Adata SE800 Review

The trait that genuinely sets the Adata SE800 apart is its rugged construction. A waterproof rating of IP68 means that the drive can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes without a drop of moisture getting through the housing. Its impact resistance meets military-grade MIL-STD-810G standards, meaning that it can withstand changes in temperature, pressure, humidity, and some serious impacts or vibrations.

Performance Comparison

Read/Write Performance

We know that all of the bells and whistles in the world don't make a difference if a product isn't up to par with the competition while performing its primary function, so we chose to dedicate 60% of our overall score to this metric. To determine scores, we manually timed data transfers for 10GB, 5GB, and 1GB files in addition to running testing software for both Windows and Mac OS.

Using the AmorphousDeskMark app for Mac OS, the SE800 showed an average sequential file read speed of 463 MB per second and an average random data read speed of 22 MB per second.

To test the drives on Windows, we used CrystalDiskMark testing software. According to this software, the SE800 was much faster on Windows when compared to Mac OS showing an average random data read speed of 237 MB per second and a phenomenal sequential file read speed of 967 MB per second.

When we manually timed file transfers, we were very pleased with the performance of the SE800. This model took only 48 seconds to transfer a 10GB file on Windows, our second-fastest recorded time. For the 5GB and 1GB trials, it moved files in 24 seconds and four seconds, respectively. These three times average out to a rate of 206 MB per second. For Mac OS, a 10GB file transferred in an astonishing 14 seconds, which is our fastest recorded transfer time to date. It shared a 5GB file in 7 seconds and a 1GB file in two seconds. When we took an average of all three transfer rates, we calculated an astounding 643 MB per second. Contrary to the CrystalDiskMark testing software results, our in-house time trials showed that the SE800 is faster while using Mac OS rather than Windows. Either way — this SSD is ridiculously fast.

Convenience

Nobody wants to waste time dealing with formatting a new device when many manufacturers have figured out how to have their products ready to use right out of the box. Included cables should cover all connectivity bases, and the more options for memory capacity, the better. We considered all of these factors for the convenience section of our review, which accounts for 30% of the overall score.

The SE800 scored well in this section of our assessment. We love that this model uses a USB C port. USB C has become the most readily available and widely used cable for all kinds of devices, from action cams to drones to wireless headphones, so chances are you already own several of them. The SE800 also comes with a USB C to USB A cable in case you have an older computer or console you need to connect to, effectively covering all hardware connectivity bases integrated into any computer released in the last decade.

The SE800 comes formatted and ready to go for Windows, Mac OS, and gaming consoles straight out of the box. If you want to use it for Android, you will need to format it accordingly. This model also requires you to format the drive if you switch between operating systems. The trade-off for its durability is the memory capacity — the SE800 is only currently available in 512GB and 1TB sizes. A terabyte may seem like a lot, but considering that modern drones, phones, and action cams are capable of filming at 4K resolution and hundreds of frames per second, you could fill up a terabyte faster than you might think if you're planning on using your drive for media purposes. If you're looking for a larger capacity drive, you may want to consider an HDD.

Portability

For the final 10% of our total score, we examined the portability of each model. One of the most significant benefits of an external SSD is that they are so easily transportable. Manufacturers have realized the importance of this characteristic and have begun to heavily factor it into their design and concepts for new products. Here at GearLab, our team is always on the go. For some of us, our daily commute to the lab involves a single-track mountain bike trail or an electric skateboard through the city, and our computers and drives are on our back more often than not. Needless to say, for some of our team, portability is a critical factor to consider.

The Adata SE800 is at the top of our list for portability. The SE800 boasts a waterproof rating of IP68, meaning that it can withstand 30 minutes underwater at a depth of 1.5 meters. You could actually jump in the lake with this hard drive in your pocket and not worry about losing your data.

On top of the waterproof rating, it also has a military-grade impact resistance rating of MIL-STD-810G. This certification means that it can withstand a rigorous degree of pressures, temperatures, and altitudes. It is even resistant to the effects of fungus, salt, rust, dust, and sand. This drive will withstand fighter jet acceleration rates, earthquakes, and gunfire vibrations — in other words, you probably aren't going to break it. Astoundingly, all of this protection has been engineered into one of the smallest drives in our review.

Value

When looking at gigs of storage per dollar, the SE800 is seemingly expensive. However, considering the incredible speeds and the fact that it might take a volcano to destroy your data, we think this model is worth its weight in gold for those who know they're going to be using their drive in a rugged environment.

Conclusion