A portable hard drive docking station
with USB 3.0 and eSATA
Despite its complex name, the Icy Dock
MB981U3S-1S is Dactually a fairly simple device, essentially allowing you to
dock either a 3.5" or a 2.5 disk drive to any PC with a spare USB or eSATA
connection. Its something of a niche product (as most of Icy Dock's storage
solutions are), but most useful for those with lots of data spread across
multiple drives that need to be portable.
As is also typical for an Icy Dock product,
the MB981U3S- 1S is on the more expensive side of things for what it is. For
the same f40 that it'll set you back, it's easy to find docking stations that
can house two drives at once, for example, so Icy Dock is relying on factors
such as build quality, speed and usability to justify its price.
As
is also typical for an Icy Dock product, the MB981U3S- 1S is on the more
expensive side of things for what it is.
As far as build quality goes, the docking
station is fine but not outstanding. The main body is constructed from ABS
plastics, which does keep its weight down, but it could certainly be a little
more solid. The outer layer has a matt finish, while the inner one into which
the drives are inserted is a glossy black, and sadly the fingerprints and
smudges are easily visible within minutes of handling it. On the plus side,
four rubber feet on the bottom will help keep the dock in place.
The eSATA and USB 3.0 port (backwards
compatible with USB 2.0) are found on the rear of the device alongside the
external power connection. Some 2.5" drives can be powered by the USB
connection alone, but 3.5" drives will always require the mains adaptor to
work. Having both eSATA and USB 3.0 connections makes the device more flexible
than much of its competition and should make for healthy transfer speeds too.
Both sizes of drive are easy to slot into
place, and there's a separate hinged cover for smaller models to stop dust and
dirt getting into the bay when not using a full-size drive. The big power
button at the front features and LED to indicate the drive's status as well,
and a large eject button on the side ensures your hardware is easy to pop out
safely.
Both
sizes of drive are easy to slot into place, and there's a separate hinged cover
for smaller models to stop dust and dirt getting into the bay when not using a
full-size drive.
Both the eSATA and USB 3.0 connections
provide adequate read and write speeds for 3.5" drives, with my benchmarks
even giving the external dock a slight speed advantage over the same hard drive
connected via an internal SATA 6Gbps port. However, with faster SSD drives
there's a noticeable limit on transfer speeds. For example, the USB 3.0
connection only manages to provide read and write speeds of up to 200MB/ss even
on an SSD capable of speeds of around 500MB/s, although it's not uncommon to
see such a cap on a USB 3.0 bus.
Ultimately,
the MB981U3S- 1S does what it should do very well.
Ultimately, the MB981U3S- 1S does what it
should do very well. It doesn't have loads of features, but with two fast
interfaces, a double hinged door and power and eject buttons, it also leaves
you wanting little more from a docking station. It's a little on the expensive
side, but it's mostly well-made and provides respectable speeds too, even for
USB 3.0, which typically falls far short of its maximum theoretical speed.
A little pricey but performs well in almost
every way
|
Details
·
Price: $62
·
Manufacturer: Icy Dock
·
Website: www.icydock.com
·
Required spec: Free USB or eSATA port
Verdict
·
Overall: 8/10
·
Quality: 9/10
·
Value: 6/10
|
