ICY DOCK MB974SP-B Internal 4-bay Enclosure Review

Storage is something we can never have too much of, I myself have over 4TB of space and it is running out!  Most of my storage is external though, so it’s a pain to take with me to LAN parties or other events.  Most cases these days have room for 4-6 hard drives, but for some people that still is not enough.  How many optical drives do you have? I don’t even use them anymore so I have 4 open spots in my case for nothing really.  Well not nothing, ICY DOCK has a great device that will allow me to fit four more hard drives in three 5.25-inch drive bays.  The device is the MB974SP-B, let’s see if it is the perfect device for you to add more storage to your system.

Special thanks to ICY DOCK for providing us with the MB974SP-B Internal 4-bay Enclosure to review.

Features
– Fits 4 x 3.5” SATA HDD into 3 x 5.25” Device Bays
– Screw-less, tool-less design for genuine plug &play and hot swap use
– Compatible with SATA 6 Gb/sec
– Stylish aluminum construction for durability and heat dissipation
– 80mm cooling fan for maximum air flow
– On-demand power system – Fan power only when a drive is powered on
– Fan is replaceable with aftermarket fans that use 2-pin or 3-pin connectors
– 3 speed fan control including Smart Cooling Technology providing temperature
– Front and rear ventilation slots
– Front side USB and eSATA ports for convenient external storage connections
– Individual power switches and LEDs for each drive
– Child-proof power buttons to avoid accidental power shut down
– Multi-locking door latches to prevent accidental drive ejection
– Internal SATA cable and USB header cable built into rear of device

Specifications
Model Number: MB974SP-B
Color: Black
Drive Fit: 3.5 “ SATA 1.5 / 3 / 6 Gbit/s hard drive x 4
Host Connection:
– 7 pin SATA port x 4 for HDD
– 7 pin SATA connector x 1 for front Panel eSATA port
– 5 pin USB 2.0 connector x 1 for front Panel USB port
Device Space: 5.25″ half height device bay x 3
Transfer Rate: Up to 6 Gbit/s. (depending on hard drive speed)
Insert& Extract conection Via: Direct SATA hard drive connection
Front Panel Contents:
– eSATA Port x 1 & USB 2.0 Port x1
– Adjustable fan speed control (High/Low/Auto)
Structure: Aluminum body w/ partial plastic
Drive Cooling: Removable rear outtake fan w/ aluminum heat dispersion
Cooling Fan Type: 80mm ball bearing fan with 2 or 3 pin connector
Power Indicator: Blue LED
HDD Access Indicator: Flashing blue LED
Dimension (L x W x H): 210 x 148 x 126mm
Weight: 1210g

Packaging
The MB974SP-B comes in a nice colorful retail package.  On the front there is a picture of the device in action.  On the back there is a list of features and specifications.

Opening the box up everything is nicely packed inside.  Getting it out all you have is the MB974SP-B device, mouting screws, and the user’s manual.