Within SilverStone's vast array of accessories, they have a number of storage solutions. Ranging from full on eSATA and USB 3.0 enclosures, right down to USB to SATA adapters. It just so happens we have the latest in the form of adapters from SilverStone in house today, the EP02.
The EP02 is SilverStone's first attempt at an USB 3.0 adapter, and right off the bat, they have started with an excellent design utilizing the full bandwidth of USB 3.0. Adding to the launch of EP02, SilverStone also offers the MS07, a 2.5" silicon case to protect the drive connected. Compatibility of the EP02 extends from Mac OS X 10+ to modern Windows OS and Linux. Warranty is listed at one year.
The scope of delivery for the EP02 includes the adapter itself and USB 3.0 cable.
Here we have a look at the I/O ports of the EP02. On the left there is a 12v DC port for additional power and to the right the USB 3.0 cable.
Above, we have the SATA power and data layout.
Here we have the MS07, an additional accessory that completes the EP02.
On the edge of the MS07, we find the cut out for connecting the EP02.
Above, we have installed our Corsair Neutron SSD into the MS07 silicon case.
Testing the performance of the EP02, we first loaded up ATTO. Here we found our Neutron capable of 454 MB/s read and 414 MB/s write.
CrystalDiskMark showed similar results, but also gave us a look at large block random read/write and 4K results with QD. Here we have 260 MB/s read and 320 MB/s write in 512K. 4K with QD32 came in at 141 MB/s read and 156MB/s write.
First looking at build quality, the SilverStone EP02 carries quite a bit of durability. Even with its plastic design, the unit felt sturdy enough to handle a few drops. Adding to this, if you were to add the MS07 to your order thus protecting your drive, it would make a great on the go solution for anyone that travels.
Performance of the EP02 was quite good, in every aspect of our testing. ATTO showed its tremendous capabilities using all available USB 3.0 bandwidth in our test system. CDM showed more of the same with the EP02 capable of 426 MB/s read and 379 MB/s write. A sneaking suspicion I do have is this EP02 uses the same and latest ASMedia 1053E controller we found in the MDSSD mSATA enclosure.
Pricing at the time of writing is set at $15.99 for the EP02 and adding the MS07 to your order will set you back another $4.99.Warranty for the EP02 is listed at one year.