VANTEC NexStar 3 NST-280S3-BK Aluminum 2.5" Black USB 3.0 External Enclosure

Pros: USB2 No Problem

Cons: As many here have said this enclosure is frustrating as when connected to a USB3 port it drops very often, also seems to require external power

Other Thoughts: In addition to this Vantec USB3 2.5 enclosure, I recently purchased a Vantec USB3 4 port hub(the smaller version, UGT-MH431U3-BK), it crashes the USB3 driver software & USB3 port on my laptop.

BOTTOM LINE = I will stay away from VANTEC products in the future

Pros: This enclosure seems perfect. I'm booting from it and it seems faster than my internal HDD and I am only using USB 2.0. With USB 3.0 and eSATA, this device should last me for a very log time. Seems well built.

Cons: I did notice that the screw hole tolerances are very tight, as another reviewer had mentioned. A little elbow grease solved the problem, but the idea of using that much force to drive a screw into the bottom of a hard drive made me a little uneasy. No sata III, but c'mon, for what this costs, its great! Especially compared to what else is on the market.

Pros: Works well with USB 2.0
Y-cable with 2 USB connectors avoids the need for a separate power supply in most cases, unlike other enclosures.

Cons: DOESN'T WORK with USB 3.0
No eSATA port

Other Thoughts: I bought one of these about a year ago, primarily because of the USB 3.0 connectivity. I didn't have a 3.0 computer at the time, but wanted a "future proof" choice in anticipation of my next computer. I used the first one for months on 2.0 and it works well. I recently got a new laptop with 3.0, and purchased a second one. Unfortunately, it doesn't work at all reliably on the two 3.0 ports I have, with frequent dismounts and transfer errors. Works fine on 2.0 ports still.

I've gone to the Vantec website and gotten the upgrade firmware, and flashed both drives. It didn't fix the problem.

Note there are two versions of this drive. The older one, which I have, came with the carrying case. The nwer version does not. Maybe those who claim USB 3.0 works for them have the newer version, which may also have an updated chipset(?)

Manufacturer Response:

We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you. We do provide a one year warranty from the date of purchase on your product, so feel free to get that exchanged for a brand new unit. Please contact support@vantecusa.com for further assistance.
Best Regards, Vantec

Pros: Works.

Cons: No case, no power plug.

Other Thoughts: I bought this because I bought the SAME model back in 2010 and liked it. Unfortunately, they've changed it a bit. While the data plug is now standard USB 3.0, a plus, the unit no longer has the option for an external power source. Also, it no longer comes with a case. It /works/, so I'm not going to return it, but I'm not as likely to consider it in future.

Pros: Easy to install, easy to use, nice case, good cable.

Cons: No AC adapter (-1 egg).

Other Thoughts: This works fine as long as you have a pair of USB ports to plug it into. I've not yet tried it with USB 3 or eSATA, so I can't speak to that. I'm going to have to hunt down an appropriate power adapter to try those out.

Pros: See my 1/17/2012 review.

Cons: See my 1/17/2012 review.

Other Thoughts: I discussed this with Vantec USA tech support today. They said that this drive and the NST-260SU drives are supposed to come with carrying cases. They offered to send me one for free. That was great, but it was too late for me, though. I already returned the drive.

Before that, I chatted with Newegg support. All they could do was quote information from the website and tell me to talk to the manufacturer. That was disappointing.

Pros: Works fine if you have two USB plugs available. Easy to install.

Cons: Requires two USB plugs or a not-included power adapter, but that hasn't really caused me trouble. If I didn't have the ports on my hub, THEN I'd have trouble.

Pros: USB 3.0 speeds
A to A connector (better compatibility with USB 2.0)
Works well with my MacBook Pro
Stable (so far)
Double-connector USB cable for power hungry drives.

Cons: Not what is pictured.
No carrying case (I like those with my other NexStar 3 drives)

Other Thoughts: I have 3 other NexStar USB 2.0 drives +/- eSATA connectors, and they all work great. I like the carrying cases that come with them. They're perfect for storing the drive on a dusty shelf or dropping in the safe deposit box for an off-site backup. I bought this in preparation for a (distant) future computer with a USB 3.0 connector, but the cost was no eSATA connector, and no carrying case (which is pictured). The previous reviewer commented on the lack of a Micro-B connector, but I like the type A connector for compatibility with USB 2.0 cables (albeit at USB 2.0 speeds).

Pros: NA

Cons: units come with usb A to A, not the micro B that is in the pictures, also dose not come with a case also as pictured.

Pros: usb 3.0 speeds

Cons: drops out constantly

Other Thoughts: this the second usb3.0 enclosure I've purchased that uses the y-cable connector. each time i've gotten poor performance. with this particular enclosure it constantly drops from the system over and over. this and my previous enclosure were Vantec. The previous enclosure kept corrupting my motherboard's BIOS cause me to have to send it in for repairs. well, i've had enough of Vantec products. oh and one other thing, this enclosure started failing two days after my newegg return period expired. coincidence?