TechPowerUp and ORICO brought our readers from across the globe, a unique chance to win an ORICO TB3-S2 NVMe SSD Docking Station; and an ORICO PSSD 1 TB biometric-encrypted portable SSD. The TB3-S2 is a 9-in-1 connectivity expander that takes advantage of Thunderbolt 3 to put out a plethora of USB, wired LAN, memory card, connectivity, while also serving as a handy dual M.2 NVMe enclosure. The PSSD is a rugged portable SSD for road-warriors, with a fingerprint reader, and an in-built drive encryption mechanism. The results are in! Without further ado, the winners:

• "vzangel" from Mexico (Twitch and Twitter handle), wins an ORICO TB3-S2 9-in-1 docking station
• "simiaelevatum" from the United States (Twitch handle), wins an ORICO PSSD 1 TB portable SSD

A huge congratulations to you two! ORICO and TechPowerUp will return with more such interesting giveaways.

Raijintek, a Taiwanese maker of computer cases, coolers, and power supplies, added another entry to its family of small form-factor issues. Today, the company presents the OPHION ELITE, which is a Mini-ITX enclosure designed to fit a wide selection of hardware. It enables users to store compelling hardware with adequate cooling and have peace of mind usage. OPHION ELITE supports Mini-ITX motherboards, a maximum of 7 fans, including two 120/140 fans on the side (240 mm radiator), one 120 fan at the bottom (preinstalled), two 120/140 fans at the front, one 120/140 fan at the rear, and one 80 fan on the top. It boasts full-size VGA cards (320 mm/3 slots), compatibility, and regular ATX / EPS PSUs support. There is room for three 3.5-inch HDD drives or five 2.5-inch HDD/SSD drives. For more information, check out the company website.Here is the product video showcased on the Raijintek YouTube channel.

STEIGER DYNAMICS just released the third iteration of its critically acclaimed LEET HTPC case. Except for a few subtle but elegant changes in design, LEET III Chassis shares the same one-piece, hand-brushed, full-aluminium shell that made its predecessors so iconic. Accompanied by the 7" front LED display that features our own LEET Monitor app, and full open-loop liquid cooling support, LEET III Chassis redefines the term "Luxury Living Room PC enclosure".

LEET III Chassis is available in the colors Space Black and Royale Silver. Measuring 17.1 in x 8.7 in x 15.4 in (43.5 cm x 22.1 cm x 39 cm (WxHxD), 37.4 L volume), the 3rd iteration of the LEET Chassis boasts an optimized interior layout for improved airflow and increased GPU waterblock compatibility up to GeForce RTX 3090 Founders Edition and EVGA FTW3 cards. The 240 mm side air intake/exhaust has been redesigned with a minimum resistance mesh, increasing airflow and cooling efficiency. With the capability to handle the latest NVIDIA 30-series graphics cards, as well as the latest Intel 12th Gen and AMD Ryzen 5000-series CPUs, the LEET III Chassis has more flexibility, quality, and potential than ever before.

Akasa, just released a new aluminium enclosure for M.2 drives. This iteration of Akasa's M.2 range of enclosures is packed full of the latest features such as USB 3.2 Generation 2x2 connectivity, UASP support and a brand-new tool-free design, and is built for the ultra-fast data transfer speeds of up to a massive 20 Gb/s. The enclosure is machined out of high quality aluminium, functioning as a heatsink to draw away excess heat from the drive. A thermal pad is included with the package to allow the best possible heat dissipation.

Also included in the box is a high-quality, braided, USB-C to USB-C cable, which is durable enough to withstand the constant daily use this enclosure is designed for. The tool-free design includes two high-quality metal thumb screws, strong enough to effortlessly hold your M.2 drive, and provide a sleek appearance to the enclosure. A simple yet effective rubber tab holds the drive down, whilst the updated design means the aluminium heatsink can fully contact the thermal pad and work efficiently.

SilverStone today introduced the Raven RVS03, a unique M.2 SSD enclosure that supports both NVMe and SATA drives. Typically M.2 enclosures only support either of the two. The drive is based on the Realtek RTL9210B-CG controller that takes advantage of 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 and UASP protocols, and offers sequential transfer rates of up to 1000 MB/s. The Raven's body is made entirely of aluminium, with a high-conductivity thermal pad being included, letting you transfer heat from the drive inside to the enclosure body. The enclosure uses a single USB 3.2 cable for both power and host connectivity. Cables are included for both type-A and type-C. It measures 105.7 mm x 35 mm x 13.5 mm (LxHxW), dry-weighing 52.2 g. The company didn't reveal pricing.

