Specs: 2.5-inch internal hard drive bay (1.0mm SPCC with nickel plating); 2.5-inch SATA interface

Categorized as Silverstone’s only “turbo device,” the HDDBoost is engineered to use an SSD to mirror hard drive front-end data. By performing a single sequential writing at every bootup, the Silverstone HDDBoost effectively minimizes the normal deterioration that a system drive would experience and consistently clones data to take advantage of SSD read speeds.

The HDDBoost consists of an SSD backplane (storage drives not included), a single SATA cable, and a small package of screws. The circuit board interface requires SATA connections to the PSU, motherboard, and system drive, so that the SSD is given read priority.

We installed an 80GB Intel SSD in our HDDBoost board and piggybacked it onto a 150GB Western Digital Raptor. You’ll want to defrag the hard drive (but not the SSD) prior to installation, so the copied data is properly prepared for transfer.

With the goal of determining how well the HDDBoost maintains consistent performance, we ran the PC Mark Vantage HDD benchmark (and deactivated the other tests) three times—one round with the HDDBoost copying and cloning from the HDD and one round without the HDDBoost installed. The HDDBoost showed well, delivering scores of 10171, 9826, and 10299, respectively, without a reboot. The lone Raptor lagged behind, fluctuating between 3907, 4027, and 4030.

The HDDBoost Utility, accessible on Silverstone’s site, is purposed for upgrading firmware and displaying the disk syncing process. Although the utility is nothing too advanced, it monitors what each drive is doing at any given time. You can manually update firmware from the HDDBoost Utility, as well.

The obvious advantages of the HDD-Boost are the uptick in system performance and expanded and improved storage drive functionality. The downloadable HDDBoost Utility is basic in its capabilities, but there’s no reason the HDDBoost should require more software. So, without any initial expectations, the HDDBoost didn’t disappoint.

by Joanna Safford