Hi,

As you might know, my ext hdds fail quickly. I don't want to set up a RAID Array, but I do have SoftRaid5. I only want an enclosure that will hold four or five 1T external SATA drives. I'm considering purchasing a 4 or 5-port case and I have some questions. Some examples

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx…N82E16817707156

http://www.scsi4me.com/ams-ds-2350s-venus-t5.html

http://www.pc-pitstop.com/sata_enclosures/index.asp

http://www.cooldrives.com/sata-ii-drive-en…-multilane.html

http://www.pc-pitstop.com/sata_port_multip…/scsat05pmt.asp

http://unityelectronics.stores.yahoo.net/amsvet5se535.html

http://unityelectronics.stores.yahoo.net/amsvet5se535.html

http://www.bixpc.com/product-p/cs-esata-4b.htm



I'm mentioning these cases only to give you an example of what I'm looking for. I will be purchasing 1Tb SATA drives for it.

If another case is known to be better than the ones I found, please let me know.

Most of the drives state that a multiLane Host PCI Slot Included (to convert internal sata ports to MultiLan port) is included with the enclosure. I have a SATA controller card connected to a PCI slot. The controller card has 4 external SATA ports. Right now, I have 4 SATA drives connected to it. Could I connect the enclosure to one of the ports on the controller card or do I have to install the "multilane host PCI Slot"?

I want the case to have a fan and I want the case to be made of material that has very good heat disipation properties. I don't know if aluminum is the best way to go or if another material would be better. A case with a good cooling system is the most important factor.

Could someone advise me on this?