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MagyarReview Medion Drive`n`go 640 GB USB 3.0
At the time of writing the test model directly offered by the Medion Online-Shop at 80.- Euro including postage. Therewith the price is lower mid-range considering the capacity. A Samsung HM641JI with 640 GB capacity and 8 MB Cache works at a revolution speed of 5400 rpm inside. The drive itself is available separately at 50.- euro plus P&P. The surcharge for the case is small, even more, considering that Medion provides a warranty of 24 Month for the bundle. A model with 1 TB capacity at 100.- euro in the same case is also announced.
The black case is completely made from plastics. Its top side has a high-gloss finish. At the sides and the bottom there are big vent grilles, which should successfully prevent a possible heat accumulation. Four big rubber feet ensure that the case won't slip and lift the case, which improves air flow. Sideways it houses a USB 3.0 Port Type B, which is usually only available in external 3.5" hard drives. At the other side you'll find a USB 3.0 port and a flange mounted USB 2.0 port (y-cable), which provides additional power if needed.
This is urgently needed, because, Samsung specifies a power demand of 1000 mA for the start up of the HM641JI. As USB 3.0 may only provide 900 mA according to the specs, the additional 100 mA to 500 mA of USB 2.0 are typically required. It's a mystery to us that many manufacturer supply their external hard drives neither with a y-cable nor an additional power supply, as this prevents use on many laptops.
Apart from the Desktop-Computer all computers in test require the additional USB 2.0 power supply. These are the HP ProBook 6540b, the HP Mini 5101 and a Dell Precision M4500. Without it, the data transfer won't even work via USB-2.0. In order to run the Drive`n`go`via USB 3.0 ExpressCard at the HP ProBook, we needed a sophisticated construction outside the specification with y-cable plus an additional USB-power supply at the ExpressCard, which gave a total of three cables connected to the laptop. Notebooks with integrated USB 3.0 interface do not face this problem and just need an additional USB connection in the worst case.
In the performance tests the Medion Drive`n`go astonishes with notable speed. It is even faster than some competitors with faster revolution speed and achieves a maximum of 98.8 MB/s and still 78.7 MB/s on average. In sequential reading the drive even reaches 103.1 MB/s and therewith even exceeds the 100-MB/s-level. Therewith, the Medion Drive`n`go ranks in the top range of the external hard drives we tested so far and is only beaten by the LaCie rugged with 7200 rpm hard drive. Please also refer to our comprehensive HDD benchmark list.
Verdict
The Medion Drive`n`go with 640 GB capacity and USB 3.0 interface is easy to handle, works reliable, and scores points with a good performance.
The plain case without ornaments, is well built, and appears to be robust. To summarize it is nearly unexceptionally designed from a practical point of view.
Nevertheless, we have to slightly criticize the high-gloss surface, which is full of fingerprints, scratches and dust particles after a short time of use.
Even if the current price is not the cheapest, considering the whole package, it is still fair.
