The brushed silver Fantom 12TB G-Force3 USB 3.0/eSATA Aluminum External Hard Drive features a fan-free design for virtually silent operation and can be stored horizontally or vertically to optimize your workspace. The Fantom G-Force3 offers reliable storage expansion from your limited built-in hard drive so you can store all of your valuable data and digital memories.
The Fantom G-Force3 hard drive is suitable for audio and video professionals and consumers alike. The G-Force3 offers plug-n-play simplicity in a rugged unit that provides optimal storage for all your photos, music, videos and documents while traveling to another location. The USB 3.0 interface is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and supports transfer rates up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0. The eSATA host connectivity allows fast transfer connection to eSATA equipped computers.
Nettie Orn (verified owner) –
So I have two of these 4TB drives as backup for my video projects. They are fairly inexpensive and have a good aluminum case, so I figured i’d try it out. The first drive seems to work fine. The second drive on the other hand… I started experiencing issues where the drive would randomly mount and dismount. I also had problems with all of my usb devices dismounting whenever I had this drive plugged in (I have over 20 different HDs and I’ve never had this problem). The nail in the coffin was as I was in the midst of transferring it dismounted and completely corrupted the drive. I was able to recover most of my data after purchasing data recovery software and letting things run overnight. Needless to say, I contacted Fantom since I was within the warranty period and mailed the drive in (at my own cost) to have it fixed. They received it, said they couldn’t find any problems but would replace the unit for me. I received the drive back, that looked new, but when I mounted the drive, it appeared with the same name as my old drive. It looks like they just rehoused my old drive. As soon as I mounted the drive all of my usb drives dismounted and remounted. I reformatted the drive, mounted it, transferred a few files and in the midst of transferring dismounted… I am somewhat at a loss here. Seems like I threw $130 down the drain, and I’ve had nothing but headaches here. Maybe I got a random bad unit, but the fact that I sent it in to be fixed and and experiencing the same problems seems like bad business.
Demarco Christiansen (verified owner) –
So far so good, using for backing up Videos and Stills.
Uriel Rowe (verified owner) –
This device had a fatal crash on the first attempt to transfer files. Steer clear!
Tristin Jerde (verified owner) –
Use this for backups of my laptop. Fantom has never let me down!
Dixie Murray (verified owner) –
Just got it and using to back up my Files, so far so good…
Edward Gibson (verified owner) –
I’ve had this about two weeks and so far I’m very pleased. It’s very fast, pretty quiet, and has an on/off rocker switch in the back. Since I’m using this for back-ups the on-off switch allows me to leave it connected without running all the time and having the OS monitoring it. The drive runs plenty cool enough. When I first received it I did a full format and no errors were found. I do wish that the glaringly bright blue bulb which is on when the drive is operating were at least half as bright. The stand, which is good looking and holds the drive well, slides too easily on my desk. I resolved this by cutting an anti slip mat to fit and placed it under the drive. Manufacturer should ideally have used larger rubber feet or two strips of non-slip material on the bottom of the stand. However, these are tiny annoyances as compared to what appears to be the quality of the drive and included cables.
Magdalena Hill (verified owner) –
So far the drive seems to be working just fine, although it does run hot and we all know what heat does to computer equipment. It’s very quiet, and once I figured out a few issues it started working correctly (so far). The accessories have a lot to be desired. First, the rubber feet on the stand are shorter than the base itself, so it can’t be used unless I replace them. The stand slips without rubber feet! Second, I spent the better part of 3 hours on line and sending emails to Fantom support trying to figure out why the drive kept coming and going off line, and not letting me transfer small files. I finally switched the USB cable and it worked. Cheap cable and useless stand – that’s why I gave it 3 stars.
Kimberly Wintheiser (verified owner) –
I have had no problems with this drive. I have had excellent service from the two Fantom external drives I have purchased. (I cannot say the same for Western Digital and Seagate, which is why I looked for a different brand.) If I need another drive, it will be a Fantom.