Nowadays, it is difficult to surprise anyone with both external hard drives and cases for them. But what stands out among the competitors is the external housing for hard drives Zalman ZM-VE300. In addition to the traditional 2.5" box with a fast USB 3.0 interface, the Zalman ZM-VE300 has a unique function - it can mount images of disks and floppy disks recorded in it. That is, in addition to the regular external HDD mode, it can work as a DVD-ROM and floppy drive . Similar devices appeared on the market several years ago, but I was able to truly appreciate their convenience only when I saw them in action with my own eyes. Now I am another happy owner of a Zalman ZM-VE300.

The kit includes an aluminum housing ZM-VE300, a thick carrying case, USB cable 3.0, installation CD with programs, quick start guide and a small screwdriver with bolts for fixing hard drive.

Zalman ZM-VE300 has an impressive design: a lightweight aluminum case with plastic inserts on the sides, a small LCD screen that displays the status of the disk. On the top edge there is an activity indicator, a socket for connecting a USB cable and a “Backup” button. In addition, on the left side of the box there is a three-position joystick-wheel, with which almost all actions are performed. The activity indicator is two-color. White color is used to indicate operation in USB 2.0 mode, blue - in USB 3.0 mode.

In order to install HDD in Zalman ZM-VE300, you need to remove the top board with the display and connect the drive itself to it. Then insert the resulting structure into the aluminum housing.

Of the three 2.5" drives we tried, the Zalman ZM-VE300 refused to work with one, but accepted the other two normally. I didn’t find any pattern in its preferences, and, as it became clear from reviews on various Internets, I wasn’t the only one who had this problem. So it's probably better to have a few different drives ready.

When the disk is installed and functionality has been verified, you need to secure it. Bend the seal from the sides of the case; holes for the bolts are hidden under them. As I already said, bolts and a small screwdriver are included in the kit, so there shouldn’t be any problems with fastening. But the seal doesn’t want to go back up, since it is made of hard plastic and after bending it starts to hang out. A trifle, of course, but it spoils the impression. A regular rubber seal would look more harmonious here.

In the first Zalman ZM-VE300 models, the firmware only allowed working with drives formatted in FAT32 to support file system NTFS had to install alternative firmware from a similar device - iODD-2531. In new batches, the firmware is more recent, with it NTFS drives are perfectly supported without additional steps. Download latest version Firmware and programs necessary for updating can be found on the website.

ZM.VE300.Firmware.Upgrade.R1288N.zip (343,728 bytes)

In order to install firmware from iODD-2531 on Zalman-VE300, you will need to slightly modify the firmware program. I corrected the latest firmware version. After installing it, the device is identified in the system as iODD, but this will not work any worse. On the contrary, all new features from the iODD-2531 will be added to the functionality, which include official firmware Zalman-VE300 does not exist and is not expected.

iODD.2531.to.ZM.VE300.Firmware.Upgrade.R1600N.zip (345,755 bytes)

Entering and exiting the Menu occurs by pressing the side switch for more than 3 seconds. Navigating through the menu and selecting items is done using the joystick; returning to the previous level is done using the "Backup" button.

• Main menu:
  • Mode Select- setting the device operating mode
  • Setting- adjust the brightness of the LCD display and Sleep mode
  • Information- view information about the HDD and firmware version
  • USB Connect- USB connection setup
  • Advanced- setting up a virtual HDD connection
• Mode Select menu:
  • Dual Mode- work in combined mode, external HDD and virtual DVD-ROM/Blu-Ray drive
  • ODD Mode or CD Mode(for iODD firmware) - works only in DVD-ROM/Blu-Ray mode (this mode is usually used when installing the OS)
  • HDD Mode- the device is detected only as an external HDD (this mode is used when connecting to devices other than a PC)
• Settings menu:
  • LCD Bright- adjust the brightness of the LCD screen backlight
  • Idle Bright- adjustable LCD backlight in sleep mode
  • Standby time- setting the time to go into sleep mode
  • Load Default- return to default values
• Menu "Information":
  • S.M.A.R.T- S.M.A.R.T information
  • HDD Model- display the name of the hard drive model
  • HDD Serial- display serial number hard drive
  • Firmware Ver.- display firmware version
  • USB Speed- display the type of current connection (USB2.0: Hi-Speed, USB3.0: Super-Speed)
  • USB Input Volt- display the lowest input voltage by USB port after connecting to PC and current input voltage
• Menu "S.M.A.R.T":
  • HDD Temp.- display HDD temperature
  • HDD Health- display the HDD status (Good, Warning, Bad). If a Warning or Bad appears, immediately backup all data and check the HDD
• "USB Connect" menu:
  • Refresh- reconnect the device to the PC
  • Safe Removal- safe removal of the device
• Advanced menu:
  • Umount VHDD- unmount all disk and floppy images
  • Write Protect- enable or disable write protection
  • Instant Save- remember the image immediately after selecting it (only in iODD firmware)
  • Force USB 3.0- USB 3.0 priority mode (only in iODD firmware)

