{"id":33282,"date":"2013-02-08T15:25:37","date_gmt":"2013-02-08T15:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=33282"},"modified":"2013-08-02T16:11:04","modified_gmt":"2013-08-02T15:11:04","slug":"newer-tech-usb-3-0-ssd-dock-turns-any-hdd-into-storage-for-instant-access","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/newer-tech-usb-3-0-ssd-dock-turns-any-hdd-into-storage-for-instant-access\/","title":{"rendered":"Newer Technology Voyager S3 USB 3.0 Dock turns any HDD\/SSD into storage for instant access"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/\/ < ![CDATA[\ngoogle_ad_client = \"pub-7021221536180758\"; \/* 468x60, created 11\/11\/09 *\/ google_ad_slot = \"1949837292\"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60;\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\n\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Picture\u00a0having the capacity of a 4\u00a0terabyte (TB)\u00a0flash drive\u00a0with the convenience\u00a0of\u00a0transferring data quickly from one PC to another.\u00a0 For less than forty dollars, the Newer Technology Voyager S3 SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Interface SATA 6Gb\/s Drive Docking Solution promises, <em>&#8220;the Easiest Way To Access Data From ANY 2.5&#8243;\u00a0or 3.5&#8243; Serial ATA (SATA) Drive Up To 4.0TB!&#8221;<\/em>.\u00a0 <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-33619\" title=\"ssd-dock-2\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/ssd-dock-2.jpg?resize=264%2C300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/ssd-dock-2-264x300.jpg 264w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/ssd-dock-2-902x1024.jpg 902w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/ssd-dock-2.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 264px) 100vw, 264px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/>Newer Technology Voyager S3 allows\u00a0its user\u00a0the equivalent of turning any SATA hard disk drive (HDD) up to 4 TB, or any Solid State Drive (SSD), into the equivalent of a flash drive over the super-fast USB 3.0 interface.\u00a0\u00a0To access a drive without a dock, the\u00a0PC&#8217;s\u00a0case usually\u00a0has to be opened which is very difficult to do especially with a notebook\u00a0PC.\u00a0 With the Voyager S3, the drive is inserted\u00a0into the dock\u00a0much like a game cartridge was plugged\u00a0into\u00a0a console of years past, and the data is accessed like any other drive over the USB 3.0 interface.<\/p>\n<p>Hard drive docks are not new and two years ago, ABT editor Leon Hyman evaluated <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=23961\">Thermaltake&#8217;s BlackX Duet USB 2.0 dock<\/a>.\u00a0 That dock has proven very useful to this editor also; and although using USB 2.0 to transfer large amounts of data\u00a0is almost painfully slow now, the speedy eSATA connection makes it useful to this day.\u00a0 However, we did notice issues with the Thermaltake dock sometimes\u00a0requiring a\u00a0reboot to eject or to safely remove a drive, or with a drive not being recognized for drive imaging.\u00a0 We have also been using the Newer Technology Voyager S3 for a few months\u00a0and it has some advantages over the Thermaltake dock.<\/p>\n<p>Let us take a closer look at the Voyager S3 beginning\u00a0with its features and specifications on the next page.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!--pagetitle:Introduction--><!--nextpage--><!--pagetitle:Features &amp; Specifications--><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The following features and specifications are from <a href=\"http:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/item\/Newer%20Technology\/U3S3HD\/?utm_source=nextag&amp;utm_medium=shoppingengine&amp;utm_campaign=productads\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/item\/Newer%20Technology\/U3S3HD\/?utm_source=nextag&amp;utm_medium=shoppingengine&amp;utm_campaign=productads', 'the Newer Technology site']);\" >the Newer Technology site<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Features<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Boot and Swap drives at will!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Whether you&#8217;re on a data recovery mission or just want to check the contents of an older swapped out drive, the NewerTech Voyager is the easiest, most convenient way to access data from any Serial ATA (SATA) drive.<\/p>\n<p>Just insert any standard 2.5&#8243; or 3.5&#8243; SATA drive into the compact docking base and plug and play into any Mac\u00ae or PC for the fastest data transfer performance. Then, start reading and\/or writing data to the docked drive. There&#8217;s nothing else to install or configure!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Saves Time &amp; Money<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With its Plug and Play design, the Voyager saves you the time of installing a drive into a computer or the cost of an external enclosure. Now you can think of bare SATA drives with the same convenience and instant access benefits as flash memory cards&#8230; but with the huge gains in storage capacity!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hot-Swap Ready<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Have multiple drives you need to access? No problem, Voyager&#8217;s unique design makes hot-swapping SATA drives a breeze. And the eject push button safely disconnects either size drive for quick and effortless removal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ideal Solution For Photographers &amp; Videographers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Instead of needing multiple enclosures and power supplies for every archived drive, Voyager makes accessing your valuable data a breeze. Just slide in your drive, find the desired image or clip, and then return the drive to your storage safe.