Testing
The following system was used to test the adapter:
– Processor: Intel i9 9900K @ 5GHz
– Motherboard: ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X
– RAM: GOODRAM IRDM PRO 16GB DDR4-3600MHz
– GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio
– SSD: Crucial p5 500GB
– HDD: GOODRAM IRDM 1TB SSD
– PSU: Seasonic Snow Silent 750W Platinum
– Case: be quiet! Silent Base 802 White
– Thermal compound: Noctua NT-H2
To test the adapter, a SATA based Samsung SSD was used, alongside a WD 70GB IDE drive.
The Samsung 840 EVO 120GB SSD has on average a speed of 500MB/s, however with the Sabrent USB-DS12 Adapter, the speed is lowered to around 270MB/s.
Final thoughts
The Sabrent USB-DS12 Adapter is an interesting product that offers a solution for many problems, in a small and simple package. With the streamlining of input and output ports across all platforms, and the increasing usage of M.2 SSDs, SATA and IDE based devices are hard to test and especially difficult to use for data extraction. The Sabrent USB-DS12 solves that issue, as this adapter just works from the start and requires no additional software or devices.
When we talk about the raw performance of the adapter, well, thanks to the USB 3.0 to SATA combo bridge controller, the speed on a regular SATA SSD is reduced to half. This is not such a big issue as using this adapter means you just want to extract the data off the SSD and be done with it. However, the reduction of speed of the used device is worth mentioning as many users expect their devices to perform the same while using such a simple and affordable adapter.
The build quality of the Sabrent USB-DS12 Adapter is good for the most part, however with the casing removed, we get to see that the PCB quality is average at best. Defects are present in many of the soldering points of the input/output ports. In addition, the PCB surface is covered with leftovers from the manufacturing process. This will not affect the performance of the adapter but it is disappointing to see, especially since Sabrent makes exceptional M.2 SSDs.
The Sabrent USB-DS12 Adapter has a price of 23 USD which is good given the options available on the market from other manufacturers. For this price, this adapter should be a tool that has a permanent spot in your computer tool kit as it will offer a good and fast way to extract data from older drives.
In conclusion, the Sabrent USB-DS12 Adapter is a good and affordable adapter that offers a reliable and fast way to extract data from old or unused drives. The adapter has three ports and can handle up to three storage devices at once, both IDE and SATA. The performance is good on most devices, however SATA based SSDs will have their speed reduced to half, thanks to the controller used to make the USB 3.0 to SATA conversion.
