SATA Power Connector x 1

Data Connector x 2

101 x 25 x 150 mm

External Version: BPU-2535V2-SAU

System

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750
• Motherboard: MSI P43 Neo3-F LGA 775
• Video Card: PNY Nvidia 275 GTX
• Memory: G.Skill 4GB DDR2 800Mhz
• Hard Drive: WD Scorpion Black 320GB 7200RPM
• Media: LG DVD-RW
• Power Supply: Ultra X4 850 Watt Modular
• Operating System: Windows 7 Pro 64-Bit

T-7M1-SA

RoHS Compliance Version

Yes

Standard Drive Bays

• 5.25" Drive:
• 1

Cooling Fan [Option]

1x60mm Blower

Interface

SATA 2.0 Hot-Swap Capable

Materials

All Aluminum Design

Color

Black
Red: T-7M1-SARED
Blue: T-7M1-SABLUE
Silver: T-7M1-SASILVER

Cables

Yes

Weight

3.0 lbs

Color of Handle

Silver / Black / Blue / Red

Dimensions (W x H x D)

146 x 42 x 186 mm

About iStarUSA
iStarUSA Group has over 20 years experience in the industrial computing industry. We are a manufacturer of industrial power supply, redundant server case, server cabinets and installation, server racks, data storage and supply customized solutions. We also offer industrial engineering services specializing in OEM / ODM projects and systems integration solutions.
Our brands include product lines such as server rack cabinets, accessories HDD, wall mounted cabinets, open frame racks, cabinet accessories, cabinets eSATA RAID, RAID SAS expander, Fibre Channel, iSCSI RAID mini-SAS -SFF8088, redundant power supply, high efficiency 80 Plus power supply and redundant power modules.

Let us know the features and technical specifications of these products from iStarUSA that this time we will know.

Features and Technical Specifications
iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS

Aluminum Frame, designed for heavy duty.
Hard Drives Support SAS I / II, SATA I / II / III.
Data transfer rate up to 6.0 Gb / s.
Integrated aluminum design for greater heat dissipation.
Aluminum front bezel with key lock mechanism for safety.
Removable fan cover for easy maintenance.
Multi-functional LED Indication.
Support Hot-Swap and RAID Configuration (need an additional RAID controller).
Design of low noise fan speed control.
Compatible with 3TB hard drives.

Technical specifications

• Elegante mango de aluminio en varios colores y cuerpo con disipador de calor.
• Soporte Hot-Swap y RAID Configuration (necesita un controlador RAID adicional)
• Diseño de aluminio conductor con ranuras de disipación.
• Indicadores LED de encendido, ventilador y temperatura alta.
• Ventilación Super Air y disipador de calor con ventilador de 80mm.
• Alto Rendimiento Velocidad de transferencia de hasta 6,0 Gb/s.
• Soporte de Discos Duros 3,5 “SAS I / II y SATA I / II / III.
• Soporte de Discos Duros 2,5 “SAS I / II y SATA I / II / III.
• Equipado con interruptor de control de velocidad del ventilador.
• Compatibles con discos duros de 3TB.

Especificaciones Técnicas

We finished to know the highlights of both products and their technical specifications, let us know how they get these products into our hands

Gallery: Packaging and Accessories
iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS

The product comes in retail presentation consisting of a photograph in front of the cage along with the brand and the series to which it belongs, we mentioned that this model does not require tray for use.

On the back we find more pictures of the product in question and we mentioned a list of relevant points which have already met before.

By removing the box found the cage gets covered with rubber-based packaging foam and can appreciate the SATA cables and additional accessories located in this part of it.

El cage BPN DE230SS llega envuelto en una película plástica y su instructivo dentro del mismo.

iStarUSA nos incluye tres cables SATA y los tornillos para montar el producto en nuestro gabinete, de misma forma se incluye un par de llaves correspondiente al sistema de seguridad que podremos utilizar con el producto.

iStarUSA BPU-230

Unlike the previous product, the BPU-230 comes in OEM presentation, which only consists of a white box and accompanied barcodes fine print model.

Dentro de la caja tenemos el cage (o jaula) de discos duros que llega envuelta de hule espuma para una mayor protección.

The Cage comes wrapped in a plastic film to prevent dust and scratches during transport, to the right is a sheet that indicates the use and the specifications and product features.

Within the bays are three SATA cables and screws to mount the cage in the cabinet, plus screws to install the discs in each tray is included to 3.5 inches and 2.5 inches respectively.
Let us know first the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS in the following gallery.

Galería: iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS

Here we have the first cage (or cage) for 3.5-inch hard drives, its construction is made from black brushed aluminum on the front have 3 bays that can be opened easily besides being insurable by a key.
iStarUSA has several colors for the product in this case we review the play that bears the silver.

On the back we see a 70mm fan can be removed to their respective maintenance.

On the sides we see some holes to secure the cage in our cabinet using the screws provided.

On the other side the same story is repeated above, you can also appreciate the cage screws in case you want to disassemble.

The product requires two SATA power connectors to feed the three hard drives that can be installed.
Every hard disk has a separate bus and will need to connect to our motherboard, iStarUSA includes cables to get the job.
To the right are two switches that let you change the fan speed (Low / High) and disable the activity LED (color purple).

Inside the cage we see the PCB with SATA data and power mounted thereon.
Installing hard drives

The installation of each hard drive is extremely simple a matter of opening the bay door and take respective clockwise as far as stop, this procedure is repeated with two additional bays. As a note tray is not necessary at all.

As shown in the photograph is introduced 3.5-inch hard disk, it is noteworthy that the cage is compatible with common hard drives and so-called Slim. Close the door to push the same manner the hard disk to ensure the internal connectors.

For safety we have a couple of keys that allow putting on the bay lock in use.
Now we know the second option iStarUSA you give us what the BPU 230 SATA model.

Gallery: iStarUSA BPU-230 SATA

The second cage by iStarUSA BPU-230 is SATA that comes in black, it is noteworthy that iStarUSA provides several colors for the handles of the three trays if we want to do with aesthetics concordance with our system.
We can see to the right four buttons that correspond to the following:
The first is reset, which will disable the alarm for overheating, this will flash to let us know if there is a problem.
The remainder are of each bay corresponding to HD1, HD2 and HD3, these in same way include a status LED and each bay can be turned on / off independently.
The last LED located under HD3, is the fan that would indicate its condition, if it is green everything is correct and in red have a problem with the fan.

Unlike previous cage that carries a cooling system based on a 80mm fan for efficiency.

First we have a gap that allows it to be placed into two 5.25-inch bays and corresponding mounting holes, the chassis also carries its own screws in case you want to disassemble.

On this side you can also see the mounting holes for the cabinet where it will be placed, it is noteworthy that the design allows for better heat transfer to maintain a suitable temperature.

As for the power of hard disks we can use Molex connectors in case our source does not have SATA them or we've known before, we see it has three connectors of independent data for each HDD or SSD.

On the left side of the fan have a configuration panel that allows fan speed control included (two settings low and high), you can also set the temperature to activate the alarm limit overheating with jumpers located above the switch above.
Upstairs we have a few extra jumpers for temperature sensing and fan failure.

Inside the chassis we see the PCB SATA connector that carries power and data, and it shows that the PCB has some space to allow adequate ventilation of disks installed.
Installing hard drives / SSD

Now let's see how it conforms to the installation of the hard drives in the cage BPN 230, the first step is to remove the tray from the bay we need.

The iStarUSA BPN cage 230 has 3 trays unlike the previous model which already met, this time will be necessary to mount the hard drive or SSD on the tray and secure it with screws upon installation.

The procedure is simple is placed on your hard disk to use and proceeds to screw.

As shown in the picture, include flat head screws to avoid problems with the other trays.

To use a hard drive or 2.5-inch SSD repeat the same procedure as above.

The remainder is to place the disc on the corresponding bay and push inward, then secure with the handle shown in the picture.

And that is already successfully installed the hard drive in the cage iStarUSA BPN 230.
We have finished to meet both of iStarUSA cages so let's proceed to meet the test team and the results that can be expected from these two products.

Test Equipment, Software and Results
Both cages operating iStarUSA

The first cage DE230SS LBW includes several blue LEDs, we have one power status LEDs and three star-shaped one for each hard drive installed.

In the same space you can see a purple LED that indicates the HDD activity in operation.
Likewise the LED of activity can be disabled from the rear of the chassis.

The second cage BPN 230 includes LEDs to indicate HDD is on or off and each has their respective bays LED red activity.
The first LED Reset button is used to disable alarm overheating.
It also includes a fifth LED indicates the fan operation, in green the fan is working properly, in red the fan has a problem.
It is noteworthy that activity LEDs can be turned off from the rear of the chassis.
Test Platform:

Plataforma de Pruebas:

Software Testing:

Methodology for testing of Cages:
We will use 3.5-inch disk with CrystalDiskMark software and all tests will be run directly from the port on the motherboard.
Subsequently used the cage connected to the same port on the motherboard and re-run the tests previously performed in order to obtain a comparison of the product already in use.
Also used an SSD (as applicable) for the same tests.
It took a temperature reading with CrystalDiskInfo software HDD or SSD housed in a common enclosure.
Then take a second reading HDD or SSD inside the cage with the two available speeds (low / high)
Results Obtained:
iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS

iStarUSA BPU-230

On to the conclusions and know the pros and cons of each product iStarUSA below.