To use virtual ODD, the image file must be located in the "_ISO" folder, which, in turn, must be located in the root of the hard drive. After this, you need to switch the Zalman ZM-VE300 to “ODD Mode” or “Dual Mode” and use the three-position joystick to select required file image. Depending on the type of image, it will immediately be mounted on the computer as a virtual DVD-ROM/Blu-Ray drive or as a virtual floppy drive.

It is not indicated anywhere in the documentation, but it has been experimentally established that there should be no more than 32 images in the “_ISO” folder at the same time, otherwise the Zalman ZM-VE300 will display the message “Too Many Files”. This can be easily circumvented by creating subfolders, although this still leaves a limit of 32 files per folder. Eat alternative firmware, where there is no such restriction, but personally, I have the entire necessary set of distributions in a dozen files. By the way, as a cheaper alternative to the Zalman ZM-VE300, unscrupulous sellers may offer you enclosures for hard drives of the brand Konoos. Such a replacement is far from equivalent, since low-end models of Konoos cases support only one image, while more sophisticated ones support only three. Naturally, online shopping sites are modestly silent about this.

The Zalman ZM-VE300 comes with a backup utility called Backup Utility. It is recorded on a CD, but the latest version is always available on the website. As you might guess, it is used to make backups selected files and folders from your computer to external hard disk in Zalman ZM-VE300. In the program, configure the required paths, then click the “Backup” button on the box and the utility copies the information.

But that's not all she can do. WITH using Backup Utility, you can create virtual disks, and then save them to the "_ISO" folder on an external hard drive. It's worth understanding virtual disks better. "Virtual HDD" is empty files of a given size with the ability to connect them as external drives. Naturally, the Zalman ZM-VE300 is responsible for the connection and emulation functions.

Everything should also be clear with the “Safe Removal” function. You can safely turn off the Zalman ZM-VE300 by pressing the wheel or the "Backup" button on the device itself, or you can do this at the initiative of the computer through this Backup Utility function.

And this is how physical hard drives are displayed in the system and virtual drives, connected or created using Zalman ZM-VE300.

Returning to the topic about installing Windows XP on the HP Mini 210-1130ER netbook. The inconvenience of installing the system from a flash drive was the last argument for me to buy the Zalman ZM-VE300. After purchasing it, I conducted an experiment: I recorded the prepared image on an external hard drive, installed a blank hard drive in the netbook, then mounted the image onto a virtual CD and tried to install the system. As I expected, everything went well.

The instructions that come with the kit are very sparse. All you can learn from it is where to attach the bolts and how to install backup software. On the Internet there are instructions in electronic form, even translated into Russian, but in essence they are no different from the paper version. According to rumors, complete documentation is available in Korean, but this is unlikely to be of any help. So you'll have to be content with what you have.

Zalman.ZM.VE300.Manual.RUS.zip (546,663 bytes)

Zalman.ZM.VE300.Manual.ENG.zip (492,463 bytes)

Because the instructions are quite brief, and they do not describe all the capabilities of the Zalman ZM-VE300. In preparing this review, I collected from various sources and systematized useful tips and undocumented functions. Other possible problems discussed in detail at the IXBT conference.

