14 DAY TRIAL // Vantec Thermal Technologies seems to be aiming for the full utilization of the theoretical data-transfer capabilities of 5Gbps attainable by the USB 3.0 connection. As a step in that direction, the company put together several products, each meant to either grant 'normal' motherboards support for USB 3.0 (the PCIe x1 host card) or protection and improved connectivity for hard drives that can employ such a connection (the two drive enclosures).
The NextStar 3 drive enclosures are made of aluminum, are backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and come in two different sizes, to accommodate both hard disk form factors. They are colored in Onyx Black with a mirror finish. The USB 3.0 will achieve speeds of 5Gbps, which is the equivalent of 625Mbps. It is these enclosures, now capable of supporting a wider variety of hard drives, that will be complemented by the two USB 3.0 new add-on cards. The 2.5-inch enclosure will support HDDs up to 1TB, while the 3.5-inch will accommodate drives of up to 2TB.
For the USB 3.0 connectivity, the company introduced the USB 3.0 PCI Express Card, which will allow USB 3.0 HDD and flash devices to work at full speed. The add-on card not only allows the use of USB 3.0, but it is also backwards compatible with the USB 2.0 and 1.1 interfaces. The card has two USB ports and, when running USB 2.0, the maximum transfer rates may reach up to 480 Mbps (compared to the 5 Gbps attainable by the USB 3.0). The card measures 67 x 120 x 20mm and supports Microsoft Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.
The host card naturally supports hot swap, allowing for the easy plugging and removal of USB devices without requiring a system reboot. The products will be launched simultaneously and are scheduled for release early next year. The add-on card will be sold along with a user manual and a driver CD, whereas the enclosures will also come with a Power Adapter, a USB 3.0 cable, a carrying case and installation screws.
