Silicon Power unveils rugged Armor A66 portable USB hard drive
Solid state drives are obviously the future of computing, while hard disk drives are the past, right? Sort of. Despite being destined for the history books, HDDs are still a major part of the present. Why? Even though they are slower and have moving parts, HDDs still remain the better value from a cost per gigabyte perspective. SSDs will get there eventually, but for now, hard drives continue to live on.
If you are in the market for a portable hard disk drive (a 2.5-inch HDD in a USB enclosure), Silicon Power has new model that may interest you. Called "Armor A66," it is notable for being very rugged. Not only does it offer both drop and water protection, but it has a rubber USB-A cap to protect the connector. The removable USB-A to USB-A cable even conveniently attaches to the drive body when not in use to keep it from getting lost.
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"Meeting the MIL-STD 810G Method 516.6 Procedure IV drop test requirements, this drive is military-grade shockproof against accidental bumps and drops for worry-free handling. IPX4-level water-resistance shields the drive from splashing water in any direction to fearlessly go out regardless of the weather forecast," explains Silicon Power.
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The company also says, "On the outside, an all-around rubber bumper provides 360˚ protection to both absorb and soften the effects of any unfortunate mishaps. On the inside, an advanced suspension system effectively reduces impact force and increases shock-absorption to keep data from directly feeling these effects."
Silicon Power shares specifications below.
- Capacity: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 5TB
- Dimensions: 139.2mm x 96.0mm x 16.2mm (1TB/2TB), 139.2mm x 96.0mm x 24.0mm (4TB/5TB)
- Weight: 209g (1TB/2TB), 328g (4TB/5TB)
- Material: Rubber + Plastic
- Color: Black/Black, Black/Blue, Black/Yellow
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 1 (USB 3.0, USB 2.0 backwards-compatible)
- Supported OS: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP 64-Bit, Mac OS 10.5.x, Linux 2.6.x
- Operating Temperature: 5°C - 55°C
- Storage Temperature: -40°C - 70°C
- Operation Voltage: DC 5V
- Certification: CE, FCC, BSMI, Green dot, WEEE, RoHS, KC, RCM
- Warranty: 3 years
While pricing and availability are unknown for now, the Armor A66 portable hard drive should be available for purchase here soon. Silicon Power is known for manufacturing very high-quality value products, so I totally expect this drive to be both affordable and reliable. What we do know definitively, however, is the Armor A66 will be offered in three colors (black, blue, and yellow) and four capacities (1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB).
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