StarTech BRACKET25SAT 2.5in SATA to 3.5in Drive Bay Mounting Bracket

Overview

The StarTech BRACKET25SAT solves a straightforward but common problem in surveillance and IT builds: you have a 2.5in SATA drive — whether a laptop-class HDD or a solid-state drive — and a desktop chassis or NVR with only 3.5in bays available. This bracket adapts the smaller drive to fit that larger bay without modification to the case, keeping your build clean and your drive properly supported. Stamped from steel and finished in silver, it is a passive mechanical adapter with no active components — what you see is what you get, and it installs in minutes with standard tooling.

For security integrators and IT architects adding or repurposing storage in desktop-class NVRs or workstation chassis, the BRACKET25SAT keeps things tidy without compromising drive access or cable routing. It is not a hot-swap tray and it does not add any controller logic — its job is purely mechanical alignment and retention, which it handles reliably.

Key Features

• Steel construction at 3.9 oz (110 g): The bracket is rigid enough to hold a spinning 2.5in HDD without flex or resonance transfer to the chassis — relevant in 24/7 NVR environments where drive vibration over time can cause premature failure on HDDs that are not properly supported.
• Single SATA Data & Power Combo connector (7+15 pin): The drive side uses a standard combined SATA data-and-power connector, so any modern 2.5in SATA HDD or SSD drops straight in without needing a separate power pigtail at the drive end. No adapter fumbling inside a cramped chassis.
• LP4 (4-pin Large Drive Power) host connector: The bracket provides a Molex LP4 power output to the drive, which means it works with older ATX PSUs that do not have spare SATA power leads — useful when retrofitting an older workstation chassis as a dedicated NVR host or archival machine.
• Dedicated 7-pin SATA data connector on the host side: Data connects via a standard 7-pin SATA cable to any SATA port on the motherboard or HBA. No proprietary connectors, no special cables required — standard SATA cables you already have in the parts bin work here.
• Compact footprint — 3.9 in x 3.9 in x 0.4 in: The low-profile 0.4in height keeps the bracket from obstructing adjacent drive bays or blocking airflow channels in tightly packed chassis. It fits the standard 3.5in bay footprint exactly, so slide-and-screw installation follows the same process as any full-size drive.
• Silver steel finish: The finish resists corrosion in typical indoor environments and matches standard chassis interiors, keeping the build professional — minor detail, but relevant in customer-visible rack or tower installations.
• Compatible with all standard 2.5in SATA drives: Works with 2.5in SATA HDDs (5400 or 7200 RPM) and 2.5in SATA SSDs. It does not support NVMe, M.2, or SAS form factors — SATA interface only.

Integration & Compatibility

The BRACKET25SAT is compatible with any standard 3.5in internal drive bay in desktop towers, rackmount servers, and desktop-class network video recorders that use tool-based or screwless drive trays. It pairs well with 2.5in surveillance-rated SATA drives commonly used in compact NVR builds. If you are speccing storage for a StarTech infrastructure build or adding a secondary drive to an existing system, confirm your chassis tray accepts standard 3.5in drives with side-mount screw holes — most do, but some proprietary chassis use non-standard tray designs that require the OEM tray.

For integrators building out surveillance storage, this bracket is a practical way to repurpose 2.5in SSDs as OS drives in NVR hosts mounted alongside dedicated surveillance hard drives in the remaining 3.5in bays. It is also useful when deploying PoE switch-driven camera systems where the NVR host is a compact desktop unit with limited native 2.5in mounting points.

For guidance on sizing storage for continuous recording across multiple camera channels, refer to a surveillance storage planning guide to calculate retention requirements before selecting drive capacity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What drive interface does the BRACKET25SAT support?

A: The BRACKET25SAT supports 2.5in SATA drives only — both HDDs and SSDs. It does not support NVMe, M.2, SAS, or IDE interfaces.

Q: What power connector does the host side use?

A: The host power side uses a standard LP4 (4-pin Molex Large Drive Power) connector, making it compatible with ATX power supplies that do not have spare SATA power leads. The drive side uses a combined 7+15 pin SATA data and power connector.

Q: Will this bracket fit any 3.5in drive bay?

A: It fits standard 3.5in internal bays with conventional side-mount screw holes. Some proprietary chassis use non-standard trays — verify your chassis tray accepts standard 3.5in drives before ordering.

Q: What is the warranty on the BRACKET25SAT?

A: StarTech covers the BRACKET25SAT with a 2-year manufacturer warranty.

Q: Can this bracket be used in a rackmount server or NVR chassis?

A: Yes, provided the rackmount chassis has a standard 3.5in internal bay. It is a passive mechanical bracket with no active components, so it works in any chassis that accepts standard 3.5in drives via screw-mount trays.

Q: Does the bracket add any controller logic or affect drive performance?

A: No. The BRACKET25SAT is a purely mechanical adapter — it passes SATA data and power signals directly with no active components. Drive performance is entirely determined by the drive and host controller, not the bracket.

Marty Allison

The detail I always flag on the BRACKET25SAT is the LP4 host power connector. It seems minor until you are standing in front of an older workstation chassis being repurposed as a dedicated NVR host and realize the PSU has no spare SATA power leads. That LP4 connector means you can use a standard Molex-to-SATA adapter or pull directly from an existing LP4 line — no hunting for a PSU with the right output. Small thing, but it has saved time on more than one retrofit job.

Technical Highlights:

• Combined 7+15 pin SATA drive connector: Single connector at the drive end eliminates the separate power pigtail inside the chassis — cleaner cable management in compact NVR or workstation builds where airflow matters.
• Steel construction, 3.9 oz: Heavy enough to dampen minor vibration from a spinning 2.5in HDD in a 24/7 recording environment, without adding meaningful weight to the drive tray assembly.
• 3.9 in x 3.9 in x 0.4 in footprint: Fits the standard 3.5in bay profile exactly — no clearance issues with adjacent bays, and the 0.4in height does not obstruct chassis airflow paths in typical tower or 1U rackmount designs.

Deployment Considerations:

• Confirm your chassis tray uses standard 3.5in side-mount screw holes before ordering — proprietary trays in some OEM desktops and servers will not accept this bracket without modification.
• This bracket does not support NVMe or M.2 SSDs — SATA interface only. If you are speccing an NVMe OS drive for an NVR host, you need a different adapter entirely.

The BRACKET25SAT is the right call for integrators retrofitting compact desktop workstations as NVR hosts — specifically where a 2.5in SSD is being added as the OS drive alongside larger 3.5in surveillance HDDs in the remaining bays, and the chassis PSU lacks spare SATA power connectors.