DIY Modify a Desktop PC Hard Drive to USB Interface Board

If you no longer want to use your desktop PC but still have a lot of important data stored on it, and you do not want to keep taking the main unit out just to power it on, you can modify this board instead.

The original board is a USB 3.0 2.5-inch single-5V adapter board. It works fine with an SSD, but it struggles a bit when you also connect a 2.5-inch HDD, because the USB port on a laptop is still relatively limited in power output. You can use a 12V/2A adapter together with an XL4015 to provide 5V for the board and 12V for the HDD. You do not need to disconnect the original USB power, because the two 5V power sources will not interfere with each other.

You need to be careful not to cut off the power while the HDD is reading data. This is also one of the main reasons why the HDDs in many portable hard drives fail prematurely. When using it, first power on the 12V adapter board and wait until the HDD has finished powering up and is ready. Then plug in the USB cable. When you are finished, safely eject the USB device through the operating system first, wait until the HDD stops spinning, and then turn off the power. This allows the HDD to operate in a safe state. As long as you do not drop or physically damage it, it should be about as safe to use as an HDD installed in a desktop PC. The speed is also acceptable, basically staying around 140 MB/s.