Vantec NexStar DX2 USB 3.0 External Enclosure Design for 5.25" Blu-Ray/CD/DVD SATA Drive, Second Generation of DX, No Drivers Needed, Aluminum Alloy (NST-540S3-BK)

This is the type of product that fits a need perfectly. 5.25” drive bays are unicorns in PC’s in 2025. I upgraded my 2012 to a new boutique gaming PC system with no 5.25” drive bays available. I thought of having to home build or modify the new PC and then came across this in Amazon. Bought based on reviews, photos & videos. I am not disappointed at all. Great product that is well designed, simple, well built and perfectly meets my needs. The rubber feet are the chefs kiss as they hold it steady and secure atop my new PC. I have a DVD and Blue Ray collections I enjoy viewing and this allows me to do so in a enclosure that esthetically blends in with my modern rig.

this is the second vantec product I've gotten and it has one defining feature: quality. The aluminum housing feels premium and for the price it should. After assembly it worked instantly and it's rubber feet transfer none of the vibrations to and from the drive inside it. no drivers need to be installed and assembly is quick and easy if you take your time and don't rush.Only drawbacks for it is that I paid more for the enclosure than I did for the drive. The cost definitely could have been a lot less since it's just a glorified sata to usb 3.0 adapter but I admit the aluminum is elegant and well made. The other drawback is that it uses usb 3.0 type b instead of a usb c connection. I imagine a future version of the drive will come with type c but it's at least better than 2.0 speeds like i've seen with other enclosures on amazon.Overall it's a great get if you have a computer that doesn't have an internal drive bay. It's an elegant piece of hardware that looks great on my desk and it's worked pretty flawlessly.

Worked exactly as advertised. Nice quality aluminum construction. I was building a new PC and was dismayed at how most cases these days don't have 5.25 inch drive bays anymore so I decided to go the external enclosure route instead of buying a new external BD-RE drive.Slipped in my good old Lite-On BD-RE drive, connected the SATA cable, secured the included screws to hold the drive in place and I was off and running. Couldn't be easier, drive works just like it did before. I didn't bother attaching the rubber feet. I may put a few strips of black electrical tape on the bottom for cushioning if the need arises. Speed seems to be the same via USB 3.0 as it did when it was installed internally. Yes, it is pricy but all in all very satisfied with this enclosure.

This is a solid case and it was easy to install my CD/DVD drive into it. When I built my last PC, two years ago, I didn't think I would need an optical drive so I bought a case that had no internal spot for one. Since then, I have gotten into collecting CD's. So I bought this enclosure, installed an optical drive and plugged it into my PC. It works great playing my CD's but it does it get warm after a hours of use. I haven't had any problems though. I just notice that my optical media feels warm when I eject it after playing for a bit. There is no fan and no venting on this enclosure so it's natural that there would be some heat build-up.

I work a lot with video and optical storage. It's hard to find a computer case that includes ODD bays and allows 280/360 AIO mounting. I've tried using an external DVD drive, but most are based on slow read & write laptop drives. This enclosure allows me to use an 5.25 internal 16X Blu-Ray/16X DVD writer I already had.The case is built of heavy aluminum with plastic end caps. Lots of internal room for even the longest drives. Installation is simple with all drive & mounting holes lining up. Win10 & 11 both recognize the drive links to standard drivers. Heavy case means even at high drive speeds the noise is low.Advertised SATA III & USB 3.0 interface speeds are more for show than real world. Real speeds will depend on your ODD drive's R/W speeds. My fast 16X BRD has a theoretical transfer rate of 60-65 MB/s (0.5 Gb/s), but on either a USB 3.0 or 2.0 port, I get 10-12 MB/s read of a SL DVD disc - the same as if hooked to an internal SATA port. Having it's own power brick means any USB port 2.0 or higher will work the same. It also means the supplied 100mm cable can be replaced without a problem - I'm using a 2 meter cable now to place ODD under my monitor and reach computer under desk.I could have gone cheaper and bought an adapter to hang on back of the drive, but I think a full enclosure like this is a good investment.

Works great. Looks really good. Good price.

This connected perfectly with my ASUS - ASUS BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray Drive. It assembled easily. A screwdriver was included and the screws fit well (with some extras).The enclosure is well-made, sturdy, and very protective.I installed the drive, plugged it in and that was all there was to it. The rubber feet helps to make the drive almost silent.

Works exactly as advertised. Easy to set up. Fantastic product!