Final words of both products
Important: The author's views are purely personal, so the individual point of view is based on experiences gained through other reviews, on a different time period. This revision was based on results obtained from the products previously reviewed. It makes the best effort to provide concrete and objective reviews, the prize offered is merely the author's final decision. 
iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS

This cage is a fairly simple option to use especially if you need to attach additional three hard drives 3.5 inch to our computer / workstation in the front 5.25 bays, a tray is not required to work with this product so just a matter of Insert the hard drive and close the door for each bay available.
The system also includes ability to use SAS or SATA disks according to our needs and supports Hot Swap (check your motherboard allows it) to remove the disk without shutting down the computer.
The yield is almost similar to that if the disk was connected directly to the motherboard so no need to worry about this aspect. Speaking of thermal performance to spend thanks to his fans is maintained at temperature similar to that obtained in a common PC case fan is adjustable at two speeds, full speed even when not annoying at all.
Pros:
Ready for Hot Swap.
It does not require a tray to install the hard drive.
Included with two-speed fan for better performance.
Available in various colors.
Cabinet with heavy duty aluminum for heat dissipation design.
Blue LEDs for activity status and purple (this can be disabled).
Front Lock disc for added protection installed.
Cons:
3.5 disc only.
Prize:

iStarUSA BPU-230

This option 3-Device cage is the most complete of the two we've reviewed since it allows also the use of hard drives or 2.5-inch SSDs unlike the previous cage that allows only 3.5 inches.
Unlike this includes an overheating alarm which will help us to prevent damage to our HDDs and losing information stored on them. It also includes a cabinet design that allows better heat dissipation and fan produced larger diameter (80mm) to keep our records operable temperatures.
This cage is also very easy to use when removing or placing a disk or SSD, the difference is that we have to ensure each device to the tray for this 100% insured and avoid false contacts.
The product is a few dollars cheaper than the previous option with the abovementioned differences that made us choose this cage iStarUSA BPU-230 a product to recommend if you need to attach more devices to your cabinet easily and quickly.
Pros:
Ready for Hard Drives 3.5 and 2.5 inches.
Ready for Hot Swap.
Available in various colors.
LED status and activity (this can be turned off).
It can be turned on or off each hard disk independently.
Disk Alarm for overheating.
Ready to SAS and SATA disks up to 6Gb / s.
Standard 80mm fan.
Cons:
Remarkable fan at full speed.
Prize:

We thank the company iStarUSA , for having collaborated with HardwareMX, to provide a review of both products.
We also thank you, our users, members and guests of HardwareMX for your time in reading this review.
Credits:
Product Reviewer: Carlos Diez.
Photography and Editing: Carlos Diez.

When it comes to design, the retail packaging for the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS-SILVER is pretty bland. Usage of a white background with some gray and blue mixed in there doesn't really seem to jump out at you. Some people would say simplicity is the best -- well, minimalism is alive and well in this product packaging for sure. Anyway, on the top right, we have the product name "BPN-DE Series", and on the bottom right we have the iStarUSA logo/text. Only one thing really pops out, and that would be the product photo, found near the center. Interestingly, the picture of the blue version of the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS is used by default, but don't worry, the back of the box is marked off as the silver version.

Before we move on further in this review, let's take a look at the features and specifications, as obtained from iStarUSA's website:

Features
- Aluminum Frame; light weight and durability design
- Support SAS I/II, SATA I/II/III 3.5" Hard Drives
- Data Transfer Rate up to 6.0 Gb/s
- 3TB Hard Drive Compatible
- Integrative shaping aluminum design for quickest heat dissipation
- Aluminum front bezel with metal key lock mechanism for security
- Removable fan cover for easy maintenance
- Cooling fan (70x70x15mm) with High/Low speed control
- LED for Power & HDD access
- Support Hot-Swap & Raid Configuration (need an additional RAID controller)
- Bezel Color Options: black/red/silver/blue

Specifications
- Hot Swap: 3 x 3.5" HDD
- Cooling Fan: 1 x 70mm
- Standard Drive Bays: 5.25" Drive x 2
- Dimensions(W x H x D): 5.71 x 3.35 x 7.64 inches
- Material: Aluminum Design with Conductive Dissipation Grooves
- HDD Interface: SATA/SAS
- Weight: 2 lbs
- Cable: SATA Cable included (3 pcs)

After removing the small cardboard cover, we are greeted with the actual box that houses the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS-SILVER. There really isn't too much to say here, other than the small white cardboard box is simplistic. The box opens easily after taking out the flap on the side, and opens as one would expect it to. Inside this box, we will find our hard drive hot swap bay and some accessories sandwiched between two foam brackets. With these brackets, everything inside the packaging does not move around, and stays in place as expected.

Removing the foam brackets, the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS-SILVER is finally revealed to us, as well as some of the included accessories as well. Of course, we are most interested in the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS-SILVER, which is sealed in plastic with a small instructional booklet found just above it. Included with the hot swap bay are some accessories, which include some screws, three SATA cables, and most importantly, the key used to lock the front bays. Since there is a need for security in enterprise and business usage, it is a great feature to have each drive bay come with its own locking mechanism. Nothing else can be found here save for these accessories and the product itself, which is already pretty fully stocked in terms of accessories and cables.

Looking at the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS-SILVER from this angle, we can see the majority of the front of the product and the bottom as well. What I first noticed when I looked at this product was how refined the styling and how well built the drive bay was. Compared to the iStarUSA T5F-SS we reviewed years ago, there have been noticeable strides to improve the quality of their products. From the brushed black aluminum used to encase the entirety of the product to the stylish front, everything here looks great, and feels great. The build quality is also solid, with no sharp edges and no defects in the material itself.

The front of the product where the drive bays are accessible is where the design really shines. Our review unit was the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS-SILVER in case you have missed it – which is the silver version, as its name suggests. The bezel on the right side of the drive bay doors is the color indicated at the end of the model number. Of all the possible colors, which include black, red, silver, and blue, we chose the silver version, as it most appealed to me. There are also a few holes on the silver bezel to allow for airflow through the device. The doors are easily opened using the plastic hinges on the side. In addition, there is also a lock for the drive bay doors, as that is very important in some settings as mentioned before. We will delve deeper into installation of hard drives later on in our review.

Going to the back of the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS-SILVER, we can see the part that will be housed inside the computer chassis. On the left, there is a moderately sized 70mm fan. Given the size of this product, the inclusion of a 70mm fan seems just right, as it is just big enough to fit on to the back without having it protruding too much. This fan protrudes by at most 20mm from the rest of the product, and should do an adequate job of cooling our three hard drives. Other than the holes in front and the opening for the fan, there is no other room for air to dissipate except through the aluminum. Hopefully your computer case used will have enough cooling to draw the air back out of this area quickly, since a lot of heat will be generated if three hard drives are all in use at once.

On the right side, we have all the different connectors that need to be attached to different components inside the computer. Starting from the left, we have three SATA ports for the three separate drive bays arranged in a vertical configuration going from the top bay to the bottom bay. Next to that, we have two SATA power connectors for powering up our device, which would include powering both the hard drives and the exhaust fan. Lastly, we have two switches; the one on top is for enabling and disabling the HDD activity lights, and the second one on the bottom is for adjusting the fan speed between high and low. The low setting can be chosen for builds that have a good amount of cooling, and a little bit of excess heat won't hurt the thermal capacity of the system -- while the high setting is used if the heat may become a problem or if all three drives are constantly used at once.

Installation of the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS-SILVER was a straightforward process. The whole enclosure just needs to be slid into place. The hot swap bay enclosure takes up two normal 5.25" drive slots, and can house three 3.5" hard drives. After pushing the drive bay into place, all one has to do is to secure the drive bay with the included screws, or in our case our screw-less installation system inside of our NZXT H2 chassis. When the bay is secured, all that is left is to plug in the three SATA cables, and the two SATA power cables. When that is all completed, the drive bay is ready to be used. With installation complete, I can say the style and refinement of the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS-SILVER is very agreeable, and mixes very well with the rest of our system.

When it comes to actually using the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS-SILVER, it does not disappoint at all. Accessing the drive bay is as easy as popping open the front panel using the spring lock mechanism by simply pulling up on the plastic handle. Next, we just need to insert the hard drive, and then close the front door back up, and we have completely installed our hard drive. This is the main reason people use these hot swap bays, as they provide simplicity and ease of access. Taking a hard drive back out is just as easy, due to the spring lock that pops the drive back out when you open up the front door to any of the drives. Two keys are also provided with the package, which allows users to lock up the individual drive doors and discourage people from removing the drives. Although it may not be too useful for home usage, in an enterprise environment, or even taking your PC to a LAN party, security is important. My only concern with this device overall is the noise emitted from the fan, since it is fairly small at 70mm, a slight buzzing can be heard on high. It is more acceptable when the fan is set to the speed setting of low, but the lack of vibration dampeners seems to hurt it a bit when the drives start spinning up.

------------------------------------------

All in all, the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS-SILVER is a great offering for those looking for a hot swap drive bay enclosure. Using only two 5.25" drive bays to convert them into room for three 3.5" drives is a great feature for many users who need to have hard drives in and out of their computers very often. Starting from the impressive looking polished black aluminum construction, with the included colored bezel that further adds to the sophisticated look, and solid construction throughout, iStarUSA has definitely stepped up their game when it comes to design and execution of products. Installation was a breeze and completely painless, especially if you are using a screw-less installation system such as in our setup. The backside also has more than enough features, which include the ability to disable the HDD activity light and adjusting the fan speed. There is only one thing that sets the product back, and that would be the noise that is produced from the 70mm fan. This is due to the fan being so small, having it run on high can be quite noisy at times, and the lack of vibration dampeners doesn't help in that regard. All in all, the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS-SILVER is a great product, and has a very high potential in today's market.

iStarUSA provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that aren't likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 7.7/10
Please note that the APH Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other sites.
The iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS-SILVER is a fully featured and great looking 3.5” hot swap drive bay rack if noise is not a concern.

