I. Introduction: LaCie Rugged Mini SSD, a three-proof mobile solid-state drive that is waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof.
In today's era of ubiquitous massive data requiring high-speed transmission while ensuring security, mobile solid-state drives have become an indispensable tool.
However, traditional mobile hard drives have a rather fatal weakness: they are prone to damage to the internal storage structure due to bumps, water immersion, vibration, impact, etc., which can even lead to data loss.
Therefore, three-proof hard drives have become the last line of defense, especially suitable for outdoor photographers, on-site journalists, and other special industries.
As a high-end brand under Seagate, LaCie has recently launched the LaCie Rugged Mini SSD, a mobile solid-state drive that focuses on three-proof features, providing solid protection in terms of waterproofing, dustproofing, shock resistance, and drop resistance for professionals.
The LaCie Rugged Mini SSD by Seagate boasts IP54 water and dust resistance, making it unfazed by outdoor splashes and equipped with a thickened airbag for withstanding drops from 3 meters and pressures up to 1 ton.
This design ensures the hard drive can operate normally even in harsh external conditions, safeguarding internal data from damage.
In addition to its triple protection advantages, as a premium hard drive brand under Seagate, it excels in transfer speeds.
Featuring USB 3.2 Gen2*2 interface, it offers a theoretical maximum transfer speed of up to 2000MB/s.
Its compatibility is also outstanding, supporting Windows, macOS, and iPad devices with excellent cross-platform capabilities.
Appearance: Metal material with matte sandblasted texture and a sturdy rubber casing
The LaCie Rugged Mini SSD stands out from other hard drives in terms of appearance with its thick rubber casing providing excellent protection.
The front view appears quite sleek, with only the oval-shaped LaCie logo in the center of the drive.
The hard drive casing is made of 30% PCR environmentally friendly recycled materials, with nothing on the back.
At the bottom of the hard drive, there is a USB Type-C interface with specifications of USB 3.2 Gen2*2, capable of achieving a theoretical maximum transfer speed of up to 2000MB/s.
The LaCie Rugged Mini SSD by LaCie measures just 1056717mm, even smaller than a laptop's touchpad, making it extremely compact and portable.
The surface of the hard drive is made of thickened metal material, combined with a sturdy protective case, giving the LaCie Rugged Mini SSD the ability to be IP54 waterproof and dustproof, even capable of withstanding impacts from a 3-meter drop, while also resisting pressures of up to 1 ton, providing all-around protection.
Contents of the package: One dual-C port data cable and a product user manual included.
III. Hard Drive Performance Test: Stable read speed of over 2GB/s without slowdown.
Test platform configuration as follows:
CrystalDiskMark
According to CrystalDiskInfo, the capacity of the LaCie Rugged Mini SSD by Seagate is 1TB, with a UASP interface, and it supports features such as S.M.A.R.T. hard drive status detection and warning, NCQ native command queuing, and TRIM.
Next, let's take a look at the performance of this hard drive.
CrystalDiskMark is a user-friendly software for testing hard drive performance. In the interface, you can view continuous read/write speeds, 512K and 4KB random read/write performance, and 4K random performance at a queue depth of 32.
In CrystalDiskMark testing, under a single-threaded 8 queue depth with 1GB files, the sequential read speed exceeded 2000MB/s, with write speeds also surpassing 1780MB/s.
In the random read/write test with 16 threads and 32 queue depth, the random read speed for the 1GB test was around 1767MB/s, while the random write speed was approximately 1415MB/s.
In a 32GB file, whether with a single thread and 8 queue depth, or 16 threads and 32 queue depth, the read and write speeds are almost the same as with a 1GB file, showing exceptional stability.
ATTO Disk Benchmark Test
The ATTO Disk Benchmark Test utilizes data test packets of various sizes, ranging from 0.5K, 1.0K, 2.0K up to 8192.0KB, for separate read and write tests. These results are graphically represented in a bar chart, effectively illustrating the impact of different file sizes on disk speed.
In ATTO disk benchmark tests, the read and write speeds can consistently stay above 1.9GB/s, with the write speed also able to maintain around 1.66GB/s.
TxBench
In the TxBench test, the read and write speeds also reached 2083.7MB/s and 1761.8MB/s, demonstrating quite stable performance.
Temperature Test
Finally, we also tested the operating temperature of the LaCie Rugged Mini SSD.
During the test, no additional cooling devices were added, and the core temperature of the hard drive was recorded using the CrystalDiskMark benchmark test.
Prior to the test, the core temperature was 21°C. After a round of CrystalDiskMark read/write tests, the highest core temperature of the hard drive reached 46°C, with no performance degradation. This performance ensures that its capabilities can be fully utilized at any time.
Such stable performance guarantees that even in harsh conditions, the device will not lose performance due to poor heat dissipation.
In summary, the compact yet powerful waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof features of the LaCie Rugged Mini SSD make it a reliable choice for a portable solid-state drive.
The unique appearance design of the LaCie Rugged Mini SSD features a protective rubber casing with mesh patterns on the surface and reinforced corners with hidden airbags, providing better cushioning against external impacts to protect the delicate internal storage components from damage.
With IP54 water and dust resistance, 3-meter drop resistance, and 1-ton pressure resistance, these robust protective features ensure the reliability and durability of the hard drive under extreme conditions.
In terms of performance, it boasts sequential read speeds of over 2000MB/s and sequential write speeds close to 1800MB/s, delivering excellent loading speeds and response times.
Additionally, it supports Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and is compatible with both Windows and macOS systems, maximizing its compatibility across platforms.
Impressively, the temperature control is outstanding, with a measured maximum of only 46°C and no speed drops, ensuring data safety and transmission stability with its excellent thermal management strategy.
It's important to note that higher SSD temperatures lead to more noticeable performance degradation and even drive failures.
This design takes into account the demands of extreme usage conditions, showcasing LaCie's professional expertise in designing and manufacturing rugged hard drives, as well as a deep understanding of user needs.
In terms of pricing, the LaCie Rugged Mini SSD is priced at 898 yuan for 500GB, 1398 yuan for 1TB, 2298 yuan for 2TB, and 4398 yuan for 4TB, with a 3-year warranty and one free factory data recovery service within 3 years. For those seeking high-quality, high-capacity portable solid-state drives, this is a compelling option.
