HDD by stefan @ 2011-07-20
The new AC430 USB 3.0 External hard drive from Apacer comes with good read/write performances and has some striking looks thanks to the aluminium enclosure; the product is also shipped with a carry bag, to avoid scratches and dust accumulation during travels.
At first I would like to thank Apacer for sending me a sample of their AC430 USB 3.0 External HDD for testing and reviewing.
"Apacer is the recognized name in innovative memory module supply that is widely used in digital media applications as well as reading and sharing of digital data. Apacer truly understands the importance of digital data storage and duplication, hence continues to develop optimized versions of digital storage solutions. To effectively achieve such goals, Apacer adopts the integrated approach on product design, customer service, brand value survey and actual product experience. Market studies show that Apacer offers reliable, innovative, trendy and youthful products, fully living up to its promise. Using its witty slogan “Access the Best” to represent its effort to enhance brand value, Apacer dedicates itself in providing the best products and services. “Access” literally suggests total convenience and freedom in data reading, sharing and communication, while “Best” represents unparalleled quality. Apacer in fact promises users improved digital experiences with its line of memory modules and peripherals."
Super Speed 2.5 inch USB3.0 SATA Hard Drive
AC430 features a SATA hard drive with USB 3.0 interface; the actual read and write speed reaches up to 92MB and 85 MB. This means it takes only 7.5 minutes for the AC430 hard drive to transfer a 38 GB blu-ray movie, as compared to 20 to 30 minutes for a USB 2.0 connection! It can save up to 75% of your time to transfer the multimedia files of considerable size.
Built-in smart power management
AC430 features plug and play functionality and backward compatible with USB 2.0 specification. With the configuration of the operating system, the built-in smart power management can automatically enter sleep mode after 10 minutes and effectively slash power consumption which can extend Hard Drive product life.
Elegant aluminum enclosure with a built-in anti-shock design
AC430 not only looks sleek with its aluminum enclosure, but also releases charm and maturity with its exquisite metallic hairline finish. Among the pluses is the superior heat emission capability to assure a stable performance during long hours of use. In addition, the built-in anti-shock design helps secure precious data.
The AC430 USB 3.0 External HDD from Apacer is shipped inside a cardboard box, with a transparent plastic window on the frontal side, to see how the product looks like; here we can also find some logos representing the main product highlights and capacity:
On one of the box sides, we can find the product specifications table:
The opposite side shows us the package contents:
The back of the box has the main features listed in many different languages:
The main product along with its accessories are located inside a plastic enclosure:
Along with the USB cable, we can find a Quick Start Guide and the carry bag:
The carry bag is very stylish and has the Apacer logo debossed on top:
One of the cable sides ends with two USB connectors (the second one must be plugged if the USB port cannot supply enough power):
The other side has the Micro B USB 3.0 connector:
Inside the manual, we are explained how to connect the device to our desktop computer or laptop, to be able to transfer data to/from the HDD:
The HDD enclosure is made from brushed aluminium, with the Apacer logo on top:
Both sides of the enclosure are made from plastic; one of it has the USB port and an activity LED (which lights up blue if we are connecting on USB 3.0 and red if we are on USB 2.0):
The other side of the enclosure has the same design as the front:
The testbench was composed from the following hardware:
CPU: Intel I7 Retail @ stock
Motherboard: Foxconn BloodRage with G42 BIOS
RAM: 3x2GB Patriot PVT36G1600LLK 1600MHz
Video: Sparkle GTX 470 with stock and OMNI A.L.C.
Power Supply: Nexus RX-8500 850W modular
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200.11
Case: Thermaltake Armor+ LCS, stock cooling
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate x64
The HDD comes formatted FAT32 and here is the total reported free space:
On the drive, we can find the User Manual, preloaded in many different languages:
Inside the enclosure, we can find a Toshiba MK5065GSX 2.5'' 5400RPM HDD with 8MB cache:
Thanks to its aluminium body, the AC430 USB 3.0 External HDD has some striking looks and after intense usage, the enclosure barely gets warm. In the performed tests, it is proven that it has better access times than the ADATA NH01, but the transfer speeds are a little lower.
The included carry bag is a nice addition and protects the product against scratches during travel or dust accumulation. Apacer have thought ahead and have included an USB 3.0 Y cable, in case the USB 3.0 port we are connecting the drive to does not have enough power to provide. Also, the activity LED lights up differently, depending on the bus we are connecting the product too, for easy identification.
For preventing unnecessary wear to the drive and to conserve power, the smart power management kicks in, if the drive has not been used for about 10 minutes. However, for improving the transfer speeds for future models, Apacer could include faster disk drive models (7200RPM), which do not heat up much more than their 5400RPM counterparts, like the Western Digital Scorpio Black 500GB.
The reported MSRP of the Apacer AC430 USB 3.0 External HDD is set between 69.95 and 79.95 Euros, depending on the tax rate of each country.
I would like to thank again to Apacer for making this review possible.