Today we are looking at the iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS which is a 3.5″ tray-less hot swap mobile rack. For those unfamiliar with this type of product, the iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS can be utilized in server and workstation cases to take three adjacent 5.25″ bays and turn them into five 3.5″ bays. Although 5.25″ bays are standard fare in both desktop and many server chassis, the need for multiple bays to house optical drives is much lower than it was ten years ago. With optical media being less of a critical feature, vendors have created mobile racks to allow the installation of multiple 3.5″ or 2.5″ drives. The other major feature of these units is the ability to hot-swap drives which makes installation very quick and easy. The iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS adds one other feature, a tray-less design. Let's look at the unit.

Test Configuration

For this test we will use the recent AMD workstation platform.

1. CPU: AMD FX-8350
   
2. Motherboard: ASUS M5A99FX Pro R2.0
   
3. Memory: 32GB 4x Kingston 8GB
   
4. GPU: XFX ATI Radeon 7950 3GB
5. OS Drive: OCZ Vertex 4 256GB
6. Enclosure: Norco RPC-470
7. Hot-swap chassis: iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS
8. Power Supply: Corsair AX750 750w 80Plus Gold PSU
9. OS: Windows 8 Pro 64-bit, Ubuntu 12.04 Server

Overall a fairly standard configuration for custom-storage applications.

The iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS

Core to the iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS is its ability to hold five 3.5″ drives in three 5.25″ drive bays. The unit is built around an aluminum frame which makes the iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS feel solid. There are portions of the unit made of plastic so this is not an all-metal design but the unit generally feels solid. It should be pointed out that the review unit sent is black, but the unit can be purchased with either blue, red or silver face plates.

iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS-Black Front View

Aside from the main unit, the iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS comes with five 7-pin SAS/ SATA cables, keys and screws. In tray-less mobile racks, locking mechanisms are especially important because one does not want to accidentally remove the wrong drive.

iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS-Black Accessories

The rear of the iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS is a very standard design. An 80mm fan dominates the rear of the chassis. There are five SATA/ SAS 7-pin connectors along one edge. Two SATA power connectors feed the five drives which helps to simplify cabling. The blue switches allow one to optimize the fan's speed for either quiet operation or high airflow while the other allows one to set LED functions.

iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS-Black Rear View

Inside the iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS is a PCB backplane that delivers power and data connections to each drive. One can see holes in the PCB to facilitate airflow. Also, there are spring loaded arms for each drive, next to the power/ data connectors in the iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS. These arms eject drives when the latching mechanism is released. With traditional designs where there are drive trays or caddies, one has the ability to pull drives out easily. With tray-less designs, it is important that the drives can eject a bit so they do not get stuck in the enclosure.

iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS-Black Interior View

Here is a Seagate 1TB drive installed in the iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS. One can see that it fits securely inside a slot. The latching mechanism closes and the spring loaded arm is compressed. One major benefit to the aluminum design is the fact that the chassis acts as a heatsink for the drives in conjunction with the 80mm fans.

iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS-Black Drive Installed

Conclusion

Overall the iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS is a solid option for those looking to add a tray-less 3.5″ mobile rack to their servers or workstations. When asked what color we wanted to review, the response was black, but from pictures the blue and red versions of the unit are very eye catching. With the lessened need for multiple optical drives in a system, using 5.25″ mobile racks such as the iStarUSA BPN-DE350SS are a great way to reclaim that density while adding hot swap capabilities. Being able to access the drives from the front of a chassis means that drives can be replaced faster in RAID arrays. Time to replace drives is a factor in RAID reliability/ MTTDL calculations. Hot-swap mobile racks do impact this metric versus securing dries internally within the chassis.

1. CPU: AMD FX-8350
   
2. Motherboard: ASUS M5A99FX Pro R2.0
   
3. Memory: 32GB 4x Kingston 8GB
   
4. GPU: XFX ATI Radeon 7950 3GB
5. OS Drive: OCZ Vertex 4 256GB
6. Enclosure: Norco RPC-4224
7. Power Supply: Corsair AX750 750w 80Plus Gold PSU
8. OS: Windows 8 Pro 64-bit, Ubuntu 12.04 Server

When you want to put three hard drives in the space of two, a drive cage like iStarUSA's BPU-230 can make it possible. Even better, since this model has a tray for each drive (their BPN-DE family of drive enclosures has guide rails to slide in raw 3.5 inch hard drives), you can install either 3.5 or 2.5 inch drives in the unit.

Officially the BPU-230 Military Grade Hot-Swappable Drive Enclosure, the package includes the drive enclosure, three SATA cables, mounting hardware, and a short but clear manual. Our review unit came with black faceplates on the drive trays, but iStarUSA also makes them with front colors of red, blue, and silver.

Drives mount to the tray from the bottom, using four screw holes. 2.5 inch drives only use two screws (plenty of screws are included).

When attached to a RAID controller on the motherboard, the BDU-230 supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 1+0, and RAID 5 (but not in this unit with only three disks). Other models in the BPU family hold four or five disks, giving more RAID options. You can see there is a bit more intelligence in this box than in the BPN-DE units (BPU-230-interior), although the price is almost identical ($75 street up to the $109.99 retail). Multiple online retailers and distributors now carry iStarUSA products (they have multiple other drive enclosure hardware lines).

Perhaps because of the extra chips inside the box for RAID support, the BPU-230 has a slightly larger fan than the BPN-DE at 80mm rather than 70mm. Add in the aluminum trays and chassis, along with the two speed fan and thermal warning light, and your disks will be cool and monitored with this enclosure. The four different power supply connection options guarantee your drives (up to 3TB drives with full SATA 2.0 throughput of 6.0 Gb/s) will have plenty of juice to spin.

While it may seem odd to spend extra bucks on a drive enclosure when you can just bolt your hard disks to the frame of your case, the added sheckels provide hot-swappable drives with color options to turn a white-label workstation or server into a custom, data protecting workstation or server. Use some of the money saved as drives become less expensive every week and add some visual flair to your system, and data protection with swappable drives that can be taken offsite for an inexpensive backup and disaster recovery procedure. Drives get cheaper, but recreating terabytes after a drive failure gets more expensive every day. Plan ahead, with the help of the BPU-230, and save yourself and your customers the grief of data loss.

Besides, the colorful trays make your workstation or server look more professional. Good looks and better data safety is a winning combination.

   One of the many benefits of full tower PC cases are the many 5.25" optical drive bays they have (5 or more) so if you happen to own one there's no doubt you will most probably look for ways to make use of them. Personally i always use at least two in each of my test rigs one to mount a fan controller (two 5.25" bays sometimes) and the other to either mount a DVD-ROM or a Blu-Ray drive. Lately however we've started testing several 5.25" hard drive cages inside which you can mount up to four 3.5/2.5" SATA/SAS drives by making use of just three 5.25" optical drive bays. A few weeks back we tested the BPN-DE340SS hot-swap storage bay adapter by iStarUSA which not only managed to keep the temperatures of the SATA III drive we used for testing at a minimum but surprisingly enough it also improved its read/write data transfer speeds. Well today on our primary test rig we have it's cousin the BPU-340SATA military grade hot-swap drive cage.

   iStarUSA Group has over 20 years of experience in the industrial computers industry. We specialize in OEM/ODM projects and manufacture of industrial power supply, rackmount chassis, enclosed cabinets and racks, data storage, and custom power solutions. Our intrinsic value is driven by one steadfast belief: "To always provide our customers with the best products and superior customer service." This credo has made iStarUSA Group a major contender in the IPC power supply industry. We cover a multitude of vertical markets. Our products are widely used in industrial computing, servers, multimedia production, DVR/Surveillance, and telecommunication industries. In the past eighteen years, iStarUSA Group has provided unsurpassed OEM/ODM products and services with exceptional design flexibility, rapid prototyping, and cost-effective solutions. The ISO 9001 certification ensures our product quality and customer commitment. iStarUSA Group bases its strength on our experience, technology, and strong partnerships. For many years, we have worked closely with major computer component manufacturers and system integrators to ensure our products are highly compatible and extremely stable. We continuously adopt new industrial standards to improve our designs. Our ability to customize products according to customers' specifications has won us a prominent and solid industry reputation. Our experienced design team and project engineers complete OEM projects within deadline and product specs. Being on the cutting edge of technology is a key to the success of iStarUSA Group and that of our customers. We believe an innovative technology leader must be able to incorporate the latest advances into all products to ensure customer satisfaction.

   Much like its cousin the BPU-340SATA hot-swap storage adapter can be used both with four 3.5/2.5" SATA/SAS drives but it also carries a few extra features that can be extremely useful for server environments such as individual on/off buttons for each of the drives, a reset switch for when the temperature alarm goes off, both SATA and Molex power connectors and LED activity indicators placed right next to each drive that double both as power on/off indicators and as temperature alarm indicators (you can choose the temperature threshold between 55/60/65 degrees). Unfortunately unlike the BPN-DE340SS the BPU-340SATA uses aluminum drive trays and so using it takes more time since the drives need to be mounted on them with screws prior to sliding them back in the adapter. Responsible for cooling the 4 drives is an 80mm exhaust fan that features a low/high speed control switch (like the BPN-DE340SS) however it's not removable so cleaning it is not really an easy task (unlike the BPN-DE340SS). Let's take a closer look however and see exactly what you can expect from the BPU-340SS military grade hot-swap drive cage by iStarUSA.

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The BPU-340SATA is packed inside a white/red colored box with a large product picture at the front along with a description and its features list.

Both the main unit and the bundle contents are placed between two thick Styrofoam spacers.

Inside the box you will find the BPU-340SATA, 4 SATA cables, several mounting screws placed in two small plastic bags and the user's manual.

THE BPU-340SATA

The black/blue version of the BPU-340SATA arrived to our lab however much like the BPN-DE340SS iStarUSA also has versions available with black, red and silver bezel colors. Size-wise the BPU-340SATA measures 202mm in depth, 146mm in width and 126mm in height (3x5.25").

All four bays feature hard plastic and aluminum at the front.