The ToughArmor MB924IP-B supports 24 x 2.5" SAS/SATA SSD/HDD up to 7 mm in height and only uses 3x 5.25" device bays. It has 6x MiniSAS HD (SFF-8643) connectors in the rear to support 24 x drives with up to 12 Gbps transfer speed per drive, significantly reducing the cable clutter to improve system airflow and offer easy cable management. The large 80 mm fan with 3-Mode fan speed control working along with intelligently placed ventilation holes keeps your drives in optimal temperature. To further improve reliability and security, the housing and trays are made with ruggedized full metal construction to ensure long-lasting durability. Moreover, with the removable EZ-Slide Nano trays, you can interchange drives within seconds without open the PC case.

MB924IP-B connects 24 x 2.5" SAS/SATA SSD/HDD with only 6x MiniSAS HD (SFF-8643) & 6x SATA 15 pin power connector for easy cable management and better system airflow. These are essential for high-performance PC builds. The MB924IP-B supports data transfer speed up to 12 Gbps per SAS drive and 6 Gbps per SATA drive.

Sabrent on Monday launched a massive 16 TB variant of its XTRM-Q external SSD that debuted last year in capacities of up to 8 TB. The 16 TB XTRM-Q encloses two 8 TB SSD subunits. Out of the box, these are striped to create the 16 TB volume, but you can re-configure these to run in RAID 1, for data redundancy, or even JBOD/sequential.

What makes the Sabrent XTRM-Q stand out is its Thunderbolt 3 + USB 3.2 dual-mode operation. Unlike the single-drive based XTRM-Q 8 TB, the 16 TB version features a larger body, and requires external power through an included power brick, in addition to the Thunderbolt/USB connection. In striped mode, the driver offers sequential transfer rates of up to 2500 MB/s in Thunderbolt mode. The enclosure is made of aluminium, and doubles up as a heatspreader for the drives underneath. The enclosure is covered by a removable silicone outer sheath. Without this, the drive measures 114.3 mm x 65 mm x 17.2 mm (LxWxH). Available now, it is priced at USD $2,899.

Sonnet Technologies today announced the DuoModo line of professional, modular Thunderbolt expansion systems for the desktop and for rack installation, the latest entries in its award-winning lineup of Thunderbolt products. The DuoModo line is comprised of three interchangeable expansion modules—a three-slot PCIe card system, an eGPU card system, and a Mac mini mounting system with integrated 40 Gbps Thunderbolt storage dock—and three enclosures consisting of two dual-module housings (one desktop and one rackmount) and a single-module desktop housing. Sonnet will also offer four preconfigured systems to simplify the order process for the most popular combinations of modules and enclosures. All modules are Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 compatible.

DuoModo Echo III Module: This module (the same one used in Sonnet's Echo III Desktop and Echo III Rackmount systems announced at the end of 2020) features one x16 and two x8 PCIe 3.0 slots; accommodates full-height, full-length (up to 12.28 inches long) PCIe cards; and connects them to a computer's Thunderbolt port via the included 0.7-meter Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps) cable. The module integrates a universal 400 W power supply and includes a 75 W auxiliary power connector for non-GPU cards that require extra power. The module includes a mode switch that enables the use of three Avid Pro Tools|HDX PCIe cards, and features Noctua cooling fans for ultra-quiet operation.

The ToughArmor MB872MP-B supports 12x M.2 SATA SSDs from 30 mm to 110 mm (2230 / 2242 / 2260 / 2280 / 22110) in just a single 5.25" optical drive bay. It uses 3x high-speed OCuLink (SFF-8612) connectors in the rear to support twelve M.2 SATA SSD with 6 Gb/s transfer speed per drive while reducing the amount of cable clutter for optimal system airflow and easy cable management. The removable drive tray design with an innovative adjustable M.2 locker allows you to interchange M.2 drives without using tools or screws.

The 40 mm fan with 3-Mode fan speed control working along with intelligently placed ventilation holes keeps your drives in optimal temperatures. The device and trays are made out of heavy-duty metal to ensure long-lasting durability. The ToughArmor MB872MP-B's high storage density design makes it suitable for high-performance systems with limited storage space, such as high-performance PCs, home servers, workstation PCs, and data centers. It's designed for systems that require high IOPS, high capacity, and low latency storage access.

