Generic adapter for 2.5" disk in 3.5" hot swap bay

[nabsltd]

We all have a ton of 3.5" hot swap bays, and if you're like me, you have SuperMicro chassis, where the tool free MCP-220-00118-0B will cost $25-30 shipped. Plus, you're paying extra for the latch and drive rail assembly that you already have...SuperMicro doesn't offer just the adapter.

But, HP makes a 2.5" drive adapter for their workstations (Z420, Z620, Z8, etc.) that works with any hot swap bay that supports 3.5" drives, and it can be found for less than $12 shipped. You can find a lot more sellers for this by searching eBay for "HP 668261-001". Just make sure you find one that comes with the black plastic tool free carrier.

Yes, I know you can 3D print adapters for the SuperMicro carriers, but I like this one because it does not block any airflow, and can be used anywhere, including in trayless hot swap bays. The only "gotcha" is that it only passes through SATA, so on the rare chance you want to use a 2.5" SAS drive and use SAS-specific features (like dual port), this adapter won't work.

 

[alaricljs]

Or the $9 Orico: ORICO 2.5 SSD SATA to 3.5 Hard Drive Adapter Internal Drive Bay Converter Mounting Bracket Caddy Tray for 7 / 9.5 / 12.5mm 2.5 inch HDD / SSD with SATA III Interface(1125SS) - Newegg.com if you're more cheap than lazy.

 

[gregsachs]

Or the Dell one which is totally passive.

Lot 9W8C4 2.5" to 3.5" Adapter for Dell F238F/KG1CH/X7K8W/651314-001 Tray Caddy | eBay

0F238F, F238F, 0X968D, X968D, 0G302D, G302D, KG1CH, 0KG1CH. 09W8C4, 9W8C4, 0Y004G, Y004G. This bracket can install a 2.5" hard drive into a 3.5" caddy which enable your 2.5" hard drives work in servers that only allow 3.5" drives!

www.ebay.com

 

[nabsltd]

Both of those completely block the airflow to the drive, just like the SuperMicro adapter, but at least the Dell is well-made and does the job like the SM adapter.

The Orico is particularly loathsome, in that it looks like it has heat-sink fins, but it's made of plastic, not metal. The pictures claim that the "open side slots" are good for airflow, but as soon as you mount it in the sled, those holes are blocked. Last, the 3.5" screw holes (what you use to mount to the sled) aren't standard thread, so you can't use the screws that come with the sled. All of this and more flaws are detailed in the reviews at the Newegg link @alaricljs gave. I read them, which is why I went searching for something else.

 

[nexox]

I imagine that the Dell and Supermicro adapters are intended to block the airflow since they go in a chassis designed for 3.5" drives, and you'd reduce cooling on any installed 3.5" drives if you don't cover most of a 2.5" drive. That said, one day I need to design a better 3D printed adapter that handles airflow better, there are improvements to be made over the models I have found.

 

[mrpasc]

I use those Sabrent SATA 3.5“ to 2.5“ adapter
They are good for Sata drives, unfortunately no SAS. Sometimes below 10€.

 

[Bert]

I have quite a lot of the HP adapters. Since they are metal, pretty reliable. I have quite a lot of other adapters I bought but never had a chance to use. Happy to sell $6 each + shipping.

I also have the ones similar to Hard Drive Adapter - 2.5 SSD/HDD to 3.5 - Drive Adapters and Drive Converters | Hard Drive Accessories | StarTech.com but hp adapters are the best. Very durable and easy to add/remove/swap

 

[alaricljs]

Curious if the Oricos have changed. I have 4 or 6 from quite a while back that I have no complaints about.

As for airflow, the setups I've used would make the HDDs suffer for lack of airflow if the 2.5 adapters didn't block just as much as a regular drive.

 

[nabsltd]

I use those Sabrent SATA 3.5“ to 2.5“ adapter
They are good for Sata drives, unfortunately no SAS. Sometimes below 10€.

For more permanent installs, I looked at the Sabrent, but ended up with this no-brand instead, since it was cheaper.