Conclusion

The NexStar 350U2 is a great solution if you want to turn an extra hard drive into a removable storage unit for backups or just for extra storage for a laptop. It's a fairly simple device that will provide you with an economical solution if you have a spare hard drive lying around.

Performance wise, the 350U2 is limited by the transfer speeds of USB2.0. However, it seems like transfering relatively small files (under 256kB) will give you better performance than an SATA setup.

There are a couple of down sides to the NexStar 350U2. Without active cooling in it, it heats up really quickly, especially if you have a 7200RPM drive.

All in all, if you think of it for a mobile backup storage unit, the NexStar 350U2 is a solution worth considering.

Pros

  • Aluminum Construction
  • Sleek Design
  • Fast transfer rates for small files

Cons

  • No active cooling
  • Cramped space

Final Score: 92