CENMATE 4 Bay RAID Enclosure for SATA HDD/SSD

Easy to connect and great refrigeration

Straightforward, as advertised

Very easy to get set up, no comparability issues with standard SATA drives. Cooling fan seems to be working good, noise level isn't bad, but noticeable. Connects right away as expected, no issues. Speed is what you would expect, nothing to write home about but does exactly what it advertises. Enclosure is metal, very sturdy. Drive bays are plastic, and they seem decent but I do wish they were metal too.

Barrett Benton

July 6, 2026

Works as intended (and Hoped)

So...I finally made the transition from Intel To Apple Silicon a few months back with a new Mac Studio. (My timing was unintentionally good...best of luck finding a Studio or mini right now.) But now, instead of my old mac Pro "cheesegrater" with its quartet of internal drive bays – all of which were in use, I'll add – the Studio has none. I made sure to get it with a terabyte of internal storage, which is adequate for all my in-process work, but now needed an external setup offering much more space for completed and on-the-back-burner stuff, *and* can work with either conventional HDs or SSDs (I'm using the former for now, at least until prices for the latter return to some form of sanity). And, since I'd just popped for a NAS for handling network backup and remote-access duties UGREEN NAS DH2300 shown in accompanying photo), I didn't want to spend any more than absolutely necessary, but also wanted RAID capability as a failsafe arrangement. Happy to say this CENMATE enclosure does the job well: reasonable speed, not-terribly convoluted setup procedure, and decent build-quality for the price. I've read a few reviews claiming incompatibility with Macs: all I can tell you is that getting it working with my new Studio was pretty much glitch-free, and performance has been solid for the last few months. Recommended.

They offered to fix but I found a solution. Happy Now.

Update: I tried setting thing up via the book that came with it (ie the bad review); however I was able to install the RIAD hard drive once I located the software on their site. The software was much easier to use then the instructions in the booklet. --- That said they went out of their way to offer a refund, but since I was able to set it up and am keeping it. That changed my mind by itself. :)

That said I still feel they need to hire an English speaking person to fix the spelling errors and grammar as some of the grammar errors give the false impression (in the way its is worded) that the hard drive is not trustworthy. I know that was not their intention. As I am sure they intended simply to say that you should be careful until you know they RAID is setup correctly.

Also the fans are small but I use small usb desk fans behind all my external RAID drives anyway.

( I have deleted the old review and update the star review)

...if I have issues down the road with its stability I might remove a star, but for the moment I am happy. It was just confusing at the start. Although every RAID (and/or RAID NAS) setup has issues that I just have come to expect. / lol

PS: I am uploading an image of the USB Fan that I am using to keep it cool.

M

May 5, 2026

100% BUY DIFFERENT CABLES!

update: i've put rubber feet on the side that is opposite of the fan. this way the fan is at the top when propped on its side as shown in the photo. i did this so that the heats doesn't just build up at the top-most hdd... i think everyone should probably position these this way... especially with the higher capacity enclosures.

---...---

after a few days of testing, i've found that the included cables are BAD. I dunno what it is about them, but I've tried using the adapter and just the USB C, and both either cause the HDDs to disappear or it just will not connect to the computer. I swapped the cables with a cable that came with my sabrent hdd enclosure and the cenmate enclosure is now working perfectly... stable connection (at least for the past few days), no issues with connecting to the computer (connects instantly), and HDDs not making any weird noises very often. I've read others say that changing the cables is needed and now I believe it. It does make sense that cenmate cheap'd out on the cables to cut costs. I have two units and both cables are BAD. so i didn't just get a lemon.

it's unfortunate for cenmate, because the hardware works... it's just that people are going to run into connection difficulties due to the cable.

helpful customer service, just be patient.

power adapter damaged.. contacted cenmate official email and after a few days they got back to me with help.

Fareed Fattal

October 31, 2025

Cost effective solution!

Great enclosure for the price. I used it to expand the storage space of my NAS. Highly recommend.

Functional drive enclosure

Use case: External drive caddy. I have 2 18TB NAS drives inside. I have the 2 bay version.

This enclosure keeps the drives cool, around or under 40C in room temperature. The fan is not loud at all, I think the 40-50dBa reported seems quite off. I will say there is a bit of a rattle noise to the fan which I have noticed but I am sensitive to fan noise more than probably most. I took some pictures of the back of the PCB as I didn't see anyone else post that. The fan seems to be a 40mm but uses a two prong plug, I will look into changing it to a Noctua hopefully but I am big time nit picking on this thing. Have not had any issues with the drives. I am using Corbian Reflector as an automated backup weekly and have had no errors. I paid around $60 and it's hard to find any faults. Can't speak to the raid function as I am not using it.

