

Cable Matters aluminium 2.5-inch SSD enclosure with a USB-C socket

Cable Matters 2.5-inch aluminium enclosure, USB 3.1 Gen 2, 10 Gbps stated, UASP, TRIM and S.M.A.R.T.

The aluminium enclosure on this shelf, ten gigabits with the qualification printed alongside, and the only 2.5-inch listing here that names the drives it has been matched to.

Supported drive size
2.5-inch SATA SSD or HDD — stated in the first bullet, with the fifth naming Samsung 860 EVO, Kingston A400, SanDisk SSD Plus, Crucial MX500 and WD Blue 3D NAND as compatible drives
Supported drive height
Up to 9.5 mm, including 7 mm — stated in the fifth bullet, which gives the two heights as a range rather than as a pair
Bay count
One — a single 2.5-inch drive, described in the first bullet as held in a robust aluminium housing
Interface standard
USB 3.1 Gen 2 — stated in the title and in the second bullet
Stated link rate
Up to 10 Gbit/s with a compatible computer — stated in the third bullet, which adds that this is twice as fast as USB 3.0 and that the maximum SATA III rate of 6 Gbit/s is supported. The compatible-computer clause is the nearest thing on this shelf to a published condition
Connector type
Type-C — stated in the second and third bullets, which name a USB-C cable and say a Thunderbolt 3 computer is compatible with it
Power source
From the lead — no mains adapter is named, which is the ordinary arrangement for a 2.5-inch enclosure. The fourth bullet calls it a way of adding storage without opening a laptop
Case material
Aluminium — stated in the title and in the first bullet, which credits the robust aluminium housing with protecting the drive and supporting heat dissipation
Cooling
Passive — the first bullet credits the aluminium with heat dissipation and no fan, vent or thermal pad is named
UASP support
Stated — the fourth bullet names UASP, TRIM and S.M.A.R.T., adding that they are supported on compatible computers, drives and operating systems and give higher transfer speeds, better processor use and error detection
Tool-free access
Tool-free — stated in the third bullet, which opens by naming the enclosure a tool-free SATA USB-C housing
Amazon reference
B07PBD1K4M (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
EAN
0818707025154
  • Aluminium at ten gigabits, which is the pairing a fast solid-state drive wants
  • Writes the compatible-computer clause into its own rate claim
  • No thermal pad named, so the drive reaches the aluminium however it happens to

Best for: A fast 2.5-inch solid-state drive doing long copies, where the metal case is the reason to pay more than the plastic ones here cost.

≈ £18 / 27 €
Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Supported drive size
2.5-inch SATA SSD or HDD — stated in the first bullet, with the fifth naming Samsung 860 EVO, Kingston A400, SanDisk SSD Plus, Crucial MX500 and WD Blue 3D NAND as compatible drives
Supported drive height
Up to 9.5 mm, including 7 mm — stated in the fifth bullet, which gives the two heights as a range rather than as a pair
Bay count
One — a single 2.5-inch drive, described in the first bullet as held in a robust aluminium housing
Interface standard
USB 3.1 Gen 2 — stated in the title and in the second bullet
Stated link rate
Up to 10 Gbit/s with a compatible computer — stated in the third bullet, which adds that this is twice as fast as USB 3.0 and that the maximum SATA III rate of 6 Gbit/s is supported. The compatible-computer clause is the nearest thing on this shelf to a published condition
Connector type
Type-C — stated in the second and third bullets, which name a USB-C cable and say a Thunderbolt 3 computer is compatible with it
Power source
From the lead — no mains adapter is named, which is the ordinary arrangement for a 2.5-inch enclosure. The fourth bullet calls it a way of adding storage without opening a laptop
Case material
Aluminium — stated in the title and in the first bullet, which credits the robust aluminium housing with protecting the drive and supporting heat dissipation
Cooling
Passive — the first bullet credits the aluminium with heat dissipation and no fan, vent or thermal pad is named
UASP support
Stated — the fourth bullet names UASP, TRIM and S.M.A.R.T., adding that they are supported on compatible computers, drives and operating systems and give higher transfer speeds, better processor use and error detection
Tool-free access
Tool-free — stated in the third bullet, which opens by naming the enclosure a tool-free SATA USB-C housing
Amazon reference
B07PBD1K4M (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
EAN
0818707025154

