Review: Apricorn's Aegis 3.0 portable drive offers an SSD option for better performance

Apricorn’s Aegis Portable 3.0 is a handsome 2.5-inch, silver and black, USB 3.0 external drive with an integrated cable—and it ships in both hard-drive and SSD flavors. If that isn’t a siren’s call to see just how much of a performance boost you get from a solid-state drive in an external USB 3.0 enclosure, I don’t know what is. Apricorn thoughtfully shipped us both versions so we could answer that call.

There’s no outward difference between the SSD version (outfitted with a 256GB SanDisk SD6SB1M256G1022I) and the hard-drive model (which comes with a 1TB, 2.5-inch Toshiba MQ01ABD100), aside from the fact that the SSD version weighs an ounce or two less.

ROBERT CARDINThe Aegis Portable 3.0 comes in an attractive enclosure with an attached USB 3.0 cable.

The Lab ran both models through PCWorld’s 10GB-file stress tests, copying data to and from a 16GB RAM drive, and the differences were as vivid as Apricorn’s advertising claims—at least when writing data to the drives. The 256GB SSD version wrote our single 10GB file at 334 megabytes per second, which is almost three times faster than the hard-drive version’s 115.5 MBps.

With a 10GB mix of small files and folders, the difference in write speed was even more pronounced: 102.7 MBps to 22.6 MBps. But 22.6 MBps is poky, even for a hard drive. We saw similarly subpar write performance from Apricorn’s Aeigis Bio, so it might be the bridge controller. By way of comparison, Seagate’s Wireless Plus 1TB wrote the same test file at 93 MBps, and other external USB 3.0 hard drives we’ve tested typically measure anywhere from 50 MBps to 80 MBps.

On the read tests, on the other hand, the drives finished in a near dead heat. Both the SSD version and the hard-drive version of the Aegis Portable 3.0 read the single 10GB file at 263 MBps. In the 10GB files-and-folder test, the hard-drive version actually edged out the SSD version 214 MBps to 212 MBps.

The superior write performance of the SSD versions of the Apricorn Aegis Portable 3.0 carries a hefty premium: The 256GB model costs $399 and the 512GB unit sells for $599, compared to just $79 for the 500GB, $109 for the 1TB, and $189 for 1.5TB versions. Clearly there’s some pre-purchase contemplation to be done.

That said, the SSD version weighs significantly less than the hard-drive versions, making it a boon for those who like to travel light. And with no moving parts, the SSD version is not subject to damage from drops, bumps, and other physical impacts; you can be as ham-handed as they come and still not have to worry about hurting the drive.

The SSD-based Aegis Portable 3.0 is a nice product for those who regularly back up or copy files onto an external drive, and need to do so in a hurry. In other usage scenarios, you might be better off buying an external hard drive and saving your cash for other purchases.

Note: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that you can grab an unpopulated 2.5-inch USB 3.0 enclosure and populate it with a bare 256GB SSD for considerably less than $400. It might not come with an integrated cable or a carrying case, and you’d have separate warranties for the enclosure and the SSD, but you would save a lot of cash.

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Review: Apricorn's Aegis Bio makes securing your data finger-swipe simple

When properly implemented, as Apricorn has done with its Aegis Bio 1TB USB hard drive, biometric finger scanning is the quickest way to unlock secure storage. There's no messing around with a keypad, and it's far quicker than waiting for a software app to launch so you can then enter a pass code. Just a simple swipe and you're in. And since this method is operating system and device agnostic, you can use it with any device that has a USB port and understands storage.

Apricorn's biometric finger scanner can enroll and recognize even callused fingers.

The Aegis Bio sports a USB 3.0, an integrated cable, and a ruggedized and sealed enclosure. Apricorn also includes a USB extension cable and a soft case for the unit to keep the finger-scanner safe and the unit looking pristine. Three small lights—red, green, and blue—on top of the unit blink or glow solid to denote the status of the Aegis Bio: locked, ready for fingerprint enrollment, unlocked, and so on.

You must enroll a finger before you can access the Aegis Bio. This is a process of watching the lights and repeatedly swiping a finger across the scanner. Once a finger is enrolled, you'll get steady green. You can enroll up to five fingers belonging to yourself or different people, but you should make sure there's at least one from each hand for extra security. To enroll subsequent fingers, simply press the enroll button within 15 seconds of a successful login and repeat the process. Be thoughtful with your finger choices, especially if you're sharing the drive with others, as there is no way to delete any single finger once enrolled. You can remove all of them with a drive reset, but this also erases all the data and creates a new encryption key.

In my literal hands-on time with the unit, I had no problems enrolling my heavily callused fingers or accessing the drive. Given the condition of my hands, I think the scanner should work with just about anyone’s fingers. My hard drive-based model vibrated more than I prefer; it was distinct to the touch and with the unit hanging from the USB port on my display, you could see the centrifugal forces rocking it gently back and forth.

Other than that, the Aegis Bio delivered top-notch performance: It read our 10GB mix of files and folders at 212.9MBps, and it read a single 10GB file at 243.2MBps. It wrote the 10GB file at 107.5MBps; but for some reason, it wrote the 10GB mix of files at only 22.8MBps. That's three times slower than the 65.7MBps registered by our previous slowest mix writer, the G-Technology G-Drive Portable. While the 10GB mix is a stress test that you're not likely to face very often, the Aegis Bio’s slow performance is puzzling.

The drive comes with a tethered USB 3.0 cable, plus an extension cable.

The disk-based Aegis Bio is available in three capacities: 500GB ($199), 750GB ($219), and the 1TB unit I reviewed ($249). There are also three SSD models available, which deliver a much higher shock resistance, but they’re not cheap: The 128GB model sells for $329, the 256GB model costs $529, and the 512GB drive goes for $699. Shop around, as we found the 1TB drive discounted at several online stores.

While the Aegis Bios 3.0 utilizes 256-bit AES-XTS hardware encryption (on the mainboard, not the drive) it is not FIPS 140-2 certified (FIPS 140-2 is the U.S. Government’s Federal Information Processing Standard used to accredit cryptographic modules). Apricorn informed me that the Aegis Bio is not currently on its list of products awaiting certification. This shouldn't bother most end users, but if you're purchasing requirements need certification, you might want to look to Apricorn's keypad model, which the company told me is awaiting certification.

The Aegis Bio is a good overall performer and swiping a finger is far less of a pain than entering codes on a keypad, or waiting for software to boot so you can enter a password. It's pricier than a plain drive of course, but if there are things you want hidden from prying eyes, the Aegis Bio is by far one of the most convenient ways to do it.

Jon L. Jacobi has worked with computers since you flipped switches and punched cards to program them. He studied music at Juilliard, and now he power-mods his car for kicks.
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