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Truly Plug and Play<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>High quality USB 3.0 (Standard-B to Standard-A) USB 2.0 backwards compatible cable included, an auto-switching power supply for worldwide compatibility, and flexible operating system compatibility, the NewerTech Voyager can travel your data universe with ease.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/specs1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33653\" title=\"specs\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/specs1.jpg?resize=504%2C466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/specs1.jpg 700w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/specs1-300x277.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 504px) 100vw, 504px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Manufacturer\u2019s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) on this product is US $49.99 and it currently costs\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/item\/Newer%20Technology\/U3S3HD\/?utm_source=nextag&amp;utm_medium=shoppingengine&amp;utm_campaign=productads\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/item\/Newer%20Technology\/U3S3HD\/?utm_source=nextag&amp;utm_medium=shoppingengine&amp;utm_campaign=productads', '$37.99\u00a0from the official MacSales.com']);\" >$37.99\u00a0from the official MacSales.com<\/a> site\u00a0or at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Technology-S3-SuperSpeed-Interface-Solution\/dp\/B007TTQQIA\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Technology-S3-SuperSpeed-Interface-Solution\/dp\/B007TTQQIA', 'Amazon.com']);\" >Amazon.com<\/a> for the same price.<\/p>\n<p>The specifications are outstanding and it looks great for convenience!\u00a0 Let us now take a close look at the device as we unbox it.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><!--pagetitle:Unboxing--><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Here is the front of the box.\u00a0 It is sold at retail including at Sears.\u00a0 It is pictured as docking a hard disk drive (HDD) and advertised as &#8220;the easiest way to access ANY 2.5&#8243; or 3.5&#8243; SATA drive up to 4TB!&#8221;<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33607\" title=\"box-1\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/box-1.jpg?resize=384%2C434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/box-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/box-1-265x300.jpg 265w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/box-1-906x1024.jpg 906w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The features are prominently displayed on the reverse of the box which also mention the 2-color status LED &#8211; blue for power on and flashing red for showing disk activity.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33608\" title=\"box-obv\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/box-obv2.jpg?resize=384%2C400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/box-obv2.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/box-obv2-287x300.jpg 287w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/box-obv2-982x1024.jpg 982w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>One side of the box\u00a0shows the connections and the\u00a0system requirements:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33609\" title=\"box-sidepanel\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/box-sidepanel.jpg?resize=324%2C503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/box-sidepanel.jpg 600w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/box-sidepanel-193x300.jpg 193w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 324px) 100vw, 324px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The other side shows a notebook drive compared to a desktop drive in the dock along with the S3&#8217;s specifications.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33610\" title=\"box-sidepanel2\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/box-sidepanel2.jpg?resize=317%2C444\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The dock is well-packed for its journey to your home.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33617\" title=\"packiing\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/packiing.jpg?resize=336%2C299\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/packiing.jpg 800w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/packiing-300x267.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 336px) 100vw, 336px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Here are\u00a0the contents of the box &#8211; the Voyager S3 dock, the USB 3.0 cable, an instruction manual and the power cord\/transformer:<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33612\" title=\"dock-contents\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/dock-contents.jpg?resize=480%2C370\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/dock-contents.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/dock-contents-300x231.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Here is everything put together and ready to plug in:<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33606\" title=\"alltogether\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/alltogether.jpg?resize=480%2C302\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/alltogether.