INTRODUCTION

   Although USB Flash Drive prices have hit an all-time low the really large capacity models (128GB and above) are still not really cheap and thus not easy to for everyone to acquire. Luckily hard disk drive prices have also dropped quite a bit lately (always compared to the prices we had due to the floods in TW) and so right now the most cost-effective way for someone to carry large data backups around are 2.5" portable HDDs and as always there are countless models out there for someone to choose from with capacities of up to 2TB. However the enclosures of most 2.5" models are quite standard in design so we rarely see something different which could blend in better with our desks. Well it seems that our friends over at Silicon Power also believe that all portable HDDs shouldn't look the same and their latest Diamond D05 Limited Edition 500GB USB 3.0 HDD is a statement to that since it's guaranteed to get you into the Christmas spirit.

   Silicon Power Computer & Communications Inc., founded in 2003 by a group of enthusiastic specialists in International Business, Global Marketing, and Technical Engineering of flash data storage industry. Well dedicated in brand image and product quality, Silicon Power has been recognized and well accepted by millions of end-users in more than 100 countries, becomes the world's leading manufacturer of flash memory cards, USB flash drives, card readers, DRAM modules, solid state disks, and portable hard drives in less than a decade. Headquartered in Taipei, we continuously established various branches throughout the world including Netherlands, Japan, Russia, Mainland China and other emerging market to reach the worldwide market. Silicon Power's overall performance has gradually drawn great attention worldwide. In 2006, we received Taiwan Rising Star Award for our foreign business achievement. In 2008, we won 17th National Outstanding Small & Medium Enterprise Award for our outstanding progress. Moreover, with superior quality and innovative design, our products stood out in several competitions and awarded Taiwan Excellence and COMPUTEX Design & Innovation Award in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Winning trust of global consumers, Silicon Power holds a record of successive double-digit revenue growth for last seven years. According to the Common Wealth Magazine's 2010 Survey of Taiwan Top 1000 Manufacturers, our 2009 revenue growth rate was ranked No.11 among Taiwan's top 1000 manufacturers, and even ranked No.1 in semiconductor industry. Positioned as Passionate, Creative and Hungry for Success, Silicon Power introduces products for users who are seeking individualized, unique and personal digital storage devices. With the mission of creating unprecedented experience for users, Silicon Power will endeavor to deliver a full range of high quality products that have innovative designs, distinctly unique features and comprehensive after sales services to create and fulfill your personal memory.

   So far Silicon Power has only released two models in the Diamond D05 Limited Edition line, one with a capacity of 750GB one and one with 500GB which is also the one we have here with us today. Unfortunately it seems that at least for the time being only Western Digital has a 2TB portable 2.5" model available in their HDD line (something which i hope changes soon). Now compared to the regular Diamond D05 portable HDD models (again by SP) the Limited Edition sports the same scratch resistant enclosure (hard plastic) and the same USB 3.0 connectivity however this time over on the enclosure we see a nice Christmas theme with a reindeer and several snowflakes. True this is not something that most mature men would choose to carry around with them (personally i prefer leather or rubber rugged enclosures) but it's certainly something that most women and children will love especially since we are roughly just 2 months away from Christmas.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS 

The Diamond D05 Limited Edition 2.5" portable HDD gets shipped inside a small cardboard package with a small cut out section at the front from where you can take a look at the actual product. 

A table showcasing the capacity of the entire Diamond D05 line right above the features and system requirements of the unit are placed at the rear.

Contained in the box are the Diamond D05 Limited Edition 2.5" portable HDD, the user's manual and a USB 3.0 cable.

THE DIAMOND D05 LIMITED EDITION

The Limited Edition drive measures 124.8mm in length, 75.8mm in width and 13.6mm in height while weighing 155g.

The scratch resistant casing is quite durable (considering it's made out of hard plastic) but i'd like the design a lot more if it was printed on a metal surface.

At the left top side we see the USB 3.0 port while the blue HDD activity LED is placed at the top (not easy to spot when not active).

Several certification logos along with the drive capacity and country of manufacture are placed at the rear. 

The MK5059GSXP used in the Diamond D05 Limited Edition line is a dual platter, 9.5mm thick 2.5" SATA II drive with a rotational speed of 5400RPM and 8MB cache.

TEST BED 

TESTING METHODOLOGY 

   Keeping things simple so even people new in the field of computers can understand will always be our way so once again our testing procedure is almost exactly the same as the one we use with 2.5/3.5" external docking stations. This time however we will be comparing the product at hand with a wide range of 2.5" portable drives and standalone 2.5" enclosures all of which were benched using a HGST 7K750 SATA II hard disk drive. Our standard selection of benchmark suites is used here as well including the famous HD Tach RW (Long Bench 32mb Zones), HD Tune Pro (read/write -when possible- speeds), Sisoftware Sandra Pro (Read/Write - also when possible- speeds), AIDA64 (Linear Read/Random Read), Crystal Disk Mark x64 (100MB/1000MB read/write speeds) and finally the quite outdated yet highly reliable ATTO 2.46 (Max Read/Max Write speeds). Every test was repeated for a total of 6 times and after that the average (not peak) numbers were recorded into our charts. As always every test was performed in a fresh installation of Microsoft Windows 7 Service Pack 1 with every update installed up to October 14th 2012.

TEST RESULTS - AIDA 64 / ATTO 

TEST RESULTS - HD TACH RW / HD TUNE PRO

TEST RESULTS - SISOFTWARE SANDRA PRO / CRYSTAL DISK MARK X64

TEST RESULTS – TEMPERATURES

CONCLUSION

   When we first sliced open the Diamond D05 Limited Edition i was somewhat surprised to see that Silicon Power had used an 5400RPM SATA II HDD instead of an 7200RPM SATA III one mainly because USB 3.0 connectivity can handle pretty much anything you throw at it. Now i can understand that SATA II and SATA III mechanical drives have almost zero difference in speed but 5400RPM and 7200RPM do have some so i don't know why Silicon Power didn't opt for one of those instead. Could be because they wanted to keep a low cost for the unit or because they were looking for a drive which wouldn't get too hot when used. What matters however is that even with an Toshiba 5400RPM SATA II HDD the Diamond D05 Limited Edition 500GB USB 3.0 Portable HDD is still very fast and yes even faster than some USB 3.0 flash drives.

   As we speak the Diamond D05 Limited Edition 500GB USB 3.0 Portable 2.5" HDD by Silicon Power retails at around USD75 inside the USA and 80Euros inside the EU a price tag which lands it right in the middle of similar capacity solutions. In the end what makes the Diamond D05 Limited Edition HDD special is its performance (most low-cost USB 3.0 HDDs don't go over 100MB/s), the scratch resistant enclosure and the rather unique reindeer drawing at the top (that is both good and bad actually). Personally although i can't really carry the Diamond D05 Limited Edition inside my leather jackets (like i said i always carry leather/rubber enclosures) i think I’ve found just the right gift for my other half since not only does she love reindeers (didn't we all at some point?) but she also happens to enjoy unique computer peripherals and love the Christmas season above every other just like i do. So if all of the above are not enough for it to qualify for our Golden Award i really don't know what would.

PROS

- Build Quality (Scratch Resistant Enclosure - Toshiba HDD)
- Design (Reindeer Drawing)
- Very Fast
- SP Widget (Free Download From Silicon Power) 

CONS

- Price (For Some)