Right next to each tray/bay iStarUSA has placed blue/red LED lights (power/temperature) that double as power on/off buttons.

We didn't like the quality of locking mechanism as much as we did with that of the BPN-DE340SS (because of the hard plastic used it just doesn't feel as sturdy).

You can mount either 2.5" or 3.5" drives in the aluminum drive trays.

The rear of the unit is black and populated with several ports and switches.

Starting from the rear top we see the LED on/off switch, temperature alarm jumpers and the IJP3 extension (can be used with special server towers that have separate front HDD LEDs).

On the rear left we see both SATA and Molex power connectors so regardless of how old your system is if you have SATA connectivity you can use the BPU-340SATA.

The fan control switch is placed at the lower rear left corner (High=3600RPM/Low=2800RPM).

The 80mm exhaust fan can spin up to 3600RPM to produce airflow of up to 37.80CFM at 41.33dBA.

Finally on the rear right we see 4 SATA ports and the temperature alarm speaker.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

     Testing 5.25" storage bay adapters is not really needed since they just act as a bridge between your SATA or SAS controller it doesn't however harm to be 100% thorough. So in this kind of reviews we use a Seagate Enterprise Capacity 3.5 V.3 4TB SATA III HDD with our typical benchmarking suites in an effort to bring you the most accurate results across the board. Now the only reason why we say effort is because real-world usage is not always on par with what results one gets by running several benchmarks on a drive and that's mainly because there are many variables at work from ambient temperatures to hardware configurations and even firmware versions. The benchmarking applications we use are the AIDA64 suite (former Everest Pro), HD Tune Professional, HD Tach RW, ATTO, Sisoftware Sandra Pro and the Crystal Disk Mark 64bit. These benchmarking tools are the best in what they do and as you will also see later on their results more or less agree. Each test is performed a total of 6 times and then the average is recorded into the charts. Temperatures are recorded using Hard Disk Sentinel and after 45 minutes of continuous testing in a 23 degrees Celsius temperature controlled room. Finally we also use an ExTech HD600 dBA meter next to each drive cage (5-10cm away) in order to accurately record their noise levels, although it's very possible that the fans in your system will mask noise coming from the cage. The operating system as usual is a fresh installation of Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Service Pack 1 with every update installed up until the 22nd of May 2013.

TEST RESULTS - AIDA64 / ATTO 

TEST RESULTS - HD TACH RW / HD TUNE PRO

TEST RESULTS - SISOFTWARE SANDRA PRO / CRYSTAL DISK MARK

TEST RESULTS - TEMPERATURES / NOISE LEVELS

CONCLUSION

   When we finished testing the BPN-DE340SS a few weeks back we were quite surprised to see that it improved on the already very fast read/write speeds of the Seagate Enterprise Capacity 3.5 V3 4TB SATA III quite a bit (perhaps due to the reduced temperatures of the drives). Well the same pretty much applies to the BPU-340SS only in a slightly smaller degree but any improvement in terms of speed is welcome, regardless of whether that's large or small. iStarUSA has packed the BPU-340SATA with quite a large number of useful features like the 4 power on/off buttons placed right next to each tray that also double as activity/temperature LEDs. These are very convenient not only because they can alert you whenever a drive goes over the temperature alarm preset you chose at the rear (50/55/60 degrees) but also because thanks to them you can be 100% certain that the drive you want to hot-swap is not powered on. The presence of both SATA and Molex power connectors means that the BPU-340SATA can be used with older power supply units as well. Much like the BPN-DE340SS the only issue we found with the BPU-340SATA was its rather high noise levels when the 80mm fan switch is set at high RPM but that's to be expected so we think that the low selection might be more ideal for most users.

   With a price tag set at USD113.55 inside the USA (Purchase Directly from Amazon.com) you just can't go wrong with the BPU-340SATA Military Grade Hot-Swappable Drive Enclosure. Certainly the BPN-DE340SS retails for slightly less but it doesn't really offer the same range of features found in the BPU-340SATA (although the BPN-DE340SS is slightly easier/faster to use). Unfortunately iStarUSA doesn't have a strong presence inside the EU so their products are pretty much available mainly inside the USA something which will certainly disappoint potential buyers around the globe so i really hope they do something to resolve that soon. Because of everything mentioned in this review we are awarding the BPU-340SATA Military Grade Hot-Swappable Drive Enclosure by iStarUSA with our Platinum award and we hope that they will continue on the same successful path for many years to come.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Performance
- 2.5” And 3.5” Compatible
- Activity/Temperature Alarm LEDs
- 4 Different Color Models
- Hot-Swap Aluminum Drive Trays
- 80mm Exhaust Fan
- Temperature Alarm Selection (50/55/60 Degrees)
- Low/High Fan Speed Switch
- SATA And Molex Power Connectors
- LED On/Off Switch
- Drive Power On/Off Buttons
- SATA/SAS Compatible
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Noise Levels (mostly at High RPM)
- EU Availability

Introduction 

Our new friends at iStarUSA are known as major players when it comes to enclosures, towers, hot-swap cages as well as other devices in the field of industrial and professional computers. If you are looking for something that will allow you to add additional storage devices to your current built, we advise you to check their site first. Also, you can continue to browse Pro-Clockers as we will be featuring more of iStarUSA products in the near future.

The two products from them that will we will be taking a look at are the BPN-2535DE and the BPU-124DE-SS. Both are backplanes that will fit in either a 3.5” or 5.25” bay depending on the model that best fits your needs. Also, they each share the ability to house multiple 2.5” drives. For most average computer users today, these products are ideal for if you have problems with having lack of support for internal drives in your chassis. Getting either the BPN-2535DE or the BPU-124DE-SS will be a wiser solution than buying a larger chassis which would likely cost you more. Now, read on to check the differences of the two to determine the best for your need. 

iStarUSA’s take on the BPN-2535DE-SA

BPN-2535DE-SA internal drive cage is a compact and cost effective solution for an internal 3.5” drive cage with two 2.5” hard drives. It provides an extra storage within a compact design to satisfy many application needs. BPN-2535DE-SA is constructed of aluminum material that provides excellent heat dissipation required for high performance 2.5"DDs and SSDs. It is easy and quick to install it into any tower or rackmount chassis.

iStarUSA’s take on the BPU-124DE-SS

High availability storage in compact design, BPU-124DE-SS adds extra storage and hot-swap capability to satisfy any application needs. The BPU-124DE-SS is constructed of aluminum material that provides best heat dissipation required for high performance 2.5" SATA and SAS drives. The housing is designed with excellent front to back airflow cooling with two 40mm fans. BPU-124DE-SS is an ideal solution for 2.5" HDD RAID and JBOD applications.

Specifications (BPN-2535DE-SA)

Specification (BPU-124DE-SS)

Closer Look(BPN-2535DE-SA)

The first of the two we will look at is the BPN-2535DE-SA. This particular model is designed to handle dual 2.5” SATA II/III HDD or SSD drives adopting them to a single 3.5” drive bay. This is the ideal option if you are looking to add a couple of 2.5" drives to asystem and want to read each drive individually. In short, this model does not support true forms of RAID.



The enclosure is made of aluminum and painted in black. The aluminum body helps with the dissipation of heat from the drive and the black color would easily match with many of the PC cases out there. A red stripe is present of the top of the unit which gives it a nice racy look.



The front of the enclosure consists of two bays. In order to gain access to the drive bays, you have to pull a small plastic lever to open. Each of the levers has a series of air holes to allow air to enter and each lever has a typical round computer key lock to secure the drive inside. There is a pair of activity lights for each drive bay.



The sides of the enclosure are comprised of a few screw holes for mounting the enclosure to your chassis.



In the rear of the enclosures we have more vents for air circulation. There are two SATA data connectors as well as a single SATA power connector for both drives. The small switch is to disable the front LED lighting.

Closer Look (BPU-124DE-SS)

The iStarUSA 124DE-SS is a total beast altogether. This unit is designed to fit in a single 5.25" drive bay and has the ability tohouse up to four SATA II/III 2.5" HDD and SSD drives. With the aid of some type of RAID controller either from the motherboard or via controller card, the 124DE-DD has support for it. If not, the drives will be seen and operate individually. 



The overall design is similar to that of the 2535DE-SA but larger. It also is made of black aluminum which is a must in an enclosure that can support four drives. The same red stripe is present on the top of the unit. The rear which we will see in a few is mostly red giving it a nice touch of contrast.
This amazing unit supports up to four 2.5" drives which is why there are four doors on the front. Each drive rack has a ventilation hole for cool air intake, a key lock and a small pull handle for opening and pulling out the rack.



A good feature of the product is that racks in this model detaches from the rest of the enclosure enabling the user to mount the drives to the rack first. That makes is easy to mount the drives where only a little work is needed on the side of the builder. It only takes a few seconds to actually mount the drives to the rack and the rack into the enclosure.



Here we have the side of the enclosure and the four mounting screw holes for securing the unit to the PC case. 



The rear of the enclosure remains aluminum put is painted red for a nice look. Once again there are four SATA data connections and a single SATA power plug. The difference here is the additional of two 40mm cooling fans to help exhaust hot air out of the enclosure. There is also a switch to turn off the front LEDs.

Mounting Images

Both devices are simple to install and no one with basic PC knowledge should have any issues with this process.

The 2535DE-SA does not require any tools for mounting the drives in the enclosure. You only need to insert the drives in the slot and allow the lever to secure the drive to the internal connectors.





In the case of the 124DE-SS, you will have to take a minute or two to mount each drive on to the rack and insert them into the enclosure.




Quick Performance Testing

Here we have a few screenshot from CrystalDiskMark on the performance on the enclosure with some Kingston HyperX 3k 90GB drives.



