Introduction

We would like to thank Vantec for the review sample.

USB 2.0 in today's market has become the standard and most popular external connectivity solution. External storage devices and enclosures being one of the more popular peripherals, are available in a wide variety of types and styles with various features. The Vantec NexStar 3i is one of those external storage enclosures that offers the feature of saving power, that with today's energy costs is a welcome feature for just about anything that uses electricity. This review will go over other things that make the 3i different from the thousands of other products such as this in the market. Vantec was founded in 1994 in Freemont California and doesn't settle for a boring product. Vantec likes to put the "WOW" factor into their enclosures with bold colors and mirror finishes. Their product line is vast, including PC and notebook accessories, cooling solutions, power supplies, and storage enclosures as we will be reviewing today. This is what Vantec has to say about their NexStar 3i:

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With the advent and subsequent popularity of portable computers, power management of system components has become an important issue. The NexStar 3i Power Management Enclosure can reduce energy consumption and cooling costs, reduce noise, and prolong the life of hard drive. Less electricity consumption with three intelligent power management modes: Idle, Stand By, and Power Down. The NexStar 3i utilizes USB 2.0, offering speed up to 480Mbps, and it is an ideal way to store and transfer large amounts of data in an enclosure that matches your style!

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Features

• Power Management
• Supports 3.5" SATA HDD up to 1TB
• Transfer Rates up to 480Mbps w/ USB 2.0
• HDD activity, Idle, Stand By, and Power Down LED Lights
• Aluminum Casing
• Hot Swappable: Plug & Play
• Windows/Mac Compatable

Specifications

Color	White
Material	Aluminum
Dimensions	198x125x33 mm
Power Supply	AC Adapter
Device Support	SATA I/II HDD
Device Size	3.5"
Internal Interface	SATA
External Interface	USB 2.0
Data Transfer Rate	480Mbps (12Mbps w/ USB1.1)
Power Management Mode	Idle / Standby / Power Down
HDD Capacity	Up to 1TB