Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Ultra-Portable 500GB review

We've already seen the GoFlex system in Seagate's recommended 2TB desktop drive. But there are portable models too, available in a range of bright colours and supporting detachable USB 2, USB 3 and eSATA connectors. The portable connectors are smaller than the desktop models, but they still have a standard SATA fitting, so in an emergency you can use one to connect a bare drive to a USB or eSATA port.

Of course, they’re intended for use with official GoFlex drives, and this works very well. The connector fits seamlessly and securely onto the shiny drive casing, creating something that looks and feels like a high-quality integrated unit. An access light on the top of the connector is the drive’s only indicator; there are no controls or accessories at all.

When it comes to performance, though, the 500GB GoFlex disappointed us: in our read and write tests, connected via USB 3, it proved below average for a portable drive. Small file writes were a particular low point, averaging just 18MB/sec, but even in the large file read test it managed just 73MB/sec, some way behind the likes of the 640GB Buffalo MiniStation Lite.

For USB 3, it isn’t a particularly economical choice either: the standard USB 2 drive isn’t too expensive, at £64 exc VAT, but once you add on a further £15 for the USB 3 connector you’re looking at 17.6p per gigabyte, which is high by any standard.

You do get a copy of Memeo Instant Backup with the FreeAgent GoFlex Ultra-Portable; but though we like the GoFlex system, next to more straightforward drives its performance looks mediocre and the price is high.

Author: Darien Graham-Smith