Vantec NST-370GX Nexstar GX External 3.5IN IDE Drive Enclosure USB2.0

Comment:
not bad, well engineered, particularly taking into consideration the price. final assembly is a snug fit (if one is a rush and careless), but every little thing must fit perfectly, with no wasted space. the passive (aluminum) heat sink, which becomes element of the enclosure immediately after the drive is mounted, is a clever thought.for the drive to fit properly inside the case, it *must* be mounted upside-down (circuit board facing up), and the aluminum heat sink (into which the drive is mounted) must be meticulously aligned *before* tightening the screws (and don't over-torque them). the mounting procedure should be accomplished on a flat surface, with the fins of the heat sink facing upward, so that the drive sits perfectly level inside the heatsink, thereby reducing vibration when the drive is in operation. if done properly, the drive will fit inside the case perfectly, devoid of any force. be careful with the ATA ribbon cable, hard suitable angles can stretch & break the delicate wiring. there is a *proper* way to make the necessary bends in ribbon cables to make every thing fit properly (without damaging the cable), so don't just try to jam every thing inside the enclosure. take your time to do it right the very first time. the temperature probe must be mounted (directly) on the challenging drive frame, wherever the most quantity of heat is generated. use the strip of tape that is included to affix the probe in location (also use a small amount of silicone heat transfer grease if you have some, which really should give the probe superior 'thermal speak to' with the challenging drive). i don't suggest changing the fan DIP switches to manual/high mode, as these tiny fans are not intended to run at full speed for extended periods (it will burn out in no time). if the temperature probe is situated in the proper spot (on the drive), and the fan left in automatic mode, the active cooling method need to function appropriately. the fan does not turn ON unless the drive becomes hot, which is less likely with modern 7200 or 5400 rpm drives, so don't be concerned if the fan isn't spinning up... it will if things get too hot inside (there are 3 automobile speeds).i haven't tested the I/O for stability/speed yet, so i'll report back on that later

Comment:
Looks wonderful if you have Apple Items or a pc with a white & aluminum look. I really like the fan, and the lengthy power extension! Ever given that I installed the boxes only a day ago I have notice a significant distinction in heat (much substantially cooler). This is since in contrast to these external enclosures my old ones didn't have a heat sink, or a fan to cool down the hard drive. The heat sink, and fans are a massive plus with these enclosures. The USB hub is also a enormous plus with these boxes less difficult to connect much more drives if you use a RAID. While installation was effortless with my Seagate 700GB drive my Seagate Barracuda 300GB drive didn't fit to nicely. I had to in fact take one of the caps off to fit the drive in.1 other negative about the case is that the drive sits upside down. While this won't cause any physical harm, I personally would have preferred them to be upright (Just a personally preference). I have presently moved all my IDE difficult drives into these enclosures. My only other Tough Drive is a SATA and I have a distinction enclosure; on the other hand from the very same corporation. All my new instances look good, and run like a charm.I would say this is a have to have for Apple Laptop or computer owners, or those with PC's that mach these situations coloring.For the price I don't think I could have done any far better!

Comment:
instalation was a breeze, the HD screws into a bracket that then screws into the case. (dont forget to plug in the cables b4 putting carriage in case.) HD fit in case just fine (maxtor dimondmax ten) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822140166)great speed off the usb's nearly as rapid as if it had been plugged directly into the computer. active pasive cooling isnt what its cracked up to be. the HD tray is a passive heatsink, nearly like a cpu heatsink but it shows out the bottom of the enclosure and there is Almost NO clearance under the drive for airflow so dont assume about stacking them like they appear to be developed to do. must place entire enclosure on its side to preserve passive heatsink from finding fried egg hot. only happens when transfering copious ammounts of information, i.e. minutes worthቦ-20gig + . otherwise the pasive sink works great. the active cooling is for the power array on the inside of the case, works well sufficient but there is not significantly heat inside the case as most of it is drawn out thru the passive sink. so it is amlost a useless function untill the passive sink cant pull sufficient heat then it is a godsend. fan is kind of loud for a hd enclosure at least you can change the fan speed with the dip switched in the rear. dip switches challenging to alter as they are recessed a methods back, want one thing smaller ..... like a jeweers screwdriver to change them properly. smart power function is fantastic, turn on computer, HD comes on, turn off pc HD goes off immediately after about 30-45 seconds.overall excellent design, flaws avoid a 5Ǜ,

Comment:
USB hub, functions with MAC and Computer Great!, Auto Fan with temp sensor keeps drive cool, has heat Aluminum Heat sink to support keep drive cool. comes with rubber feet, no noise, functions with my 750G seagate just fine mounting the hd is tricky, the screws on the heatsink are modest thread count. dont overtighten, HD need to be mounted upside down to accomodate goofy cable routing, all in all the ideal external case I have ever owned, This case is the Greatest one I have ever purchased. I have been by means of several, Most of the new egg Chinese junk is just that, but this in fact is a fine unit, properly constructed. A should for everyone looking for a case for a three.five" challenging drive. I looked at about 30 cases, and this was the one that beat them all and its really affordable!GET IT!!

