CRU-DataPort RTX100-3SJ (3TB)

  • editor rating: good
  • Comments
  • April 25, 2012
  • Pros

    Uses standard 3.5-inch hard drive. Not tray needed. eSATA and USB 3.0. Fanless.

  • Cons Pricey. Passive cooling.
  • Bottom Line

    In terms of backup and file transfer, the CRU-DataPort RTX100-3SJ hard drive is the right tool for the job. For more active tasks like active video editing work, you're better off with a hard drive with active cooling.

By Joel Santo Domingo

The CRU-Dataport RTX100-3SJ ($399 list) looks like a run-of-the-mill external hard drive, but it's really a protective external dock for internal hard drives. Pop the existing drive out, and a new internal hard drive in, and then you have a fresh hard drive for file transfers and backups. The included 3TB drive is a bit pricey, but it's ample space for future use. If you have a need for rotating backups or multi-GB folder transfers at SATA speeds, look to the CRU-Dataport RTX100-3SJ.

Design and Features
The RTX100-3SJ looks like a standard external hard drive, at least from a distance. It's when you get closer when you see the drive's defining features. It's got a black metal exterior, pretty standard looking, until you look at the front panel. Instead of a flat, blank panel, there's a finger catch and slats for air cooling. The finger catch releases the front door, and the act of opening the door slides the hard drive out of the enclosure slightly. You can then grip the standard 3.5-inch internal hard drive and replace it with any standard SATA internal hard drive. Therein is the defining characteristic of the RTX100-3SJ. It's an enclosed hard drive dock with a replaceable internal hard drive.

It uses the vented enclosure and its metal construction to passively cool the hard drive, so it doesn't require a fan. This is fine for most backup, file transfer, and work tasks, but if you perform tasks that constantly hit the hard drive like video editing or file sharing you will want another drive with a cooling fan. Heavy, constant drive use will require more cooling. People who are used to use rotating sets of tapes or external hard drives for backups will like the RTX100-3SJ. It's easy to mark a set of drives and rotate them through the RTX100-3SJ for regular backups.

The RTX100-3SJ's tray-less drive installation is a boon for file transfers, where copying folders full of large files to a hard drive will be faster than transferring them over a network. If your business workflow requires the dissemination of large batches of files, sometimes handing a 1-3TB drive full will be more efficient than transferring them over a network. It was easy to swap out the 3TB hard drive and pop in another SATA drive, taking only seconds.

Using USB 3.0, the RTX100-3SJ returned a quick 9,023 points on PCMark 05's hard drive test, 2,075 points on the newer PCMark 07 drive test, and took a scant 14 seconds to "drag-and-drop" transfer our standard 1.2GB test folder. Using eSATA, some scores improved slightly: 8,269 for PCMark 05, 2,098 for PCMark 07, and 10 seconds for the standard test folder. This compares well to the former Editors' Choice ioSafe SoloPRO desktop drive ($249.99 list, 4.5 stars), which earned a score of 8,120 on PCMark 05 and took 13 seconds for the drag and drop test under USB 3.0. The current Editor's Choice Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk (4TB) ($249.99 list, 4 stars) had trouble with the PCMark test but copied the test folder in 13 seconds with USB 3.0.

The RTX100-3SJ distinguishes itself from the competition by using off-the-shelf 3.5-inch internal hard drives like others would use cartridges. Unlike the Seagate GoFlex Desk (4TB) , the RTX100-3SJ doesn't require specialized hard drives with somewhat proprietary interfaces. On the other hand, once you remove a hard drive from the RTX100-3SJ, you'll have to keep it safe somewhere, like CRU-Dataport's DriveBox carrying cases, which are an extra expense. The RTX100-3SJ is also less suitable for the people who really need quick replaceable storage, such as video editors, since the drive isn't actively cooled. That said, for the file transfer or rotating backup user, the RTX100-3SJ is almost ideal. To save a little money, you can buy just the enclosure for $99, and source your own hard drives.

Compare the CRU-DataPort RTX100-3SJ (3TB) with several other hard drives side by side.

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Joel Santo Domingo
By Joel Santo Domingo Lead Analyst


Follow Joel Santo Domingo Twitter: @JoelSD
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