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First, I tested the Vantec NexStar LX as a USB drive with Sandra 2007. I installed the Samsung into my TVisto drive case and tested it to get a comparison. I also tested the TVisto as a FireWire drive. This gives some indication if the Vantec NexStar chipset is better than others in the market. Below are the results:</p> <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/usb.gif"><img src="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/usbth.gif" alt="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" title="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" width="285" height="349" border="0"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> </p> <p align="left">The FireWire speed dominated of course but the Vantec NexStar did hold its own with other USB drives.</p> <p align="left"></a> <a href="vantec_nexstar/">Next, I tested the Vantec NexStar as a network NAS device. This will give some comparison as to how quick it is versus using it as a USB drive. I used Sandra's reference marks to compare the speed of the disk against other network disks. I used a 100-Base T full duplex switch on my network to test the device. NexStar and my system were the only two devices running on the network at the time of testing. </p> <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/net.gif"><img src="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/netth.gif" alt="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" title="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" width="320" height="350" border="0"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> </p> <p align="left">As shown the disk is incredibly slow on a network versus USB. For a real world test I moved the World of Warcraft folder to the disk with the Vantec NexStar LX as a USB drive and as a network NAS. I used an XCopy script to grab the time of the copies before and after. This folder is about 5.17 GB. Below are the results:</p> <table border="1" align="center" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <th scope="col">USB Time </th> <th scope="col">NAS Time </th> </tr> <tr> <td><div align="center">13 minutes </div></td> <td><div align="center">23 minutes </div></td> </tr> </table> <p>It takes ten extra minutes, almost twice as long, to move the files with Ethernet versus USB. This would have been a lot better with a Gigabit setup on the NexStar and Gigabit router. </p> <p>The heatsink of Vantec's NexStar LX gets very warm, which is good for keeping the drive cool. The fan is quiet on low mode and auto, but annoying on high. If in a server room, feel free to run high. I would not run it on high at home. I put a digital thermometer inside the case to test the temperature while moving files to the disk. I moved data for 10 minutes and recorded the final temperature. Below are the results for both low and high speed:</p> <table border="1" align="center" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <th scope="col">Ambient</th> <th scope="col">Low Fan </th> <th scope="col">High Fan </th> </tr> <tr> <td><div align="center">26.7 C </div></td> <td><div align="center">36.6 C</div></td> <td><div align="center">35.3 C </div></td> </tr> </table> <p align="left">I would say that there is really no reason to use the high fan speed. The NexStar LX cools very well on low and turning it to high does not make much of a difference for the extra noise. I would have guessed this because the inside of the case is so jammed packed it would be hard for air to flow. Also, the fan points over the board instead of at the drive. I would just leave the fan on auto or low. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Conclusion:</strong></p> <p align="left">I truly am impressed with the Vantec NexStar. I think the performance is solid on USB but a little low when on a network. The convenience and ease of use overrides the network performance. Not having to install software on other computers is very important. While it doesn't do NTFS or handle AD, it provides basic password security. Extra features like FTP can make it fit even more scenarios. The only drawback is the lack of Gigabit support. Playing files in WinAmp through the network did not leave me disappointed. Vantec's NexStar is perfect for sharing files on your network. </p> <p align="left"><strong>Pros:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Web based setup</li> <li>Shares on a network</li> <li>Password shares</li> <li>Controllable fan</li> </ul> <p align="left"><strong>Cons:</strong></p> <ul> <li>No Gigabit</li> <li>Loud fan on high </li> </ul> <p><strong>Ratings:</strong></p> <table width="216" border="0"> <tr> <td width="103">Esthetics:</td> <td width="103">Very Good </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Performance:</td> <td>Very Good </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Packaging:</td> <td>Excellent</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Price: </td> <td>Excellent</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Cooling:</td> <td>Excellent</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Compatibility:</td> <td>Excellent</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Overall:</td> <td> Good </td> </tr> </table> <p>(Ratings Possible: Terrible, Very Bad, Bad, Fair, Good, Very Good, Excellent)</p> <table align="center" border="1" width="75%"> <tbody> <tr bgcolor="#0066ff"> <td><div align="center"><strong><font color="#ffffff">More Information</font></strong></div></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <div align="center"><a href="http://atruereview.pricegrabber.com/search.php?topcat_search=1&form_keyword=vantec+nextstar&Search=Search">Compare Prices</a></div></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p> </p> <p><a href="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/nas_storage2.php"></a> <a href="vantec_nexstar/nas_storage2.php">Previous (Setup)</a></p> </div> </td> </tr> </table> </div> <div id="footer" class="clr"> <div class="rk-1"> <div class="rk-2"> <div id="the-footer"> <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? 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