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/alltogether-300x189.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Here is a SSD sitting in the Voyager dock.\u00a0 Just push the front button to eject it easily:<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33619\" title=\"ssd-dock-2\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/ssd-dock-2.jpg?resize=432%2C490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/ssd-dock-2.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/ssd-dock-2-264x300.jpg 264w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/ssd-dock-2-902x1024.jpg 902w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Here is its slot.\u00a0 The hinged lid smoothly moves inward to accomodate 3.5 inch drives.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33614\" title=\"dock-top\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/dock-top.jpg?resize=432%2C352\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/dock-top.jpg 800w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/dock-top-300x244.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/>\u00a0The power button and the connectors are on the back.\u00a0 It might have been more convenient to have the power switch on the front.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33611\" title=\"dock-back\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/dock-back.jpg?resize=432%2C329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/dock-back.jpg 800w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/dock-back-300x228.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The bottom of the unit features rubber grips to keep the unit from sliding and or scratching your desk top.\u00a0 The unit is also weighted to provide good stability.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33613\" title=\"dock-obv\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/dock-obv.jpg?resize=480%2C410\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/dock-obv.jpg 800w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/dock-obv-300x256.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The Voyager S3\u00a0dock is solid and everything works &#8211; just plug and play.\u00a0 Let&#8217;s test it and maybe run some practical benchmarks of things we would use it for in regular use.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><!--pagetitle:Testing Setup &amp; Benchmarks--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><strong>Test Configuration &amp; Driver Release Notes<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #ffff00;\"><strong>Test Configuration<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ffff00;\"><strong>Test Configuration &#8211; Hardware <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Intel Core i7 3770K (overclocked to 4.5GHz); Turbo is on.<\/li>\n<li>EVGA Z77 FTW motherboard (Intel Z77 chipset, latest beta BIOS, PCIe 3.0 specification; CrossFire\/SLI 16x+16x using Plex chip.)<\/li>\n<li>8GB Kingston DDR3 PC1866 Kingston RAM (4&#215;2 GB, dual-channel at 1866MHz; supplied by Kingston)<\/li>\n<li>Sapphire Vapor-X CPU cooler, on loan from Sapphire<\/li>\n<li>Newer Technology Voyager S3 USB 3.0 Dock, supplied by Newer Technology<\/li>\n<li>Nvidia GTX 680 (2GB, 1006\/6008MHz, reference clocks), supplied by Nvidia<\/li>\n<li>Onboard Realtek Audio<\/li>\n<li>Genius SP-HF 800A speakers, two pairs in 4.0 Quadraphonic configuration, supplied by Genius<\/li>\n<li>OWC 240GB Mercury EXTREME Pro 6G SSD on loan from OWC<\/li>\n<li>Kingston 240GB HyperX SSD and Kingston 240GB HyperX 3K SSD, both supplied by Kingston<\/li>\n<li>Thermaltake ToughPower 775 W power supply unit supplied by Thermaltake<\/li>\n<li>Thermaltake Overseer RX-I full tower case, supplied by Thermaltake<\/li>\n<li>Philips DVD SATA writer<\/li>\n<li>HP LP3065 2560&#215;1600 thirty inch LCD<\/li>\n<li>ASUS VG278 27&#8243; 3D Vision 2 Ready 120Hz display, supplied by ASUS<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ffff00;\">Test Configuration &#8211; Software<\/span><\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>NVIDIA GeForce WHQL 310.90. High Quality; Single-display Performance mode; Prefer Maximum Performance<\/li>\n<li>HD Tune v2.55 (free demo version)<\/li>\n<li>Windows 7 64-bit; very latest updates with Latest DirectX<\/li>\n<li>All\u00a0software is\u00a0patched to their latest versions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The benchmarks<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>HD Tune 2.55<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>HD Tune is a hard disk utility. We are using the default setting of 64KB blocks for testing in the free version. We run the standard benchmark first on our Kingston HyperX SSD.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/SSD.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33644\" title=\"SSD\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/SSD.jpg?resize=471%2C383\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Next we run the same benchmark on the 240 GB Kingston HyperX 3K SSD which is tested in the\u00a0Voyager S3 dock but\u00a0over USB 2.0: <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33643\" title=\"dock2.0\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/dock2.0.jpg?resize=472%2C384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/dock2.0.jpg 582w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/dock2.0-300x244.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 472px) 100vw, 472px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/>The internal drive is nearly ten times faster.