VANTEC NST-280SU3-BK Aluminum 2.5" Black USB3.0 & eSATA NexStar 3 SuperSpeed Enclosure

Pros: the usb3 works well.

Cons: the esata chip is flakey. looking at all the other reviews, i see that the problem is pretty widespread. it worked at first, but it started disconnecting more and more often until it's at the point now where computers won't recognize it in esata mode at all.

i've tested it with several computers, and two different esata cables so i'm sure it's the case's fault. and since it works with usb3, it can't be my SSD.

Other Thoughts: it's too bad they used a poorly engineered esata chip - everything else on enclosure is pretty nice.

Pros: ESata smoking fast. Been using Rosewill USB 3.0 enclosures which are fast.....but the ESata on this enclosure is super fast 80 gb sec vs 20 for USB. USB 3.0 only works fine too. Super enclosure. And it looks cool. Blue light on the front is cool. Much better looking in person than in the photos. Made good. Just as sturdy as the rosewill. Both are good.

Cons: None so far

Other Thoughts: Highly recommended. Split cable is kind of strange because with normal SSD and 2.5 laptop drives you only need one plugged in. great enclosure

Pros: It looks pretty at a distance.

All of the electronic bits worked just fine.

I do like that it uses a normal full sized USB plug. I refuse to buy anything other than that micro USB. I got tired of having to have too many different cables for the exact same type of connection.

Cons: Not a fan of the double ended USB cable. I never had to plug them both in. But, I was using a SSD in it which does have less power draw than a mechanical drive.

The case itself looks way prettier online than in person. It just feels kinda cheap. The ends are made of plastic, and the plastic tabs that hold the removable end onto the PCB board both broke on me after removing a drive twice.

The screws used to attach the end on strip very easily.

Other Thoughts: I am either going to replace it with the SIIG JU-SA0912-S1 or try the Vantec NexStar TX. The TX at least looks like it doesn't follow the same bad design as the rest of the NexStar series.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Customer,
We value your input about our product and will strive hard to provide our customer with good quality products. If you have questions about our products, or anything that are not functioning the way it is advertised, please feel free to write to us for assistance at support@vantecusa.com. We will try our best to support and answer your questions. Thank you for looking into our products.
Best Regards, Vantec

Pros: Sleek looking, works in USB 3.0

Cons: The chipset inside feels cheap and the fit inside the casing is awkward. Be careful while assembling, you might bend the chipset.

Worked for a few minutes in esata on my laptop ( Clevo P170HM ) but now it doesnt work at all. Intel Rapid storage sees the drive but can't do anything about it... I have to OCZ Vectors SSD in RAID0 in the laptop and I was hoping to use the Esata with an external HDD to backup the ssd's but it's not working...

I've read hundreds of thing regarding my problem. From Win 7 64bit drivers problems to faulty cable, and Intel drivers, or even a bios flash (which i did). And nothing worked.

Install is a clean win7 64 bits with all drivers up to date...

Other Thoughts: Since Intel Rapid Storage sees the drive when it's in the esata port, i guess the enclosure works, but it is unusable for me.

Pros: Works exactly as advertised. Fast speeds.

Cons: The USB port on the enclosure is the Type A you normally see on the computer, which makes the cable look like a crossover USB cable. It isn't wrong, I don't think, but it is odd.

Other Thoughts: I had hoped that the eSATA would be an eSATAp where it can get power over the same wire because my laptop has eSATAp ports, but it isn't. I can't find any external enclosures which are capable of this, so that might be a useless measure.

Pros: The specifications are impressive.

Cons: Does not work. It keeps losing the connection and corrupting my data. It is being returned as I write this.

Pros: Fast 3.0 and esata, doesn't get too hot, easily recognized

Cons: you have to plug in the usb cable to use it with esata too.

Pros: Lightweight, small, simple.

Cons: Simply won't work for more than a few minutes. Returned the first one, same results with second. Connects fine, but disappears after a few minutes. Tried on 5 different computers, using 3 different operating systems, but got same results.

Other Thoughts: Previously, I purchased an older USB 3.0 version that worked fine, but this one really disappoints. Emails to Vantec go unanswered. I have to agree with others, Vantec seems to have dropped the ball on this one.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Customer,
We try hard to provide excellent customers service. If you have questions about our products, or anything that are not functioning the way it is advertised, please feel free to write to us for assistance at support@vantecusa.com . We will try our best to support and answer your questions. Thank you for looking into our products.
Best Regards, Vantec

Pros: It's small, and looks nice.

Cons: The small pull out tray is very flimsy, and is extremely hard to put into the case. My Samsung 830 SSD kept disconnecting after a few minutes using eSATA. This was on two different PC's. USB 2.0/3.0 seemed to work ok.

Pulling out the drive required hurculean effort, and bent the electronics on the tray.

Nice looking, but very poorly/cheaply built. Stay away.

Other Thoughts: Here's a thought. Charge $5 extra, and put in materials and build quality that's much better. Makes for a better product.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Customer,
We try hard to provide excellent customers service. If you have questions about our products, or anything that are not functioning the way it is advertised, please feel free to write to us for assistance at support@vantecusa.com . We will try our best to support and answer your questions. Thank you for looking into our products.
Best Regards, Vantec

Pros: None

Cons: I have the older USB 2.0 version of this that has performed flawlessly. The inevitable demise of its mini-USB port has forced me to search for a new enclosure. This new one does not work as advertised. This is a 2nd unit, as I had to return the first one because it did not work at all. The unit will not connect to any ports but USB 3.0, and only if all 3 ends of the supplied USB cord are all connected (2 data, 1 power). eSATA connectivity is sporadic. I tried 3 different drives in the unit and tried connecting to 5 different computers.

Other Thoughts: Do not waste your money. VANTEQ dropped the ball on this one

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued Customer,
We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you. We try hard to provide our customer with the best service. If you have questions about our products, please feel free to write to us for assistance at support@vantecusa.com. We will try our best to answer your questions and help you setup the device to work correctly. Thank you for looking into our products. We do value your patronage.
Best Regards, Vantec