Verbatim SSD ExpressCard 16GB

Solid state disks are starting to crop up in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but Verbatim's new offering is the first we've seen that connects via a laptop's ExpressCard port. At first glance, it makes sense: ExpressCard includes a miniature PCI-Express bus, with a bandwidth of 2Gbits/sec, so it can transfer data far more rapidly than USB, and isn't far behind SATA.

Unfortunately, ExpressCard also has a few inherent drawbacks. The first is a simple matter of support: not all notebooks offer an ExpressCard slot, and we're unconvinced we've ever seen a desktop PC with one. That means this device simply can't be used with a substantial proportion of computers.

Second, few laptops can boot from an ExpressCard device. None of our test models could, and it's notable that Verbatim markets the SSD ExpressCard purely as a portable storage device. So if you want an SSD to use as a system drive, this one may not be suitable.

Still, even as a simple storage device, the SSD ExpressCard has its attractions. Because it slots away inside a notebook, it's much less obtrusive than a USB flash drive or external hard drive. And, as you'd expect, transfer rates are fast: it wrote our 1,000 test files in just 1.7 seconds, and took only 2.5 seconds to read them all back.

That was faster even than the notebook's internal hard disk, which took 3 seconds to write the files and a surprisingly slow 18.9 seconds to read them back. An external USB hard drive completed the same tests in 10.1 seconds and 6 seconds respectively.

Sustained reads were a particular strength of the SSD ExpressCard: it delivered our 650MB file in just 5.7 seconds, while the internal hard disk took 15.2 seconds and the external drive took 21.4 seconds.

But in everyday use it's debatable whether you really need such blazing speed from a data storage device. And inevitably it comes at a price: the 16GB SSD ExpressCard will set you back £47 exc VAT, while larger 32GB and 64GB models come in at around £80 and £150 respectively. Those aren't bad prices by SSD standards, but if you can't boot from the drive it's less useful than most.

It boils down to whether you need a high-speed storage device and whether your PC is equipped with an ExpressCard slot. If you can answer yes on both counts, the Verbatim SSD ExpressCard is a neat solution. If you're happy with more pedestrian file transfers, a USB flash drive or hard disk can save you a lot of money and, unlike the SSD ExpressCard, one of those will work with any PC.

Author: Darien Graham-Smith