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Product:
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Luxon LUX-350SA IDE & SATA 3.5" External HDD Enclosure |
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Price:
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TBA
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Supplied By:
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VIZO Technology
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Author:
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Mars
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Date:
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March 11th, 2006
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The next step is to secure the hard drive to the inner cage using the provided Phillips screws, and then insert the
cage into the outer shell. I found the screws to be a little hard to thread in for the first time, as the screws have
a self tapping thread much like when installing a new case fan.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The Luxon LUX-350SA IDE & SATA 3.5" External HDD Enclosure comes with a simple aluminum stand. The portion of the stand
where the enclosure fits into has clear rubber pads that provide a snug fit as well as to protect against scratches.
There are no rubber feet under the stand to protect the finish that the enclosure may rest on such as a desk.
Furthermore the inclusion of rubber feet under the aluminum stand will also aid in absorbing some vibration that I
noticed with the enclosure powered up.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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With the Luxon in its stand we can make the power and interface connections, under normal operation the unit has an
LED that is blue. The owner’s manual gives no indication what color the LED will be under a trouble condition.
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Click image for larger view
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Under Windows XP once the device is connected via USB, Windows will automatically recognize it as a mass storage device
and install the proper drivers. If you are using an operating system other than Windows XP, you will need to install
the appropriate drivers. The hard disk that I am using has been previously formatted and it is part of an RAID 1
(mirror) array. My motherboard RAID option is turned off for this review, so this drive will work as a single drive. If
your drive is not formatted, it will need to be formatted first for the drive to show under the "My Computer" section
of Windows. The owner’s manual offers no information on how to do this, and will require the user to have knowledge of
this process. To disconnect the external enclosure, press the stop button and disconnect the drive when Windows
indicates it is alright to do so.
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SATA Benchmarks - Click image for larger view
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USB Benchmarks - Click image for larger view
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Testing:
I will test the Luxon LUX-350SA IDE & SATA 3.5" External HDD Enclosure for transfer speed, heat, and noise. The application
of choice is SiSoftware Sandra Professional 2005 which provides benchmark tests for transfer speed through the USB and
SATA ports respectively.The above screen shots show the speed difference between USB 2.0 (29 MB/s) and SATA (42MB/s).
We can see that the SATA interface is faster, which helps out when transferring a large single file, or a large amount
of multiple files.
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Conclusion:
The Luxon LUX-350SA from the VIZO Technology Corp. is yet another external hard drive enclosure on the market. The one
advantage that the Luxon has over most of its counterparts is the option of using SATA as the connection interface as
opposed to USB. The Luxon LUX-350SA IDE & SATA 3.5" External HDD Enclosure came as a complete unit, with all screws and
cables needed to get it up and running. Another point worth mentioning is VIZO also manufactures a front I/O panel
designed to make SATA connectivity even easier. It is clear that some thought went into the end user’s convenience from
the team at VIZO Technology Corp when it comes to the external enclosures and the MTP Master Panel. The Luxon LUX-350SA
IDE & SATA 3.5" External HDD Enclosure gave me no access or heat issues when I let the drive run all day while playing
the music stored on it, even during repeated defrags and stress tests using SiSoft Sandra. Although the owner’s manual
contains no information for troubleshooting and formatting a new drive, it is complete package when it comes to
hardware installation and operation. Overall, I was pleased with the Luxon LUX-350SA IDE & SATA 3.5" External HDD
Enclosure and award MTB's Seal of Approval and a final rating of 9.5 out of 10. If
you have any questions regarding this review, be sure to visit the VIZO Technology
website for more information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Stylish appearance
- Includes all needed accessories
- Easy to follow owner’s manual
- Aluminum outer casing
- SATA and USB connectivity
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Cons:
- Lack of rubber feet under the stand
- Owner’s manual offers no troubleshooting tips
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Error processing SSI file
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Error processing SSI file
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