Zalman ZM-MH200 U3 USB 3.0 Dual HDD Docking Station Storage   Page 1

Reviewer: RWL Staff Article Publish Date: 9/2/2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

    Having already reviewed quite a few USB 3.0 enclosures during 2010 and 2011 it's now safe to say that USB 3.0 keeps improving since each time i receive a new USB 3.0 unit it manages to surpass the previous one. True not all is perfect with USB 3.0 since 2.5" enclosures have some disconnection issues but since that's not the case with USB 3.0 compatible 3.5" enclosures and docking stations i guess the pros are much more than the cons. That being said today we will be taking a look at the latest Zalman ZM-MH200 U3 Dual HDD Docking Station which also happens to be the fastest USB 3.0 compatible device we have used to date.

 

 

    Zalman Tech co.,Ltd. was founded in 1999 and introduced to the computer industry the concept of 'Noiseless computing'. In a world filled with noisy computers,'silent' cooling solutions were sought everywhere and contributed to Zalman's rapid growth into the world's leader of high performance, ultra quiet PC cooling solutions. Zalman continues to lead in the industry through decisive R&D investments, peerless craftsmanship, intensive global marketing, and generous customer support. Business diversification with innovation such as 2D/3D Convertible LCD Monitors, Heatpipe Cooled Power Supplies, Notebook Coolers, Surround Sound & Dual Stereo Headphones and FPS GUN Gaming Interface holds true to Zalman's promise to provide 'Cool Innovations'.

 

 

    When i first took the ZM-MH200 U3 out of the box i was really glad to see that Zalman didn't manufacture another box-like dual HDD docking station like most companies do but they chose to follow a circular design which is certainly not something we see with similar units. Quality wise Zalman has used glossy plastic which may not be something special but it looks good and is quite hard to scratch. What is really impressive however is not the quality of the enclosure or its design, nor its excellent data transfer speeds but rather the fact that you can use both docked HDDs in either RAID 0 or RAID 1 mode which personally is something i have never before encountered with an external docking station. That is also why we will be testing the unit in all three different modes to see what speeds you can expect from it.