Easy set up. Will buy more.

This was the only enclosure I could find that could handle 20tb drives. I bought it just to make sure and then bought the 6 bay unit. I use it to back up my 100tb compelleant array. Everything was easy peasy. I'll probably get another 6 bay although I can only find the 8 bay now, but that is fine. I plan to daisy chain them for redundant backup. We just moved and still unpacking, but these were some of the first to get set back up.

Kasen Wright

January 3, 2025

***PLEASE READ***Affordable DIY NAS Build with the Cenmate 4-Bay RAID Enclosure

I purchased the Cenmate 4-Bay RAID Enclosure to enhance my home setup, and overall, I’m impressed with its performance, though it has some limitations.

My Setup:

• Slot 1: 3TB HDD

• Slot 2: 3TB HDD

• Slot 3: 8TB HDD

• Slot 4: EMPTY

• External Parity Backup: 20TB drive (WD Easystore)

The computer powering my NAS is a Lenovo ThinkCentre M710Q, which I got for $30! It’s running UNRAID off of a USB stick, which makes the setup straightforward and efficient. I found all the necessary instructions directly on UNRAID’s website, making the process manageable even for a first-timer like me. This is my first NAS build, and I sourced most of the components, including the drives and enclosure, through Facebook Marketplace. By doing so, I managed to save well over $1,500 compared to buying one of those all in one systems. This cost-effective approach made the project even more rewarding, and it’s amazing how well everything has come together.

This enclosure is currently running a media server and serves as a multiple Time Machine backup. I initially tried integrating this hard drive bay with TrueNAS, but unfortunately, it was not compatible. After switching to UNRAID, however, everything worked exceptionally well, and I was able to seamlessly integrate it into my workflow.

Pros:

• Build Quality: Sturdy and well-designed, with smooth drive bays for easy installation and removal.

• Compatibility with UNRAID: Works flawlessly with UNRAID, which allowed me to run a media server and backups without any hiccups.

• Quiet Operation: The cooling fan is effective and relatively very quiet, ensuring the drives stay cool even under heavy load.

Cons:

• Limited NAS Compatibility: It doesn’t work with many NAS setups, including TrueNAS, which might be a dealbreaker for some.

• Slightly Pricey: While the build is solid, I feel the price could be more competitive given its limitations.

If you’re looking for an enclosure that’s perfect for UNRAID and similar systems, this is an excellent choice. However, if you’re reliant on TrueNAS or other specific NAS solutions, you may want to explore other options. Overall, I’m satisfied with its performance for my specific needs and setup.

Final Thoughts:

The Cenmate 4-Bay RAID Enclosure is a robust and reliable product for those using the right software. Its compatibility with UNRAID made it a great fit for my system, but it loses a star for the lack of broader NAS support. If you’re willing to work within its limitations, it’s a solid addition to any home server setup.

Soldadura fria

El artículo incluye:

Destornillador estándar.

Tornillería para rieles.

Cable USB B a C con adaptador tipo A.

Cable eSATA.

Fuente de alimentación compacta con su conector correspondiente.

Todos los accesorios son nuevos y sin reparaciones; ofrecen una excelente relación calidad-precio.

El inconveniente radica en la presencia de soldaduras frías en la placa base, lo cual podría ocasionar desconexiones o falsos contactos, comprometiendo la integridad de los datos. La placa presenta indicios de reparación previa. Si bien cuenta con una máscara UV para protección adicional, dada la naturaleza crítica de los datos manejados, no se justifica el riesgo de pérdida de información debido a un defecto de fabricación.

Robert Novak

November 29, 2024

Convenient configurable two-drive enclosure, toolless if you prefer

This is a two-drive SATA enclosure that has built-in nubs to hold drives in place. You can remove them and use the included screws (and screwdriver) to more permanently attach your drives, but I went with the plastic brackets and nubs, and a pair of WD RED NAS 3tb hard drives that came out of a Synology years ago. You will need screws, or a 3.5 adapter, to use 2.5" drives in this enclosure. Screws are included, but adapter is not.

I connected the enclosure to my Macbook Pro M2 Max with the included C-to-USB 3.0 (printer/square style) cable. There's also an A-to-B cable if you don't have USB-C available. I left it in normal mode, meaning two drives showed up individually by model number in Disk Utility.

