SilverStone Raven RVS02 External USB 3.0 HDD / SSD Enclosure Review

Benchmarking the SilverStone SST-RVS02

CrystalDiskMark

CrystalDiskMark is a program which allows enthusiasts to get a closer look at their sequential and random read/write speeds of their storage devices. We’ll do a side-by-side comparison of USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 performance using the SST-RVS02 in both tests.

1000MB Files Test – USB 2.0 Benchmark of the SST-RVS02 using a ST9320421AS:

As expected, USB 2.0 really suffers due to the low throughput it offers with todays performance oriented storage drives. With the SST-RVS02 offering backwards compatibility with USB 2.0, sequential read and write speeds max out at just over 34MB/s, a far cry from the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 specification of 5Gb/s (640MB/s).

1000MB Files Test – USB 3.0 Benchmark of the SST-RVS02 using a ST9320421AS:

With the SST-RVS02 running USB 3.0, the results are significantly improved. Boasting a sequential read and write speed of 87MB/s and 84MB/s respectively, the external enclosure takes advantage of the higher throughput offered by the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 specification. With a difference of about 50MB/s, its hard to say no to the SST-RVS02 when using USB 3.0.

HD Tune

HD Tune is a program which gives enthusiasts a graphical representation of the minimum, maximum and average transfer speeds of their storage devices. We’ll do a side-by-side comparison of USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 performance using the SST-RVS02 in both tests.

USB 2.0 Benchmark of the SST-RVS02 using a ST9320421AS:

USB 2.0 simply cannot muster much of a fight against USB 3.0, as the flat line clearly indicates that the SST-RVS02 is saturating the entire bandwidth offered by USB 2.0. With an average transfer rate of just 33MB/s, our benchmark validates the results we received when testing the SST-RVS02 with CrystalDiskMark under USB 2.0. It is now clear that the USB 2.0 specification is the only thing holding the SST-RVS02 back, not the external enclosure.

USB 3.0 Benchmark of the SST-RVS02 using the ST9320421AS:

USB 3.0 comes into its own when paired with storage devices able to take advantage of its higher bandwidth. Achieving an average transfer rate of almost 70MB/s, the SST-RVS02 is clearly capable of giving enthusiasts the performance they demand when it comes to data transferring duties using high capacity storage drives. All metrics across the board improved with USB 3.0, including a 70MB/s increase in burst rate.

While USB 3.0 takes center stage in these benchmarks, it is to be expected. With a theoretical throughput of 5Gb/s, USB 3.0 is the premiere data transferring technology of todays storage devices and the benchmarks prove it. Corralled by USB 2.0s slow interface, performance among fast storage drives will suffer as a result as they easily (over)saturate the specifications bandwidth. Switch to SuperSpeed USB 3.0 however, and the SST-RVS02 really shines.

With the results in, it is easy to see why the SST-RVS02 performs well during testing. The USB interface allows maximum compatibility for those enthusiasts without the benefit of USB 3.0 capable systems, while giving enthusiasts who want to squeeze every last MB/s out of their external enclosure the opportunity to do so. Combining USB 3.0 capability with a tool-less design, the SST-RVS02 offers a rare combination of form matching function.