Performance:
The test system used in this review was an HP dc7900. The computer came equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz CPU, 2GB of DDR2 800MHz memory, Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250310AS 250GB SATA hard drive, NVIDIA Quadro FX570 256MB PCIe graphics card, Intel 82567LM-3 gigabit network card and Patriot SuperSpeed USB 3.0 PCIe host card. For the operating system, I installed a fresh copy of Windows 7 Enterprise.
To test the performance of the HornetTek Golaith, I ran a series of benchmarks using CrystalDiskMark 3.0, HD Tach RW 3.0.4.0, ATTO Disk Benchmark 2.46 and HD Tune Pro 4.50. I used a Hitachi Deskstar 1TB 7K1000.B hard drive and ran the tests with the enclosure plugged into a USB 3.0 port and then again using USB 2.0.
CrystalDiskMark 3.0:
First, I ran a few quick tests using CrystalDiskMark. This benchmark tool measures the performance of a storage device by testing its sequential read and write speeds as well as its random read and write speeds using blocks 512K and 4K in size.
HornetTek Goliath - USB 3.0
HornetTek Goliath - USB 2.0
The Goliath performed very well when connected to the computer's USB 3.0 port. In our tests, the enclosure reached speeds as high as 115 MB/s when reading and 104 MB/s when writing.
HD Tach RW 3.0.4.0:
Using HD Tach, we can benchmark a drive's read, write and burst speeds as well as its seek times and CPU usage.
When connected to the computer's USB 3.0 port, the Goliath had average read and write speeds of 93.2 MB/s and 94.3 MB/s, respectively, as well as a burst speed of 135.5 MB/s. The enclosure wasn't nearly as fast when using USB 2.0 though. Compared to what we saw with USB 3.0, the Goliath's read and write speeds dropped by two-thirds.
ATTO Disk Benchmark 2.46:
I also used ATTO Disk Benchmark to test the Goliath's sequential read and write speeds. The tests are run using blocks ranging in size from 0.5KB to 8192KB and the total length set to 256MB.
 HornetTek Goliath - USB 3.0 |
 HornetTek Goliath - USB 2.0 |
When tested with ATTO, the Goliath's USB 3.0 read speeds topped out at about 114 MB/s and its write speeds at 97 MB/s.
Final Thoughts:
The Goliath is a worthy addition to HornetTek's line of hard drive enclosures. Designed with cooling in mind, this aluminum enclosure features a built-in 80mm fan which blows cool air through the extra ventilation surrounding the hard drive. While this does make the Goliath a bit larger than other single drive enclosures, this system does a great job of keeping hard drives cool. HornetTek's new enclosure also offers some impressive performance. With its USB 3.0 interface, the Goliath shouldn't have any problems keeping up with the industry's fastest SATA hard drives.
The HornetTek Goliath is available now in your choice of black or red and can be purchased from online stores like Amazon, Micro Center, and Buy.com for less than $50.
Highs:
- Well constructed
- Built-in cooling fan
- Great USB 3.0 performance
- Cooling fan can be turned on or off
- Compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux
- Reasonably priced
Lows:
- Larger than other single drive enclosures
- Doesn't support hard drives over 2TB in size