Normal mode with 1GB test (oops), APFS format, gave me about 104MB/s write and 143MB/s read.

Resetting to Stripe/RAID0 mode, APFS format, with 5GB test gave me 186.7MB/s write and 277.4 MB/s read.

Resetting again to Mirror/RAID1 mode, APFS format, 5GB test came back to 138MB/s write and 143MB/s read

I found the enclosure easy to use, and the performance seems fair given the drives I used. Best case read was about 2.2 gbps, and single drive was around 1.2gbps. The enclosure can handle up to 5 gigabit speed in theory, but that will depend on your data transfer patterns and your drives.

It's currently $50 before a checkbox coupon, which seems reasonable for a simple, portable device like this. It does use an external power adapter as expected, so not really 100% portable for actual use, but it's easy to drop in a larger laptop bag or suitcase and take it with you.

Great HDD bay. Performs basic function but makes dropping larger drives in and out a breeze.

We had a series of older drives that needed to be quickly and easily cycled out and re-formatted to DOD standard. I was able to use this HDD enclosure to effectively run approx 30 drives through using a wiping utility. It performed very well and had no issues with the connection or reliability during the process. As an added bonus, I plan on using this to extend added space for a basic setup off my primary router. Data redundancy not being an issue, this will perform quite well to give me Network Attached Storage to use between my devices. The size is as you may expect, smaller than a dinner plate but larger than a desert plate. Do not expect this to be a RAID enclosure. This is for adding attached storage.

Phinsup

November 7, 2024

Nice external hot swap enclosure

Nice little dual drive enclosure, has nice hot swap trays with mounting hardware. Works with 3.5 and 2.5 inch drives. Nice quality looking and feeling case, I have been using this on my media server and works flawlessly. Has nice feet on the bottom which give it some airflow all the way around the enclosure.

I’m quite happy with the purchase and I plan to buy a second one here pretty soon, easy setup, fast speeds for a usb drive, all in all I’m very happy with it, I’ve got a few drive enclosures and this one is a good buy for the price and quality.

Amazing high quality enclosure!

Update: as of 12/8/25 the drive no longer powers on. The fan spins, but there's an electrical burning smell. So it seems that this drive enclosure has lasted about a year of use before it died. This is just over 1 year since I obtained it, so it's no longer in warranty. Drive still work in another enclosure. Updated from 5 to 3 stars.

Original Review Below...

I took a chance on this CENMATE enclosure while considering others for the purpose of adding additional storage to a media server, and I've been very pleased with the results.

While it has multiple modes including RAID setups, I use it simply as a hard drive enclosure for my two 12 TB Drives. For this, it's been amazing. It was very plug and play with my Windows 11 machine, all I had to do was drop the drives in the tool less bays, and it was off to the races. Windows 11 recognized the hardware immediately, and within 30 seconds of inserting the drives into the bays, they showed up in Windows.

The construction of the device seems extremely well made and designed, especially with the fan for additional cooling. I was very happy that it also had rubber feet, which allows me to put it on other surfaces and not worry about scratching.

CENMATE wasn't a brand I was aware of before this purchase, but they're on my radar now for any future needs!

Awesome and affordable little DAS.

I love this DAS! It was super easy to set up. The software needed to use the RAID looks a little dated but works fantastically. It took only a few minutes to install all four drives, download the software, and get it running. The software was very easy to figure out. If you’re looking for an affordable option that just works and works well, you should definitely consider picking this one up.

Nice quality RAID enclosure (not NAS but USB3), easy to assemble with good options

Since moving to Alaska - some of the cloud backup services are slower to use, so I wanted a redundant local storage for all my backups. This fits the bill nicely.

This is a nice RAID enclosure that's reasonably fast (USB3) and easy to set up. The drawers have plastic pins designed to hold a drive in place without screws, but not universal. The instructions tell you to remove the pins (clip them off) if they don't line up with your drive mounting holes. In that case you use the included screws to mount to the tray.

The trays are well made and slide in smoothly and stay secured with a clip on the front. They're set up so that a SATA drive will connect directly to the power and data connections in the rear (see pic).

The USB Cable is a bit short, which might limit where you can place the unit. The USB cable is also USB3 A->B, which is a little unusual. I would have preferred USBC, but once you set it up, it doesn't change, so it's fine.

There are 4 settings depending on your use case:

1) Normal - the default setting - each bay just appears as a distinct drive. So both drives are independent.

