Professional’s Ranking
Execs
- Suits in a shirt pocket
- Quick 20Gbps USB efficiency
- Good trying
- Shock-reducing silicone jacket
Cons
- USB cowl isn’t captive
Our Verdict
The LaCie Rugged Mini SSD presents good efficiency plus model to spare. There’s additionally a software program bundle, an extended than common guarantee, in addition to free knowledge restoration do you have to want it.
LaCie has vended among the most fashionable exterior storage in the marketplace. The Rugged Mini SSD reviewed right here follows go well with with a Neil Poulton designed shock-absorbing sleeve that’s the bigger a part of a particular, engaging look. The Rugged Mini is quick, suits in your pocket, and appears good doing it!
Additional studying: See our roundup of the very best transportable SSDs to study competing merchandise.
Design & Options
The LaCie Rugged Mini SSD is a 20Gbps USB exterior SSD sporting a Sort-C connector, so it’s appropriate with all Home windows and Mac laptop, and most different units. The internals are NVMe, and little question Seagate, as that’s the father or mother firm to LaCie.
The drive measures simply over 4-inches lengthy, by 2.61-inches huge, by 0.675-inches thick with its shiny orange, shock-absorbing cowl on, and three.7-inches lengthy, by 2.32-inches huge, by a hair underneath 0.5-inches thick with out it. The burden is 3.6 ounces (cowl on).
As for the sleeve/cowl, SSDs are already extraordinarily rugged when it comes to g-forces, so the jacket isn’t as useful a characteristic because it could be on a tough drive. In different phrases, it’s primarily for seems. As for that…
You most likely received’t need to take away the sleeve, since with out it, the drive is a moderately bland silver rectangle with putty-colored finish caps and a big sticker denoting its place of manufacture and meeting (Taiwan and Thailand). In different phrases, not so engaging.
LaCie Rugged Mini SSD
Jon L. Jacobi
Which brings me to my solely criticism — the quilt for the Sort-C port isn’t captive. Until you’re extra constant than I’m with the place you place issues, this can be a positive recipe for dropping stated cap.
There’s no IP (Ingress Safety, aka weatherproofing) score declare in order that’s not a problem. Additionally, we’ve additionally seen plenty of uncovered Sort-C ports on IP-rated Bluetooth audio system, so the quilt may not be wanted. Regardless, if a plug is included, it ought to be captive.
The LaCie Rugged Mini SSD carries a three-year restricted guarantee, however LaCie didn’t say what the bounds had been. Extreme bodily harm little question and doubtless extreme quantities of knowledge written to the drive, although the corporate didn’t present any TBW (terabytes that could be written) scores.
What LaCie does present is helpful software program (backup and safety) and a free restoration service do you have to want it (heaven forbid!). Past that, the corporate additionally touts building that makes use of at the very least 30 % recycled supplies. Each little bit helps!
Efficiency
The Rugged Mini is the third-fastest 20Gbps SSD we’ve examined, proper behind the wonderful USB4 OWC 1M2 and the Essential X10. It positioned fifth general amongst exterior SSDs whenever you issue within the Thunderbolt 3 Sandisk Professional-G40 and OWC Envoy Professional FX.
The CrystalDiskMark 8 sequential checks proven bear out its placement within the higher echelon.
CrystalDiskMark 8 additionally confirmed the Rugged Mini’s random efficiency to be fairly good — relying on the check.
The Rugged Mini fell a bit off the tempo in our 48GB copies. This isn’t a foul time, as you’ll be able to see from the Samsung T9, however it’s not a good time like that delivered by the OWC 1M2.
The Rugged Mini redeemed itself with an excellent 450GB write time. It did ultimately run out of steam (aka secondary cache) at which level the write velocity dropped to round 200MBps. Not incredible, although few folks will ever write a terabyte of stable knowledge in a single sitting.
Whereas not the quickest of the quick, the Rugged Mini can at the very least declare a seat on the desk. Subjectively, you’ll little question discover it fairly speedy.
Worth & Availability
The Rugged Mini SSD retails for £69.99/$80 for the 500GB capability, £109.99/$120 for the 1TB, £179.99/$190 for 2TB, and £329.99/$350 for the 4TB mannequin. That’s pretty cheap given the good styling and the price of NVMe SSDs nowadays.
We will solely discover it at Amazon on the time of writing however count on wider availability quickly.
Must you purchase the LaCie Rugged Mini SSD?
The Rugged Mini SSD ought to completely be in your brief record of small USB SSDs. It’s not the most cost effective, however it’s among the many finest, and hey… it’s orange!
This assessment initially appeared on PCWorld.