Silicon Power Armor A65 1TB USB 3.0 Hard Disk Review

Introduction

There are a lot of different methods for portable storage and one of them is external hard disk drives. Today I’m taking a closer look at such a solution and it isn’t just the run of the mill drive either. Silicon Power released the Armor A65 back in march and I’m really looking forward to seeing how it performs with everything it can do.

One of the big selling points in this drive is the durability and protection. The drive is shockproof, waterproof and dustproof, comes with encryption software, and it has been rigorously tested. The Armor A65 is the first portable hard drive that passes the IP67 standard in the industry that certifies complete protection against dust penetration, has passed the U.S military’s drop test and can stay submerged in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30-minutes.

The outside of the drive has a rubberized surface that gives you a great grip on the drive, so even though it is shockproof you most likely won’t drop it by accident. The downside to this surface is how well it holds onto dust and other particles. Below is a photo of the drive after I tried to wipe it with a cloth and it had the completely opposite effect. Instead of getting clean, it sucked anything out of the cloth.

Good thing that the drive is waterproof, so cleaning it isn’t any issue. I just held it under running water and rinsed it off before drying it with a paper towel. The result is a great looking drive again.

The Armor A65 consists of two layers of rubber and a middle frame to create a unibody design which makes the casing very resistant and durable. The internal suspension system provides a vibration damping function to reinforce overall stability while the outer rubber cover not only creates a shockproof shell but makes the surface anti-slip and anti-scratch. Featuring advanced 3-layer protection, the rugged Armor A65 is an expert in shock resistance which I’m really looking forward to testing. It’s rare that I get to be reckless with hardware.

We’ve established that the drive is very robust and can withstand a lot, but it is also a portable drive and has to be convenient – and it is. The Silicon Power Armor A65 comes with a built-in ledge on the bottom of the drive where you can insert in included USB 3.0 cable and have everything neatly store together. To meet different storage needs, the Armor A65 is available in 500GB and 2TB capacity options besides the 1TB that I’m testing today.

Armor A65 Product Features:

• Compliant with the U.S. military drop-test standards MIL-STD 810G Method 516.6 Procedure IV (transit drop test), a freefall test (122cm) on 26 contact points.
• Industry’s first to meet IP67 dustproof/waterproof standards
• Advanced internal hard drive suspension system
• Delicate cable storage design
• SP HDD Lock Utility free software download for full disk encryption
  (Note: Please remember your password and keep it safe. If you forget it you will not be able to access your data.)
• SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface
• Intelligent LED indicator
• Easy to plug and use; no external adapter required
• SP Widget free download software, providing 7 major back-up and security functions

Armor A65 Product Specifications:

• Dimensions: 143.4 x 86.7 x 20.7 mm
• Weight: 242~277g (by capacity)
• Capacity: 500GB、1TB、2TB
• Material: Rubber/ Plastic
• Color: Black
• Interface: USB 3.0 / USB 2.0 compatible
• Data transfer rates: Max. 5 Gbps (USB 3.0 Mode); Max. 480 Mbps (USB 2.0 Mode)
• Power supply: DC5V (Power supplied through USB)
• Supported operating systems: Windows 8.1/8/7/Vista/XP, Linux 2.6.31 or later, Mac OS 10.5 or later
• Operating temperature: 5℃~ 55℃
• Storage temperature: -40℃~ 70℃
• Warranty: 3 years