UGREEN CM198 Dual-Bay Hard Drive Duplicator is now in stock at Mascom International for KSh 5,000, brand new and sealed, at Old Mutual Building, First Floor Room 4, Kimathi Street, Nairobi CBD. The UGREEN CM198 holds two 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch SATA HDDs or SSDs at the same time and copies one to the other at the press of a button, with no computer attached. UGREEN sells it as SKU 50857 and packs a 12V/3A EU power adapter plus a 1-metre USB-A to USB-B cable. Combined capacity across both bays reaches 28TB.
The UGREEN CM198 was built for people who move data for a living. Computer repair technicians along Kimathi Street, Luthuli Avenue, and Moi Avenue clone a failing customer laptop disk onto a fresh SSD in one session instead of tying up a workstation. Wedding photographers in Karen and Westlands pull footage off retired 3.5-inch disks. School and university ICT labs at Kenyatta University and JKUAT duplicate a prepared Windows image onto ten machines. Accountants keep a second copy of KRA filing archives on a disk that sits in a drawer, not in a cloud subscription that bills in dollars every month. NGO field teams returning from Turkana and Marsabit offload survey footage the same day they get back.
At KSh 5,000 the UGREEN CM198 costs less than a single data recovery attempt in Nairobi CBD, where technicians commonly quote KSh 8,000 upward per drive. Unlike a bare USB-to-SATA adapter cable, this unit powers 3.5-inch desktop disks on its own and duplicates without a host machine. Mascom International stocks the UGREEN CM198 at the Kimathi Street shop, where you can insert your own disk and watch it mount before you pay. Countrywide pay-on-arrival delivery covers all 47 counties.
Common Questions About the UGREEN CM198 Dual-Bay Hard Drive Duplicator
What exactly does the UGREEN CM198 do?
It turns loose internal hard disks into working external storage, and it copies one disk onto another. Slide a 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch SATA HDD or SSD into either slot, connect the USB cable, and your computer sees it as a normal external disk. Both bays work at once, so you can drag files between two drives directly. Press the Clone button instead and the unit copies bay A onto bay B by itself. UGREEN lists the model as CM198, SKU 50857.
Can I really clone a disk without a computer?
Yes. Disconnect the USB cable from the computer first, or offline duplication will not start. Insert the source disk into slot A and the target into slot B, switch on, then hold the Clone button for about 3 seconds until the 25, 50, 75, and 100 percent lights blink. Press it once more to begin. The four lights fill in as the copy runs and go solid when it finishes. Power off before pulling the disks out.
How long does cloning a 1TB drive take?
Budget roughly 2 to 3 hours for a full 1TB mechanical disk. Offline duplication copies sector by sector, so it runs at the slower of the two disks rather than at USB speed. Mechanical drives typically sustain 100 to 150MB per second, which works out near 2 hours at best. SSD-to-SSD copies finish considerably faster. Start a large clone before you close the shop and let it run. The 15-minute sleep timer does not interrupt an active copy.
Will it work with my old laptop disk and a new SSD?
Yes, provided both use a SATA connector. The UGREEN CM198 accepts 2.5-inch laptop drives and 3.5-inch desktop drives, in either hard disk or SSD form, in both bays. That covers the common upgrade path in Kenya: pulling a slow 500GB HDD out of an HP EliteBook and copying Windows straight onto a 480GB or 1TB SATA SSD. Older IDE drives with the wide pin connector will not fit. M.2 NVMe sticks need a different enclosure entirely.
What size drives does the UGREEN CM198 handle?
Up to 28TB across both bays combined. UGREEN rates 3.5-inch desktop disks to 16TB and 2.5-inch drives to 12TB. For offline duplication there is one firm rule: the target disk must be equal to or larger than the source. Copying a 2TB disk onto a 1TB disk will fail. If the target is bigger, the copy finishes at the source partition size, and you extend the extra room afterwards in Windows Disk Management or macOS Disk Utility.
Does it work with a television, router, or PlayStation?
It does, through the USB-A cable, on any host that reads USB mass storage. Kenyan customers regularly hang a large disk off a television for recorded content, off a router for shared household storage, or off a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 for extra game capacity. Console storage rules still apply, so format the disk on the console itself. Phones need OTG support. The dock is recognised on Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7, macOS, and Linux without drivers.
Why not just buy a USB-to-SATA adapter cable instead?
Two reasons: power and independence. A bare adapter cable draws from the USB port, which is fine for a 2.5-inch drive but not for a 3.5-inch desktop disk that needs 12V. The UGREEN CM198 carries its own 12V/3A adapter, so desktop disks spin up properly. An adapter cable also cannot duplicate on its own. Cloning through a laptop occupies that machine for hours, while this unit runs in a corner of the workshop.
Is the UGREEN CM198 worth KSh 5,000 for a Kenyan technician?
For anyone who opens more than two machines a month, it pays for itself quickly. A single SSD upgrade job in Nairobi CBD bills between KSh 1,500 and KSh 3,000 in labour, and this unit cuts the time each job takes. Repair shops also use it to read disks pulled from dead laptops without dismantling a working machine. Mascom International backs it with a 6-month warranty and a Kimathi Street counter you can walk into.
