Hard drive with ISO selection. Test and review of ZALMAN ZM-VE300 - external box for HDD with support for disk images

2.5" External box Zalman ZM-VE350 is an affordable and multifunctional solution. The manufacturer took into account all the nuances and created the ideal device. The case is black, it is made of metal and has a pleasant texture, durable construction. There is a liquid crystal display, it will be especially useful when using the model as a virtual drive.
Zalman ZM-VE350 comes with an extended configuration. Along with the device, the owner receives a screwdriver for installing the disk into the box. A convenient and high-quality case is provided, USB cable, screws.
An important feature will be compatibility with operating systems Windows systems and Mac OS. There will be no connection problems; the model is suitable for all users. The USB 3.0 interface allows you to copy large amounts of information in a short time.
The box has compact dimensions, it can easily fit into any bag and is easy to transport. The user will be able to independently create external hard disk, just select a suitable module and install it in a dedicated compartment.

There are a lot of stereotypes in the modern world... for example, that Japanese cars are better than South Korean ones, or that money is best kept in Swiss banks. Sometimes it is interesting to see how much the existing stereotypes actually justify themselves. Electronics produced by South Korean companies such as LG or Samsung have always been considered a good compromise between product quality and cost. The hero of our testing today is an external 2.5" box for hard drives, Zalman ZM-VE200, also made by a South Korean manufacturer. Zalman actually has a good reputation among manufacturers of computer cooling systems. But HDD housings are not cooling systems. Let's see how well Zalman is doing in the HDD pocket market.

The factory packaging turned out to be relatively small, as was the product itself. On its front side there is an image of a black HDD pocket, on the sides of which two silver devices are placed in the background. Apparently, the manufacturer has set itself the goal of presenting the external HDD box to the buyer at a glance, and in the same way helping him decide on the more desirable color of the product. The packaging is well balanced and not overloaded with secondary information; only the basic names and designations of the external HDD pocket ZM-VE200. Despite the laconicism of the packaging, one inscription still makes you pleasantly surprised: “External HDD Case + Virtual Drive.” Wait a minute, is the virtual disk included? This is great, but let's talk about everything in order.

Let's first take a brief look at the main features and technical characteristics of the external pocket for hard drives Zalman ZM-VE200, which can be found both on the back of the package and on the manufacturer's official website.

Key features of Zalman ZM-VE200:

Aluminium case

Pre-installed software for mounting CD/DVD images from ISO files: No additional software is required to mount any ISO image.

Built-in screen that displays information about state of rigid disk

Protective case included

Possibility of mounting ISO images, a built-in screen on which information is displayed - yes, it looks like we have here a case with its own operating system, no less!

Specifications Zalman ZM-VE200:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 135.3x78.6x13.1 mm

Weight: 98.5 g

Material: aluminum, acrylic, polycarbonate

Type: 2.5" SATA HDD

Interfaces: USB 2.0 (compatible with USB 1.1), eSATA Direct HDD Access

Data transfer rate: USB up to 480 Mbit/s, eSATA up to 3 Gbit/s

Spindle speed: 5400 or 7200 rpm

Nutrition: USB

Color: black, silver

The factory packaging opens from the top, after which you can take out another additional cardboard package (gray, without beautiful pictures), in which, in addition to the HDD pocket itself, a protective case is neatly packed, quick guide user, as well as a screwdriver with bolts. It's nice to note that USB and eSATA cables also come standard. Obviously, the device comes without a hard drive. The protective case is a very nice bonus that protects appearance HDD case, especially considering that the ZM-VE200 can be located in it while it is connected to the computer, without fear of overheating.

As mentioned above, the outer case for the hard drive can be either black or silver. The USB pocket we received for testing is painted silver, and in my opinion, it is more attractive than black, since it contrasts more with general view products.

Connecting and using the Zalman ZM-VE200 will not cause any trouble even to the most ordinary PC user. On the right, on the upper side of the HDD case is located USB port, write-protect function switch, hard drive activity LED, factory firmware recovery button, and eSATA port. Unlike other 2.5" and 3.5" devices, this HDD box is powered only by a USB or eSATA cable, which explains the absence of a special power connector. This fact is both a plus and a minus at the same time. The fact is that not all today's eSATA ports support the function of powering the devices connected to them, so it would be nice to still leave a special connector for powering the hard drive if necessary, or at least emphasize the fact of incompatibility with the eSATA standard.

