ADATA DashDrive Durable HD710 External Hard Drive Review

By Akim Green

Manufacturer: ADATA Technology Co., Ltd.
Product Name: DashDrive Durable HD710 Waterproof/Shock-Resistant USB 3.0 External Hard Drive
Model Number: AHD710-1TU3-CYL
UPC: 4713435794388
Price As Tested: $92.25 (Amazon | Newegg)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by ADATA Technology Co., Ltd.

Have you ever felt that data stored on your external hard drives is unsafe due to the risk of dropping it, or getting it wet? Fear no more, ADATA has provided a solution in the form of their waterproof, shockproof HD710 portable HDD. Although it won’t protect your data if dropped from a rooftop or into a lake, you can rest assured that your data will be safe after minor drops and coffee spills. Following suit, ADATA has used an USB 3 interface to ensure speedy transfers with compatible machines. The HD710 is a little more expensive than other portable hard drives of the same storage capacity, it is therefore up to the consumer to decide whether or not the extra protection is worth the added cost. There are many demonstrations of the rigidity of this product on the web, in this article, Benchmark reviews will taker a closer look at the construction of this device as well as evaluate it’s performance.

The device under inspection is also available in blue and black, and capacities of 500GB and 750GB. The Superspeed USB 3 interface on this device promises high data transfer rates, it will be tested in a few benchmarks, and it’s results will be compared to the WD My Passport, a similar device.

Specifications:

• Interface: SuperSpeed USB 3.0
• Transfer Speed: 5400RPM
• Capacity: 1TB
• File System: FAT32
• Warranty: 3 years

Features:

• Military-Standard Shockproof
• IEC 529 IPX7 Waterproof
• High-Speed 3.0 Interface
• Protective Rubber Shell

The HD710 has a nice rugged design: a colorful rubber skin over a carbon fiber-looking hard body. On this particular model, the black and yellow theme similar to that of caution signs adds to the tough, rugged nature of the device.

The HD710 has a clever cable storage mechanism: a nifty slot running along the sides of the device. It holds the cable firmly in place and attempts to avert the situation where the hard drive and it’s cable are mistakenly separated.

With the added protection, one would expect an increase in size. In the image below, the HD710 is placed beside the WD My Passport (another USB 3, 1TB drive).
Having passed the IEC 529 IPX7 test, the HD710 should be able to remain functional after being submerged in meter-deep water for half an hour. ADATA has steps to make the device completely water-tight. The cover for the USB 3.0 Micro-B connector is indicative of this fact.

The ADATA HD710 is clearly built to endure harsh treatment. In the the next section, we see if the HD710’s performance is also up to par.

Like many many modern portable hard drives, The ADATA HD710 features a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface in tandem with a 5400 rpm hard disk. This results in possible transfer speeds of up 5 GB/s, provided one has the necessary hardware. We will run some tests on the HD710 and see if the results are consistent with that of the popular WD My Passport.

The image below shows the results of the Crystal DiskMark benchmark (HD710 on left, My Passport on right):
It appears that the WD My passport just barely edges out over the HD710 in this test. The image below shows the results of the ATTO Disk Benchmark (HD710 on left, My Passport on right):

The results seem similar here: the My Passport performs slightly better than the HD710. The difference in performance isn’t very great and should not be the reason why you choose one over the other.

The HD710 certainly isn’t a revolutionary product, there are other products on the market that offer similar protection. Personally, I don’t find the added protection of the product very appealing, especially since it comes at an higher price; most other 1TB external drives cost $15-$20 less. In my opinion, a hard drive doesn’t need to be waterproof as most people know well enough to keep liquid away from their electronics, however, accidents do happen and the HD710 would be good for those who’d rather be safe than sorry. The shockproof feature seems more appropriate since it isn’t uncommon for one to drop small devices such as these, however, a protective case can be purchased for cheaper devices to avoid damage from drops.

Nevertheless, The HD710 is a solid product. Apart from being waterproof and shockproof, it feels outright durable and it is very silent. In the event an electronic malfunction occurs, it can be repaired free of cost thanks to the included 3 year warranty. I wouldn’t hesitate to suggest this product to anyone who seeks the protection that it offers.
The HD710 performs as well as well as one would expect: It’s USB 3.0 interface makes for speedy file transfers with read and write speeds exceeding 100MB/s. The WD My Passport demonstrates a minute increase in performance, but certainly not enough to make it a better option than the ADATA storage device.

The design of the device is quite appealing, the yellow with black stripes suggests that this device is ready for some rough treatment. The carbon fiber-like centerpiece also adds to the robust look of the device.

Being waterproof and shockproof, the HD710 is very well built. The thick rubber sleeve also ensures that the device won’t slip around on your desk and even if did slip and fall, you can rest assured that it will be functioning when you plug it in again. The embedded cable storage slot will also make sure that the cable and the hard drive will never be separated or accidentally misplaced. Unfortunately, the length of the cable is limited by the length of the slot, as a result, the cable is extremely short.

Included with the device are some freeware applications such as Norton Antivirus (60 day trial), OS cloning, and HDD cloning software. It would be nice to have these programs already on the device since they can be easily deleted if the user has no use for them.

Many 1TB portable drives can be purchased for less than $70. That being said, for $92.25 online (Amazon | Newegg), the HD710 isn’t exactly inexpensive. However if you don’t mind paying a few extra bucks for peace of mind, then this may be the drive for you.

There’s nothing really bad to say about the ADATA HD710, it is a well designed, well built product that performs as well as it should. It may seem a bit pricey but if your data is precious to you, the added price shouldn’t seem like a lot for the provided protection.
+ Looks very cool with it’s black and yellow theme
+ Waterproof and shockproof: Safe from drops and spills
+ Quick data transfer rates due to USB 3.0
+ 3 year warranty
– A lot bigger than most modern portable HDDs
– Not inexpensive; some 2TB drives cost just $20 more
– Short USB cable
Performance: 9.00
Appearance: 9.50
Construction: 9.25
Functionality: 8.75
Value: 7.50

Quality Recognition: Benchmark Reviews Silver Tachometer Award.

COMMENT QUESTION: Does a portable hard drive really need this much protection?