Conclusion

Both the iStarUSA BPU-124DE-SS and the BPN-2535DE-SA are very useful devices for those that need them. Adding data storageto a small form factor system is a daunting task given with such limited space but that is a thing of the past with this kind of enclosures. One of the biggest features of the enclosures is the material they are really built in. The aluminum structure is not only there for looks and sturdiness but to help with the dissipation of heat that can build up in such a small casing.

If you are planning on running drives in RAID, we advise you to opt for the 124DE-SS as it does offer support RAID just as long as you supply the actual function via the motherboard or a controller. Either of the two products can be used if you want your drives to function separately.

We feel that iStarUSA has a couple of winners with the two enclosure and we hope to see more soon from them so stay tuned!
 

INTRODUCTION

   One of the things I’ve noticed over the years is that as time goes by consumer products get closer and closer to enterprise grade products both in terms of performance and reliability in an effort to cater the needs of professionals and enthusiasts alike. Certainly pure enterprise grade products will never have something to fear from high end consumer products since in the end we are talking about two entirely different markets with massively different price ranges but the gap between them is simply not what it was a decade ago. That combined with the continuous price drops on electronics in general are more than enough even for casual users to turn towards solutions that up until recently were primarily aimed towards professionals and enterprise users. Amongst such products are internal hot-swap drive cages and since 2.5" drives gain ground over their larger 3.5" brothers today we will be taking a look at the BPN-2535DE-SA 3.5" to 2x2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Hot-Swap Cage by iStarUSA.

   iStarUSA Group has over 20 years of experience in the industrial computers industry. We specialize in OEM/ODM projects and manufacture of industrial power supply, rackmount chassis, enclosed cabinets and racks, data storage, and custom power solutions. Our intrinsic value is driven by one steadfast belief: "To always provide our customers with the best products and superior customer service." This credo has made iStarUSA Group a major contender in the IPC power supply industry. We cover a multitude of vertical markets. Our products are widely used in industrial computing, servers, multimedia production, DVR/Surveillance, and telecommunication industries. In the past eighteen years, iStarUSA Group has provided unsurpassed OEM/ODM products and services with exceptional design flexibility, rapid prototyping, and cost-effective solutions. The ISO 9001 certification ensures our product quality and customer commitment. iStarUSA Group bases its strength on our experience, technology, and strong partnerships. For many years, we have worked closely with major computer component manufacturers and system integrators to ensure our products are highly compatible and extremely stable. We continuously adopt new industrial standards to improve our designs. Our ability to customize products according to customers' specifications has won us a prominent and solid industry reputation. Our experienced design team and project engineers complete OEM projects within deadline and product specs. Being on the cutting edge of technology is a key to the success of iStarUSA Group and that of our customers. We believe an innovative technology leader must be able to incorporate the latest advances into all products to ensure customer satisfaction.

   Just like external docking stations internal hot-swap drive cages provide a very convenient way for people to use many drives without having to open the tower each time they wish to do so. Of course although we happen to use both docking stations and hot-swap cages with our test rigs unlike the first they also keep the drive(s) inside protected and in many different occasions thanks to their design and materials also provide better cooling (two obvious advantages). The downside of course is that internal drive cages take up either 1.44" or 5.25" drive bays something which many people may not want to do (especially now that 1.44" bays are no longer available so you always have to use 5.25" ones) but in the end it's a small price considering the advantages. In any case let’s move on and take a closer look at the BPN-2535DE-SA Hot-Swap Cage to see what it has to offer.

 SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
  

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The device gets shipped inside a small box with a large product image at the front and its main features right beneath it in several small boxes.

Moving at the bottom we see the features of the unit explained in depth.

At the rear of the box we see both family members (2bay/4bay models) along with the features of the one in the box.

Inside the box you will find the BPN-2535DE-SA, two keys, 4 screws and the user's manual.

THE BPN-2535DE-SA

The device is almost entirely made by brushed aluminum and measures 144mm in length, 101.7mm in width and 25.8mm in height.

Both drive bay doors are perforated at the front allowing hot air to leave the interior.

Each bay door has its own lock and HDD activity LED.

The cage installs the same way as a normal 1.44" drive.

I was surprised to see that at the rear the device has a single SATA power connector and two SATA data connectors (one for each drive) along with an on/off switch for the 2nd drive.

We thought it would be nice to place the BPN-2535DE-SA right next to a 3.5" HDD to showcase its size.

Once you pull out the drive door the HDD inside ejects without any effort.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

     Testing hot-swap cages is not really needed since they just act as a bridge between your SATA or SAS controller it doesn't however harm to be 100% thorough. So in this kind of reviews we use a HGST Travelstar 5k1500 1.5TB SATA III HDD with our typical benchmarking suites in an effort to bring you the most accurate results across the board. Now the only reason why we say effort is because real-world usage is not always on par with what results one gets by running several benchmarks on a drive and that's mainly because there are many variables at work from ambient temperatures to hardware configurations and even firmware versions.

   Once again the benchmarking applications we use are the AIDA64 suite (former Everest Pro), HD Tune Professional, HD Tach RW, ATTO, Sisoftware Sandra Pro, PCMark 7 and the well-known Crystal Disk Mark 64bit. These benchmarking tools are the best in what they do and as you will also see later on their results more or less agree. Each test is performed a total of 6 times and then the average is recorded into the charts. Temperatures are recorded using Hard Disk Sentinel and after 45 minutes of continuous testing in a 23 degrees Celsius temperature controlled room. Finally with actively cooled solutions we also use an ExTech HD600 dBA meter next to each drive cage (5-10cm away) in order to accurately record their noise levels, although it's very possible that the fans in your system will mask noise coming from the cage. The operating system as usual is a fresh installation of Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Service Pack 1 with every update installed up until the 22nd of November 2013.
 TEST RESULTS - AIDA64 / ATTO

TEST RESULTS - HD TACH RW / HD TUNE PRO

TEST RESULTS - SISOFTWARE SANDRA PRO / CRYSTAL DISK MARK

TEST RESULTS - PCMARK 7 / TEMPERATURES

CONCLUSION

   Internal drive cages are supposed to transfer the signal from your SATA/SAS cable to the drive inside so performance doesn't differ much something which is quite obvious just by checking our results (the results of previous similar reviews will do too). However there's one thing that changes quite a bit when using such devices and that's the temperatures of the drives inside. Now the BPN-2535DE-SA may not have an active cooling solution for the drives inside due to its small size but even so thanks to the aluminum enclosure it did reduce the temperatures of the drive by 3 full degrees Celsius. Strangely enough this had no effect on the performance of the drive (3.5" HDDs usually run better when cooler) but still a lower temperature will prolong its life so paired with the hot-swap feature, the extra protection (compared to external docking stations) and the ease of use the BPN-2535DE-SA will make a fine addition to any system.

   The BPN-2535DE-SA 3.5" to 2x2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Hot-Swap Cage by iStarUSA currently retails for just USD30.10 inside the USA (Amazon.com) but unfortunately much like most products by iStarUSA we were unable to locate it inside the EU (at least not on any of the known stores). With such a low price tag I’m really having a very hard time thinking of any good reason why people wouldn't want one in their towers and i just can't find any. Bottom line not only does the BPN-2535DE-SA offer more protection for the drives inside (compared to an external docking station) but it also keeps them safer (locks) and cooler which is why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS
- Build Quality
- Single 3.5" To Dual 2.5”
- Locks
- Activity LEDs
- Hot-Swap Bays
- Secondary Drive Power On/Off Switch
- Temperatures
- Price (For Some) 

CONS
- EU Availability

Introduction

iStarUSA's new BPN-DE product line consists of four different volume sizes ranging from single drive to a large five drive model. The BPN-DE Series has several model numbers because each volume capacity comes in four colors - blue, black, red and silver.

Today we're looking at the BPN-DE230SS, a three bay trayless model with a black finish and machined accents.

Specification, Availability and Pricing

The BPN-DE230SS occupies two 5.25" drive bays, what you might normally associate with optical drives. The system is trayless and holds three SATA or SAS 3.5" HDDs. The specifications state the cooling fan is optional, but our sample from iStarUSA shipped with the fan attached to the system.

The BPN-DE products go beyond most of the trayless system's we're tested. The drive cage has locks on each door and is all aluminum.

After looking around online, we found the model we're looking at today for as low as $62.99.

Packaging

iStarUSA put together a nice retail package for the BPN-DE Series products. The front of the box covers all of the major details and shows an accurate image of the product inside.

The side of the package states which color is inside the package.

On the back we found more details about the product.

Inside we found a well-packaged unit with dense foam surrounding the drive cage.

Here we get our first look at the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS. The front face is all aluminum with black anodized doors and silver accents from the machining process.

Each of the three doors lock and each also has a LED to show drive activity. Another LED shows the system power status.

The specs sheet shows compatibility with SAS drives, but the connectors are missing the pins for wide port.

iStarUSA machined a recess for computer cases that have tabs between 5.25" drive slots.

The BPN-DE230SS shipped with an 80mm fan that keeps the HDDs cool.

Here we see the connectors for power and data. There are two SATA power connectors and three SATA/SAS data connectors. Two switches control the fan speed (low or high) and the front HDD LEDs.

The accessory package includes a paper manual, keys for the locking doors and three SATA cables.

Installation

The drive cage looks really good in our Cooler Master ATSC 840 brushed aluminum case.

Here we see a Western Digital RED 1TB HDD installed in the trayless iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS. With the system powered up, the power LED shines blue, and the HDD activity LED flashes purple.

With a set of cables installed, we did find one little issue that is an annoyance more than anything. The SATA power and data cables plug in on the right side when looking at the drive cage from the back.

Most computers are setup for cable routing on the left side. That means the cables need to cross the path of the fan and stick out making for a messy installation.