On the listing

An aluminium 2.5-inch SSD enclosure with a USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface, supporting a 2.5-inch SATA SSD or HDD in a robust aluminium housing that protects the drive and supports heat dissipation; a portable USB 3.1 enclosure for temporary or long-term backup and for replacing or repairing internal SATA drives; a tool-free SATA USB-C housing offering up to 10 Gbit/s with a compatible computer, twice as fast as USB 3.0, with Thunderbolt 3 computers compatible with the USB-C cable and the maximum SATA III rate of 6 Gbit/s supported; compatibility with Windows and Mac computers as a way of adding storage without opening a laptop, with UASP, TRIM and S.M.A.R.T. supported on compatible computers, drives and operating systems for higher transfer speeds, better processor use and error detection; and compatibility with SATA drives up to 9.5 mm including 7 mm, naming Samsung 860 EVO, Kingston A400, SanDisk SSD Plus, Crucial MX500 and WD Blue 3D NAND.

Metal, at ten gigabits

On this shelf, aluminium and a ten-gigabit link only meet here.

The two cheap ten-gigabit enclosures are ABS. The two aluminium-adjacent alternatives are slower or bigger. This one is the combination a fast 2.5-inch solid-state drive actually wants: an interface quick enough not to be the limit, in a case that can shed the heat of using it.

That is what the extra money buys, and it is a coherent proposition rather than a specification arms race.

The clause inside the claim

The third bullet gives up to 10 Gbit/s with a compatible computer.

Four words, and they do most of the work this hub asks of a listing. A USB-C socket is a shape; behind it a machine may present a 3.2 Gen 2 port, something slower, or Thunderbolt. The rate on the box is the enclosure’s, and the connection is a negotiation between three or four things.

Sixteen listings in this lot print a rate figure with nothing attached. One names the exact cable class its figure needs. This one names the condition without naming the class, which puts it second of nineteen for honesty about its own headline number.

Five drives, named

The fifth bullet lists Samsung 860 EVO, Kingston A400, SanDisk SSD Plus, Crucial MX500 and WD Blue 3D NAND.

Naming drives is a different kind of claim from naming a standard. It says somebody has put those five in the case, and for a buyer holding one of them the compatibility question closes immediately.

It is also the only such list on this shelf. The M.2 shelf of this site has one listing that does the same thing, and there as here it stands in for a specification rather than replacing it.

The gap between the drive and the metal

Here is what the page does not describe.

Aluminium is named, twice, and credited with heat dissipation. Nothing anywhere names a thermal pad.

Heat has to cross from the drive body to the case, and if what lies between them is air then the metal is doing considerably less than its material suggests. It is the same distinction the M.2 shelf turns on, where the enclosures that name a case and a pad have a complete thermal answer and the ones that name only a case have half of one.

For a drive used in bursts this will never show. For the sustained copy that a ten-gigabit link makes attractive, it is the whole question.

Up to nine and a half, including seven

The height is given as a range rather than as two figures, which reads slightly oddly and covers both common thicknesses.

Every 2.5-inch enclosure on this shelf publishes this line in some form, and it remains the mechanical fact that decides whether the drive goes in at all.

Before ordering

Check the computer is a compatible one in the sense the third bullet means, since that is where the ten gigabits comes from. Ask whether a thermal pad is fitted. And ask what lead is in the box — a USB-C cable is referred to and never listed.

Availability

Priced from 27 € to 31 € across the German, French, Italian and Spanish Amazon stores the day this page was checked.

