Silverstone have released some of the best chassis designs in recent years, so it was interesting for us to look at some of their latest USB 3.0 oriented peripherals.
The SST-TS07B is a finely crafted external exclosure which will look fantastic on a desk, or on top of a new system. The build quality and finish are first class and the tool-less design works a treat, allowing you to swap out 3.5 inch drives with ease. Performance is just as impressive, and we recorded similar speeds with our 2TB drive when it was hooked up via a SATA port, internally.
The only negative we would mention would be the omission of a 2.5 inch to 3.5 inch adapter plate in the box, as some people may want to use smaller drives. Before installing a 2.5 inch drive, you will need to use a 3.5 inch converter tray (not supplied), then install.
This can be purchased from Scan in the UK for only £29.14 inc vat.
Pros:
- Good value for money.
- looks great.
- excellent performance.
Cons:
- No ‘native' support for 2.5 inch drives.
The EC03B is another quality product that delivers great real world results. We used a high performance Kingston SSD drive to test performance and recorded 190 MB/s read and 150 MB/s write speeds respectively. It is easy to fit, and the inclusion of a front I/O panel is very useful. Ideal for a user who has yet to update his machine to accept the new USB standard. As expected, it is fully backwards compatible.
There are no negatives to buying this product, although you will obviously lose a PCI E slot inside your system. It can be purchased in the UK from Scan for £23.75 inc vat.
Pros:
- Excellent performance.
- USB 2.0 compatible.
- Front panel can accept 4 USB ports.
Cons:
- You lose a PCI E slot.
Kitguru says: Both products earn our WORTH BUYING award, combining solid build quality with great performance.
The USB 3.0 performance is great. I need to upgrade my laptop with a USB 3 port, as I copy a lot of files between work machines and home. its painful sometimes.
I would think most people have USB 3.0 ports by now? on kitguru anyway. The exclosure is good.
The 3,5 enclosure is very nice. good price too. I dont think the 2.5 inch adapter is important. you wouldnt buy this for a 2.5 inch drive. But yeah a plate adapter would be handy.