Coolmax Gemini Series CD-510B-U2 3.5”/5.25” Aluminum USB 2.0 External Enclosure
Suggested
Retail: US $65-70
By: Kupe Master
Provided by Coolmaxusa.com
An external enclosure has a variety of uses for a computer user on the go. You can put a hard drive, which would be the most useful to transfer files from distant places. If you do not have enough bays left in your computer case, an external enclosure is a viable option. In this review we will be testing the functionality of using a 3.5” hard drive.
The product contains:
- Hard Drive Enclosure
- USB 2.0 Driver Diskette
- USB 2.0 Cable
- Manual
- Screws to attach 3.5” or 5.25” unit of choice
Specifications
- Supports HDD CD-R CD-RW, DVD, DVD-RW, MO, etc.
- Supports Hard Drive without Bracket
- All Aluminum Frame & Metal Tray
- Support ATA 66/100/133
- Interface for USB 2.0 (Compatible w/ USB 1.1)
- Power Adapter 100/240V/ 12V 1.7 Amps
- Stereo Ear Phone Jack
- 40mm Cooling Fan
- Operating Systems: Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP or MacOS 9.0 or higher
Test Bed
- Windows XP (NTFS Partitions)
- Athlon XP 1600+
- 512MB DDR PC2100 RAM
- 80GB Western Digital 8 MB SE
-
Maxtor 40GB 5400rpm ATA/66 (Used in Enclosure)
Installation
I decided to use a Maxtor 40GB 5400rpm ATA/66 hard drive for testing. Overall, installation was extremely easy with the pre-made holes as seen in the picture below. When you are done installing your device inside the enclosure there are another two screws that are at the back of the unit to make the cage secure.
When the unit was plugged in and turned on, Windows XP identified it and turned it into a physical hard disk seen in “My Computer”. It was a painless procedure. Just make sure your USB 2.0 Drivers are installed prior to plugging in the unit.
Benchmarks
SiSoft
Sandra 2003 Professional (File System Benchmark)
HD Tach version 2.61
Conclusion
This product is extremely user friendly because of its ease of installation. In terms of functionality, it performs exactly what it was supposed to do. The performance was not too shabby as it was almost as close to a USB 2.0 Hard Drive with an ATA/100 interface. Transfer rates are sufficient enough to capture video from a DV camera. There were a few gripes though. CPU Utilization when the hard drive is in use is high as seen in HD Tach. This can be a problem if running demanding programs at the same time, such as 3D games and video rendering. The other downfall of this unit is its short USB 2.0 cable. If you do have a USB hub on your desk, the length would be perfect.
Rating: 9/10
+
Super Easy Installation
+Very Functional
+Sufficient Speed
-High
CPU Utilization
-Short USB Cable
