Patriot Gauntlet USB 3.0 Enclosure

Packaging:

The Outside Box is pretty straightforward, Cardboard box in a sleeve surrounded by cellophane. The box design is simple, nothing stands out, it makes you want to open the box.

The inside is quite utilitarian as well, the enclosure is also wrapped in cellophane. We can see the USB 3.0 cables and included software peeking out from under the cardboard insert.

You will notice that the Enclosure includes two USB wires. The first is obviously the USB 3.0 compatible data wire. The second is the additional power chord. A standard 2.5″ enclosure can be powered from the meager 5v of available power supplied by a traditional port, to reach the High speeds capable by USB 3.0 the hard drive requires an additional 5v this can be supplied by a 2.0 or a 3.0 port conveniently.

A Closer Look:

I am noticing the USB cable for this device is A to A, they probably made this decision because USB 3.0 B would not fit nicely with the form factor here. While this isn’t a huge issue, I am acutely aware that A-A cables of the USB 2.0 variety are very difficult to locate. It is too early to tell if this will be an issue in the future, but it is something to note.

The installation is very simple, the aluminum body is manufactured nicely, I have worked with enclosure in the past that had sharp edges and just barely fit together. The Aluminum body will also operate as a heat sink to cool the drive inside. I am installing an OCZ 60gb SSD to test this enclosure. The SSD slides directly into the interface, and the rubber block ensures the drive will be secure.

In addition to the two inputs for USB/power, there is also a backup button to work with the included software, and a led activity light. I’m excited to run the gauntlet.  (get it?)

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