"Vantec NexStar SATA Drive Dock"
Joe Citarella - 4/30/08
SUMMARY: Just like a toaster - pop it in, pop it out - nice!
Weight: 270 grams/9.5 ounces
The good guys at Vantec were nice enough to send a sample of their
NexStar SATA Drive Dock to try out. This is a "pop in/pop-out" external hard drive dock - a very neat idea:
Looks like a toaster!
Key Features
- Easy Push-In/Pop-Out docking mechanism
- USB or eSATA ports
- Accommodates 2.5" and 3.5" SATA Drives
- External power supply
- Includes USB/eSATA cables, SATA to eSATA bracket, Manual and driver disk (W98)
- Plastic construction
This is a light-weight unit - all plastic construction. When you snap the drive in place, the eject button pops up - push it down and the drive pops out. There is no safety lock function - if you pop it out before you should, you may lose data. The front features an On/Off switch and an activity light (hard to see in bright light) for hard drive access. The back shows the power, USB and eSATA ports:
Parts that ship with the dock include cables, power supply and a SATA to eSATA bracket for a desktop PC:
Performance
I tried Vantec's NexStar SATA Drive Dock on a Seagate Barracuda 250 GB, 7200 rpm hard drive with the following results:
USB Performance
eSATA Performance
A clear winner for eSATA - about 4½ times faster.
CONCLUSIONS
A very nice implentation for a light weight docking unit - makes switching around SATA hard drives a snap.
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