The Basics:
Out of the box, the first thing we will look at is the NexStar LX housing. As shown below, it ships in two pieces, the base and the snap on top. The NexStar LX is available in black or white, and it should be obvious that we received the black version. The bulk of the housing is constructed of plastic, and the external surfaces have a high gloss shine. It looks nice in general, but in addition to showing fingerprints with ease, the sample arrived with the top cover scuffed all along one edge. In addition to the finish being prone to smudges and scratches, the plastic itself doesn't seem to be the most robust choice since it is a bit flimsy.
 
We'll take a closer look at the control board and connections later, but a few things to note include the large black plate shown in the middle of the drive compartment. This is an aluminum heatsink, which will passively draw heat from the bottom of the drive to the outside of the enclosure, where we can see a set of fins in the bottom view. So, not only do you have active cooling from the fan, but there is additional passive cooling to help keep your drive cool and healthy.
On the back side (below left) we have a vent for the fan to exhaust air, a power switch, power cable connection, dip switches for fan speed control, Ethernet connection, reset button, USB connection, and a security slot. Many enclosures do not include a power switch, so it is nice to see one here, and the variable speed fan is a nice touch, too. You can set it to auto, high, or low, where auto regulates speed based on feedback from the temperature sensor.
 
On the front of the NexStar LX (above right) we have have their logo, as well as a clear strip where a series of three blue LEDs shine through to indicate activity. From left to right, the LEDs indicate drive activity, device power, and Ethernet activity.
In the image below we have a close up of the brains of the NexStar LX. There is a PCB spanning the enclosure where the external connection bring data to/from your drive either via USB or Ethernet. Inside we have a flat ribbon IDE cable, 4-pin power connector, and the black and white lead with a white bulb at the end is a thermal sensor. The large black box labeled Y.S. Tech is the fan, which draws its air in through the bottom face, and expels it out the rear of the housing. Air flow is provided into the enclosure via the grey perforated panels seen in each corner.
The images below detail the balance of the items provided with the Vantec NexStar LX. In the below left image we see an Ethernet cable, USB cable, and a two piece AC power adaptor. In the below right image we see the User Manual, a bag of drive mounting screws and mounting tape, and a CD-ROM required only for use with a Windows 98 system. With all of the necessary cables included, any user should be able to get their NexStar LX up and running without needing anything other than a drive to put inside.
 
|
|
