Vantec NexStar NST-370A31 3.5-inch USB 3.1 Storage Enclosure Review

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After our review of the 2.5" NexStar 3.1, we got the larger sibling in this lineup solutions sent over for review. Apart from sharing the same interface, as the title would suggest this device is catering towards consumer wanting to set up any 3.5" drive for USB 3.1 connectivity.

The NexStar 3.1 3.5" storage enclosure is a Gen II SuperSpeed+ capable solution featuring internal SATA III support while externally Vantec is deploying this solution with a Type A port for added compatibility. Hard drive compatibility is listed with capacities up to 6TB while the structure of the enclosure is designed to be durable with both plastic and aluminum being used.

Operating system compatibility is listed with Windows Vista support and up along with OS X 10.6+. To get the most out of this storage enclosure, consumers will want to deploy the device on a USB 3.1 capable PC.

Starting off with the box art, we find an image of the enclosure centered with marketing information below. A SuperSpeed+ logo is placed to the far right denoting its Gen II support.

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The scope of delivery includes a power adapter, Type-A USB cable, and the enclosure. Vantec has also included a quick start guide to get you up and running quickly.

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Like its smaller counterpart, this solution too houses an activity LED at the top edge of the enclosure. The front of the enclosure is vented to aid in cooling the internal drive and components.

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Flipping to the rear of the enclosure, we have the power input, power switch, and USB port.

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Above, we have the flash drive itself, which is 32GB in capacity and very tiny.

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Internally, the 3.5" NexStar 3.1 houses a larger PCB, which is shielded by a solid piece of aluminum.

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In testing, we found that in using the same drive, Intel 730 480GB SSD, the larger 3.5" enclosure performed slightly better than the previously tested 2.5" solution. Read results came in at 483 MB/s while write results touched the same 502.9 MB/s under Windows 10.

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Swapping over to OS X, we were able to get a quick look at the USB 3.0 performance of this enclosure. If we compare this to previously tested solutions, you can see that USB 3.1 devices open things up and allow a more complete utilization of available storage bandwidth.

As of late I have been high on products from Vantec. They have seemingly cleaned up many of the quality issues that have plagued them in the past, and this includes not only the electronic components but also the materials used in the enclosures. With the NexStar 3.1, as with its smaller counterpart, the 3.5" solution uses a good mix of cost effective materials with both plastic and aluminum used in the structure. Build quality is quite solid with no sharp edges on the aluminum, and the plastic feels rigid enough to handle a few drops. Internally, they are using the latest Gen II USB 3.1 controller from ASMedia.

Performance wise, the 3.5" solution was just a touch quicker than its smaller brother with 483 MB/s reads and 502 MB/s writes. Adding to this, we found even when using our MacBook Pro that only has USB 3.0 capabilities, we enjoyed a decent performance boost over standard USB 3.0 enclosures.

Pricing of the Vantec NexStar 3.1 in the 3.5" flavor carries an MSRP of $39.99 with a one-year warranty.

Tyler's Test System Specifications

• Motherboard: ASUS Z97-A - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• CPU: Intel Core i7 4770K - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Memory: Patriot Viper 3 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3 1600 - Buy from Amazon
• Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Storage: Intel 730 480GB - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Case: Corsair Obsidian 750D - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower 750W - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• OS: Microsoft Windows 10 - Buy from Amazon