• If you hold down the "Backup" button while connecting the device, write protection will turn on.
• If you hold down the joystick wheel while connecting, the write protection is removed and the device goes into “Dual Mode”.
• If you hold the joystick wheel up while connecting, the “ODD Mode” is set.
• If you hold the joystick wheel down while connecting, the “HDD Mode” mode is set.
• If you turn down and hold the joystick wheel during operation, the device will be safely turned off. The same thing happens if you press and hold the "Backup" button.
• If you turn up and hold the joystick wheel while working, the “_ISO” folder will be rescanned and the list of images contained in it will be updated. This is very convenient if new images were recorded on the device in “Dual Mode” or “HDD Mode”.
• In order for Zalman VE-300 to remember the last mounted image, it must be safely disabled. Install the desired image, press and hold the "Backup" button or scroll down, wait for the "Data Saving..." message and disconnect the disk from the computer. After this, Zalman VE-300 will start with the selected image.
• To unmount a floppy disk image or drive from a "Virtual HDD", you need to go to the "End Of List" item and hold down the wheel for 3 seconds.
• When connected to desktop computer It's better to use USB ports that are located at the back system unit, not on the front panel.
• If the hard drive installed in the case is divided into several partitions, then the partition with the "_ISO" folder should be Primary.
• It is not recommended to install SSD drives in the Zalman ZM-VE300, as they are more sensitive to insufficient power supplied via USB and may fail.

In some cases, when trying to mount an image, the Zalman ZM-VE300 displays the message "DEFRAG" and refuses to mount the file. This message means that the image file is highly fragmented.

The most convenient way to defragment files and directories is to use free program WinContig. Her main feature- fast defragmentation separate files without having to defragment the entire disk. Just launch WinContig, select one or more image files and defragment, after which the Zalman ZM-VE300 quietly mounts everything.

What can I say to sum it up? Zalman ZM-VE300 is a very cool thing that justifies its cost to the penny. Now the problem with preparing installation flash drives and a stack of CD/DVD disks with different distributions has been solved once and for all; all this remains a thing of the past. Zalman ZM-VE300 will be a great helper system administrators and advanced users who often have to rearrange the system or use different boot disks.

Despite all the advantages, there are some disadvantages. Neither the instructions nor the website contains a list of recommended hard drive models that work with the Zalman ZM-VE300. As a last resort, it would be possible to indicate the recommended characteristics, such as amperage and rotation speed, so that you can independently select the desired model, but this information is not available anywhere. The USB cable included in the kit is short and VERY stiff, which is why there is a risk of damaging the housing connector with frequent use. It would not hurt to provide additional power so that the Zalman ZM-VE300 can be connected to older computers. Of course, no one bothers you to find and purchase the right cable yourself, but it’s strange that the manufacturer made such a wonderful device and saved on a cheap cable. Judging by the reviews, for some hard drives you have to add an additional seal to the case so that the drive does not hang around inside. In my case this was not necessary, but in general I agree that the fastening system could have been thought out better. Otherwise, I am very pleased with the purchase.

UPD. After the untimely death of the Zalman ZM-VE300 (connected it to a problematic system unit, and there was a breakdown of electricity on the USB port), I purchased the original iODD-2531. So, there are no problems with seals described there. They are of sufficient length and have “horns” at the end, which are tucked under the side plugs and hold perfectly. Zalman also has these “horns”, but the seal itself is shorter, as a result they are useless. The cable is also long and flexible. The only thing is that the iODD case is uncomfortable - soft. I replaced it with a vacant case from Zalman. So it makes sense to purchase original iODD devices, rather than crookedly copied replicas.

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 interface USB 3.0. 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 Specifications We have compiled the devices into a single table.

HDD interface	SATA, form factor 2.5″
Device interface	USB 3.0 (backwards compatible with USB 2.0)
Device interface baud rate	USB 2.0: up to 480 Mbps; USB 3.0: up to 5 Gbps
Working with ISO images	Virtual optical drive
Indicator	Lights up when power is turned on, flashes when data is being exchanged
Nutrition	USB Powered
Dimensions	131x79x13 mm (L x W x H)
Weight	96 g (without storage)

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 an LED activity indicator.

External hard drive box Zalman ZM-VE350 At the top end there is a Backup button and USB connector 3.0 (Micro-B type, also transmitting 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, a Windows 7 image downloaded from MSDN 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 the device software 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 sure exactly what you are doing, it is better to contact technical support or 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 mode without a drive.
• 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 potentially or actually virus-infected system without the danger of contracting an infection. All you need to do is select “Enable WP” from the menu. The lock icon is shorted to start screen- and that’s it, no problem.