Testing

[img-sbs]17[/imgsbs] [img-sbs]18[/imgsbs]
WD RED 1TB On Desk (Left) WD RED 1TB In BPN-DE230SS (Right)

[img-sbs]19[/imgsbs] [img-sbs]20[/imgsbs]
WD RED 1TB On Desk (Left) WD RED 1TB In BPN-DE230SS (Right)

In our two tests, we didn't observe any performance difference when using a Western Digital RED 1TB on a desk or in the BPN-DE230SS.

Final Thoughts

The iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS has a nice look and functions as advertised, but it doesn't have front mount USB ports like a similar unit we tested months ago for around the same price. I wouldn't count on the locking system doing more than slowing a thief down either. We were able to move the lock position with needle nose pliers.

At around $65, the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS doesn't break the bank, and allows for easy access to HDDs in your system. I know several people who keep their case panels off so they can swap hard drives in and out, the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS allows you to put your case panels on and still swap drives around.

If you're in the market, you can find more features in other products the same price or just a little more, but if you want a nice clean look and trayless convenience, the iStarUSA BPN-DE230SS is a good option.

Those building their own PC have to go through a sea of PC components that is often not easy to navigate, not because the specs are hard to read, but because it is virtually impossible to form an opinion on the build quality of PC accessories based on what’s available online. When I started shopping for a drive cage for a new PC I’m building I wanted to have a drive cage that was neat and solidly built. After some research I zeroed in on this particular iStarUSA BPN-DE340SS (DE stands for “dove eye”) so I’m putting this review together so that others may benefit from the experience gathered with this purchase. iStar USA also has bigger and smaller versions of the same design.

Upon opening the box, I got confirmation of what the product description was hinting at: the BPN-DE340SS is a solidly built aluminum drive cage that features four 3.5” disk slots ready to be filled. I tried putting some disks in there and they just slide into the SATA data and power connector like they should. To actually connect the disk to the SATA connector, you actually have to close the door to 2/3. Opening the door more than that will push the hard drive out, which is nice when it is time for a swap. Note that the aluminum built will help dissipate the heat better than a plastic case would. This is important if you want to use a low RPM on the fan which remains the main mean of taking the heat out.

As you can see on the picture, the metallic nature of the drive cage is quite obvious, and I found the quality of the visible elements to be among the best among what you can find in terms of PC components. The colored doors are made of 1mm thick aluminum, which should more than tough enough for this. The door knob with the key mechanism is actually made of plastic and is held onto the aluminum piece with two small screws. Note that the key are there to prevent the accidental removal of a drive, and not to prevent “theft”. There are also screws all around the case, which suggests that you could open or disassemble it if something got stuck or maybe if you needed to change the fan. I have tried opening it, so I’m speculating on this one, but from the outside, this look possible.

In the back, you will find two SATA power connectors, four SATA data connectors and two little switches that control the LED light (on/off) and the fan speed (high/low). I’m going to set the fan speed to low, but at least, there’s an option for a faster speed if needed. I like having two SATA power connector instead of 4 because it will be a little less messy in terms of cable management.

In terms of internal volume management, this is typically more efficient since my current alternative is to use one 5.25” slot per 3.5” HDD drive. Of course, you mileage will vary depending on what PC case you are using. Right now, I have an Antec 900, an Antec Lanboy and a Cooler Master Wave (that’s an oldie, but still very nice by today’s standards). I plan on using the drive cage with the Antec 900, which has four 5.25” slots. In that space, I’ll be able to put four 3.5” drives plus one optical drive and have room to spare with three more 3.5” slots.

My main reason for wanting this is that I’m going to use file replication either 2X or 3X so that my files can easily survive the crash of one drive, and allow me to easily replace the disk or simply upgrade it when I need more space. I have to admit that I didn’t have to fork $100 to get a drive cage, and that I could have done without, but I guess that I’m willing to pay to have things neatly packed inside my PC. This is one of the best drive cage that I have seen to date.

Overall product rating: 9/10

When considering options for a hot-swappable drive bay we tend to look at solutions that are reliable, easy to use, and affordable. Looks aren't always important but they can alter one's perception of a product.

Today we will be taking a look at another of iStarUSA Groups offerings, the BPN-DE110SS-WB, one of the many hot-swap solutions that iStarUSA Group manufactures. We'll take a look at the build quality, ease of use, reliability, and more to see how it stacks up. In addition to the model I'll be reviewing today, iStarUSA Group offers an exstensive line of storage solutions.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank iStarUSA Group for providing the review sample. Here's a snippet of what they have to say about themselves on their website:

Specifications

Features:

• Aluminum and ABS plastic construction with wooden accent
• Supports SATA-I, II, III & SAS I, II
• 1 x 5.25" Bay for 1 x 3.5" HDD
• High performance data transfer up to 6 Gb/s SAS and SATA
• Plug and Play
• Hot swappable
• Mechanical keyed lock
• LED power indicator
• LED HDD access indicator
• LED on/off Switch
• SATA cable included

Packaging & Box Contents

• Dimensions: 180.3 (L) x 146 (W) x 41.9 (H) mm
• Contents: Hot-swap cage, keys x 2, mounting screws x 4, instruction sheet

Warranty

• 1 year Limited Warranty

Shipping Information

• P/N: BPN-DE110SS-WB
• Weight 0.66 lbs.
• UPC: 46813 03464

Packaging
The packaging the BPN-DE110SS-WB hot-swap cage ships in is plain OEM white box with a sticker denoting the model number BPN-DE110SS-WB, the product name; 1x5.25" to 1x3.5" SATA/SAS 6Gb/s Wooden Tray-less Hot-Swap Cage, the dimensions; 5.75" x 1.65" x 7.10" (146 mm x 41.9mm x 180.3 mm) and the UPC barcode.

Contents
Once outside of the box we get a better look at the hot-swap cage. It comes with 2 keys, 4 mounting screws, a SATA cable, and an instruction sheet.

Now that we've had a peek at the contents, let's take a little closer look at the hot-swap cage!

A Closer Look
The chassis is constructed with aluminum and ABS plastic with a wooden accent piece on the front. This unit locks with the included keys.

Hard drive installation is as easy as opening the door and sliding the drive in. It has a nice solid feel and seats firmly once the door is closed and latched. The metal strip pictured below keeps the drive from wearing down the door, and it also keeps the drive firmly in place.

The back of the cage has 1 power port, 1 SATA port, a disk drive LED on/off switch, a 2-pin 12v power output (for use with an external fan) and cooling vents.

Below we get a closer look at the internal workings of the cage. You'll notice a small arm above the SATA and power ports. This arm is what ejects the hard drive when the door is opened.

Installing the hot-swap cage in a PC (or any suitable rackmount solution) is as easy as any other full-sized 5.25" drive. Simply slide it in, secure it, plug it in and you're done. 

Conclusion and Verdict
The BPN-DE110SS-WB tray-less hot-swap cage is a quality product. It looks great and adds a touch of sophistication with the wooden accent. It performs great with up to 6Gb/s data transfer. It's built to last, and it locks to keep to drive safe! A lot of thought went into this product and it shows. I highly recommend it to anyone needing something along these lines, this is a top notch product from iStarUSA Group!

The BPN-DE110SS-WB hot-swap cage MSRPs for $26.95 USD.

Pros:

• Wooden accent
• Tool-less design
• Plug and Play
• Hot-swappable
• Locking mechanism
• Quality construction
• LED indicators for data and power

Cons:
N/A

Final Thoughts:
iStarUSA has an outstanding hot-swap storage solution here. Highly recommended for anyone on a budget or just looking for a touch of sophistication!

SCORE

9.8/10

Whether you have a full blown server farm or nothing more than an at-home backup solution, you've probably at least considered using hot swap storage. Whatever you choose, the solution needs to be reliable, easy to use, and affordable. These qualities can make all the difference when considering your options.

Today we will be taking a look at the BPU-124DE-SS Railway Series Backplane 4 x 2.5" Hot-Swap Cage from iStarUSA Group, one of the many hot-swap cages that they offer. We'll take a look at the build quality, ease of use, reliability, and more to see how it stacks up. In addition to the model I'll be reviewing today, iStarUSA Group offers an exstensive line of storage solutions.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank iStarUSA Group for providing the review sample. Here's a snippet of what they have to say about themselves on their website:
iStarUSA Group has over 20 years of experience in the industrial computers industry. We specialize in OEM/ODM projects and manufacture of industrial power supply, rackmount chassis, enclosed cabinets and racks, data storage, and custom power solutions.

Our intrinsic value is driven by one steadfast belief: "To always provide our customers with the best products and superior customer service."

This credo has made iStarUSA Group a major contender in the IPC power supply industry.

We cover a multitude of vertical markets. Our products are widely used in industrial computing, servers, multimedia production, DVR/Surveillance, and telecommunication industries. In the past eighteen years, iStarUSA Group has provided unsurpassed OEM/ODM products and services with exceptional design flexibility, rapid prototyping, and cost-effective solutions. The ISO 9001 certification ensures our product quality and customer commitment.

iStarUSA Group bases its strength on our experience, technology, and strong partnerships. For many years, we have worked closely with major computer component manufacturers and system integrators to ensure our products are highly compatible and extremely stable. We continuously adopt new industrial standards to improve our designs. Our ability to customize products according to customers' specifications has won us a prominent and solid industry reputation.

Our experienced design team and project engineers complete OEM projects within deadline and product specs. Being on the cutting edge of technology is a key to the success of iStarUSA Group and that of our customers. We believe an innovative technology leader must be able to incorporate the latest advances into all products to ensure customer satisfaction.

In early 2008, iStarUSA Group expanded its warehouse capacity at the convenient location in the City of Industry, California This expansion has allowed us to better serve our customers.

