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Deal | Baseus 2.5-inch enclosure now shipping for $21 USD, promises compatibility with Playstation 5 and XBox consoles

Baseus 2.5-inch enclosure now shipping for $21 USD, promises compatibility with Playstation 5 and XBox consoles
Baseus 2.5-inch enclosure now shipping for $21 USD, promises compatibility with Playstation 5 and XBox consoles
The USB-C enclosure is as simple as it gets with no screws or external power source to worry about. If you have an old 2.5-inch drive sitting around, then the Baseus will almost certainly come in handy.

There are a lot of options for hard drive enclosures these days and almost all of them are very inexpensive. Baseus sent us one of their affordable solutions for our impressions and, after spending a week with it, we can certainly recommend it if its small list of disadvantages don't bother you.

First, let's get some tech specs out of the way. The Baseus 2.5-inch enclosure will work with 7 mm and 9.5 mm 2.5-inch SATA III SSDs or HDDs. The unit is all plastic but with rubber liners inside to reduce vibrations and offer a snug fit. It integrates a USB-C interface that theoretically supports up to Type-C Gen. 2 speeds, but most users will be seeing slower SATA III speeds instead since that is what most 2.5-inch drives are limited to.

Supports UASP and SATA III with an internal SATA interface (7+15 pins)
Supports UASP and SATA III with an internal SATA interface (7+15 pins)
A short 50 cm USB-C to USB-C cable is included. There are no USB-A adapters
A short 50 cm USB-C to USB-C cable is included. There are no USB-A adapters
The enclosure measures 127.5 x 80 x 14 mm and with a weight of just 60 g
The enclosure measures 127.5 x 80 x 14 mm and with a weight of just 60 g
Most of the surface is smooth matte plastic with glossy plastic along the edge
Most of the surface is smooth matte plastic with glossy plastic along the edge

The Baseus enclosure leaves great first impressions. It's smooth and minimalist with no screws or fancy features. Meanwhile, the red LED light isn't too bright and drives slide in without any issues. We tested both a 7 mm SSD and 9.5 mm HDD which worked without any additional setup on PC or PS4.

There are a few things we would like to see changed about the enclosure. The outer cover, for example, can be difficult to slide open since its surface is so smooth. Integrating better finger grips would make this first step easier. Secondly, once a drive is inserted, it becomes quite difficult to remove without applying a lot of force with your thumbs. An attachable ribbon for pulling out the drive would have helped here.

Users must apply pressure on the dotted arrow to push and remove the outer cover
Users must apply pressure on the dotted arrow to push and remove the outer cover
Note the cushioning along the inside edge
Note the cushioning along the inside edge
Once a drive is installed, it can be difficult to remove
Once a drive is installed, it can be difficult to remove
No screws or tools are required to open the enclosure
No screws or tools are required to open the enclosure

And lastly, it's worth noting that the packaging only includes a USB-C to USB-C cable with no USB-A or MicroUSB adapters. Be sure to have an adapter nearby if your host PC, console, or Mac has no available USB-C ports.

The Baseus enclosure works well if you plan on traveling with it often or if you have just one or two drives to work with. If you'll be swapping drives out frequently, however, then the lack of grips and handles can be somewhat annoying.

USB-C interface
USB-C interface
Larger 9.5 mm drives will work as well
Larger 9.5 mm drives will work as well
CrystalDiskMark results with our Teamgroup GX1 SSD
CrystalDiskMark results with our Teamgroup GX1 SSD
 
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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2021 01 > Baseus 2.5-inch enclosure now shipping for $21 USD, promises compatibility with Playstation 5 and XBox consoles
Allen Ngo, 2021-01- 3 (Update: 2021-01- 4)