Over the past few months, I have been thoroughly impressed by the revamping of product lines from Vantec.
Today, we have yet another product coming through the lab, this time a 2.5-inch enclosure for those wanting to build their own storage solution. The NexStar TX features UASP technology for the very best in USB 3.0 capabilities along with an aluminium design to enhance the durability of your storage. Compatibility of the enclosure extends to modern Windows operating systems and OS X 10.6+.
MSRP of the Vantec NexStar TX is listed at $19.99 with a one-year warranty.
Packaging for the NexStar TX offers detail on the enclosure at the bottom left and an image of the enclosure to the right.
The back of the packaging offers information in several languages.
Scope of delivery includes a carrying pouch for the drive, screwdriver, USB 3.0 cable, and reading materials.
In our first look at the NexStar TX, we find it quite similar to the NexStar 6G reviewed a few months back.
The plastic cover on the end of the enclosure supports the PCB. Vantec is using the latest ASMedia controller on this solution.
To check the performance of the enclosure, we installed a Samsung 840 Pro. As you can see, we were able to max out USB 3.0 on our test system. Results came in at 433 MB/s read and 170 MB/s write.
The Vantec NexStar TX is a great enclosure for those wanting a quick option for building their own solution. Whether you have a spare SSD or HDD, you don't have to worry about z-height restraints since the TX supports them all. Build quality of the TX was on par with expectation; the aluminium structure of the enclosure feels like it could take some punishment over its lifetime.
Performance of the enclosure was great for read operations but fell off for some reason during write testing. This may have something to do with the controller used in the device, as our SSD had just undergone a fresh secure erase.
MSRP of the Vantec NexStar TX sits at $19.99 with a one-year warranty. Current market pricing can be found below.
PRICING: You can find the Vantec NexStar TX for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The Vantec NexStar TX retails for $19.58 at Amazon.
Canada: The Vantec NexStar TX retails for CDN$16.98 at Amazon Canada.