Application:

eSATA External Storage Drive

Provided by:

Seagate

Available at:

NewEgg.com

MSRP:

$334.99

Availability:

Now

Review by:

Darren

Edited by:

Scott

Review date:

September 6th, 2006

 

 

 

Features:

  • Up to five times faster than existing external storage solutions (USB 2.0, FireWire)
  • Provides external data backup and protection at speeds up to 3-gigabits/second interface rate
  • Integrates the award-winning Seagate SATA drives with Native Command Queuing (NCQ)
  • Allows for a RAID setup with the purchase of an eSATA RAID controller
  • Enables simple plug-and-play with shielded cables and connectors

Drive Specifications:

  • 7200 RPM Barracuda drive
  • 3 Gb/s Data Rate
  • 16 MB Cache
  • Horizontal dimensions : 7.125" D x 6.5" W x 2.25" H
  • Vertical Dimensions with Pedestal:  7.125" D x 3" W x 6.75" H
  • Weight: 2 lb. 9.6 oz.

PCI Host Adapter Card Specifications:

  • Supports up to 3 Gb/s transfers
  • Support for up to two eSATA devices
  • Dimensions: 2.52" W x 4.72" L

System Requirements:

PC Users:

  • Available PCI 2.2 or Higher card slot
  • Microsoft Windows XP, 2000 Pro, Server 2003 (Backup software does not support Server 2003)

Mac Users:

  • Available PCI 2.2 or Higher card slot
  • Mac OS 10.4 and higher

The Promise eSATA PCI Card:

     Although Seagate never refers to the enclosed card by name, our unit shipped with a Promise eSATA 300 TX2 card.  Finding a Promise card inside is a big plus as they have long been known for their quality and performance.  The lack of any specific documentation does probably mean your actual card may vary.  Fortunately the eSATA standard is pretty specific and no noticeable performance difference should be expected.

     If this is your first look at the eSATA technology, you might be surprised at how simple things look.  Where is the fancy eSATA symbol?  Heck even USB gets the funky devil's tail symbol.