PhotoFast Intros GBox Mini USB 3.0 to SATA Adapter

btarunr · Jun 29, 2010, 03:19 PM

SSD and flash memory specialists PhotoFast developed what they call the GBox mini, an adapter that converts USB 3.0 to SATA. The adapter connects to the host with a USB 3.0 connector (for data and power), and an additional USB 2.0 (purely for power). The two connectors share the same cable so clutter is minimized. On its other end, the adapter has a SATA connector with both data and power ports. It can connect to any SATA HDD, SSD, or optical drive. Although the USB 3.0 interface has a generous maximum bandwidth of 4.8 Gb/s, the device has transfer speeds of up to 128 MB/s (SATA device to system) and 96 MB/s (system to SATA device). The GBox mini comes with a copy of DriveClone 7 Pro software bundled, necessary cable, and is expected to be priced at US $22, when it hits the Japanese markets next month.

Source: Softpedia

newtekie1 · Jun 29, 2010, 03:49 PM

Thats cool, now make one with IDE on it aswell as SATA so I can replace the USB 2.0 adaptors I use at the shop with something that doesn't take forever to clone a large full drive...

BazookaJoe · Jun 29, 2010, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newtekie1

Thats cool, now make one with IDE on it aswell as SATA so I can replace the USB 2.0 adaptors I use at the shop with something that doesn't take forever to clone a large full drive...

100%

There are a lot of perfectly good old IDE drives out there - great for backups & shiz - and an IDE<-->USB3 would be awesome....

CharlO · Jun 29, 2010, 08:43 PM

Would be pointles, USB2.0 already has more bandwitch than most. The USB2.0 ones are the best you can get.

[I.R.A]_FBi · Jun 29, 2010, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CharlO

Would be pointles, USB2.0 already has more bandwitch than most. The USB2.0 ones are the best you can get.

how so?

newtekie1 · Jun 30, 2010, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CharlO

Would be pointles, USB2.0 already has more bandwitch than most. The USB2.0 ones are the best you can get.

Yeah, not even close. Even ancient 500GB IDE drives average 50MB/s+ transfer speeds, USB 2.0 can't even come close to handling that... You'll be lucky to see 30MB/s on USB2.0.

BazookaJoe · Jun 30, 2010, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CharlO

Would be pointles, USB2.0 already has more bandwitch than most. The USB2.0 ones are the best you can get.

Recent IDE drives perform well into the 110Mb/s arena dude - get with the program...

pr0n Inspector · Jun 30, 2010, 06:30 AM

USB 3.0 + USB 2.0 = 7 watts

Could barely maintains a spinning 3.5-inch drive, don't even think about cold-starting one.
Basically you are limited to 2.5-inch drives.

Mussels · Jun 30, 2010, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pr0n Inspector

USB 3.0 + USB 2.0 = 7 watts

Could barely maintains a spinning 3.5-inch drive, don't even think about cold-starting one.
Basically you are limited to 2.5-inch drives.

umm, they dont get the power from the USB. these are for people with external power (many mobos come with external brackets with sata, E-sata and molex power out - i've got 5+ of em laying about)

IDE can easily do 100MB/s. USB 2.0 gets stuck around 30MB/s

IDE to sata (and vice versa) adaptors are cheap and plentiful, so you could go USB 3.0 -> SATA II -> IDE -> old drive. it'd just be clunky and need a few more power connectors

pr0n Inspector · Jun 30, 2010, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mussels

umm, they dont get the power from the USB. these are for people with external power (many mobos come with external brackets with sata, E-sata and molex power out - i've got 5+ of em laying about)

IDE can easily do 100MB/s. USB 2.0 gets stuck around 30MB/s

IDE to sata (and vice versa) adaptors are cheap and plentiful, so you could go USB 3.0 -> SATA II -> IDE -> old drive. it'd just be clunky and need a few more power connectors

Look closer at the product photos. it's a data+power connector like those in enclosures and laptops.

Mussels · Jun 30, 2010, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pr0n Inspector

Look closer at the product photos. it's a data+power connector like those in enclosures and laptops.

i may have failed. didnt see the power until now.

BazookaJoe · Jun 30, 2010, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mussels

IDE to sata (and vice versa) adaptors are cheap and plentiful, so you could go USB 3.0 -> SATA II -> IDE -> old drive. it'd just be clunky and need a few more power connectors

Very good point...

Jun 29, 2010, 03:19 PM	#1
btarunr Editor & Senior Moderator Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hyderabad, India Posts: 14,982 (7.30/day) Thanks: 788 Thanked 12,899 Times in 5,650 Posts System Specs	PhotoFast Intros GBox Mini USB 3.0 to SATA Adapter SSD and flash memory specialists PhotoFast developed what they call the GBox mini, an adapter that converts USB 3.0 to SATA. The adapter connects to the host with a USB 3.0 connector (for data and power), and an additional USB 2.0 (purely for power). The two connectors share the same cable so clutter is minimized. On its other end, the adapter has a SATA connector with both data and power ports. It can connect to any SATA HDD, SSD, or optical drive. Although the USB 3.0 interface has a generous maximum bandwidth of 4.8 Gb/s, the device has transfer speeds of up to 128 MB/s (SATA device to system) and 96 MB/s (system to SATA device). The GBox mini comes with a copy of DriveClone 7 Pro software bundled, necessary cable, and is expected to be priced at US $22, when it hits the Japanese markets next month. Source: Softpedia

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Jun 29, 2010, 03:49 PM	#2
newtekie1 Semi-Retired Folder Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 17,748 (6.48/day) Thanks: 780 Thanked 5,115 Times in 3,706 Posts System Specs	Thats cool, now make one with IDE on it aswell as SATA so I can replace the USB 2.0 adaptors I use at the shop with something that doesn't take forever to clone a large full drive... __________________ Rig1: System Specs. Rig2: A8-5600K@4.4GHz / AsRock FM2A75 Pro4 / 8GB Corsair DDR3-1600 9-9-9-24 / HD7560D / Samsung DVD-Burner / 1.5TB WD Green + 3x3TB WD RED in RAID5 Rig3: Athlon X2 4200+ / M4A79 Deluxe / 4GB G.Skill Pi DDR2-800 4-4-4-12 / GT430 / Sony DVD-Burner / 500GB WD Rig4: Phenom II x6 1605T @ 3.6GHz / Asus M5A99X Evo / 8GB PNY DDR3-1600 9-9-9 / GTX470 & GTX470 / Samsung DVD-Burner / 1.5TB Seagate

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Jun 29, 2010, 08:43 PM	#4
CharlO Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 59 (0.03/day) Thanks: 13 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Would be pointles, USB2.0 already has more bandwitch than most. The USB2.0 ones are the best you can get. __________________ CharlO

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Jun 30, 2010, 06:30 AM	#8
pr0n Inspector Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,193 (0.73/day) Thanks: 65 Thanked 139 Times in 107 Posts System Specs	USB 3.0 + USB 2.0 = 7 watts Could barely maintains a spinning 3.5-inch drive, don't even think about cold-starting one. Basically you are limited to 2.5-inch drives. __________________ Are you sure you want to cancel this action? OK / Cancel

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