Specifications, Pricing and Availability

There isn't a whole lot to these desktop docking stations. They sit on your desk, you plug drives into them, hit a power button and within a few seconds your computer is ready to read and write data to the drive. The main variables are the interface; eSATA, USB 2.0 or USB 3.0, and how easy it is to turn the dock on and off.

Thermaltake's BlacX product line has been around since the start of the desktop docking station craze started and along the way they learned a few things. The first is ease of use. By putting the power button at the front of the docking station users can turn the system on or off much easier than they could if the power button was placed at the back of the unit where the connecting wires are located. It might not sound like a big deal while reading about it, but when you are using the docking station it makes all of the difference. There are many desktop docking stations that put the button on the back.

The BlacX is Thermaltake's first run at a USB 3.0 desktop docking station. They are claiming compatibility with SATA versions 1, 2 and 3. Today we will be putting those claims to the test and testing the BlacX 5G with Crucual's RealSSD C300, the fastest 256GB SSD in the world. The BlacX 5G works with both 3.5 and 2.5" form factors as long as the drive is serial ATA.

When it comes to cost, Newegg currently lists the Thermaltake BlacX 5G at 49.49. This is actually quite a bit more than the two other USB 3.0 desktop docking stations we reviewed last month. The MUKii TransImp TIP-D180U3 was selling for just 38.40 when reviewed and it also has a front mounted power button. The ineo Technology I-NA317U+ was even cheaper selling for just 29.99 when reviewed, but its power button was located on the back with the cable connectors.