Installing a hard drive in the Zalman ZM-VE200 we tested today turned out to be even easier than I could have imagined. All you need to do to install your hard drive inside the pocket is to connect the HDD itself to a special controller via the appropriate connectors, and then insert the HDD along with the connected controller inside the pocket (HDD first, the controller remains at the top). Once you have connected and inserted the hard drive inside, all that remains is to securely fasten it inside using a screwdriver and two bolts, which the South Korean manufacturer thoughtfully included in the delivery package. During installation, you need to slightly open the rubber band that hides the mounting holes. By the way, after installation, this tape will stick out a little due to the tightened bolts, and this, although small, is still a flaw of the Korean engineers.

After installation is complete, it would be a sin not to test the strength and build quality of the case of our today's test subject. Simply shaking and moving the device convinced me that the engineers had designed the case well and that it was strong and reliable. While most 3.5" devices aren't designed for everyday carry, the ZM-VE200's 2.5" HDD pocket—one of the smallest HDD enclosures I've ever handled—is specifically designed for maximum mobility and portability.

Our next review is dedicated to the Zalman ZM-VE350 external hard drive enclosure. The box is designed for 2.5-inch SATA drives and supports high-speed USB 3.0 interface. The device is equipped with a virtual optical drive function, allowing you to connect ISO images on the fly. The write protection feature helps prevent damage to important files.

VIDEO REVIEW ZALMAN ZM-VE350

EQUIPMENT AND CHARACTERISTICS ZALMAN ZM-VE350

An external hard drive box that arrived to us for testing Zalman ZM-VE350 comes in a black cardboard box.

Packaging Zalman ZM-VE350 Package Included:

• Boxing itself.
• Case.
• USB 3.0 cable.
• Set of screwdriver and four screws.
• Quick guide.

Equipment Zalman ZM-VE350 The complete cable is 50 cm long, including connectors.

USB 3.0 cable The case is very thick and it is easy to remove the device from it. You can, of course, use the box directly in the case, but we do not recommend doing this, otherwise the inserted drive may overheat.

Zalman ZM-VE350 in case We have compiled the technical characteristics of the device into a single table.

DESIGN ZALMAN ZM-VE350

Frame Zalman ZM-VE350 mostly made of painted aluminum with soft polymer inserts on the sides. On the front side there is an LCD display and led indicator activity.

External hard drive box Zalman ZM-VE350 At the top end there is a Backup button and a USB 3.0 connector (Micro-B type, which also transmits power to the HDD) for connecting the supplied cable.

Upper end of Zalman ZM-VE350 Glued to the opposite end Technical information about the model.

Bottom end on Zalman ZM-VE350 On the left side there is a push lever for navigating through the device menu, and the rest of the space is occupied by a soft insert.

Left side panel Zalman ZM-VE350 On the right side, except for the second such insert, there is nothing important.

Right side Zalman ZM-VE350 The build quality is decent - buttons and body elements do not loosen. In general, the design gives the impression of being monolithic.

TESTING ZALMAN ZM-VE350

To install a drive into the box, you will first have to remove the module with the LCD screen, which essentially contains the entire contents of the device.

Base unit Zalman ZM-VE350 For testing, we took an Intel Solid X25-M SSD and connected it to the internal SATA port.

SSD connected to Zalman ZM-VE350 board For reliability, it is worth clamping the module with the supplied screws - the holes for them are hidden under the folded edges of the soft inserts.

Screw holes for Zalman ZM-VE350 To do this, we used the included screwdriver - fortunately, little effort is required, so the miniature size of the screwdriver is not a hindrance. It is worth noting that the kit includes twice as many screws as needed - four versus the required two.

Zalman ZM-VE350 base unit secured with screws
After connecting to the PC, the display of our device turned blue and displayed a simple menu.

Display Zalman ZM-VE350 At the same time, the operating system recognized two devices at once: the USB drive itself and an additional optical drive - completely virtual, as indicated in its name.

Zalman ZM-VE350 in task manager This is precisely the main feature of this case - you can mount any ISO images by placing them in a folder "_ISO" on the disk inserted into the case. For example, downloaded from MSDN Windows image 7 was read without problems.

Windows 7 image in Zalman ZM-VE350 virtual drive However, our copy was initially with faulty firmware, and for the virtual drive function to work correctly we had to update software devices up to more current version. We attach the archive with the firmware and update instructions below. REMEMBER: This operation is carried out at your own peril and risk, and if you are not exactly sure what you are doing, it is better to contact technical support or a service center.

• Instructions for firmware Zalman ZM-VE350 (122.7 KB).
• Archive with Zalman ZM-VE350 firmware (579.78 KB).

