Sleinous
EVGA Forum Moderator
- Total Posts : 7663
- Reward points : 0
- Joined: 2010/06/12 12:22:01
- Location: France
- Status: offline
- Ribbons : 32
I have been given one of the Akasa SuperSpeed memory card readers to review and will then go on to use it in an upcoming folding@home build. I hope you will find this short review helpful and please do not hesitate to send me a PM or reply to this thread if you have any further questions regarding the product. The Retail Packaging In case the product name “SuperSpeed” didn’t give it away for you; this card reader features an internal USB 3.0 connector as its interface between the device and your motherboard. I really can’t begin to stress how important this was for me (and I expect for many others) as having USB 3.0 cables coming out of fill ports to be plugged into the rear of I/O ports on your motherboard doesn’t always look all that great which really makes this card reader stand out from the masses. Another little thing that was immediately noticeable upon un-boxing this device was how much heavier it was compared to other OEM models I have handled and worked with in the past. It really feels far more solid and of better overall build quality than most regular OEM card readers out there. Akasa SuperSpeed Memory Card Reader The device features: - USB 2.0 backward compatibility (so you can connect a USB 3.0 to USB 2.0 internal header adapter if you do not have a USB 3.0 capable motherboard.
- A USB 3.0 port on the drive itself
- Compact Flash: CF I, CF II, Ultra, Extreme, I-Pro, Ultimate, MD
- Memory Stick: MS Pro, MS Pro Duo, Magic Gate, Extreme, Ultra
- Secure Digital: SDXC (64GByte for SDXC), SDHC (32GByte for SDHC), SD, Ultra, Extreme, Elite Pro, High Speed, MMC, MMC Mobile
- Extreme Digital: X card, Type H, Type M
- M2: Memory Stick Micro M2
- microSD: microSDHC, High Capacity
- Fits in a 3.5” drive bay
Due to the drive being able to achieve a maximum data transfer rate of 5Gb/s (that of the USB 3.0 standard) the use of SDXC cards should prove to be more responsive on such a device and could therefore be another interesting advantage over slower USB 2.0 standard card readers. You will notice that the item comes in retail packaging which is a first for me as I’m so used to dealing with OEM card readers that just come in a plain box or in some bubble wrap. The card reader comes well protected within a two part plastic shell. Packaging Showing Included Accessories and the Device The following accessories are included with the device: - White fascia panel (black was already on my unit)
- Mounting screws
- User manual
Included User Manual and Mounting Screws For my build I will be using the white fascia panel, another accessory that barely any manufacturers offer anymore, and even fewer offer such a pure white that was included with this item! (Essential for my build).
Switching the panels over is rather simple, first you need to take the top section off which isn’t screwed on and should come off quite easily. Secondly, undo both screws shown circled in blue below. (Note: This may not always be necessary however my particular item had a bit too much resistance from the PCB on the right-hand side so I was unable to just unclip the fascia panel without un-screwing the PCB from the base plate). Inside the Card Reader - How to Remove the Front Fascia Panel Part 1 Finally, push in the two clips holding the fascia panel on to the base plate (one on each side) to free it and replace it with the other colour, (shown in the photograph below). Inside the Card Reader - How to Remove the Front Fascia Panel Part 2 All that remains to be done now is the reassembly of the unit in reverse order (take care to ensure that all memory card slots sit flush with the newly replaced fascia panel). Finished Switch of Fascia Panels When my new build starts to take shape I will be able to mount this card reader into it and test it out. So far I am really pleased with the overall quality of the product as well as the little extras that make it stand out from the crowd. I hope to be able to get on and use it as soon as possible! Akasa SuperSpeed Memory Card Reader with White Fascia Panel! I would now like to take this opportunity to thank Akasa for the review sample and subsequent sponsorship through the use of this card reader in my new folding@home build.
Thankyou to my sponsor:
post edited by Sleinous - 2012/03/18 15:01:23
My Affiliate Code: GL1IAAFWJF
|