\u00a0\u00a0Let&#8217;s look at the\u00a0same Kingston 240GB HyperX 3K SSD in the same Voyager 3 dock, but now connected\u00a0via the USB 3.0 interface.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33642\" title=\"dock\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/dock.jpg?resize=464%2C377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/dock.jpg 580w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/dock-300x243.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 464px) 100vw, 464px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/>This time the transfer rate is over two-thirds of\u00a0the speed of the internal drive.\u00a0 Transferring data over USB 3.0 is quite fast, especially when compared\u00a0with USB 2.0.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Actual Usage<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>There are\u00a0occasions during normal daily computing\u00a0where one would need the services of the Voyager S3.\u00a0If one needs\u00a0to access an external drive for storage, this device makes it a breeze.\u00a0\u00a0 The\u00a0Voyager S3 is\u00a0valuable\u00a0for doing regular backups and a system restore from image in a timely fashion can be critical.<\/p>\n<p>For benching, it is important to create identical clones of the same partition on multiple drives.\u00a0 <em><strong>Using USB 2.0 and imaging 200GB of data from one HyperX SSD to another using the Voyager S3, it took 1 hour and 24 minutes.\u00a0 In contrast, imaging the same data over USB 3.0 only took 14 minutes!!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Using the Voyager S3,\u00a0copying the 9.8GB installaton files\u00a0of <em>Crysis\u00a02<\/em> over USB 2.0 took five and one-half minutes while using the same dock and USB 3.0 only took 1 minute and ten seconds.<\/strong>\u00a0 Saving time is something that everyone can relate to.\u00a0 And the end user will save a lot of time by using the Voyager S3 to transfer large files.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Compatibility<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Occasionally we found issues with our Thermaltake dock being unable able to eject a drive without a reboot, or for failing to identify\u00a0a drive when using Acronis disk imaging software.\u00a0 Using the Voyager S3, we never encountered these issues.\u00a0 It is a very easy way to reliably transfer large amounts of data very quickly.\u00a0 If a PC user doesn&#8217;t have USB 3.0, there are add-in\u00a0PCIe cards that have this functionality.\u00a0 Let&#8217;s check out our conclusion<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><!--pagetitle:Conclusion--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The\u00a0<strong>Newer Technology Voyager S3<\/strong>\u00a0does everything you would expect from a hard drive dock and much\u00a0more. Having the capacity to use up to a 4TB HDDs or any\u00a0SATA\u00a0SSD or HDD over USB 3.0 gives you the freedom to tackle anything quickly &#8211;\u00a0from backup to disk cloning, to\u00a0transferring huge files\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0with absolute ease.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-33618\" title=\"ssd-dock-1\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/ssd-dock-1.jpg?resize=300%2C300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/ssd-dock-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/ssd-dock-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/ssd-dock-1.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Pros<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Supports\u00a02.5&#8243; or 3.5&#8243;\u00a0SATA drives to 4TB<\/li>\n<li>Power on and drive activity light<\/li>\n<li>Uses\u00a0the speedy USB\u00a03.0 interface<\/li>\n<li>Hot swap functionality and ease of ejecting drive with a push of a button!<\/li>\n<li>Incredibly convenient for transferring large amounts of data easily<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Cons<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>None<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Newer Technology Voyager S3 is a solid performer and\u00a0a great\u00a0companion for power users and casual users alike and is highly recommended.\u00a0 It is well-deserving of ABT&#8217;s Editor&#8217;s Choice Award.\u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-width: 0px;\" title=\"EditorsChoice\" alt=\"EditorsChoice\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/EditorsChoice.png?resize=150%2C251\" border=\"0\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Stay tuned for a Cooler Master Seidon 240M watercooler evaluation this weekend.\u00a0 Did we make 5.0GHz with our i7-3770K?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Please join us in our <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/abt\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\">Forums<\/a> Become a Fan on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/AlienBabelTech\/123268467142\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/AlienBabelTech\/123268467142', 'Facebook']);\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a> Follow us on <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/alienbabeltech\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/twitter.com\/alienbabeltech', 'Twitter']);\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a> For the latest updates from ABT, please <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?feed=rss2\" target=\"_blank\">join our RSS News Feed<\/a> Join our Distributed Computing teams<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Folding@Home &#8211; 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