However, the drive function can be turned off completely - to do this, you just need to select the appropriate mode, of which there are three:

• HDD Mode – drive-less drive mode.
• VCD Mode – “virtual drive only” mode.
• DUAL Mode – simultaneous operation.

Zalman ZM-VE350 modes Another great feature Zalman ZM-VE350– ability to set write protection. This allows you to work even in a system potentially or actually infected with viruses without the danger of contracting an infection. All you need to do is select “Enable WP” from the menu. The lock icon closes on the start screen - and that’s it, no problems.

Installing write protection in Zalman ZM-VE350 Additionally, in the “Information” section you can see the storage temperature (let’s say right away that for SSDs it is determined incorrectly, don’t be alarmed), S.M.A.R.T. status, serial number and controller firmware version.

Information about the drive in Zalman ZM-VE350 Now let's check the performance when using USB interface. 3.0. IN HD Tune 5 the speed graph has an average read speed of 161.9 MB/s with a random access time of 0.169 ms. The CPU load was 9.8%.

Result of Zalman ZM-VE350 (USB 3.0) in HD Tune 5
IN Crystal Disk Mark 3 sequential read and write speeds showed results of 250.3 MB/s and 96.19 MB/s, respectively.

Result of Zalman ZM-VE350 (USB 3.0) in Crystal Disk Mark 3 Next we switched to the USB 2.0 interface and tested again speed characteristics. IN HD Tune 5 an almost flat graph shows that the drive’s performance significantly exceeds the capabilities of the USB 2.0 interface, so we have an average read speed of 31.7 MB/s with an increased random access time of 0.408 ms. But the load on the processor is only slightly higher – 11.5% versus 9.8% when transferring data via USB 3.0.

Result of Zalman ZM-VE350 (USB 2.0) in HD Tune 5 Result in Crystal Disk Mark 3 also hit the USB 2.0 performance ceiling.

Result of Zalman ZM-VE350 (USB 2.0) in Crystal Disk Mark 3 So, the indicators correspond to the declared ones bandwidth even for SSD. So with usual hard The box can handle the disk without any problems.

ZALMAN ZM-VE350: CONCLUSIONS

Price Zalman ZM-VE350 at the time of testing is approximately 4,000 rubles. For this money you get a fairly convenient tool that not only works as a portable hard disk, but also allows you to install the operating system from an ISO image on virtually any PC, and the images can be mounted right along the way. The box not only delivers speeds sufficient to run an SSD, but is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0. At the same time, to ensure data safety, a write protection option is provided, with which you can work even on an infected computer without fear of losing files or spreading the virus further.

Pros of Zalman ZM-VE350:

• Support for mounting ISO images.
• Works with USB 3.0 without reducing the performance of the inserted drive.
• Write protection function.
• The metal body dissipates heat well.

Cons of Zalman ZM-VE350:

• No significant findings were found.

Zalman ZM-VE350 does not see iso. Solution to the problem.

The other day I became the owner of a Zalman ZM-VE350. Since the main area of ​​my work is related to computer repair and system administration, I desperately needed it. I had to buy it because I lost the Zalman ZM-VE300, about which a lot has already been said. But if you came to this article, then you know why you need it and what its main capabilities are. You can skip everything and go to the instructions.

Pocket ZALMAN VE300. For those who don’t know, this pocket is not just a SATA->USB 3.0 adapter, this pocket can also emulate in hardware an optical drive with any disk, the images of which can be uploaded to the HDD. Well, FINALLY I got this pocket at my disposal! True, this is not quite ZALMAN, and not at all at the price it was two years ago. But I think it's worth it)
(Price - $59 as of August 2018.)

Why didn't I buy the actual zalman? And because there are no more VE300 left in stores, they may have stopped producing it. More a new version VE350, but judging by the reviews, it works much worse than the 300th, and even latest firmware did not solve all the problems.
There are not many differences between IODD and Zalman - slightly different firmware, logos on the box and a different case. By the way, you can upload firmware from Zalman to IODD and vice versa.

Let's move on specifically to my purchase.
The seller offers pockets only in black (and also sells pockets 2541 (analogous to Zalman VE400)).
A working tracking number is provided.

Product ordered on March 29, received on May 3.

Packaging is a cardboard box containing the original box with the product.

Photos of parcels and boxes

The pocket itself is aluminum, the upper part with electronics is plastic (acrylic and polycarbonate).




Among the controls we have a lever that can be moved up/down and pressed, and a “backup” button. There is also a two-line monochrome display and an activity indicator (flashes white when connected via USB 2.0, and blue when connected via USB 3.0).
Size comparison with external HDD and 2.5 HDD. Dimensions 136x78x13.