Specifications

Features:

• Aluminum construction
• Supports SATA-I, II, III & SAS I, II
• 1 x 5.25" bay for 4 x 2.5" SAS or SATA hard drives or solid state drives
• High performance data transfer up to 6 Gb/s SAS and SATA
• Supports RAID (Note: SAS or SATA RAID control card needed)
• Plug and Play
• Hot swappable
• Supports 2.5" single hard drive up to 14.5mm in height
• Built-in 2 x 4cm 3500 RPM cooling fans
• Mechanical keyed lock on all 4 trays
• LED power indicator
• LED fan failure indicator
• LED overheat indicator
• LED HDD access indicator
• LED on/off Switch

Packaging & Box Contents

• Dimensions: 196 (L) x 152 (W) x 50 (H) mm
• Contents: Hot-swap cage, keys x 2, mounting screws x 28, instruction sheet

Warranty

• 1 year Limited Warranty

Shipping Information

• P/N: BPU-124DE-SS
• Weight 2 lbs.

Packaging
The front of the box mirrors the red striped design of the cage. It notes the BPU-124DE-SS model number and states that the cage takes up one 5.25" drive bay and holds up to 4 2.5" SAS or SATA HDDs or SSDs.

The back of the box has several images depicting 2 available models, a list of specifications, and certifications.

Contents
Once outside of the box we get a better look at the hot-swap cage. It comes with 2 keys, 28 screws total, and an instruction sheet.

 Now that we've had a peek at the contents, let's take a little closer look!
A Closer Look
Even though it is constructed of aluminium it does have some heft to it, weighing in at just under 2 lbs. The paint finish makes it perfect to use outside of a PC case if you so choose. Each of the four bays are completely removable and lock for extra security. I will go ahead and direct your attention to the machined holes up front. The very left hole on the bottom row of each tray hides a status LED. Blue indicates power on, Purple blinking for data, fast blinking Red indicates the unit is overheating, and a slow blinking Red indicates fan failure. This is a very handy feature that will alert you to any failure events!

The bottom of the hot-swap cage has a pictogram displaying the drive layout, power and SATA ports, and the disk drive LED on/off switch.

The back of the cage has 1 power port, 4 SATA ports, a disk drive LED on/off switch, and the fan vents.

Here we can see what the trays look like when removed. The tolerances for the tray rails are close enough that it has a very solid feel to it. The quality of the cage is evident here. It's very solid and sturdy. It would survive a drop from the desk quite easily. Installing a drive is as simple as removing a tray and screwing it down with the included screws. 

Installing the hot-swap cage in a PC (or any rackmount solution) is as easy as any other full-sized 5.25" drive. Simply slide it in, secure it, plug it in and you're done. When installed and running the fans are quiet and not noticeable. I'll note here that when I installed it in my drive bay it was a very firm fit requiring a few light taps to get it seated flush. Your mileage may vary.

Conclusion and Verdict
The BPU-124DE-SS Railway Series Backplane hot-swap cage is a high quality product with almost no short-comings. The only way I can think to improve the design would be to make drive installation and removal from the trays completely tool-less and maybe throw in a few SATA data cables for good measure. It looks awesome, runs quiet, It is built to last, and It'll even let you know if something is wrong! A lot of thought went into this product and it shows. I highly recommend it to anyone needing something along these lines, this is a top notch product from iStarUSA Group!

The BPU-124DE-SS Railway Series Backplane hot-swap MSRPs for $84.95 USD.

Pros:

• 4 2.5" drives in one 5.25" bay
• Locking mechanism
• Quality construction
• LED Indicators for data and failure warnings
• 2 cooling fans (quiet operation)

Cons:

• No SATA data cables included
• Not entirely tool-less

Final Thoughts:
iStarUSA has an outstanding hot-swap storage solution here. I highly recommend this hot-swap cage!

SCORE

9.5/10

If you have read our guide to building your own NAS or our more recent Lian Li PC-Q28 Review, you may be ready to get your own personal NAS project started.  The cases featured in both of those articles were great enclosures for a NAS Solution, but didn’t really make accessing your drives easy.  iStarUSA thinks they have the perfect case for the job, the S-915.  This compact mini-ITX tower style chassis may not be an enthusiasts first choice in brand name or feature a sleek all aluminum exterior, but it does have a company with 20 years of experience in industrial computers behind it.  Is that enough to seat it atop your list for cases in your project?
iStarUSA’s S-915 is specifically designed to be used in a NAS applications.  This case measures 7.23 inches x 9.29 inches x 16.46 inches and weighs in with a hefty price-tag at around $169.00 USD.  This chassis can support up to five 5.25″ drives (or a couple of SATA/SAS backplanes), a single internal 2.5″ drive, an ATX PS2 power supply unit, and a mini-ITX motherboard.  The case sports one USB 2.0 port up front and is constructed of 0.8m SECC with an aluminum front bezel. Cooling is handled by a solitary 80mm fan on the top of the unit.

The external multi-bay NAS tower series are designed specially for storage applications. The wide variety of the tower with hard drive cages is able to easily max the hard drive capacity up to 30 bays for storing mass data. Quiet 80mm cooling fan enhances the ventilation inside. The external NAS tower chassis with solid construction is a cost-effective and flexible solution for your critical data storage.

First, the S-915 looks the part.  Up front, the brushed aluminum locking bezel neatly hides your power button, reset button, indicators, drive bays, and USB port.  The locking mechanism is strong enough to withstand a decent pull and all the locking components are made of steel.  The top and bottom of the door are vented and filtered to allow airflow to travel through the front of the case while reducing dust.  If a locking front door doesn’t do it for you, the hinges are held in place by four Phillips head screws and can be easily removed.
 
The top of the case features the single 80mm exhaust fan.
The side panels are held in place by industrial spring action thumbscrews and are easily removed.  For people like me, the people who always lose screws, the thumbscrews stay attached to the side panels.  The left side panel has a filtered air intake and the right side panel is featureless.  The intake on the side panel is positioned so that your PSU can draw fresh cool air.

Around back you have two expansion slots as well as the PSU and motherboard cutouts.

If you have noticed the modular design that some case makers have incorporated lately, you can attribute that primarily to the industrial case market.  It is no different with this case.  The motherboard sits on a removable tray, the 5.25″ rack is removable, and there isn’t one rivet to be found.  Everything is held in place with screws, even the brushed aluminum garnish on the front bezel.

As for the rest of interior, there really isn’t much to it.  The motherboard tray has a decent sized cutout to make connections on your backplane MUCH easier, there are four screw holes on the bottom for the internal 2.5″ HDD, and the rack up front for the 5.25″ drive bays can home just about any drive rack system.  If you are used to enthusiast cases, you will notice something very quickly… the edges of this thing are not rolled and you probably will cut yourself once or twice during install if you aren’t careful.

You will also immediately appreciate the depth and size of this case as soon as you start installing your components.  There is plenty of room to work.  Up front, the 5.25″ bay rack is free of obstacles and provides plenty of room for backplanes and single drive enclosures to optical drives.  We had no issues installing the iStarUSA BPU-350SATA provided by iStarUSA for this review or the ICYDOCK MB973SP-1B.  Unfortunately, we had to install the MB973SP-1B upside down to have the screw holes line up properly.  Having both of these installed gives this relatively small NAS enclosure a storage capacity of 9 total drives (including the 2.5″ drive for OS).  That is more available hard drive space than we could get in the Fractal Node 304.
 With a complete install, things look more cramped than they are.  Having shuffled things around, it wasn’t difficult to make all the proper connections.  Having the power supply connections in place before installing it is an absolute must.  Having intake fans on both of the HDD backplanes along with the top mounted exhaust fan should provide adequate airflow through the case to keep things cool.  Keep in mind that things could get cooking if you use a high-powered CPU in your rig.

After all is said and done the S-915 has proven itself to be a great NAS ready enclosure.  iStarUSA’s competence in the industrial market is evident in the build and design of the case.  The case does have its share of sharp edges, but I can’t see too many reasons you would be inside this case after your storage server has been built.
Aesthetically, the S-915 isn’t as sweet to look at as the Lian Li PC-Q28, but it isn’t ugly either.  Functionally, the S-915 is a different story.  The ability to easily install your mini-ITX motherboard and a pair of SATA/SAS backplanes means you can quickly put together a system that can rock with the best of them.  When compared to the other cases mentioned, it is like apples and oranges.  We took enthusiast cases and smooshed everything inside.  With the S-915, you get what you wanted from the start.
Unfortunately, when you consider the price tag of this case, at $169.99 USD, things start to get a little hairy for me.  This case and a couple of drive cages, as configured in this review, can run you nearly $369.97 when sourced from Newegg and that makes this a tough pill to swallow.  Especially when compared to the sub $100.00 enthusiast options we have already looked at.  However, having a true NAS chassis may be worth its weight in gold to some of us.  Bottom line, if you have the money to burn and you want to build your own NAS, this case is the one for you.  If you are trying to save a few and want to get an incredibly sexy case, stick with the PC-Q28.

Review Overview

Quality - 7

Value - 7

Features - 8

Appearance - 8.5

7.6

Industrial NAS case

Summary : iStarUSA's S-915 is a fantastic NAS case that covers all the bases. When teamed up with a SATA/SAS backplane, you get the perfect storage centerpiece.

Review iStarUSA S35 Mini-ITX NAS

iStarUSA nos presenta una de sus creaciones destinadas para aquellos usuarios que quieren armar un NAS casero completamente a su gusto y necesidades, este gabinete cuyo modelo es el S35 incluye espacio suficiente para albergar en su interior una tarjeta madre ITX, así como tres bahías de 5.25 pulgadas para colocar productos como el BPU-230 en la sección frontal u otras soluciones para mayores necesidades de almacenamiento.
Con un diseño muy sencillo y en color negro, este pequeño gabinete casi en forma de cubo también nos incluye una fuente de poder de tipo 1U Flex de 300W para poder alimentar el sistema así como nuestros discos duros, procedamos a conocer las características y especificaciones técnicas del producto a continuación.

