Thermaltake BlackX Duet HDD Docking Station Review

When you deal with customers computers day in and day out popping out their HDD and putting it into your testing rig starts becoming a tedious task; either you leave the drive vicariously lying on the table next to your tower while you scan it, or you spend the time to mount it into the chassis. Either way you are looking at lost time or potential damage. Docking stations are a techs dream all you need is a small amount of desk space and the ability to plug a couple cables in. Now docking has gotten even better and Thermaltake rises to the occasion with the new Blacx Duet which give you the ability to run 2 HDD at a time and hot swap them as your needs change. Let’s check it out:

Provided by: Thermaltake

Price: $47.67

Closer Look:

Specifications and Features:

	Read & Write 2 Hard Drives simultaneously
	Supports All 2.5” & 3.5” SATA Hard Drives up to 2TB (per slot)
	Hot-Swap Capability for Rapid Multi HDDs Access & Exchange * When utilizing eSATA interface, Port Multiplier feature is required on the host system’s eSATA controller for two hard disk drives to be seen at the same time.  All USB supports Port Multiplier function.
	Supports eSATA Transfer Speed up to 3.0 Gbps
	Supports USB 2.0 Transfer Speed up to 480 Mbps
	Windows & Mac OS Compatible
	Rapid Data Access & Exchange w/ Single eSATA or USB Cable Connection
	Open docking station design maximizes heat dissipation
	RoHS Compliance
	SSG (Solid State Grip) Technology: Anti-Slippery Grasp Base

Testing:

I will bey using ay 1TB backup hard drive in the docking station and then running the same tests that we always use for Enclosures. I will begin the tests by running HDtune to find the average MB/s speed, the access time, the burst rate, and also the CPU usage. I will also be timing how long it takes a 10MB, a 100MB, and a 500MB file to transfer to the hard drive. I will be running these tests for both the units USB and eSATA functions. I will be putting the Thermaltake BlacX Docking Station up against the Sunbeam Tech Docking Station.

USB – HDtune

USB – File Transfer Speed

eSATA – HDtune

eSATA- File Transfer Speed

Conclusion:

Overall The Thermaltake Blacx is a winner. I love the features it offers and the expandability of the extra drive slot. Another point I really liked is the use of an eject button I have used other docking stations without this feature and it can be a bit hairy getting the drives out in a matter that doesn’t make you cringe every time.

Would I recommend this product? Yup, it is well made and simple to use. This is a very specific piece of equipment and it isn’t for everyone for everyday use. But if you are already listing off the uses in your head chances are that the Blacx Duet will be a major times saver for you and you should pick yourself up one as soon as you can.

Pros:

• Simple
• Eject Button
• e-SATA and USB Compatible
• Good Speeds

Cons:

• None that come to mind