ICY DOCK Black Vortex 3.5inch Drive Cage Review

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In addition to the EZConvert Air we recently had the chance to review, ICY DOCK has launched the Black Vortex drive cage.

The Black Vortex is a bay solution allowing you to mount four 3.5" hard drives into three 5.25" chassis bays. Features of this solution include all metal construction with front panel access to your drives for easy access. Additionally, the Black Vortex features a large front mounted fan to aid in cooling your drives, along with being design to accept the EZConvert Air and EZConvert Fit solutions for mounting 2.5" drives.

MSRP of the ICY DOCK Black Vortex is listed at $49.99 with a one-year warranty.

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Scope of delivery for the ICY DOCK Black Vortex includes the drive cage, along with screws, and reading materials.

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Above, we take a look at the front of the Black Vortex. The front mounted cooling fan carries a clear body with a blue LED for aesthetics.

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As you can see from the image above, the ICY DOCK cage is quite a long solution, and it may hangover the optical bays in many chassis today.

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Opening up the Black Vortex, we were able to remove the short drive retainers. To mount your drives, you simply use the included screws, and two hole positions on the trays.

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Above, we have loaded the Black Vortex with drives.

The Black Vortex is a rather solid solution for anyone wanting to add a bit of appeal to their chassis, while being functional for up to four drives. The build quality is top notch, even when we loaded the cage with four hard drives, it didn't lose its rigidity.

The front mounted fan, while being LED lit, isn't too bright when installed in a chassis. Of course, being a blue LED, it may clash if you're one that does themed builds, but then again, you can easily swap the fan out if needed. As far as noise is concerned, the Black Vortex is rather silent, even with the fan being powered by a Molex connection.

Overall, I would say the ICY DOCK Black Vortex is an excellent solution for anyone wanting to add multiple drives to their PC with the added benefit of additional chassis cooling with the front mounted fan design.

PRICING: You can find the ICY DOCK Black Vortex for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The ICY DOCK Black Vortex retails for $45.53 at Amazon.

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