Antec MX-1 SATA HDD enclosure

Final thoughts, HEXUS.awards, HEXUS.where2buy, HEXUS.right2reply, further reading

Antec's MX-1 did deliver the sort of performance we expected, so our final take is based on how it stacks up against the competition on features and price.

The MX-1 is one of the most feature-packed enclosures we've yet seen and the inclusion of a backplane eSATA bracket and cables of decent length is especially welcome. But the MX-1 is not without its flaws, the most obvious being its drive-mounting arrangement.

Those who lack experience may be put off by what's involved in mounting the drive. That could impact on Antec's success in this market given that there are other enclosures out there that are easier use, cost about the same and deliver similar performance.

While the MX-1 does have a fan built in, the benefits are debatable. Sure, it could be argued that keeping the drive inside cool might extend its life. But we suspect that the tolerances of today's hard drives means that a fan is unnecessary and that it would be okay to use a cheaper, passively-cooled enclosure that would run without any noise (except that of the drive itself).

Even so, we think it's far better to be safe than sorry - you can lose a lot of data if a drive dies, even one smaller than the Antec's supported maximum of 750GB.

As a result, we'd prefer an enclosure with active cooling, even if the fan made more noise than the nearly-undetectable unit fitted in the MX-1.

Weighing these things in the balance and then adding in the quality of the fit and finish, we have no hesitation in recommending the Antec MX-1 enclosure.

HEXUS Awards

Antec MX-1

HEXUS Where2Buy

Misco.co.uk - £33.99 (inc VAT)
YOYOtech - £28.19 (inc VAT)

Prices correct as of 29/07/07

HEXUS Right2Reply

At HEXUS.net, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any of Antec's representatives choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.