SilverStone TS11-C USB 3.1 HDD Docking Station Review

TweakTown's Rating: 88%

The Bottom Line

There are many docks out in the market, but the SilverStone TS11-C aims to set itself apart from the rest. It offers Gen 2 USB 3.1 technology that features top notch performance, and it comes a rather "flashy" package.

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I don't typically see many docks come through the lab as many vendors prefer to put their time into full on external enclosures, but docks still very much have a place in the storage market. The TS11-C is SilverStone's take on a USB-C equipped unit, so let's take a look.

The TS11-C is a unique docking solution in that SilverStone has cut no corners in designing this solution. At the heart of this platform, they have gone for a full on Gen 2 USB-C connection with the ASMedia 1351 offering 10Gbps of performance, making sure any drive you connect gets the full speed benefit of the latest technology. On the outside, this solution comes with a flashy gold exterior no doubt going after MacBook owners wanting to stay with the Apple theme, and to power this unit, a compact external power supply is included. Compatibility is offered through Windows 7 and above along with OS X 10.5+.

The MSRP of the SilverStone TS11-C comes in at $44.99 with a one-year warranty.

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Packaging is quite elegant for the TS11-C. In the center, we have an image of the dock with below we have marketing info in the fine print.

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The backside gives full specifications of the TS11-C.

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The scope of delivery includes the power adapter, USB-C cable, and manual.

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Taking a closer look, we have the gold exterior with subtle branding in the center.

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On the backside, the USB-C connection sits to the right followed by power input and a switch.

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To test this enclosure, I used my standard Intel 730 SSD in the 480GB capacity. Starting with read results, the TS11-C put out 479 MB/s read and 438 MB/s write - both solid results for a dock.

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Taking a quick look at the Price/Performance for the docks and enclosures I have tested, the TS11-C comes in around 87%, just behind the Kingwin Power Dock. This position could be improved quite easily with the price. So, if you are in the market for a dock, watch that carefully.

Out of the few docks I have tested and used personally over the years, I would put the TS11-C near the top. While I don't particularly care for the color scheme, it is something I can live with since it is more of a copper-gold than a pure yellow gold. The functionality is superb with both 2.5 and 3.5" drive support, and as far as internals go, the TS11-C is overbuilt for what it is, so that goes without saying, the build quality is solid.

The performance was top tier, and the device squeezed every MB/s and every IOP from the Intel 730 SSD, reaching 479 MB/s read and 438 MB/s write. I'm thinking I may need a quicker SATA drive for this type of testing after working on this review.

With all of that said, the price is near the top end of the market, and since this unit is really overbuilt with USB 3.1 Gen 2 technology, I'm not sure there is much room for the price to come down just yet. But if it does, even reaching $34.99 would make this solution a very much top "bang for your buck" offering.

Tyler's Test System Specifications

• Motherboard: ASUS Z170 Premium - Buy from Amazon
• CPU: Intel Core i5 6500 - Buy from Amazon
• Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Memory: Klevv CRAS 16GB (4x4) DDR4 3000 - Read our review
• Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• OS Storage: Intel 730 480GB SSD - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Secondary Storage: Intel 750 400GB U.2 SSD - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Case: Thermaltake P5 - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
• Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 1200 - Buy from Amazon
• OS: Microsoft Windows 10 - Buy from Amazon