Installing write protection in Zalman ZM-VE350 Additionally, in the “Information” section you can see the temperature of the media (let’s say right away that it is determined incorrectly for SSDs, 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 the 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 the speed characteristics again. 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 figures correspond to the declared throughput even for SSDs. So the box can handle a regular hard drive 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 enough handy tool, not only working as portable hard disk, but also allows you to install 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.

Today we would like to present to your attention the Zalman ZM-SHE350 external box with a digital password function for accessing the hard drive. This compact solution protects your data and makes it easier for you to work with your personal data. Excellent price, nice design, compact size, all this allows you to attract the attention of buyers. Let's get to know the device a little closer and start the review.

Zalman ZM-SHE350

How often do you use portable media? USB flash drives? Personally, our experience shows that a portable hard drive is simply necessary for work, because all the necessary and important information is always with you, because it is very convenient and practical. But there are often cases when strangers try to steal this data by copying it to their own Personal Computer or laptop.

We recently came across a very interesting device, the Zalman ZM-SHE350. This is an external housing that looks like an entrance intercom, but in fact its function is completely different - to protect your data on the HDD. How does this happen? Everything is very simple, but before we look at the functions and operation of the device, let's take a look at the package and external design.

Zalman ZM-SHE350 review

Contents of delivery

The device comes in a small premium transparent packaging on which you can read all the necessary information and familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the Zalman ZM-SHE350. The package includes:

• Myself Zalman body ZM-SHE350
• USB 3.0 cable for power and data transfer
• Operation book
• Rubber insert to increase the thickness of the hard drive
• Compact case

The device comes with everything you need for full operation. Small additional bonuses, such as a cover and a special rubber insert to increase the width of the HDD, if necessary, I cannot but please my customers.

Characteristics

• External box - Zalman ZM-SHE350
• 2.5-inch SATA drives are supported. Maximum thickness (depth) of HDD is 9.5 mm.
• Interfaces of connected HDDs - SATA III, SATA-I/SATA-II
• PC connection interface - USB 3.0/USB 2.0
• Case material - plastic
• OS support - Linux, Mac OS, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows 8, Microsoft Windows Vista,Microsoft Windows XP
• Dimensions (l/w/h) - 135/75/16 mm

Appearance

As we have already said, the device externally resembles a door intercom. The device is completely made of black plastic. The build quality is good, no creaks. But I didn’t quite like the fact that when dropped slightly from the height of the lid, the devices immediately diverge to the sides. Perhaps developers will still need to think about the reliability of the entire case, because opening it and simply picking up the hard drive is not particularly difficult.

On the front of the device there are the main control buttons: numbers from 0 to 9, the “Lock” button and the “Enter” button. Here, just a little higher from the buttons, are indicator lights, and opposite them is information about their designation.

There is a connector on the top edge micro USB. The other faces lack any controls.

The back cover opens. Below it is a connector for a 2.5-inch SATA drive. The thickness of which should not exceed 9.5 mm. If the disc is thinner, you can use a special rubber insert that allows you to obtain the required thickness.

One of the minuses should be noted that the back cover is not protected from opening in any way. That is, anyone can open it. In other words, if with the help of the Zalman ZM-SHE350 you can protect information from being transferred to other PCs or laptops, then you will not be able to protect your hard drive, which is located inside the Zalman ZM-SHE350.

Setup and operation

First, let's figure out how to configure the device, in other words, how to install a hard drive in the Zalman ZM-SHE350 and make it work. First, you need to purchase a hard drive, since it is not included in the package; let us remind you that 2.5-inch SATA drives are supported. Then everything is very simple, open back cover, install, close and connect to the PC.

After connecting the device for the first time, you will need to go through several simple steps. The beauty is that above the panel with numbers there is a small information panel where certain actions are prescribed; you just have to carry out the one next to which the indicator light will light up.

