As its name suggest, the Easy SATA is marketed by Antec as an “easy” solution to bringing hot swap capabilities to your computer system. Not only does it offer a convenient way of accessing and removing hard drives, the performance of the Easy SATA matched the transfer speed rates of a hard drive connected directly to an internal SATA port. Thus, for those looking for an alternative to installing a SATA hard drive into their computer case, the Easy SATA is a good solution without the loss of performance or reliability.
Nevertheless, the Antec Easy SATA is not without its faults. The black matte finish is susceptible to being scratched when inserting a hard drive. The scratches are minimal and are likely not to be noticed, but this detracts from the overall quality of the product. Furthermore, removal of an inserted hard drive is a manual process that also involves releasing the locking mechanism via a button. Given the fact that the hard drive fits quite snugly in the device, accomplishing this task may be difficult for some at first. A latch or lever system, such as the one seen in the Thermaltake BlacX, that facilitates the hard drive's diconnection from the Easy SATA's connectors would be preferable.
Such faults are quite minor, and are easily ignorable. Indeed, the Easy SATA offers excellent performance, an eSATA port, a locking mechanism and a straight-forward design.
Given its suggested price of only $29.99 USD, the Antec Easy SATA is positioned as a highly affordable device. The deal is sweetened even more by that fact that some retailers sell this hard drive caddy for only $20.00 USD. With the performance and sturdy design that the Easy SATA possesses, Antec’s product is “easily” a good buy.
Thus, the Antec Easy SATA hot swap hard drive caddy is given the Vortez Hardware Silver award. Vortez Hardware would like to thank Antec for providing this review sample, and we hope to see more Antec PC accessories in the future.
Pros
+ Excellent performance; similar to that of internal SATA because the Easy SATA uses an adapter that gives a direct link to the internal SATA port, i.e. it has no SATA link controller chip
+ Good hard drive locking mechanism; ensures that the hard drive is secured in the device
+ Good value; one of the cheapest hot swap hard drive caddies available
+ Straight-forward design; insertion of hard drive is simple, but requires releasing the locking mechanism
+ Sturdy build; no rattling or strong vibrations noticed from an installed hard drive
Cons
- Absence of a proper eject button; makes removal of the hard drive slightly difficult
- Adequate passive cooling; the hard drive must take advantage of air circulation in the case, which may not always be good
- Hard drive is not fully inserted into the device; installed hard drives stick out by about 1.5 cm, which may interfere with doors of some computer cases
- Short SATA cable for the eSATA port; although it has a length of 600mm, only 450 mm can be used to route across the computer case
- Support for 3.5” SATA hard drives only, and none for 2.5” hard drives; an unfortunate limitation of hard drive caddies in general, and difficult to correct
To discuss this review, please visit our forum.
Nevertheless, the Antec Easy SATA is not without its faults. The black matte finish is susceptible to being scratched when inserting a hard drive. The scratches are minimal and are likely not to be noticed, but this detracts from the overall quality of the product. Furthermore, removal of an inserted hard drive is a manual process that also involves releasing the locking mechanism via a button. Given the fact that the hard drive fits quite snugly in the device, accomplishing this task may be difficult for some at first. A latch or lever system, such as the one seen in the Thermaltake BlacX, that facilitates the hard drive's diconnection from the Easy SATA's connectors would be preferable.
Such faults are quite minor, and are easily ignorable. Indeed, the Easy SATA offers excellent performance, an eSATA port, a locking mechanism and a straight-forward design.
Given its suggested price of only $29.99 USD, the Antec Easy SATA is positioned as a highly affordable device. The deal is sweetened even more by that fact that some retailers sell this hard drive caddy for only $20.00 USD. With the performance and sturdy design that the Easy SATA possesses, Antec’s product is “easily” a good buy.
Thus, the Antec Easy SATA hot swap hard drive caddy is given the Vortez Hardware Silver award. Vortez Hardware would like to thank Antec for providing this review sample, and we hope to see more Antec PC accessories in the future.
Pros
+ Excellent performance; similar to that of internal SATA because the Easy SATA uses an adapter that gives a direct link to the internal SATA port, i.e. it has no SATA link controller chip
+ Good hard drive locking mechanism; ensures that the hard drive is secured in the device
+ Good value; one of the cheapest hot swap hard drive caddies available
+ Straight-forward design; insertion of hard drive is simple, but requires releasing the locking mechanism
+ Sturdy build; no rattling or strong vibrations noticed from an installed hard drive
Cons
- Absence of a proper eject button; makes removal of the hard drive slightly difficult
- Adequate passive cooling; the hard drive must take advantage of air circulation in the case, which may not always be good
- Hard drive is not fully inserted into the device; installed hard drives stick out by about 1.5 cm, which may interfere with doors of some computer cases
- Short SATA cable for the eSATA port; although it has a length of 600mm, only 450 mm can be used to route across the computer case
- Support for 3.5” SATA hard drives only, and none for 2.5” hard drives; an unfortunate limitation of hard drive caddies in general, and difficult to correct
To discuss this review, please visit our forum.