Akasa has added two new aluminium enclosures for M.2 drives to the current range of products. These are compatible with both SATA and NVMe drives and features USB 3.1 Generation 2 connectivity and UASP support, meaning you'll be making the most out of the super-fast data transfer speeds from your M.2 drive of up to 10 Gb/s.

The body on both enclosures are machined out of high-quality aluminium, ensuring a tight, safe fit for the closing mechanism. A tool-free design allows the installation of an M.2 SSD to be quick and easy, whilst also functioning as a heatsink to draw away excess heat from the drive. The sleek and simple Akasa logo finishes off the design perfectly, making the enclosure stand out from the crowd.

TerraMaster, a professional brand that specializes in providing innovative storage products for home, businesses and enterprises, introduces the D5-300 5-bay RAID storage designed for professionals working in small office/home office (SOHO) setups. The D5-300 can support up to 90 TB of storage capacity. It comes equipped with USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C capable of reaching speeds of up to 220 MB/s.

The TerraMaster D5-300 supports a wide selection of RAID modes to cater to the unique and different needs of various professionals. The RAID storage uses an aluminium-alloy chassis with two smart fans that deliver efficient cooling with low noise, keeping HDDs/SSDs cool at all times. The TerraMaster D5-300 is competitively priced at US $269.99 to be accessible to small businesses looking for high-speed, high-capacity RAID storage, perfect for creative professionals like video editors and photographers.

OWC, the premier zero-emissions Mac and PC technology company, and a respected provider of Memory, External Drives, SSDs, Mac & PC docking solutions, and performance upgrade kits announces the OWC U2 Shuttle as the world's first U.2 carrier shuttle for 3.5" drive bays that combines four NVMe M.2 SSDs. It offers video editors, audio producers, photographers, and graphic designers everything they've always wanted in a multiple blade SSD: blistering speed, massive capacity, RAID-ready flexibility, and swappable convenience. The OWC U2 Shuttle can be used with U.2 port-equipped PCs and servers, as well as OWC storage and PCIe expansion solutions.

With four NVMe SSDs the OWC U2 Shuttle gives you more RAID options than a dual drive enclosure or adapter card. Now you can harness the power of RAID 0, 1, 4, 5, or 10 via your choice of hardware cards or RAID utilities including SoftRAID, the easiest to use, most fully featured software RAID package available. This powerful and intuitive software RAID utility offers maximum volume capacity, optimum drive performance, data protection, or a combination of attributes.

SilverStone today introduced the MS12, an external SSD enclosure designed for M.2-2280 SSDs with PCIe/NVMe interface. The enclosure features a PCI-Express 3.0 x4 interface, which it converts to USB 3.2x2 (20 Gbps), put out from a USB-C connector, with a single handling both power and host-connectivity. The enclosure features an aluminium body which doubles up as a heatsink for the enclosed SSD. An ASMedia ASM23364 bridge chip is in-charge of things under the hood, and is capable of transfer speeds of up to 2,000 MB/s. The enclosure measures 106.5 mm x 33.3 mm x 15.3 mm (WxDxH), weighing about 53 g. A 30 cm USB-C cable, and thermal pad comes included. The company didn't mention pricing.

Sonnet Technologies today announced the launch of the Echo III Desktop and Echo III Rackmount, the newest members of the company's award-winning family of Thunderbolt 3 to PCI Express (PCIe ) card expansion systems. The Echo III Desktop is a full-size desktop chassis that enables the use of up to three high-performance PCIe cards with computers equipped with Thunderbolt ports, while the Echo III Rackmount offers the same support and features in a rack-mountable 2U enclosure. Replacing the popular Echo Express III-D and III-R (including HDX Editions), the new Echo systems have been upgraded with the addition of a mode switch that enables the use of multiple Avid Pro Tools|HDX PCIe cards and new cooling fans for even quieter operation. Both of these units have been Avid-qualified.

Sabrent was first to market with their 8 TB M.2 NVMe SSD just last month, and now they have released the world's first 8 TB external PCIe SSD. The Rocket XTRM-Q 8 TB features the aforementioned Rocket Q 8 TB NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD housed inside a Thunderbolt 3/USB 3.2 enclosure, this allows the drive to reach read speeds of 2.7 GB/s via Thunderbolt 3 or 900 MB/s via USB. This makes it not only the largest external SSD but also one of the fastest currently on the market.