The first step is to come up with a password. Next, you need to confirm it, after which, using given password you will be able to open access to this hard drive. Don't forget to go through the process of initializing, marking, and formatting your hard drive. HDD for normal use and recording through your operating system. You can find out how to do this process using the instruction manual; everything is described there in detail and clearly. In short, the following steps need to be taken:

• Connect Zalman ZM-SHE350 with an inserted HDD to your PC
• Next open "Control Panel/Administration/Computer Management/Disk Management
• In the window that opens, you will see that your PC cannot recognize the HDD, since it was initialized only through a software program.
• Next, you just need to right-click on this external drive and select “Initialize disk”, and then go through a short procedure.
• Once initialization is complete, you can begin the markup and formatting process

Let's consider additional commands, which are available on the Zalman ZM-SHE350. Apart from entering a password, the Zalman ZM-SHE350 has 3 additional options for working with the panel button device:

• If you press Lock - 0 - Enter in turn, you can change the current password to a new one.
• Combination Lock keys- 9 - Enter starts the HDD initialization process
• If you press and hold Lock button After more than 2 seconds, the HDD will connect/disconnect, in other words, the device will be safely removed.

Transfer speed

I was pleased that the Zalman ZM-SHE350 uses USB connection 3.0, which allows you to get very fast data transfer speeds. During the writing of the review, the transfer and recording speed to the hard drive ranged from 40 to 100 Mbit/s.

Plus, we should add to all this that the Zalman ZM-SHE350 can be connected to any device that has a USB host and play your media files through it. What happens if your Zalman ZM-SHE350 is somehow stolen from important information? If the attacker does not know the password, then he will not be able to obtain your information. Yes, you can remove the hard drive and connect it to the computer directly, but there is a small nuance, this will not do anything, your PC simply will not see the hard drive, and accordingly will not be able to show the information that is inside. The PC will detect that a device has connected to it and install the necessary drivers on it, but will not allow you to use this disk. Agree, very convenient and practical.

Where does such security come from, you ask? The answer is simple, Zalman ZM-SHE350 uses AES 256 encryption, which allows you to completely secure your data on your hard drive. But there is another side to this trick: if for some unknown reason you forgot the password that was installed on the device, then you will not be able to recover the password without losing all the data on the hard drive. Yes, you can contact the company’s service center, but even if they help you there, the data you recorded on the HDD will still be erased.

Results

To summarize, it should be said that the Zalman ZM-SHE350 is not just a box through which you can connect your HDD to a PC or other devices and view your saved files, but a real, reliable protector of information stored on the hard drive. Without knowing the password, in the hands of attackers, the Zalman ZM-SHE350 will be an ordinary box for storing HDDs, since it will not be possible to obtain information from it in any other way. Of course, you can’t carry it in your pocket, but the Zalman ZM-SHE350 won’t take up much space in a backpack or bag. It all comes down to this this decision cannot fail to attract the attention of buyers; of course, such security is not necessary for all users, so to some the Zalman ZM-SHE350 will seem like a meaningless “toy”. The choice is always yours, we can only show and tell.

ZALMAN ZM-VE300 | Introduction

Today on the market you can find a large number of external equipment or enclosures/boxes for hard drives. Therefore, it is difficult for manufacturers to stand out among competitors. But ZALMAN succeeded: the new ZM-VE300 box contains a unique function - it can independently mount disk images, that is, it can also work as an optical drive. Of course, you will also get traditional 2.5" equipment with a USB 3.0 interface.

Specification table ZALMAN ZM-VE300 (1M1NZ21C00185909)
Housing material	Aluminum alloy, acrylic, polycarbonate
Products webpage	Official page ZALMAN ZM-VE300
Retail price	About 1.8 thousand rubles
Form factor	2,5"
Interface	USB 3.0 (backwards compatible with USB 2.0)
Internal interface	SATA
Supported OS	Windows 98, ME, XP, VISTA, 7, 8, Mac OS, Linux
Colors	Black, silver
Dimensions	135.3×78.6×13.1 mm
Weight (without HDD)	96 g
Contents of delivery	User manual, USB 3.0 cable, case, software disc, screwdriver

Design and appearance

The design of the ZM-VE300 is very impressive. The body consists of an aluminum alloy coated with acrylic. It is thanks to this that the box is quite light, has a small thickness (13 mm), and also removes heat well from the drive. On the front side there is a small LCD display that displays the disk status and a text settings menu. Navigation through the setup menu is done using a three-position joystick (wheel) located on the left side of the box and the “Backup” button, which is located on top. In addition to the box itself, the package includes instructions for use, a USB 3.0 cable, and a pouch for the ZM-VE300. The drive itself (hard drive or SSD) is not included in the package; it must be purchased separately.

