W1zzard
08-11-2005, 04:12 PM
[page=Introduction & Packaging]
Introduction
From the manufacturer Thermaltake (http://www.thermaltake.com):
All aluminum fanless design
Silver body with graceful curve
Screwless design easy to install 3.5 HDD without tools
Deliver Meter with blue backlight to indicate digital signal.
Cypress AT2+ chip - speed & protect your digital data
IDE to USB2.0 interface - the most compatibility
Compact mount easily to stand.
Transfer speed up to 480Mbps
<table border="1" class="resulttable" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3">
<tr>
<th>Model</th>
<td>A2292</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Case Type </th>
<td>3.5" HDD </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Weight</th>
<td>745g</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Dimension</th>
<td>2119x125x40.5mm (HxWxD)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Material</th>
<td>Aluminum</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Interface</th>
<td>IDE to USB2.0 </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>ATA compatibility </th>
<td>ATA6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>PCBA Chip </th>
<td>Cypress AT2+ </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Transfer Rate: </th>
<td>USB2.0: 480 Mbps</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Operating System </th>
<td>Windows SE, ME, 2000 and XP<br />
Mac OS 9.x up </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Drive Bay Kits </th>
<td>USB 2.0 external cable, Power adapter, Metal foot stand </td>
</tr>
</table>
Packaging
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/package1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/package1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/package2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/package2.jpg)
The Thermaltake Muse comes in a package which does not follow the standard Thermaltake color-theme. I like the elegant white packaging of the Muse better.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/contents_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/contents.jpg)
Inside the package you will find:
Aluminum case
Aluminum stand
USB cable 1m
User's Manual & Driver CD
Power supply with cable
[page=The unit]
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/psu_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/psu.jpg)
Power for the harddisk is delivered by an external PSU. This is neccessary, because USB is specified to max. 500mA. However, integrating the PSU into the case should be no problem and would significantly reduce the cable mess.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/connectors_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/connectors.jpg)
On one side of the aluminum case are two connectors for power, USB and the power switch.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/inside_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/inside.jpg)
Opening the case is accomplished by pressing a small button on one side, then opening the top. Inside you will find some empty space for your 3.5" HDD and a small PCB which has a USB to ATA converter chip on-board. The cable is a standard IDE cable, if you lose or break the cable you can just use any regular HDD cable.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/pcb_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/pcb.jpg)
The converter chip comes from Cypress and is a CY7C68300A. It is USB 2.0 compatible with support for 480 Mbps high-speed transfers.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/meter_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/meter.jpg)
When the unit is powered on, the analog VU meter is lit up in a nice blue. The meter's needle moves with harddisk activity.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/mounting_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/mounting.jpg)
For mounting, Thermaltake has come up with a clever solution. The HDD just rests on the marked posts without any screws. Since the lid on top makes sure that the harddisk can not move, this is a safe method of installation, while still making it easy to remove the disk.
[page=Installation]
Installation
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/installation1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/installation1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/installation2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/installation2.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/installation3_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/installation3.jpg)
Installation of the internal harddisk is really easy and well documented in the included manual.
Open case
Connect HDD power
Connect IDE cable
Put HDD on mounting posts
Close case
After that you connect power and USB to the unit and connect it to your computer. You do not have to turn off your machine for the cable installation.
A driver installation is only required on Windows 9x. Windows 2000 and up automatically install the drive as a harddisk, without any reboot.
[page=Performance]
Performance
We used a WD 1600PB 7200 RPM IDE harddisk for our performance tests.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/hdtach_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/hdtach.jpg)
The pictures show the transfer rate from beginning of the disk (left), to end of the disk (right).
The first picture is transfer rate over USB, the second one is transfer rate when directly connected to the IDE controller.
As was to be expected, the USB interface is the limiting factor here. For easier comparison, the yellow line marks the average transfer rate of the HDD via USB interface. Near the end of the HDD the USB transfer rate almost reaches the HDD transfer speed.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/graph1.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/graph2.jpg
The added latencies of the USB interface and the USB-ATA converter chip do not add much to seek times. An extra 0.5ms access time might be measurable in benchmarks, but will not affect real world performance at all.
We tried booting from the USB HDD and it worked fine. All you need is a BIOS which supports boot from USB device.
[page=Value & Conclusion]
Value & Conclusion
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
You can find the Thermaltake Muse for around $60 on the streets which seems to be a fine price for this aluminum HDD case.
</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>
USB 2.0
Easy, no-screws installation
HDD indicator via VU meter
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>
Could be smaller and lighter
1m USB cable is quite short
In theory, performance could be higher
</td></tr>
<tr><th>8.5</th>
<td>If you are a person who is (physically) moving a lot of data around, you have only a few options: USB stick, notebook or USB HDD. A notebook is quite expensive, big and heavy and USB sticks might not provide enough capacity for you.<br />
With the Thermaltake Muse you can put your old IDE harddisks back at use. You have the flexibility to upgrade to a bigger harddisk any time you run out of space.<br />
While in theory it could reach 480 Mbps (= 60 MB/s), its transfer speed of 27 MB/s is on the high side, many flash-based USB sticks don't even reach 20 MB/s.<br />
The external PSU is a little annoying, especially if you move the unit around a lot, but this is still better than some other external HDDs which run on USB power and don't work in many computers because they draw too much power.<br />
Thermaltake is also offering the Muse in a 5.25" version for DVD/CD-Rom drives, and a 2.5" version for notebook harddisks.