Acerca de iStarUSA

iStarUSA Grupo cuenta con más de 20 años de experiencia en la industria de la informática industrial. Somos un fabricante de la fuente de alimentación industrial y redundante, los casos de servidores, gabinetes de servidores y de montaje, bastidores de servidor, almacenamiento de datos y soluciones personalizadas de alimentación. También disponemos de servicios de ingeniería industrial especializado en OEM / ODM proyectos de integración de sistemas y soluciones de TI.
Nuestras marcas incorporar líneas de productos tales como armarios rack de servidores, accesorios de disco duro, montados en la pared armarios, estantes de bastidor abierto, accesorios del gabinete, gabinetes eSATA RAID, RAID SAS expander, Fibre Channel, iSCSI RAID, mini-SAS-SFF8088, fuente de alimentación redundante, de alta eficiencia 80 Plus fuente de alimentación y módulos de alimentación redundantes.

Pasemos a conocer las Características y Especificaciones Técnicas de este producto de iStarUSA que estaremos conociendo en esta ocasión.

Características y Especificaciones Técnicas

Características del gabinete iStarUSA S35

• Elegante panel frontal con botón de encendido.
• Tres bahías disponible para unidades de disco de 5.25″ pulgadas.
• Panel frontal de aluminio de 4 mm de espesor.
• Construcción de uso rudo con SECC.
• Compatible con fuentes de poder Flex.
• Ranura  estándar de E/S.
• Soporte para tarjetas madre Mini-ITX.

Especificaciones Técnicas del producto

Hemos terminado de conocer los puntos más relevantes de este producto así como sus respectivas especificaciones técnicas, pasemos a conocer cómo llega este gabinete de iStarUSA a nuestras manos.

Galería: Empaque y Accesorios

El producto nos es entregado en una caja de cartón la cual se mantiene bastante limpia sin fotografías del producto ni nada más que el modelo ubicado en una de las esquinas de este lateral.

Al abrir la caja tenemos el gabinete en su interior el cual llega bien protegido, este se encuentra dentro de una protección plástica para evitar el polvo.

Con la finalidad de que la estructura del gabinete iStarUSA S35 no se vea afectada por golpes, se aprecia a mayor detalle como se ha empleado dos empaques de hule espuma en los puntos más importantes del gabinete.

Accesorios incluidos con el gabinete iStarUSA S35

iStarUSA nos entrega los siguientes accesorios con el producto los cuales son sumamente necesarios para un correcto armado de nuestro sistema.

• Cable de alimentación.
•  Standoffs para la tarjeta madre.
•  Tornillería diversa.
• Bases para el gabinete.
• Cubierta para slot de expansión.

Procedamos a conocer el gabinete iStarUSA S35 en la siguiente sección, empezando por la galería fotográfica del mismo.

Galería: iStarUSA S35 

Empezamos con una vista completa del gabinete apreciando el uso de colores negros para el chasis, y un acabado de aluminio en la parte frontal del mismo, esta sección frontal esta atornillada en cuatro secciones al chasis.
Tenemos tres espacios de 5.25 pulgadas para colocar dispositivos ópticos o algunos productos de iStarUSA de su amplia gama que te permitiran colocar multiples discos duros de manera hot swap.
Aparte se incluye dos puertos frontales USB 2.0 y un Boton de power ubicado en la sección superior.

Al reverso encontramos un espacio para un ventilador de 120mm, cabe mencionar que no se incluye ventilador alguno por lo cual podremos utilizar cualquiera de nuestra preferencia. Para el flujo de aire se incluye en los costados del gabinete unas pequeñas perforaciones.
Debido a la ubicación de la fuente de poder en su interior encontramos una pequeña extensión hacia el exterior. A la derecha tenemos el espacio estándar de la sección de E/S de la tarjeta madre y únicamente un slot de expansión adicional.

Al retirar la cubierta anteriormente vista, encontramos el interior sin pintar, mostrando primeramente la fuente de poder en la parte inferior del chasis.
La fuente de poder es 1U Flex de 300W suficiente para alimentar un sistema con varios discos duros.

Desde esta toma se aprecia un espacio para una unidad de 2.5 pulgadas, donde se puede colocar un disco duro o una unidad de estado sólido.
Debajo tenemos la ubicación para colocar la tarjeta madre que por regla será necesario sea ITX.
Terminemos esta sección para pasar a la siguiente donde conoceremos la instalación del hardware en el gabinete iStarUSA S35.

Instalación, Equipo de Pruebas y Resultados 

Para complementar la instalación hemos usado el producto iStarUSA BPU-230 el cual permite albergar en su interior tres unidades de almacenamiento de 3.5 pulgadas con la capacidad de hacer hot swap.
Con un poco de paciencia se puede lograr un poco de cable management en el interior del producto así evitando una aglomeración de cable que restringa el poco flujo de aire interno.

Para la instalación del sistema operativo hemos optado por instalar un SSD con la finalidad de reducir un poco los niveles de ruido, este queda en uno de los laterales del espacio para las bahías de 5.25 pulgadas.

Para ayudar a sacar el calor interno del chasis utilizamos un ventilador de 120mm cortesía de Be Quiet! el cual es sumamente silencioso y permite extraer el calor de manera fácil, para los curiosos también les dejamos como se ve ya montada la tarjeta madre con su placa de E/S y una tarjeta de video de un solo slot de expansión.

Por enfrente ya tenemos instalado y preparado el producto BPU-230 también de iStarUSA, el único problema que hemos encontrado es que la primer cubierta de la bahía superior ya no encaja de manera adecuada, luego de ser instalado el producto anterior.

Equipo de Pruebas:

Software para pruebas

Metodología de Pruebas

• Para la toma de resultados, el sistema se ha configurado de forma Stock (ya que así las utilizarán finalmente nuestros lectores) y Memoria RAM a 1600MHz.

Para realizar las pruebas hemos usados el siguiente Software:

• AIDA 64 Extreme Edition para la medición de temperaturas de los diferentes sensores de la tarjeta madre.
• Prime 95 para estresar el procesador.
• MSI Kombustor para estresar la tarjeta gráfica por un lapso de 15 minutos.

Resultados de las Pruebas

Resultados en Modo Reposo

Resultados en Modo Carga 

Pasemos a las Conclusiones Finales sobre el gabinete iStarUSA S35 Mini-ITX NAS.

Conclusiones del iStarUSA S35 Mini ITX NAS

Importante: Las opiniones del autor son meramente personales, por lo cual el punto de vista individual es basado en experiencias adquiridas a través de otras revisiones, en un lapso de tiempo distinto.  Esta revisión se hizo en base a resultados obtenidos de los productos anteriormente revisados. Se hace el mejor esfuerzo para brindarles una revisión concreta y objetiva, el premio brindado es  meramente decisión final del autor.

El diseño es sumamente sencillo un gabinete casi en forma de cubo con el espacio necesario para colocar una tarjeta madre ITX en su interior, se puede instalar diversos accesorios externos en las bahías frontales, tal como les mostramos en el armado del producto para aprovechar al 100% la opción de armar  un NAS ‘custom’ con opciones de Hot Swap.
El gabinete ya incluye una fuente de poder de 300W de tipo 1U Flex ATX, aunque no se usa una fuente común como en otros gabinetes ITX que han pasado por nuestros laboratorios, esta fuente incluida permite alimentar el sistema de forma adecuada, tenemos los conectores suficientes para alimentar múltiples discos duros, incluyendo el del sistema que en este caso fue un SSD.
Durante la revisión hemos encontrado algunos detalles del producto empezando por el hecho de que la cubierta frontal de una de las bahías de 5.25 pulgadas no queda correctamente colocada tras instalar el aditamento BPU-230 también de iStarUSA, hemos notado que el flujo de aire interno es un poco insuficiente aun a que se tiene las perforaciones laterales en la cubierta del chasis, mismas que permiten la entrada de aire fresco pero debido al diseño del producto creemos hubiese sido mejor implementar estos cortes en el frontal del gabinete para así ayudar al sistema a tener menores temperaturas de operación.
Fuera de esto el producto el S35 de iStarUSA es una alternativa más, para aquellos que quieren armar un NAS casero completamente a su gusto sin tener que invertir muchos dólares en otros productos mas costosos, con la finalidad de no tener una enorme PC para este fin, pero una mas pequeña que pueda adecuarse a tu espacio de trabajo sin llamar demasiado la atención.
Pros:

• Excelente opción para construir un NAS ‘Custom’.
• Diseño limpio y sumamente sobrio.
• Tres bahías de 5.25 pulgadas.
• Espacio para SSD o HDD de 2.5 pulgadas.
• Incluye una fuente poder de 300W.

Contras:

• No incluye ventilador alguno.
• Bajo flujo de aire interno.
• Un poco complicado instalar más de una bahía de almacenamiento.

Después de ver los puntos a favor y en contra del gabinete iStarUSA S35 Mini-ITX NAS,HardwareMX le concede el siguiente premio:

Precio - 80%

Calidad - 85%

Desempeño - 85%

Disponibilidad - 75%

Empaque - 80%

81%

Calificación del producto

Sumario: Fuera de esto el producto el S35 de iStarUSA es una alternativa más, para aquellos que quieren armar un NAS casero completamente a su gusto sin tener que invertir muchos dólares en otros productos mas costosos, con la finalidad de no tener una enorme PC para este fin, pero una mas pequeña que pueda adecuarse a tu espacio de trabajo sin llamar demasiado la atención.
Calificación del lector: ¡Se el primero en calificar!
Agradecemos a la empresa iStarUSA, por haber colaborado con HardwareMX, para poder brindarles la revisión de este producto.
También agradecemos a ustedes nuestros usuarios, miembros e invitados de HardwareMX por su tiempo en leer esta revisión.

Créditos:

Revisor del Producto: Víctor Padró – Carlos Diez.
Fotografía y Edición: Víctor Padró – Carlos Diez.