Comment:
1) Square flat format looks very tidy on desk.two) All wires on the back, such as: 1 USB in, three USB out, power supply in. Once again, quite tidy when compared to a normal USB hub (wires on at least two sides generally, so rather untidy and fiddly).3) USB outlets are all powered by the drive energy supply, so no require for an extra outlet and power brick or wall wart.4) Auto power up and energy down feature quite helpful, and functions with standby/suspend mode as nicely.five) Accepts PATA/IDE connection. This is only a "pro" if you have 1 of those older drives that require a household (like I did).6) Ventilation and underside heat sink need to keep temperatures below manage ... hopefullyő) Ubuntu 10.04 (Linux O.S.) will enable me to "diasy chain" a different HD enclosure onto this 1 using one of the USB ports (Windows XP Pro would not). Actually good. 1) Somewhat bulky compared to other enclosures (minor flaw IMO).two) Somewhat tacky finish. The white plastic lid seems rather flimsy, and does not appear as sophisticated as the LaCie design it replaced.3) The fan is extremely annoying. Considerably noisier than the LaCie unit with a fan (they don't all have one). It cycles on and off all the time, even if the drive is not presently working on files, and even if it is not warm in my office. It's as noisy as some of the noisiest laptop fans I've ever heard and much noisier than my Toshiba laptop.4) Only 3 USB out is a bit limiting. Even 1 far more would have been nice.five) Windows XP Pro will NOT permit me to "daisy chain" a different tough drive connected to one of the USB ports. It will only see 1 or the other, never ever each (this does perform, nevertheless with Ubuntu 10.04). I would not have purchased this if I had recognized it was so annoyingly noisy beforehand. I'll try and uncover somewhere to hide it in my office, or maybe manually set the fan to ON all the time on the low setting and see if that is much less noisy than Auto. It's a minor concern if you use a Linux O.S. (such as Ubuntu ten.04), mainly because if you unmount the drive, it stops the noise right away. This may also work with a Mac, due to the fact that will also allow you to unmount drives simply. As properly as 1 additional USB on the rear, it would be good to contain just 1 USB outlet on the front for ease of access for temporary devices such as USB important drives. It wouldn't even have to be powered for that purpose.This is a Fantastic thought, compared to a separate HDD enclusure and USB hub, but the execution could/should have been superior.

Comment:
This is an outstanding enclosure! Instillation was a snap, Plug-n-Play is legit - no drivers necessary - recognized proper away. The case is incredibly appealing and sturdy - it doesn't really feel low-cost like the 1 that I returned ahead of obtaining this one. The additional USB ports are a sweet bonus. Price is great too! None so far... Go for it!

Comment:
Built in USB hub.Whisper silent fan--even when set to high speed.Exact fit below a mac mini and adds a lot-required usb ports!Intelligent power is extremely handy for men and women like me who have it on all the time, but do not use it all the time.Passive Al heatsink along with active cooling keeps drive cool.I have usually utilised vantec enclosures, and this 1 is the greatest of the very best. Can be a little tricky to get the drive installed.Does not come in a SATA flavor. I hate to purchase pre-built external harddrives because there is no way to raise space without voiding the warranty. This enclosure does quite a few items for me--I can use a retail harddrive (with a 3 or five year warranty), improve my USB ports and upgrade the drive without having getting to replace the entire unit. On best of which, must the enclosure ever fail although under warranty, I do not have to be concerned about sending it for repair/replacement with the harddrive (and all my information) with it.

Comment:
straightforward to install difficult drive PLUS it is a USB hub None so far quiet, begins when you commence your computer

Comment:
usb hub and looks nice kinda large and quite tight fit it truly bulges exactly where the power adaptor is Nothing actually does what it is supposed to do and acts as a usb hub

Comment:
wonderful item, wonderful cost, i love these boxes none this is my 2nd 1, i am putting this 1 in a pals semi-truck for his external.

Comment:
Great capabilities. Very Quiet. Auto on-off feature is amazing. The fit and finish of the product is bad. I expected superior finish, but the plastic feels low-cost, and just lacks the quality really feel. It was a bit cramped for my Seagate 300gb harddrive, but I was able to fit every thing in.