The pocket is quite large and, unfortunately, does not fit into.
The included case is completely different from the gorgeous one that comes with the zalmans. Soft, ragy and too small (the lever is constantly pressed).


Soldering quality:





The holes for the screws are hidden behind the elastic bands on the sides. Screws connect the top and bottom of the pocket together. I do not recommend using the pocket without tightening the screws - the top part with hard drive can be pulled out simply by pulling the cable in the connector or shaking the pocket - HDD will push out the top.


Without the carrier, the pocket shows the inscription "iodd 2531". With the media, access to the menu appears. Current firmware: R1288N. The letter N indicates that the pocket is flashed with an NTFS version of the firmware. New ones, 1555 and 1558, are available on the manufacturer’s website. I’m not going to reflash them yet.


The menu is called up by long pressing the lever. Move the lever up/down, press the lever - select a menu item, “backup” - back.
On the menu Mode You can select pocket mode (HDD, ODD, Dual).
IN Settings- adjust the brightness of the screen backlight, the time after which the screen will darken and set the factory settings.
Information- find out the status of the HDD, its model, serial number, temperature, pocket firmware version, USB mode and supply voltage (shows current and minimum).
IN USB Connect you can reboot the pocket (new images will be loaded if you have added them) and run a safe removal (the pocket will disconnect the hard drive and the screen will say “Plug Out”).
On the menu Advanced You can “unmount” the hard drive and enable write protection on the hard drive. There is also a “Force USB 3.0” checkbox, but I can only guess what it does.

Some tricks that you won't learn about from the instructions

1. If you hold the button Reserve copy(BackUp) when connected, write protection will automatically turn on.
2. If you hold left button when connected, the protection will be automatically removed
3. If during operation the wheel is turned down and held, preparations will be made for safe shutdown devices. Pressing and holding the BackUp button will have the same effect.
4. If you turn the wheel up and hold it while working, the _ISO directory will be scanned. Convenient after recording new images on the HDD.
5. If the BackUp button is pressed in the Menu, it moves up 1 level.
6. Besides the Menu, the backup button is used for its original
data backup functions (if the backup program is installed and running).

As a storage medium I will use a Hitachi hard drive taken from a tortured service centers netbook.

Preparing the disk for work: removing the first one hidden section manufacturer and create the main NTFS partition.


If you partition the disk, keep in mind that IODD only looks for the _iso folder on the first partition.
After formatting, create a “_iso” folder on the disk and upload images to it. Declared support for ISO / VHD / VMDK / DSK / RMD / IMA.

I downloaded the images using utorrent directly to the disk.
After the update, the images were not mounted and the pocket with the word “Defrag” hinted to me that it would be a good idea to run defragmentation.
After defragmentation everything worked.
The image is selected using the up/down lever and mounted by pressing the lever.
Any images can be used. OS, boot disks, utilities, and even games.

Despite the fact that the cable is long and soft, the pocket and disk work fine when connected via USB 2.0 through the front panel. The maximum consumption that I saw was 600mA (of course, this will also depend on the consumption of the disk itself).

Measurements of disk speed in and without a pocket.


As you can see, IODD has extracted everything it can from this disk.

Let's compare the speed of the disk in the drive (the image is recorded installation disk Win7 HP x64) and speed virtual disk IODD (same image).
The maximum reading speed of my drive is 16x, Verbatim DVD-R 4.7Gb 16x.



Let me remind you that if you install a faster hard drive or SSD in your pocket, rather than an old Hitachi, the speeds will be even nicer. And with such a hard drive, the reading speed is on par with CDs (48-52x). Well, the access speed is much better than that of any optical disk.

UPD Feb 2020
Because I got an extra SSD for experiments and tried to install it. Naturally, the speed was limited by the SATA2-USB3.0 converter.
CrystalDiskMark

And once again, a comparison of the speed of a DVD and IODD disc with an installed hard and solid-state drive.

Well, what can I say, this pocket will be an excellent helper for those who work with computers, especially those that do not have an optical drive.
Personally, I’m already tired of carrying my drive here and there and preparing an installation flash drive every time I need to install something.
The price, of course, is a little steep, but only the dollar exchange rate is to blame for this - at the old exchange rate, this pocket (like zalman) cost 1800-2500 rubles.

Thank you for your attention, I hope the review was useful, happy shopping, bye everyone!
And happy radio day to all radio amateurs and radio professionals)))