But the main advantages of ZALMAN ZM-VE300 lie in additional functions, which we will look at below.

Software

The cheapest external boxes and hard disks supplied without software. Therefore, to highlight their products, well-known manufacturers add useful programs. The ZALMAN company was no exception - the package includes the “Backup Utility (ZM-VE300)” utility, which is used to backup data. Utilities and programs significantly expand functionality external HDDs. Installation file The ZALMAN ZM-VE300 backup utility was located on the CD included in the delivery package; it can be immediately installed on your computer.

This program can create virtual disks (VHD), backup files from specified directories (Backup) and has a “Safe Removal” function. The program interface is very simple and easy to understand. It’s a pity that the utility does not support a Russian-language interface.

Below we will look at the basic functions of the utility.

Backup function. If you press the Backup button on the top end, it starts backup directories specified in the settings.

"Safe Removal" function. For safe removal USB storage device. This function is activated by long (more than three seconds) holding the Backup button on the top end. If you hold down the button while copying files, extraction will occur only after the copying operation is completed.

"Virtual HDD" function- the most interesting feature presented in software package. We'll talk about it below.

ZALMAN ZM-VE300 | Possibilities

The ZALMAN ZM-VE300 hard drive box is interesting with its “VIRTUAL DRIVE” function, that is, the ability to independently connect disk images, after which you can work with them in the system.

The operating mode is selected through the text menu on the ZALMAN ZM-VE300 display. You can also perform some actions there.

Menu

First menu section "Mode Select" allows you to select operating modes of ZALMAN ZM-VE300. A total of three operating modes are available.

• Dual Mode – work in combined mode, hard drive + virtual CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive
• ODD Mode – virtual CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive mode
• HDD Mode – hard drive mode

In the next section of the menu "Setting" drive settings are shown.

• LCD Bright – adjustable screen backlight, variable in the range from 1% to 100%
• IDLE Bright – sleep mode brightness adjustment, also available in the range from 1% to 100%
• Standby time – adjust the time after which the ZALMAN ZM-VE300 goes into sleep mode, you can completely disable this function, the time range is from 1 minute to 180 minutes.
• Load Default – load default settings.

Chapter "Information" serves to obtain information about the status of the hard drive and other parameters.

• S.M.A.R.T. – information about the temperature and condition of the hard drive
• HDD Model – information about the hard drive that is inserted into the box.
• Firmware Ver – information about the firmware installed on the ZALMAN ZM-VE300.
• USB Speed ​​– information about the transfer speed of the USB interface.
• USB Input Volt – information about the voltage supplied to the box via USB; both the lowest voltage and the voltage supplied at this point in time are presented.

Chapter "USB Connect" allows you to reboot the hard drive (Refresh) or perform a safe removal (Safe Removal).

In chapter "Advanced" you can unmount all images (Umount VHDD), and also enable write protection (Write Protect).

We've finished describing the menu; now let's move on to studying the drive's capabilities in practice.

In progress

The main advantage of the ZALMAN ZM-VE300 is the connection of disk images without the help of additional software.

To connect ISO images, just copy the file with the .iso extension, switch the ZALMAN ZM-VE300 to ODD Mode or Dual Mode, and select the ISO file using the three-position joystick. It will be mounted on your computer as a virtual CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive.

You can also create virtual disks yourself using the “Virtual HDD” function. It creates empty files of a given size (we set the size ourselves, except for the floppy disk image), which ZALMAN ZM-VE300 will then connect as external drives. You can create three types of virtual disks: 1.44 MB floppy disk, fixed disk (.dsk), and removable disk (.rmd). The last two types are essentially the same; they differ in recognizing the type of disk under Windows.

We created test virtual disks of all three types (1 GB each, 1.44 MB floppy disk), and then connected them to the Windows 7 system.

The floppy.ima floppy disk image appears on the system as a standard 1.44 MB FAT floppy disk.

Then we connected the image removable disk remove.rmd. Windows system immediately offers to format it. After formatting, the disk is recognized as “removable media”

Once connected, the fixed hard disk image fixed.dsk is visible in the system as a hard disk.

You can unmount virtual disks using the “Unmount VHDD” command.

