SIIG USB 3.0 PCI Express card and HDD Enclosure
I test a new USB 3.0 PCI Express Host Controller Card and a USB 3.0 hard drive enclosure from SIIG to compare the newest USB standard and how fast it can really get your peripherals communicating.
Ease of Use, Performance: 24/25
Look & Feel: 24/25
Features 23/25
How much I enjoy 23/25
Total: 94/100
SIIG uses the latest USB technology in the NEC USB 3.0 chipset to make things faster using the newest USB technology standard for your peripherals. USB 3.0 is the latest standard for peripherals that adds a second set of contacts to make faster data transfer.
USB 3.0 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0, 1.1 and 1.0 so you can plug other devices into a USB 3.0 controller and not have to worry about older peripherals. The new standard puts USB 3.0 at up to 5 gigabytes per second for data transfer but in real world situations and systems that speed comes down a bit.
Using a PCI Express card means your rate is going to be a possible 5 or so gigabytes per second transfer rate but in reality it will be less. Just how much less depends on a lot of factors including the motherboard, PCI express card and enclosure for the setup I am using but also the hard drive.
The SIIG DP SuperSpeed USB 2-Port PCIe card adds two USB 3.0 connections and host controller to your system with the PCI express card. The card is low profile that comes with the card, an additional low profile bracket with the regular sized one and drivers on a CD with a manual.
The SIIG PCI Express card that gives your system two USB 3.0 connections adds the possible 5 GB/s speed but for me this was only about 52 megabytes per second for my hard drive testing. This about doubled the speed of the hard drive when using the same enclosure on a USB 2 connection directly to the motherboard.
The reason behind the speed of my drive being so much lower than the top speed of data transfer comes mainly from the speed of a hard drive that is low because it is a physically spinning disc. Other factors like using the interfaces between the hard drive itself, the motherboard and CPU that is usually the final destination for data means the data will slow down even more.
When the specifications say it is possible to get a 5 GB transfer rate that is the best it will ever be but in reality it will be lower. My main test comparison of using the eSATA test against the USB 3 shows that the USB 3 is performing almost identical so there is good performance when using USB 3 and the SIIG PCI express card and enclosure.
Using the SIIG SuperSpeed USB to SATA 3 Gb/s 3.5" Enclosure and another USB 2/eSATA enclosure I tested both the USB 3.0 PCI Express Host Controller and the 3.5" HDD enclosure. Simply put I was getting double the speeds for transferring data using USB 3.0 and almost identical speeds as eSATA.
The SIIG USB 3.0 PCIe card is a simple two USB connection card that connects in your PCI express connector of the motherboard for fast and easy setup. Installation of the card is simple and drivers may automatically install when you turn the system on but the PCIe card does come with a driver CD that you can also download from SIIG.
Using the card is as simple as using any USB card or connection, simply plug your USB device in and you're ready to run with initial installation and use. The USB 3.0 card adds some features including the faster speed but extra power when you need it is something I have wanted.
Using drives without external power or devices that draw a lot of power makes the extra power that the USB 3 standard gives so more of a benefit along with the faster speeds of data transfer. I have had a problem in the past with using long USB cables and particular devices such as a 2.5" hard drive in a portable enclosure and my Canon Rebel digital camera.
This is one advantage of the USB 3.0 standard I am very happy with for things like taking pictures with my Canon Eos Rebel and having it on an extra long USB cable. Using the USB 3.0 PCI Express card gives not one but two extra USB connections with USB 3.0 so the added speed when you need it is a definite advantage as well as additional power.
USB 3.0 really does perform up to the eSATA standard and transfers data at a fast rate compared to USB 2.0 whether your using the motherboard or the slightly faster PCI express card from SIIG. The SIIG DP SuperSpeed USB 2-Port PCIe uses NEC Electronics 3.0 USB Host Controller chipset that was the first USB 3.0 chip to find its way into the new USB 3.0 standard.
The USB 3.0 PCIe card also is able to accept the regular USB cables we have used in the past for compatibility with older USB cables and devices. My testing showed a little increase in performance while using the USB 3.0 host controller card over my motherboard USB connections.
I am not sure why this is other than a newer technology that does give a boost to an older motherboard through better communication would be my guess. When upgrading a current motherboard or system using the USB 3.0 host controller card even for older USB devices using the newer USB 3.0 card is preferred if speed is a consideration.
The SIIG Hard drive enclosure that brings the USB 3.0 standard to your regular SATA hard drive is also easy to set up and use and includes an internal fan to help keep your drive cool. I have received a few hard drive enclosures that have an added fan and I really like the benefits of additional cooling because hard drives always seem to run warmer.
The enclosure from SIIG is also attractive with a black finish on the sides and top and a silver front and back that has nice blue LED front panel indications. The rear has the USB 3.0 connection which is also compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1 and the power connection for the included power adapter and an on off switch.
The power adapter is not your usual 12 volt two pin adapter that I have seen commonly used on external enclosures as it has several pins and is unique to this enclosure brand. The main difference we see when using USB 3.0 compared with previous USB standards is the cable connections and the additional pins further in the ends.
While you can use older USB cables and lower the standards to the USB 2.0 you cannot use the new blue USB 3.0 cables in older USB connections for the main end. The main end that connects to devices is a different shape but the end that connects to the computer, USB hubs and host controller cards looks the same.
The type A USB connection for USB 3.0 has an extra set of pins inside but you have to look deep into the connector to see the additional five pins. The other main end of the USB cable for 3.0 has the extra five pins on a extra protrusion of the usual square end of the USB cable.
Using USB 3.0 is just as easy as using any other USB device or standard and the new higher speed means better communication which for some things you will notice. When it comes to testing you do see the differences but you can see the differences just when accessing drives.
When you use external drives you can see the pause when accessing the drive using the My Computer Windows explorer, the screen will pause and then show the drive status. When using the USB 3.0 enclosure and host controller card you get much faster results when accessing the drive which is noticeable when trying to go into the drive.
When using the USB 3.0 with controllers or other devices you may not notice any difference but with drives you can see the difference just by going to the drive on your computer. My testing results also shows the better results in doubling the speed of transfer rates and making it almost identical to eSATA.
I really like the new USB 3.0 standard with it being compatible with the older standard and the better speeds make it well worth the simple upgrade. I highly recommend the SIIG DP SuperSpeed USB 2-Port PCIe card and the SuperSpeed USB to SATA enclosure for your external hard drive needs.