It is stocked on the British Amazon store as well, in that country’s own currency. The range above leaves those out: it counts euro stores and no others.

The American Amazon store returned nothing at all, so the buy button there opens a search in that country rather than a page that would not load.

Every figure in this section is what Keepa held on the day this page was last updated. Stock and prices move without warning.

Prices quoted in this text were read on 10 September 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.

More drive enclosures

  • Inateck aluminium 3.5-inch drive enclosure with blue and green status LEDs

    Inateck 3.5-inch aluminium enclosure, USB 3.0 at 5 Gb/s, up to 10 TB, 12 V/2 A adapter, screws and driver supplied

    The only 3.5-inch enclosure here in aluminium rather than plastic, with two separate status LEDs, rubber feet at all four corners and its own screwdriver in the box.

    Supported drive size
    All common 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SATA I, II and III drives up to 10 TB — stated in the second bullet, alongside compatibility with Windows from XP onwards, Linux, Android and macOS 10.3 or later
    Supported drive height
    Not published on the listing — no 7 mm or 9.5 mm figure appears for the 2.5-inch drives the second bullet also accepts
    Bay count
    One — a single drive. The fifth bullet lists screws and a screwdriver in the delivery, which describes how it is fixed in place
    Interface standard
    USB 3.0 — stated in the title and in the first bullet, which calls them standard SuperSpeed connections and adds backward compatibility with USB 2.0 and 1.1 in the second
    Stated link rate
    A theoretical maximum transfer of 5 Gb/s — stated in the first bullet, which adds that SATA III is supported with a bandwidth of up to 6 Gb/s. The word theoretical is the maker’s own
    Connector type
    Not published on the listing — no Type-C, Type-B or Micro-B socket is named. The fifth bullet lists a USB 3.0 cable in the delivery without describing either end
    Power source
    A 12 V/2 A mains adapter, included — stated in the title and listed in the fifth bullet. The third bullet calls the power supply stable
    Case material
    Aluminium alloy — stated in the title and in the fourth bullet, which calls it stable, robust, particularly light and of high-grade workmanship, with non-slip rubber feet at the four outer corners
    Cooling
    Passive — the title and the fourth bullet credit the aluminium with optimal and effective heat dissipation. No fan, no vent and no thermal pad is named
    UASP support
    Stated — the first bullet says the enclosure is designed with UASP for solid-state drives. No percentage and no condition is published
    Tool-free access
    Not published on the listing — the third bullet describes plug and play and hot swap, which is about the connection rather than the case, and the fifth supplies screws and a screwdriver, which describes a drive that is fixed rather than clipped
    Amazon reference
    B00RCJ54BC (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    6957599312370
    • Aluminium, the only 3.5-inch enclosure here not made of plastic
    • Two separate LEDs, one for operation and one for mains status, with the colours named
    • Not tool-free, which every other enclosure in this lot is

    Best for: A desktop drive living permanently on a shelf, where the case is expected to shed heat quietly and not be opened again.

    ≈ 30 €
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  • ORICO black 3.5-inch drive enclosure with a mains adapter and a USB 3.0 cable

    ORICO 3.5-inch enclosure, USB 3.0 at 5 Gbit/s, up to 20 TB, 12 V/2 A adapter supplied

    The 3.5-inch enclosure that says in capitals that no drive is included, then lists everything that is: a 12 V/2 A adapter, a USB 3.0 lead, a manual and a service card, for drives up to 20 TB.

