Author: Mikhail Ivanenkov Date: December 16, 2007 Manufacturer: Vantec Provider: Vantec

« Introduction, Product Details, Installation Page 2: Testing, Conclusion

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Here's what it looks like up and running. Setup is simple and no driver installation is necessary. If using the USB interface, Windows will detect it as a USB Mass Storage Device. If using the eSATA interface, it will show up as a normal hard drive. A note on eSATA: although technically the SATA interface does support hot-pluggability, most motherboards' controllers do not. In other words, if using eSATA you may need to shut down your computer before plugging the drive in.

The blue LED is extremely bright and depending on the angle can be distracting. Also, as there is no dampening material on either the plastic stand or the bottom of the NexStar 3, placing it upright will cause some vibrations and a bit of noise. The other side of the enclosure does feature some rubber feet though, so laying it down horizontally solves the problem.

For testing I ran HD Tach's 8MB Zones benchmark. I tested the enclosure using both the USB and eSATA connections. I also compared it to the drive installed internally along with other previously reviewed enclosures, the W Series and M Series models from Eagle Tech. The results are as follows.


Burst speed is nearly identical for all enclosures using USB and eSATA, respectively. eSATA is also about as fast as internal SATA across the board.


Random access times are nearly identical for everything.


CPU utilization is also consistent with eSATA being less intensive than USB.


Finally we have the read speeds, which are once again about the same. In terms of performance, most external enclosures are more or less identical. Ultimately it comes down to looks, features, and the size of your wallet. Vantec's offering is one of the better looking ones we've see, but it's all personal preference.

Pros

• Complete kit
• Solid construction
• Looks great
• Easy installation and setup
• Good performance
• Works with both USB and eSATA interfaces
• Included SATA-to-eSATA bracket

Cons

• Blue LED too bright under certain angles
• Rubber feet only on the side, none on the bottom or the stand, meaning vertical placement will cause vibrations

If interested, you can find a list of retailers here. Thanks for reading and enjoy the site!

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