Hardware Review
Thermaltake BlacX
An external enclosure has now become a norm for power users on the go. Through my browsing on various online retailers, I've come across a very unique product, hard drive docking stations. This is a very clever idea to basically connect an internal hard drive externally without the use of an enclosure type casing. Tonight we will be taking a look at Thermaltake's BlacX docking station. We would like to thank the Thermaltake team for making this review possible.
Ok, so you want to get an enclosure for your internal hard drive. Let say you have 3 hard drives you want to use externally. Buying 3 enclosure isn't really practical as a solution. Not only you have to assemble the hard drive in the enclosure, you have to consider the cost factor as well. A hard drive docking station is a great way to solve this issue. Not only its assembly free, it is also very practical solution for multi hard drive use.
Click the image to see it full view...
Let's take a further look at Thermaltake's BlacX. As mentioned above, the BlacX is a hard drive docking station. The unit is entirely made up of ABS plastic. It supports both a 2.5" and 3.5" SATA hard drives. It also uses both a USB and eSATA interfaces to connect to your PC. Unlike an enclosure, the BlacX requires no assembly, you simply place the hard drive on the docking slot and you're good to go. The docking station also supports hot swapping for fast multi hard drive access. Below are some features of the BlacX
| Patented Design |
| RoHS Compliance |
| Supports All 2.5” & 3.5” SATA HDDs up to 1TB ! |
| Hot-Swap Capability for Rapid Multi HDDs Access & Exchange |
| Supports eSATA Transfer Speed up to 3Gbps |
| Supports USB 2.0 Transfer Speed up to 480Mbps |
| Windows & Mac OS Compatible |
| Compact Docking Station Design maximizes Heat Dissipation & Exhaust |
| Windows Vista Ready ! |
I myself use several external hard drives, this docking station is a heaven sent as I can now just swap hard drives as need be. If you're motherboard supports eSATA, this is a must have. eSATA's performance is just awesome if you're dealing with high amounts of data. We would've also liked to see this ducking kit with a Firewire connector, just to give you more options on connectivity. A carrying case would've also been a good addition to the docking station.
Overall, we can't find anything wrong with the Thermaltake BlacX. Portability wise, it's small enough that you can bring it with you anywhere. Not only it supports USB it also supports eSATA as well as 2.5" notebook hard drives. We really liked the idea behind this product, not only it's practical, it is also very easy to use. We give the Thermaltake BlacX a score of 9 out 10 and our Editor's Choice.
Pros:
Great design
Hot-Swap compatibility
eSATA and USB support
Supports up to 1TB
Supports 2.5" and 3.5" drives
Cons:
Carrying case would've been a good addition
Manufacturer Link:
