Performance

Putting the the StoreJet 25M3 to the test, we first assessed the overall read and write speeds via a simple file transfer. To do this we copied 14 files totalling 8.23GB from an internal hard drive to the external drive then after a reboot and removal and reattachment of the drive we copied the files from the external drive back to the computer. We compared against a 500GB Western Digital Passport 2.5in portable hard drive and a Samsung SSD Evo 120GB attached via a USB 3.0 adapter.


The results show a clear advantage for the SSD, particularly when it comes to read speeds. However, the Transcend still comes close enough that if your main priority is a drive that can store lots and that is mainly for backing up files or transporting multimedia then you don't need to go for an SSD. Meanwhile the Western Digital drive does prove that it's still worth looking for provenly fast portable hard drives, as here it trails the Transcend drive by some margin.


This point is somewhat backed up by the synthetic benchmark Crystal Disk Mark where its sequential read and write speeds show that the transcend can still hold a candle to the SSD for bulk read and write performance, with again the WD drive falling some way further behind.


However, when it comes to random read and write performance the real benefits of SSDs are once again highlighted. While the Transcend and WD hard drives potter along at 1MB/s or below, the SSD delivers a much more responsive figure of around 33MB/s. The conclusion here being that if you plan to use your external drive as a working drive (for instance you store all your photos on it and edit them directly from it) then an SSD may still be your best bet.

Either way, though, the Transcend StoreJet 25M3 1TB has proven itself to be well up there with the speediest portable hard drives.

One-Touch Backup and Elite Software

The second key feature of this drive after its drop-resistance is that it has a one-touch backup facility. This is operated by pressing the round button on the drive's front - around which glows the drive's activity light.

The backup function works but the process is decidedly convoluted. Instead of simply having some software that you can install and that kicks in automatically whenever the drive is attached, the software is standalone. As such to have it ready for whenever you attach the drive and press the button you have to manually copy the .EXE to your system and add Elite into your Windows Startup folder to get it to load upon bootup (and even then it only works if you turn off 'run the program?' warnings). You can just run Elite manually then tap the button each time you want to backup but the fact you have to startup a program just feels like it defeats the object of having a 'one-touch' solution.


It's also very poor form that there is no documentation provided with the drive nor any clear indication within the software how you specify which backups should be performed when the button is pressed. It took us asking the company's PR representatives to work it out, with the procedure being to tick the OTB radio button that sits alongside each backup.

Otherwise the backup system works quite well with it easy to pick the folders and files you'd like to backup and choose where you'd like them to go. There's also a restore facility for quickly returning lost data to its rightful place and an option to encrypt your drives/files/folders.

Alongside Elite there are two other programs that are included with the StoreJet.


The first of these is a data recovery program called RecoverRx. It's fairly rudimentary with few options on offer: you just click Recover and it sets off trying to find deleted data. The only setting of any real consequence is actually detrimental to the overall effectiveness. The search function has to be told what file types to search for but the list is finite and quite limited, with no option for .MKV or .MOV, for instance, meaning there's no way of selecting for it to look for them. Admittedly the software does make a point of saying it's for recovering photos but, really, who only wants to recover photos, plus it does give the option to look for PDFs and 'Office' files.

The final piece of software is ToolBox which provides tools for formatting and low level formatting the drive, with the latter for use when the drive has seemingly given up the ghost.

Drop Protection

The final test then for the StoreJet 25M3 is to see just how drop-proof it is. To this end after performing our initial raft of tests we dropped it a dozen times from a height of four feet onto a wooden floor, ensuring it landed at least once on each corner and the front and back.



Plugging the drive back into our test system it started up without any hiccups. We then did another round of transfer tests and found the drive to perform exactly the same as before. All told, we'd call that a pass.

Conclusion
The Transcend StoreJet 25M3 is an excellent option for those looking for high capacity, portable storage, and who'd like the reassurance of a bit of drop protection. It's not going to survive your next Amazonian trek or trip up Everest but it'll shrug off the knocks of everyday city life. Add in that its transfer speeds are very competitive for a portable hard drive and that it is competitively priced and you've got an easy recommendation. Just don't expect much from the included software.