</td></tr>
<tr><th></th><td></td></tr>
</table>
Introduction
From the manufacturer Thermaltake (http://www.thermaltake.com):
All aluminum fanless design
Silver body with graceful curve
Screwless design easy to install 3.5 HDD without tools
Deliver Meter with blue backlight to indicate digital signal.
Cypress AT2+ chip - speed & protect your digital data
IDE to USB2.0 interface - the most compatibility
Compact mount easily to stand.
Transfer speed up to 480Mbps
<table border="1" class="resulttable" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3">
<tr>
<th>Model</th>
<td>A2292</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Case Type </th>
<td>3.5" HDD </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Weight</th>
<td>745g</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Dimension</th>
<td>2119x125x40.5mm (HxWxD)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Material</th>
<td>Aluminum</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Interface</th>
<td>IDE to USB2.0 </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>ATA compatibility </th>
<td>ATA6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>PCBA Chip </th>
<td>Cypress AT2+ </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Transfer Rate: </th>
<td>USB2.0: 480 Mbps</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Operating System </th>
<td>Windows SE, ME, 2000 and XP<br />
Mac OS 9.x up </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Drive Bay Kits </th>
<td>USB 2.0 external cable, Power adapter, Metal foot stand </td>
</tr>
</table>
Packaging
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/package1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/package1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/package2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/package2.jpg)
The Thermaltake Muse comes in a package which does not follow the standard Thermaltake color-theme. I like the elegant white packaging of the Muse better.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/contents_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/contents.jpg)
Inside the package you will find:
Aluminum case
Aluminum stand
USB cable 1m
User's Manual & Driver CD
Power supply with cable
[page=The unit]
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/psu_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/psu.jpg)
Power for the harddisk is delivered by an external PSU. This is neccessary, because USB is specified to max. 500mA. However, integrating the PSU into the case should be no problem and would significantly reduce the cable mess.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/connectors_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/connectors.jpg)
On one side of the aluminum case are two connectors for power, USB and the power switch.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/inside_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/inside.jpg)
Opening the case is accomplished by pressing a small button on one side, then opening the top. Inside you will find some empty space for your 3.5" HDD and a small PCB which has a USB to ATA converter chip on-board. The cable is a standard IDE cable, if you lose or break the cable you can just use any regular HDD cable.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/pcb_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/pcb.jpg)
The converter chip comes from Cypress and is a CY7C68300A. It is USB 2.0 compatible with support for 480 Mbps high-speed transfers.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/meter_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/meter.jpg)
When the unit is powered on, the analog VU meter is lit up in a nice blue. The meter's needle moves with harddisk activity.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/mounting_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/mounting.jpg)
For mounting, Thermaltake has come up with a clever solution. The HDD just rests on the marked posts without any screws. Since the lid on top makes sure that the harddisk can not move, this is a safe method of installation, while still making it easy to remove the disk.
[page=Installation]
Installation
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/installation1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/installation1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/installation2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/installation2.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/installation3_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/installation3.jpg)
Installation of the internal harddisk is really easy and well documented in the included manual.
Open case
Connect HDD power
Connect IDE cable
Put HDD on mounting posts
Close case
After that you connect power and USB to the unit and connect it to your computer. You do not have to turn off your machine for the cable installation.
A driver installation is only required on Windows 9x. Windows 2000 and up automatically install the drive as a harddisk, without any reboot.
[page=Performance]
Performance
We used a WD 1600PB 7200 RPM IDE harddisk for our performance tests.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/hdtach_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/hdtach.jpg)
The pictures show the transfer rate from beginning of the disk (left), to end of the disk (right).
The first picture is transfer rate over USB, the second one is transfer rate when directly connected to the IDE controller.
As was to be expected, the USB interface is the limiting factor here. For easier comparison, the yellow line marks the average transfer rate of the HDD via USB interface. Near the end of the HDD the USB transfer rate almost reaches the HDD transfer speed.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/graph1.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Muse/images/graph2.jpg
The added latencies of the USB interface and the USB-ATA converter chip do not add much to seek times. An extra 0.5ms access time might be measurable in benchmarks, but will not affect real world performance at all.
We tried booting from the USB HDD and it worked fine. All you need is a BIOS which supports boot from USB device.
[page=Value & Conclusion]
Value & Conclusion
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
You can find the Thermaltake Muse for around $60 on the streets which seems to be a fine price for this aluminum HDD case.
</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>
USB 2.0
Easy, no-screws installation
HDD indicator via VU meter
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>
Could be smaller and lighter
1m USB cable is quite short
In theory, performance could be higher
</td></tr>
<tr><th>8.5</th>
<td>If you are a person who is (physically) moving a lot of data around, you have only a few options: USB stick, notebook or USB HDD. A notebook is quite expensive, big and heavy and USB sticks might not provide enough capacity for you.<br />
With the Thermaltake Muse you can put your old IDE harddisks back at use. You have the flexibility to upgrade to a bigger harddisk any time you run out of space.<br />
While in theory it could reach 480 Mbps (= 60 MB/s), its transfer speed of 27 MB/s is on the high side, many flash-based USB sticks don't even reach 20 MB/s.<br />
The external PSU is a little annoying, especially if you move the unit around a lot, but this is still better than some other external HDDs which run on USB power and don't work in many computers because they draw too much power.<br />
Thermaltake is also offering the Muse in a 5.25" version for DVD/CD-Rom drives, and a 2.5" version for notebook harddisks.
</td></tr>
<tr><th></th><td></td></tr>
</table>