The SSD features a sleek modern design with an aluminium casing with anti-slip bottom pads for stability. The Sabrent Rocket XTRM-Q is available in capacities of 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB, and 8 TB. The drives are currently available for purchase via Amazon for $170, $220, $360, $830, and $1600 respectively.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today launched new SATA 6 Gb/s JBOD enclosure models: the 4/8/16-bay desktop models (TL-D400S, TL-D800S and TL-D1600S), the 4-bay rackmount model (TL-R400S) and the 12-bay rackmount model with redundant power (TL-R1200S-RP). These storage enclosures are compatible with NAS, PCs and servers, and can be directly attached using SFF-8088 cables if a QXP PCIe card is installed in the NAS/PC/server. The TL SATA JBOD supports multi-lane SATA 6 Gb/s transfer, and each SATA lane directly connects to a single SATA drive to help improve performance. With the 1-1 high-speed channel, the TL SATA JBOD delivers excellent transfer performance.

QNAP NAS users can use the TL SATA JBOD with their NAS, including setting RAID parameters and creating a storage pool using the Storage and Snapshots app. Alternatively, the TL SATA JBOD can be used as a NAS external storage device. Windows, Mac, and Ubuntu users can use the QNAP JBOD Manager desktop utility to quickly obtain and view information about the JBOD status, health, fan speed, and check for firmware updates. A TL SATA JBOD can expand the storage space of your QNAP NAS, Windows and Ubuntu computers for versatile usage.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today launched two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C JBOD enclosure models, the 8-bay desktop model TL-D800C and the 12-bay rackmount with redundant power model - TL-R1200C-RP for NAS, PCs, and servers. The multipurpose TL USB JBOD can be used for expanding a QNAP NAS storage space and also serve as storage for PCs and NAS. The TL USB JBOD offers convenient cross-platform file sharing and high flexibility for users, acting as a high-efficiency and intuitive storage expansion option.

QNAP NAS users can use the TL-D800C and TL-R1200C-RP with their NAS, including setting RAID parameters and creating a storage pool using the Storage and Snapshots app in QTS. Alternatively, the TL-D800C and TL-R1200C-RP can be used as a NAS external storage device. Windows, Mac, and Ubuntu users can use QNAP JBOD Manager desktop utility to quickly obtain and view information about the JBOD status, health, fan rotation speed, and check for firmware version updates.

OWC a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company and one of the world's most respected providers of hard drives, SSDs, Mac & PC docking solutions and performance upgrade kits, today announced the latest edition of its legendary Mercury Elite Pro external storage system for Mac, PC, Linux machines, Smart TVs, and PS4 and Xbox consoles. The 3.5-inch USB 3.2 5 Gb/s hard drive system is a modern day workhorse, delivering real-world performance up to 283 MB/s and capacities up to 16 TB to keep pace with the demands of everything from video editing projects, critical business data, and irreplaceable personal content to expanding PS4/Xbox One game storage and enjoying music/video content via a Smart TV.

The Essential External Storage Solution for Everyone
The Mercury Elite Pro kicked off OWC's rich, storied history of storage solution innovations nearly 20 years ago, and it has successfully stood the test of time by continuing to offer an incomparable blend of performance, quality, and value in a single HDD storage solution.

Introducing the ToughArmor MB720M2K-B, the world's first quad drive ruggedized M.2 NVMe SSD removable enclosure. M.2 NVMe SSDs no longer requires to be installed on to a motherboard or a riser card with a tiny screw and can now be installed and accessed from the front of your computer without any tools. The ToughArmor MB720M2K-B comes with patent-pending tool-less M.2 drive installation design which will alleviate the pain that many user experiences when installing M.2 drives and offer easy drive maintenance and system upgrading.

CORSAIR introduced us to their small form factor Capellix LEDs, co-developed with Primax, at CES last year and has since been utilizing them in memory and peripheral products alike. So it was just a natural next step for them to find a way to include them into their cases, and the company took to CES 2020 to show off a traditional retail case which has been covered with a film encompassing these LEDs.