ZALMAN ZM-VE300 | Tests

HD Tune

Using HD Tune, we assessed the disk's performance when reading and writing sequentially and with various data blocks. Below are screenshots showing the disk performance.

SATA III

We conducted four read and write tests with the native SATA interface and when connected via a ZALMAN ZM-VE300 box with a USB 3.0 interface.

As you can see, the 320 GB Seagate hard drive, in the case of a direct SATA connection, gives an average throughput of 70 MB/s for reading and 46 MB/s for writing. The result is not bad, although modern 2.5" hard drives operate at about 100-120 MB/s. When connected via USB 3.0, the average throughput is 69 MB/s for reading and 54 MB/s for writing. Thus, the performance of USB 3.0 is limited into the hard drive itself, and not into the USB-SATA controller of the ZALMAN ZM-VE300 box.

ZALMAN ZM-VE300 | Conclusion

The ZALMAN company presented the ZM-VE300 equipment with a USB 3.0 interface, which is reliable and durable aluminum body. When connected via USB 3.0, you will get hard drive performance close to native SATA, which indicates a good SATA-USB controller in the box. The ZM-VE300 also features an LCD display and several buttons for advanced functions.

But the advantages of ZM-VE300 are additional features. Box itself can connect CD/DVD/Blu-ray images to HDD or virtual disks. Such support eliminates the need to install an optical drive in the system, and will also be useful for modern ultrabooks and laptops, which usually do not have an optical drive. Virtual disks are useful for many work scenarios, and in this regard, the ZM-VE300 can be a great solution for enthusiasts and power users.

All this justifies the price of an external box of about 1.8 thousand rubles in Russia.

Additional information You can learn about the capabilities of the ZM-VE300 in the ixbt conference.

Advantages of ZALMAN ZM-VE300

• Mounting optical disk images and virtual disks
• High-quality assembly, durable aluminum housing
• Convenient and simple software
• Good delivery set (case, screwdriver)

Disadvantages of ZALMAN ZM-VE300

• Short and stiff cable with no additional power supply, may cause power issues with older computers
• High price

An external hard drive today has become one of the essential items for everyone whose activities are in one way or another related to PC maintenance. The choice of discs and containers is large - for every color, taste and budget. However, there are solutions that stand out noticeably in the general series, one of them can be called an external container Zalman ZM-VE300 which, in addition to serving as an external drive, can serve as an optical disc drive emulator.

This allows you to kill two birds with one stone, since an external ODD drive and a stack of disks for it are the same essential items for system administrators, service engineers and simply computer enthusiasts. Installation discs with the OS, various service and diagnostic Live-CDs - in the end we get a rather impressive list of disks that you should always have with you, and important disks are also not in one copy. Otherwise, it will be very unpleasant when, at the most crucial moment, a “worn out” disk refuses to be read.

But first things first. At first glance the cost Zalman ZM-VE300 may seem very overpriced, paying about 2000 rubles for an external container without an HDD, even from a renowned manufacturer, is somehow too much; for this money you can easily get a good external drive. But this is only at first glance; as we will see later, the device fully justifies its price.

The container is supplied in a medium-sized cardboard box, on which the manufacturer emphasized the main advantages of the device.

It's obvious that Zalman ZM-VE300 in virtual drive mode, it is significantly ahead of any existing optical drive. Even in USB 2.0 mode, which is the main one, when using this container as a boot drive, only Windows 8 can currently be loaded via USB 3.0, and not always successfully, since USB 3.0 controllers from different manufacturers have their own characteristics.

To evaluate the performance of the virtual drive as a bootable drive, we compared the startup time of the Ubuntu 13.0 LiveCD by burning it to a new DVD+R disc.

Optical drives showed quite expected results: the external drive is the slowest, the internal drive is slightly faster. Zalman ZM-VE300 once again showed a significant lead - loading the image in less than a minute. This is a truly excellent result, which will be appreciated by those who often boot their PC from optical discs.

conclusions

We have before us a truly excellent product that fully justifies its price. Its main advantage is a virtual optical drive, which will allow you to abandon the use of optical discs and external drives. In addition, a virtual drive allows you to work with disk images much faster than any optical drive. All this does Zalman ZM-VE300 an indispensable assistant for administrators, service engineers and simply computer enthusiasts.