




Form and function combine in the Vantec NexStar 3 drive enclosure. Turn a standard 3.5-inch Serial ATA hard drive up to 3TB in size into an external USB 2.0-and-eSATA storage device. The sturdy drive cage protects your hard drive while the aluminum case effectively draws away the heat, protecting your drive from overheating.
The NexStar 3 features eSATA (external Serial ATA) and USB 2.0 interfaces offering speeds up to 3Gbps or 480Mbits per second, respectively. This flexibility allows you to use your hard drive at its full performance where eSATA is available and still have the option of using USB where it's not. The drive is hot swappable, letting you plug and unplug the unit without needing to reboot. An attractive blue LED lets you know you have power and when the hard drive is actively working.
The drive can lie horizontally or stand vertically, and is powered by a bundled power adapter. In the package you'll find a driver disc, user manual, the enclosure, eSATA and USB cables, a SATA-to-eSATA bracket, along with the power adapter and stand. The NexStar 3 is a great way to store and transfer data in style!
Pros: Slim case design, full eSATA support, decent price for an external SATA case.
Cons: Supplied external back plate only has one external SATA connector.
Overall Review: This is a great case, but after reading many of the reviews there are a few things you should know. 1) The drive assembly fits in a tongue-and-groove support in the center of the case. You need to be careful and get it into the groove so that the drive will be secure. If your drive rattles you most likely didn't get it aligned correctly or missed the groove. It will fit very snug in the groove when aligned correctly. 2) The internal drive LED cable is easy to break. It runs along the outer sleeve. Be careful not to get it underneath the case screw because when you assemble the case, the screw can cut the lead in two. You may want to tape it up to keep it out of the way when assembling the case.