Vantec NexStar 3 NST-360U2-RD 3.5-Inch IDE to USB 2.0 External Hard Drive Enclosure

5 comments

1. 

   BOB on November 1, 2009 at 9:16 pm

   I purchased this Vantec product and used it for a short time. Most USB enclosures offer “heat dissipation thru the metal case”, as does this one. However, I grew very concerned about how hot the Vantec became, especially after active operation.

   Heat is a major enemy of electrical motors. The HDD obviously just cooks inside the Vantec. There is also a definitive difference between its temperature in stand-by mode, and during/immediately after active use.

   I found another USB enclosure offering active ventilation: the Apricorn EZ Bus DT, which not only has a built-in fan, but IMHO, for several critical reasons, is a better design and a smarter choice. Here is why:

   The Apricorn’s 3-inch diameter fan is mounted transversely, so it pulls heat directly off the entire underside of the HDD and expels thru vents on either end of the case.

   In comparison, the Vantec’s internal chassis has a solid metal plate which covers the entire HDD circuit board (see the image I loaded above). The Vantec has no venting, so the heat inside builds up fast. I installed a 500GB HDD in the Apricorn and ran a 220+GB backup from the Vantec. Upon completion hours later, the Apricorn’s exterior was completely cool to the touch; the Vantec’s exterior was REALLY HOT.

   A couple of other things I found superior about the Apricorn:

   It’s heavier with a wider base, compared to the Vantec’s (3″ vs. 1.5″). When mounted vertically, you can nudge the Vantec (or the desk it’s sitting on) and it will fall over; it happened twice in the few days I used it. There would be major motion required to tip the Apricorn, and I’ve never toppled it in months of use.

   The Apricorn’s easy-action pushbutton power switch is conveniently (and sensibly) located on the front of the unit. The Vantec’s is on the bottom of the rear panel (see photo above), but it’s a stiff toggle-type switch and awkward to operate. You have to hold the Vantec down with one hand firmly in order to get enough leverage to operate the balky switch… and you leave a nice handprint on the case, which then has to be cleaned. Do that a few times and the sexy mirror finish isn’t going to look new for very long.

   Also, the Vantec’s internal PC board HDD cable is mounted off-center on from the socket on any HDD. You have to kink the Vantec’s flat cable in order to complete the connection (see photo above). The Apricorn’s is located exactly in line with the HDD’s connector, and requires no stressing of the cable.

   The Apricorn is available here on Amazon, but I found it for less at Page Computers. It is slightly higher in cost than the Vantec, but I’m convinced it is a much better product. Also, with Apricorn’s active ventilation and greater physical stability, I have peace of mind about the longevity & safety of the expensive drive mounted inside it.

2. 

   C. K. Nguyen on November 1, 2009 at 10:28 pm

   I have had a few enclosures before but I think this Vantec NexStar 3 is probably my best purchase. The red color is nice, and the 4 little rubber feet keep the vibration to the minimum when in the flat position. The stand is worthless because it amplifies the vibration noise when in vertical position. The fit is little snug but not too bad. The aluminum case is sturdy and beautiful.

3. 

   J. Ryan on November 2, 2009 at 12:51 am

   Installation was a piece of cake, and the best part is, it looks sexy sitting on my desk. I’ve had this for a couple months and no problems yet. I use it as a storage drive, so it isn’t always on, but then again, this reviews for the case not the drive. Lights work fine, Case feels good and solid. Only regret is getting the USB, should have opted for the FireWire. Live n Learn.

4. 

   R.Z. Rider on November 2, 2009 at 3:18 am

   The frame that holds the drive is much too snug – at least for all of the Western Digital drives I have. And, the data cable ends don’t align which doesn’t help. But, once the unit is assembled, it works very well. The ability to stack units (horizontally) is a nice feature.

5. 

   Nikon131 on November 2, 2009 at 5:22 am

   I got the Vantec enclosure to replace my old Macally enclosure. First the Vantec is a small case. I installed a Seagate 250gb HD into this and it is a snug fit. The black front panel slides out you lay your HD in the tray in, screw it, attach cables, attach LED connection and slide back in. ((When I first got this I slid this open real fast, but be careful the LED light connection was already hooked up, I nearly messed up the connectors.))

   As I said the case is slim, the HD pretty much lays against the outer Metal case and the heat is dissapated this way, no fans in this case. The blue is a nice metallic blue, I don’t know if it’s mirrored, but it’s nice. The logo you see is the where the blue LED is behind, which kind of sucks cause I don’t like alot of obnoxious logos, but thats just me. ((You can disconnect the LED and not have the light on)) I have had this case for about two weeks and have found it to be very quiet, well there are no fans so it’s really the sound of the HD.

   The little stand clip is removable so you can lay it flat if you want. I read the reviews on this case at Newegg btw and went on the positive reviews there, this case got a 5 out of 5 with 99 reviews or so. (at the time of this review they had a better price on this case) USB 2.0 is quite fast. Not as fast as firewire, copying 50gb’s of data took about 30 minutes. But after the inital back up, later synchronizing is easy. Of course this might be my HD.

   I am quite happy with the case, form, and size. I wouldn’t hesitate to get another one.