    Supported drive size
    3.5-inch and 2.5-inch SATA I, II and III drives up to 20 TB — stated in the first bullet, which opens in capitals to say that this is an enclosure only and contains no drive or SSD, and that a 3.5-inch SATA drive must be bought separately
    Supported drive height
    Not published on the listing — no 7 mm or 9.5 mm figure appears for the 2.5-inch drives it also accepts, and 3.5-inch mechanisms are a single height by convention. The first and third bullets give the sizes and the capacity and stop there
    Bay count
    One — a single drive, described in the second bullet as being put into the opened case
    Interface standard
    USB 3.0 — stated in the title and in the second and third bullets, alongside SATA III
    Stated link rate
    Up to 5 Gbit/s — stated in the second bullet as the USB 3.0 data transfer rate
    Connector type
    Not published on the listing — no Type-C, Type-B or Micro-B socket is named. The fifth bullet lists a USB 3.0 data cable in the delivery without saying what is on either end of it
    Power source
    A 12 V/2 A EU mains adapter, included — stated in the third and fifth bullets. A 3.5-inch drive cannot run from the lead alone, which is what makes this line the deciding one on a 3.5-inch enclosure
    Case material
    ABS — stated in the second bullet as robust ABS material, heat-resistant and drop-safe. The fourth adds an integrated anti-shock foam inside to protect the drive
    Cooling
    Passive — no fan and no vent is named. The second bullet calls the ABS heat-resistant and the fourth describes an automatic sleep mode reducing power consumption
    UASP support
    Stated — named in the first and third bullets as UASP support for faster data transfer. No percentage and no condition is published
    Tool-free access
    Tool-free — the second bullet says the case is opened, the drive inserted and connected, with no tool required, and adds plug and play with no restart and no driver
    Amazon reference
    B07QR82L6J (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    6936761849630
    • Twenty terabytes, the highest capacity ceiling anywhere in this lot
    • A full contents list, down to the manual and the service card
    • USB 3.0 at 5 Gbit/s, the slowest interface on this shelf

    Best for: A large desktop hard disc being given a life outside a computer, where capacity matters and the transfer rate does not.

    ≈ 22 €
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  • UGREEN black 2.5-inch SATA drive enclosure with a detachable USB-C cable

    UGREEN 2.5-inch SATA enclosure, USB C 3.2 Gen 2, UASP, TRIM and S.M.A.R.T., ABS with EVA foam, 50 cm lead

    The enclosure that publishes the small operational details nobody else prints: a sleep timer set at three minutes, a lead measured at 50 cm, and a foam insert holding the drive against scratches.

    Supported drive size
    2.5-inch SATA SSD and HDD — stated in the title and in the first bullet, with the fifth giving a ceiling of 6 TB and naming televisions, routers, a PS5 or PS4, an Xbox, a MacBook, an iMac, a laptop and a PC as hosts
    Supported drive height
    9.5 mm and 7 mm — stated in the fifth bullet as the two heights the enclosure accepts
    Bay count
    One — a single 2.5-inch drive, held by the EVA foam described in the third bullet
    Interface standard
    USB C 3.2 Gen 2 — stated in the title and in the first bullet as a USB C 3.2 Gen 2 port
    Stated link rate
    Up to 6 Gbps — stated in the title and in the first bullet against the USB C 3.2 Gen 2 port. Six gigabits per second is the rate of the SATA III standard the drive speaks rather than of a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, and the listing prints the two against each other
    Connector type
    Type-C — stated in the title and in the first bullet, with the fourth adding that the 50 cm USB-C cable is detachable so that it can be tidied on a desk
    Power source
    From the lead — no mains adapter is named. The second bullet describes the drive being powered down after three minutes of inactivity, which is a power behaviour rather than a supply
    Case material
    ABS plastic with an internal EVA foam pad — stated in the third bullet, which credits the ABS with good heat dissipation and shock resistance and the foam with holding the drive and protecting it from scratches during installation
    Cooling
    Passive — the third bullet credits the ABS housing with good heat dissipation and names no fan and no vent. It adds a built-in protection system against overcurrent, overvoltage and overheating
    UASP support
    Stated — the first bullet names the UASP protocol and says it offers up to 70 % more speed than ordinary USB 3.0 when paired with a UASP-capable host controller. The second adds TRIM and S.M.A.R.T. support
    Tool-free access
    Tool-free — the fourth bullet says the tool-free construction makes fitting or changing the drive quicker and more convenient
    Amazon reference
    B07D2BHVBD (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    6957303821709
    • Publishes the sleep timer as three minutes rather than describing it in words
    • Names the cable length, 50 cm, and says it detaches
    • A 6 Gbps figure quoted against a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, and the two are different links

    Best for: A 2.5-inch drive that lives permanently on a desk beside a computer, where the sleep timer and the short detachable lead both earn their keep.