The glass panels are lined with a thin, transparent film so that you are able to have a matrix of these RGB LEDs on the backside without any easily visible wires, which makes for quite a unique look. This implementation does require a lot of more complex wiring relative to a standard LED strip, tiny as it still may be spatially, which currently limits the number of LEDs that could be embedded in such a removable panel, but the result is attention-grabbing regardless. There is no concrete launch date or pricing for this, and CORSAIR is still deciding if they will include these on current cases as a special edition or for future enclosure products. That said, the implementation at CES already looked pretty clean externally and, a fun fact is, you can touch them on the backside of the glass panel and will not get zapped.

QNAP Systems, Inc. (QNAP) today launched the TR-002, a 2-bay hardware RAID expansion enclosure that can be utilized as a NAS storage expansion solution, and also as hardware RAID storage for Windows/macOS/Linux computers and NAS. The TR-002 connects to a PC/NAS via USB 3.1 Gen.2 Type-C and provides a dependable storage solution for various user requirements.

The TR-002 supports individual, JBOD and RAID 0/1 storage configurations. QNAP NAS users can use the TR-002 with their NAS to set RAID parameters and create a storage pool by using the "Storage and Snapshots" app within QTS. Alternatively, the TR-002 can be used as an external storage device for the NAS. Windows, macOS and Linux users with limited storage upgrade options can also use the TR-002 as an expansion unit, and a dedicated QNAP External RAID Manager utility (for Windows and macOS) can help them view disk health, change RAID configurations, check logs, and update the firmware of the TR-002.

Introducing the ToughArmor MB606SPO-B ruggedized mobile rack for hot-swapping 6x SATA/SAS SSDs and HDDs up to 7mm in height, and 1x Ultra-Slim 9.5mm CD/DVD/Blu-ray ROM optical disk drive reader for the external 5.25" bay. Featuring industrial full-metal construction inside and out, and designed for commercial applications such as military and medical systems, airborne and shipboard PCs, in-vehicle systems, servers, workstations, and mobile computer systems. Maintain optimal drive temperatures with the user-configurable 40mm cooling fan and plenty of ventilation holes throughout the enclosure. Advanced removable trays with anti-vibration protect drives in harsh environments, and built-in individual status LEDs give you drive updates at a glance.

Spice announces the TARAXX tempered glass case. The TARAXX PC chassis with left and right side panels of 4 mm tempered glass allows for optimum space within the case. Furthermore, within the 1.2 mm SPCC black coated structure contains a large CPU cooler clearance of 135 mm for large cooling fans and a 350 mm graphics card clearance for a large graphics card.

enclosure is thus suited for various PC components whilst maintaining supreme airflow and intricate cable management. Included are also 1x USB 3.0 & 2x USB 2.0 x2 and HD Audio in the front for high quality audio purposes. Additionally to the spacious case is room for the standard or extended ATX power supply on the bottom of this structure. All in all, a great asset to have in your PC setup.

While at CES 2019 we had the opportunity to visit with PowerColor who were showing off their latest external GPU enclosures including the TBX-180/240FU, and the TBX-750FA. Starting with the TBX-750FA this external GPU enclosure uses a Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) connection and has a 750-watt internal power supply. Due to the size of not only the enclosure but the power supply as well, graphics cards measuring up to 335 x 170 x 58 mm (13.18 x 6.69 x 2.28 inches). When you factor in maximum GPU power is rated at 500-watts pretty much any GPU on the market should work with this enclosure like a cat with a box if it fits it sits. Connectivity options consist of the 1x Thunderbolt 3 port for connection to the host system, 1x Gigabit Ethernet, 5x USB 3.0 (3 up front, 2 in back), 1x SD 4.0, and finally 1x SATA. Overall the enclosure measures in at 359 x 179 x 198 mm and supports Windows 10 and MacOS 10.13.4 or later.

The VisionTek Thunderbolt 3 Mini eGFX Enclosure is ideal for creative professionals, IT/enterprise power users, professional users in healthcare, finance, scientific research labs, etc., and gaming enthusiasts seeking the ultimate GPU performance improvement to Thunderbolt 3 equipped laptops. Delivering up to 40 Gbps of bandwidth, Thunderbolt 3 is the industry's fastest interface that is rapidly becoming popular on new generation of laptops and mini PCs. VisionTek's Mini eGFX combined with a graphics add-in card significantly boosts the GPU performance of a Thunderbolt 3 enabled laptop, via a plug and play connection to the enclosure.