Technical Specifications
Drive Bays and Capacity Handling
- Two independent SATA III slots accept 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch drives, so laptop and desktop disks share one dock
- Both hard disk drives and SATA solid state drives are supported in either bay without adapters or caddies
- Rated to 16TB per 3.5-inch disk and 12TB per 2.5-inch disk, 28TB combined across the two bays
- Tool-free insertion means no screws, rails, or caddy trays, which matters when swapping drives repeatedly during repair work
- IDE drives with the wide pin header are not compatible, and M.2 NVMe sticks need a separate enclosure
- Both bays can be read at the same time, letting you drag files directly from one disk to the other
Offline Duplication Function
- One-button copying runs with no computer attached, freeing your laptop while a full disk copy completes
- Source disk goes in slot A, target disk in slot B, and the target must be equal or larger
- Hold the Clone button roughly 3 seconds until the progress lights blink, then press once to begin
- Four blue indicators mark 25, 50, 75, and 100 percent, so you can judge progress from across the room
- Sector-level copying carries the operating system, partitions, and boot files, making it suited to HDD to SSD upgrades
- After cloning to a larger disk, extend the spare space in Windows Disk Management or macOS Disk Utility
Transfer Interface and Controller
- USB 3.0 connection rated at 5Gbps handles roughly 1GB of files in about 3 seconds under UGREEN testing
- SATA III backbone rated 6Gbps means the drive itself, not the dock, sets the practical ceiling
- JMS561U controller chip manages both bays and the standalone duplication routine without host software
- UASP protocol support raises read speed about 70 percent and write speed about 40 percent over plain USB 3.0
- Backward compatible with USB 2.0 ports on older desktops, though throughput drops to that port's limit
- Double-shielded 1-metre USB-A to USB-B cable reduces interference on the run between dock and machine
Operating System and Device Compatibility
- Works on Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7, and Vista with no driver installation required before first use
- macOS and Linux distributions mount the dock as standard USB mass storage straight out of the box
- Televisions and routers with a USB-A port read attached disks for recorded content or shared household files
- PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 accept the dock for extra game storage after formatting on the console
- Android phones and tablets connect through an OTG adapter provided the handset supports OTG host mode
- Plug-and-play across every listed platform, so a repair bench can move it between machines without setup
Power Delivery and Thermal Behaviour
- Bundled 12V/3A EU power adapter supplies the full current a 3.5-inch desktop disk needs to spin up
- Separate power input means the dock never starves a laptop USB port during long duplication sessions
- EU two-pin plug fits Kenya's common travel adapters; Mascom International stocks EU to UK converters separately
- Vertical drive orientation lets warm air rise past both disks, useful during long copies in Mombasa humidity
- Auto-sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity spins drives down, cutting wear and Kenya Power consumption
- Physical rocker switch cuts power completely, protecting mounted disks from sudden outages and surges
Chassis Design and Status Indicators
- Compact 16.2 by 11.2 by 6.2cm footprint fits beside a monitor without crowding a small repair bench
- Roughly 300g bare weight keeps the dock portable enough for on-site jobs across Nairobi and upcountry
- Anti-slip base pads hold position on a desk while you seat a heavy 3.5-inch disk into a bay
- Hinged dust covers close over empty slots, keeping Nairobi office dust out of the SATA connectors
- Black plastic housing hides fingerprints and scuffs during daily handling in a busy workshop environment
- Front indicators show power state, per-bay activity, and the four-stage duplication progress at a glance
Package Contents
- UGREEN CM198 dual-bay docking unit in black, SKU 50857
- 12V/3A EU power adapter with attached DC lead
- 1-metre USB-A to USB-B data cable, double shielded
- Printed user manual with duplication instructions
- Mascom International receipt and 6-month warranty card
Note:No hard disks or SSDs are included. Mascom International stocks 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SATA drives from Seagate, Western Digital, and Toshiba separately, along with EU to UK plug converters.
Warranty
The UGREEN CM198 Dual-Bay Hard Drive Duplicator carries a 6-month Mascom International warranty on manufacturing defects under normal use. Coverage includes the dock, the bundled power adapter, and the data cable. Damage from liquid, surges outside the adapter's rating, or forced drive insertion falls outside the terms. Our Nairobi CBD service desk handles claims directly, without courier returns to a distant centre.
Buying the UGREEN CM198 from Mascom International
Mascom International stocks the UGREEN CM198 in black at our Nairobi CBD location: Old Mutual Building, First Floor Room 4, Kimathi Street. Walk in Monday through Saturday between 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM to handle the unit before committing. Bring a spare disk and our counter staff will seat it in a bay so you can watch it mount.
Three ways to order:
- Call/WhatsApp +254 708 852 521
- Email info@mascomintl.com
- Order through www.mascomintl.com
Pay-on-arrival delivery reaches every Kenyan county. Nairobi and its environs receive the UGREEN CM198 the same day. Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kakamega, Kisii, and all other major towns receive it within 1 business day. Mandera, Wajir, Marsabit, Lamu, Tana River, and Turkana receive delivery within 2-3 business days. You inspect the sealed box and pay only when it arrives.
The UGREEN CM198 comes with the 6-month Mascom warranty stated above.
Mascom International has built its reputation on accurate product specifications, current Kenyan market pricing, and direct after-sales support from our Nairobi CBD store.