    ≈ 9 €
    Check price on Amazon

Others worth having spare

  • FLYPROFiber aqua duplex OM4 fibre patch cable with LC connectors and A and B labelled clips

    FLYPROFiber 1 m duplex OM4 LC to LC, 50/125 µm, UPC polish, A/B labelled clips

    The only multimode lead here with a full reach table behind it — four rates, four distances, all at 850 nm — and the only one on this shelf whose duplex clip is marked A and B so a cabinet can be read at patching time.

    Fibre type
    Multimode, 50/125 µm — stated in the title and in the third bullet, which calls the fibre insensitive to bending, easy to strip and easy to splice
    Fibre grade
    OM4 — stated in the title and in the first bullet, with a bandwidth of 2000 MHz·km at 850 nm given in the second. The first bullet calls OM4 the preferred fibre specification for 40G and 100G applications
    Connector types at each end
    LC at both ends — stated in the title and in the first bullet, which names 40G BIDI SR, 10G SR, QSFP+ and SFP+ transceivers as what it is meant to join
    Simplex or duplex
    Duplex — stated in the title as 40 GB/100 GB Duplex and in the first bullet as an LC-LC duplex patch cable
    Polarity arrangement
    Embossed A and B position labels on the duplex clip and on the marking ring — stated in the fourth bullet, whose stated purpose is quick identification of Tx and Rx during installation, testing and fault finding. Whether the pair is supplied crossed is not published on the listing; the same bullet names adjustable connector clips, which is how a pair is rearranged by hand
    Length
    1 m — stated in the title, which also gives the range the lead is sold in, from 0.2 m to 100 m
    Jacket rating
    LSZH — stated in the title and in the fourth bullet, which calls the jacket an environmentally friendly LSZH sheath
    Polish type
    UPC — stated in the fourth bullet as a high-grade UPC polish on zirconia ceramic ferrules made in Japan. The third bullet quotes an insertion loss of 0.3 dB or less and a return loss of 30 dB or better
    Armouring
    Not published on the listing — no armour is named. The third bullet gives a minimum bend radius of 7.5 mm instead, and offers the lead for cabinets requiring twenty or more bends and for high-density installations in very small spaces
    Amazon reference
    B09C224CLK (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0649910317572
    • Four ethernet distances at four rates, all quoted at 850 nm, the fullest reach table on this shelf
    • A and B labels embossed on the clip and the marking ring, so Tx and Rx can be read by eye
    • The four distances belong to the fibre, and the lead in the bag is 1 m long

    Best for: A short OM4 hop between two SFP+ cages in the same cabinet, where the A and B labels earn their keep every time the patching changes.

    ≈ 8 €
    Check price on Amazon
  • HB-DIGITAL yellow duplex fibre patch cable with green LC/APC connectors at both ends

    HB-DIGITAL 1 m duplex OS2 LC/APC to LC/APC, 9/125 µm, LSZH

    The cheapest lead on this shelf and one of the best documented, with a sub-grade named, both loss figures printed and a connector standard cited by number — and no word at all about which way its two strands are arranged.

