Seagate BlackArmor 500GB USB 3.0 Black PS 110 Kit External Hard Drive ST905003BPA1ES-RK

Pros: I don't know about the numerical speeds, but it turned several hours of backup to 45 minutes. When you consider the drive, all needed cables, PC adapter card, and the backup software, I think it's a good deal. Instead of avoiding backups for months because they tie my 'puter up too long I can easily do them weekly or more often.

Cons: Took a few hours of fiddling with the installation process to get the laptop to see the drive through the PC adapter card. That part was frustrating, and I see others have the same problem. Keep trying, it's worth it!

Other Thoughts: Once you get past the flaky instalation hassles, you've got a first rate, faster than stink, backup drive.

Pros: Faster than the USB 2.0 version. Works fine with my SIIG USB 3.0 card.

Cons: Not nearly as secure as the Maxtor BlackArmor 320 GB drive it replaces which has hardware data encryption and a password lock out feature.

Other Thoughts: This drive does NOT have hardware encryption according to Seagate, just optional software encryption. It also does not require a password to access the drive in fact, as soon as you plug it in all your files and folders are visible. Lastly, using software encryption slows the drive down.

Pros: only that the drive is fast in usb 2.0 mode and fairly compact. so it fits in a shirt pocket nicely.

Cons: works well enough when hooked up to USB 2.0 but has failed to work on 3 laptops with the USB 3.0 card. card is recognized but the drive is not. makes this a pretty expensive 500gb drive. I'd have returned it but an overly helpful family member pitched the packing so I'm stuck with a semi useful boat anchor.

Other Thoughts: was also provide a "free" external usb docking station. completely useless. the connector of the station does not even fit the drive! some deal.

Pros: For being a 500GB, 7200RPM drive and USB 3.0 the price is excellent for this drive. Using it as a USB 2.0 it still faster than most drives.

Cons: You have to hook up the drive to usb 2.0 to get the driver for the USB 3.0 adapter installed, then you can hook the drive back into USB 3.0.

I was expecting 100MB/s and instead only getting between 40MB/s - 52MB/s in WIN7. Again I am using the USB 3.0 adapter that came with the drive and hook it up to my laptop. When I ran a benchmark I was getting results of 92MB/s but in WIN 7 I wasn't getting those speeds.

Maybe using it in straight motherboard with USB 3.0 port will be faster.

Other Thoughts: The highest I got is 52MB/sec on my WIN7 laptop using the USB 3.0 adapter card that came with the drive.

Pros: Ok now I tested this thing with a very large mkv file and it topped out at over 100 MB/sec, sometimes more than that, so that is about 20 MB/sec faster than eSata

Cons: The setup for the card is still janky, I am going to get a different pci usb 3.0 card... I would just get the drive without the card.

Pros: The drive itself is nice. On my USB 3.0 port on my computer, the drive is topping out at 32 MB/sec on MP3 files, on smaller files it maxes out at 27 MB/sec. So that is definitely slower than I anticipated... Just the feel of it, eSata is much better, but that could be an unfair assessment, because I really am transferring small files.

Cons: SERIOUSLY... this thing is the WORST setup I have ever seen. They need to show it hooked up to your computer... the card head sticks out over an inch from your computer, then you have to plug in a power cord from that card sticking out to a different USB port on your laptop... this is not mobile at all... it is the jankiest setup I have ever seen. I know that I won't bother 99% of the time and will just plug in the drive to usb 2.0. Just to avoid hooking this contraption up everytime I want to use it. I hope they come out with better cards without this crazy power cord hooking to a different usb port.

Other Thoughts: The documentation wasn't that good, you have to hook up the drive to usb 2.0 get the driver then install it, then you can hook the drive back into USB 3.0. The drive itself is fine, and probably worth it, the janky express card, is not worth it.