USB hard disk box capacity limits

[Hardcore Games]

I have many USB boxes for EIDE and SATA devices. I have adapters for USB B connectors to USB-C so that I can use USB-C ports.

USB-A hubs are abundant. I have a USB-A power meter so I can notice power draw.

More recently I have accumulated some USB boxes for M.2 NVMe SSD. The cheap box is 10 gigabit and the more expensive one is 40 gigabit.

Most laptops are still using USB 3.0 speeds. The USB4 port is usually the only comparatively high speed port. USB 4.2 will bring 80 gigabit speeds eventually.

One gripe is some SATA boxes I have used block above 8TB which is BS as SATA ius LBA48 so disks can reach 2,570 TB or so before LBA64 will be needed. 40TB was in WD in a press release as being available come Q4 2025 which will eventually find their way into my paws.

 

[eidairaman1]

Are you selling something?

What's the context of what you wrote?

 

[Hardcore Games]

Just inquiring about various boxes, some boxes I have run up against capacity limitations and BS like that

The image is of one type of USB-C box I own several of as 2.5" storage is abundant in the junk boxes

 

[Frick]

Just inquiring about various boxes, some boxes I have run up against capacity limitations and BS like that

The image is of one type of USB-C box I own several of as 2.5" storage is abundant in the junk boxes

Then use those for hard drives that doesn't hit that limitation.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Did not understand the subject of the OP, but I can share my experience, I have a few USB 3 (5 Gbps) docks based on JMicron JMS578 controller, they tend to work well. SATA III is limited to 6 Gbps, but realistically no mechanical HDD will run against USB 3's data throughput limits (including enterprise-grade drives like the Exos or Ultrastar derivatives, as well as the WD VelociRaptors), and it also works for SSDs in a pinch. Most cheap SATA SSDs will stay below 5 Gbps as well, so you'll get their full performance nonetheless.

 

[Hardcore Games]

Right now cheap SSD at 4TB are very popular for portable storage etc. I only have one 2TB SATA SSD in a box so it seems to work fine.

One gripe is capacity walls. ATA6 came out when parallel cables were still in use. LBA48 was mandated to overcome earlier problems of capacity walls. It seems some more recent SATA boxes impose capacity walls at 8TB etc. Some are capable of handling larger capacity disks but I am still testing capacity limitations.

I am waiting on a 28TB hard disk so I will be posting more gripes,

 

[Dr. Dro]

Right now cheap SSD at 4TB are very popular for portable storage etc. I only have one 2TB SATA SSD in a box so it seems to work fine.

One gripe is capacity walls. ATA6 came out when parallel cables were still in use. LBA48 was mandated to overcome earlier problems of capacity walls. It seems some more recent SATA boxes impose capacity walls at 8TB etc. Some are capable of handling larger capacity disks but I am still testing capacity limitations.

Capacity limits on enclosures depend on the controller used. Some of them do have a 2 TB limit. Some have no limit at all. Some even claim to have limits but don't.

Unfortunately it's hit and miss.

 

[Hardcore Games]

Capacity limits on enclosures depend on the controller used. Some of them do have a 2 TB limit. Some have no limit at all. Some even claim to have limits but don't.

Unfortunately it's hit and miss.

I have pretty much seen the hit and miss a lot over time. Hard disk capacity has continued to grow so stuffing a 28TB hard disk in a USB box is handy for a wide range of applications.

Now I see talk of 40TB from WD come end of the year