    Fibre type
    Single-mode, 9/125 µm — stated in the title and in the first bullet, which calls it a high-grade single-mode fibre patch cable
    Fibre grade
    OS2, with the sub-grade G657.A2 named in brackets in the first bullet. Three of the seven leads on this shelf qualify their grade with a G.65x designation and this is one of them
    Connector types at each end
    LC/APC at both ends — stated in the title and in the first bullet, which names the duplex connectors explicitly
    Simplex or duplex
    Duplex — stated in the title, and described in the third bullet as two 2.0 mm fibre lines in a stable parallel arrangement, quoted as 2 × 2.0 mm, said to suit applications with double or redundant connections
    Polarity arrangement
    Not published on the listing — nothing says whether the pair arrives crossed, and no A or B marking is described anywhere. The third bullet describes the parallel construction and stops there
    Length
    1 m — stated in the title. Three of the seven leads on this shelf are 1 m and this is one of them
    Jacket rating
    LSZH — stated in the title and in the fourth bullet, which spells out Low Smoke Zero Halogen and calls the material flame-retardant and low-smoke, suited to interiors, public buildings and technical installations
    Polish type
    APC — carried by the LC/APC designation at both ends. The first bullet quotes an insertion loss of 0.3 dB or less and a return loss of 60 dB or better, the highest return loss figure published on this shelf
    Armouring
    Not published on the listing — no armour, no steel braid and no rodent protection is named. The fifth bullet offers manufacture to IEC 61754-20, testing of every lead for insertion and return loss, and an operating range of -40 °C to +85 °C instead
    Amazon reference
    B0G1YV54TB (same reference on 4 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4063328061418
    • Both loss figures are printed, and the return loss figure is the highest quoted here
    • The grade is qualified as G657.A2 rather than left at two characters
    • Polarity is never described, on a duplex lead where it decides whether the link comes up

    Best for: The short hop between a fibre termination point and an ONT, where both ends are already LC/APC and a metre is all the run needs.

    ≈ 7 €
    Check price on Amazon
  • RamboCables yellow simplex fibre patch cable with a green LC/APC connector at one end and a green SC/APC connector at the other

    RamboCables 5 m simplex OS2 LC/APC to SC/APC, 9/125 µm, 2.0 mm jacket

    The only lead in this hub that changes connector between its ends, which is what two pieces of equipment that disagree actually need — with both loss figures printed and the polish named against the reflection figure.

    Fibre type
    Single-mode — stated in the first bullet as sm os2, with the central core and its 9/125 micron coating named and a cable diameter of 2.0 mm given alongside
    Fibre grade
    OS2 — stated in the first and third bullets. No G.65x fibre standard is named anywhere on the page
    Connector types at each end
    LC/APC at one end and SC/APC at the other — stated in the title and in the first and third bullets. It is the only lead on this shelf with a different connector at each end
    Simplex or duplex
    Simplex — stated in the title and in the first bullet, which describes a single strand of glass thinner than a copper cable and less susceptible to interference
    Polarity arrangement
    Not published on the listing, and a simplex lead has no pair to cross
    Length
    5 m — stated in the title and in the first bullet. The second says individual lengths of any fibre lead are available on request
    Jacket rating
    LSZH — stated in the fourth bullet as a flame-retardant Low Smoke Zero Halogen sheath, with a cable diameter of 2.0 mm given in the first
    Polish type
    APC — carried by both connector designations. The third bullet quotes an insertion loss of 0.3 dB or less and a return loss of 50 dB or better, with APC named in brackets beside the return loss figure, and states that the lead meets industry standards for reflectivity and insertion loss
    Armouring
    Not published on the listing — no armour is named. The fourth bullet supplies dust caps on every fibre and an operating range of -10 °C to 60 °C instead, and the fifth cites more than fifteen years of manufacturing experience
    Amazon reference
    B0BN3B3VT6 (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0785366001341
    • The only lead here that changes connector between its ends, which is what two disagreeing devices need
    • Both loss figures are printed, with the polish named against the reflection figure
    • The narrower of the two operating ranges published on this shelf

    Best for: A 5 m run between an SC/APC termination and an LC/APC router port, where a straight-through lead would need an adapter at one end.

    ≈ 12 €
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All drive enclosures