Sandberg USB 3.0 Hard Disk Cloner – Hardware Review
While we normally take a closer look at Sandberg’s eSports line of products, we sometimes stray away from the path of everything that revolves around gaming and also take a closer look at practical tools for your setup. This time, we are looking at a useful piece of hardware for people who want to clone their HDD or SDD to another drive. This is often a hassle for people who are swapping components in their setup, or for those who are setting up a second workstation or gaming rig and want to have the same files on both devices. The USB 3.0 Hard Disk Cloner is there to make things easier, even to the point you don’t need a PC to do the actual cloning of the drive you had in mind.
Design
Overall there are not too many notable features when it comes to this little toaster-like device. Nonetheless, the silver-finished design is quite nice to look at, with the brand name nicely displayed on the front. Other features include LED lights, to show which slot is properly connected, but also to see if the device is turned on, as well as the cloning progress. There are not too many bells and whistles on display here, and that’s perfectly fine for a device such as this.
Comfort
In terms of comfort, there is not that much to mention. The device is made to be a standalone experience, where you actually don’t need a PC to clone your disk. The most notable comfort features the aforementioned LED lights, but also the small lids that serve to keep dust out. Viewing the device from the top, there is always a gap open the size of a 2,5” drive for both the A and B slots, making sure if you opt for a drive such as this, it fits snugly. If you want to use a 3.5” drive, you’ll press down the lid with the drive, opening up the otherwise smaller gap. While there is always a small open piece to be seen, it’s still a lot better than opting for no dust cover at all.
Specs
- Supports all SATA 2.5” & 3.5” hard disks. Max. capacity 12 TB.
- USB 3.0 interface (backward compatible with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1)
- External connectors: 1 USB 3.0 B female, 1 power jack female
- Internal connectors: 2 x SATA connectors for data and power connections
- LED indicators hard disks and clone progress
- Power supply: 12V DC, 3000 mA, Center Positive
- NOTE: Target hard disk has to have greater capacity than the source hard disk
Overview
While you’d reckon a lengthy tutorial would be necessary for a process such as this, it’s actually a matter of ‘plug and play’. You’ll insert the HDD or SDD (2.5” or 3.5”) into the A slot, and the empty drive (larger volume) you want to clone your data to in the B slot. From here on out, you proceed by holding the clone button down for a few seconds and then give it another press to confirm, to then wait until the device is done. You can monitor the progress by watching all the % lights being turned on, and then you’re basically good to go.
Other than being able to clone data from one drive to another at rather phenomenal speeds, you’re also able to browse through your files by just hooking up the Disk Cloner to your PC. You can easily access files on older drives that you may not really use anymore, and thus decide what to do with your data, instead of having to actually insert the HDD or SDD in your PC again. This makes it quite a reliable tool, even if you’re just looking for a somewhat cheaper (or older) external drive for backup data.
Conclusion
Sandberg’s USB 3.0 Hard Disk Cloner is a very convenient device that makes a somewhat tedious task extremely easy. Sure, you’ll have to remove the drive you wish to clone, but for most computer cases this is just taking out a tray, unplugging a cable, and unscrewing four screws. Compared to having to redownload all your items and software, or having to forward them at low speeds, you’re a lot better off with a device such as this.
Sandberg USB 3.0 Hard Disk Cloner - Hardware Review,
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