2) JBOD - Spanning across both drives. Two 10G drives will present as a 20G volume. No safety or performance enhancement.

3) Raid 0 - Both drives utilized for speed - Two 10G drives will present as a FAST 10G volume. No redundancy, if one drive fails, you will lose data.

4) Raid 1 - Both drives are redundant to each other - Two 10G drives will present as a single 10G volume, but a single drive failure will not cause data loss.

Overall I like it. Recommended.

Great low cost RAID option

Well-boxed and protected, this drive enclosure arrived in perfect shape. Initial unboxing showed it is made of a solid metal exterior, has excellent fit and finish on all joints, is quite small physically, and has well-labeled controls all around. Came with two cables - USBC and USBA - to connect the computer to the drive.

Setup was simple and completed without the need for a single screw. 12GB Ultrastar 3 1/2 inch SATA drives dropped right into the trays and were held in place firmly by small blue tabs that snapped neating into the screw holes. I inverted the tray with the drive in it and shook it - no problems. The blue tabs hold it tightly and can be popped loose with a flathead screwdriver if you need to.

Once the drives were in the trays, the trays slid back into the enclosure easily and snapped into place. No manual cable seatings at all.

I had decided to go with a RAID Level setting, which protects your data in the case of a drive failure. I was very impressed with how easy choosing from normal and RAID options by simply setting 2 DIP switches on the back of the drive and then pressing a reset button for 5 seconds. Both the switches and reset button are recessed about 1/2 inch in a slot on the back of the drive to protect them for accidental interactions. This is good design.

After doing the reset, the drive came up on my PC as an uninitialized RAID volume, which I formatted without any issues. Once formatted, I tested the drive by syncing 8 TB of video and music files to it from my PC. Data transfer rates were excellent, in line with the documentation. that came from the drives. It was nice not to need any special software or processes in order to set up a RAID drive. Make sure you review the KIND of RAID you want before starting. This drive makes switching types easy - but doing so will lose you ALL the data currently on the drive.

The drive is very quiet - fan is almost silent. The only thing I hear is the drive motors. I put it inside my server cabinet to transfer files to it, and even after 4 hours of constant file writing, it didn't get hot.

Issues are minor - the drive trays are easy to remove by squeezing the blue tabs on the front of the drive and pulling. I'm used to a locking mechanism of some sort. I don't think you'll pull a tray out accidentally, but would appreciate a turning lock or something that makes sure pulling it is intentional. That is a nice to have and didn't affect my rating. I had one instance where the drive didn't want to pull out after sliding it, but pushing gently on the front before pressing the release tabs fixed that.

Overall - well made and well designed, quick to set up and painless RAID creation with standard drives. Easy to give a very strong recommendation!

Useful stuff

Easy to connect to my devices and work great, I have hard drive and I need the stuff, great design and great quality and material, reasonable price. Very enjoyable.

Zach

October 1, 2024

Works like a charm

First off, the setup was super easy. Slide the trays out by squeezing both front buttons, insert your drives, and you’re good to go in a few minutes of setup. There are some RAID options to select on the back depending on your needs, and the user manual gives brief instructions. I have some older 3.5 10TB to try on this, and now they’re up and running perfectly.

The build quality is solid, no flimsy parts, and it fits in well hidden mounted under my desk. It comes with both USB-A and USB-C cables, which is a nice little added bonus. File transfers are fairly quick, and the fan is quiet enough not to notice.

This is good lower price option, but the max transfer speed hasn't been seen yet. Right now, it's averaging around 800mbps.

Overall, it’s a simple, reliable, and well-made enclosure. Highly recommended!

A great 2.5" or 3.5" SSD/HDD Enclosure with built-in RAID options

This drive enclosure comes with the enclosure itself, the power adapter, two USB cables, 2 sets of screws, a screw driver an instruction manual, and a customer card. The enclosure fits both 2.5" and 3.5" drives. It can handle SSDs and HDDs. It has 4x options for how to present the drives: Normal (1x large disk), JBOD (individual disks), RAID 0, and RAID 1. The drives enclosure trays are easy to remove with a pinch, which is nice for setup, however, it is too easy to remove a drive when it is running. I would highly recommend the designer add some sort of locking mechanism, even if it is a keyless safety tab to prevent either drive from being removed when running. Other than that, it's a good enclosure that performed well in our testing.

Overall I believe it is of great value for the cost. As always I will evaluate long term and update with any new information.