Coolmax Gemini - Coolmax Gemini

BENCHMARKS

Test Rig:

• DFI LAN Party KT400A (BIOS 42302e31 dated05/06/03, Hyperion 4in1 v4.47 drivers)

• AMD XP 2500+ (333 MHz FSB Barton)

• 768MB GEIL Golden Dragon PC3200 (3 x 256MB)

• ATI 9700Pro (Catalyst 3.4, default settings)

• Maxtor DiamondMax 80GB ATA133 HDD 8MB (I will be using a Maxtor DiamondMAX Plus 8, 20GB 7200rpm ATA133 HD for data transfer tests.)

•  Thermaltake Volcano 9

• Windows XP PRO (SP1, DX9.0a)

I used a program called FreshDiagnose to test the transfer rate of my test hard drive while it was connected to the secondary IDE connector on the motherboard and while it was connected to the USB v2.0 interface of the external enclosure .

(IDE read)	(IDE write)
(USB v2.0 read)	(USB v2.0 write)

(click to enlarge pictures)

As you can see from the chart, The USB v2.0 interface got stomped during data reads by the IDE interface. But the USB v2.0 interface eeked out a very slim victory during the data write test.

Because I wanted a real world test to go along with the synthetic benchmarks from the FreshDiagnose program, I created a 976MB folder containing many files of different sizes and types. I then transferred this file between the two hard drives three times each over the IDE to IDE and IDE to USB v2.0 interfaces. I then averaged the three test times for each interface to show what the average user should expect. As you can see the USB v2.0 interface transfer was quicker than the IDE interface by 14.7%

CONCLUSION

Well, going back to my question at the beginning of the review, I would have to say that this drive enclosure is closer to "Gee, this sux!" than "I can't live without this". The overall feel of the drive enclosure is cheap and flimsy. I feel that the endcaps and the front panel are constructed of plastic too brittle to survive an accidental drop on a hard surfaced floor. The USB v2.0 interface performs okay generating approximately 20MB read/write throughput but USB v2.0 has a theoretical ceiling of 60MB (480 Mbits/sec). Aside from the data transfer rates which I can accept, I would like for the physical construction of the external enclosure to be improved. I think replacing the plastic endcaps with rubberized ones would provide more impact protection and additional vibration insulation. Some nylon guide rails inside the enclosure for the drive tray would also provide additional support. The brittle plastic front panel should be thickened or changed to aluminum.

PROS

• Quick and easy assembly and operation

• Lightweight and portable

• Quiet

• Can hold HD, CD-Rom, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-RW, or MO drives

• Plug n Play compatible

• USB v1.1 and v2.0 compatible

CONS

• Quirky, intermittent recognition errors with Windows XP on USB v2.0 ports

• Cheap, flimsy feel

• Brittle plastic faceplate and endcaps

Now, I need to state for the record that, after contacting Coolmax about the broken faceplate, their sales representative assured me that they ensure every one of their products leaves the factory fully intact. The sales representative volunteered to ship a new faceplate. And, true to her word, the new faceplate arrived via USPS in excellent condition. I installed the new faceplate and it still can rattle around a little in the drive enclosure. I would prefer that it either snap into place or be attached with hinges so that it can be swiveled open and closed. I honestly can not, in good conscience, give this product the "OCA Recommended" award. It will perform the functions of a hot swappable USB v2.0 external drive but I don't see OCAddiction's readers being satisfied with the product's construction.