Hardware
Computer | Storage
Long-term Field Test: 20.08.2016 to date
LaCie Porsche Design P'9230 5 TB
- Introduction
- Purchasing
- Equipment
- Tech Specs
- Setup
- Practice
- Pros
- Cons
- Conclusion
- Alternatives
- Text auf Deutsch
External Hard Disk Drive with Aluminium Casing
Almost every two to three years I look for a new external hard disk drive because the old ones will never run for much years, maybe one or two longer.
Before I lost data I better buy timely a new one and copy all data on it …
Another reason for a new hard disk can be the capacity of the older ones.
Photo: external Hard Disk Drive LaCie Porsche Design Desktop Drive P'9230 5 TB in the original packaging
Purchasing
Therefore I go again to my favourite department store called Saturn Electro.
Address: Zeil 106–110, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
This department store is in the shopping mall “My Zeil” on the shopping mile “Zeil”, wellknown in the Rhine-Main area.
20.08.2016: There is a single LaCie Porsche Design Desktop Drive P'9230 3.5 inch with 5 TB on the hard drive shelf.
The price: 179 EUR. At first I think about taking a (smaller and mobile) Western Digital Passport (2.5 inch) with 4 TB, but then I decide on five terabytes from LaCie. My old Sony VAIO Notebook has no USB 3.0 ports but USB 2.0 therefore it is compatible.
Photo: LaCie Porsche Design P'9230 Mobile Drive 5 TB still in the original packaging
Equipment
- LaCie Porsche Design P'9230 Desktop Drive 5 TB
- USB 3.0 cable (USB 2.0-compatible)
- Quick Install Guide
- Complete Software Suite: LaCie Private-Public (for Mac only), Backup Assistant (Mac + PC)
Photo: LaCie Porsche Design P'9230 Desktop Drive 5 TB – original packaging opened, box contents
Now I'll unpack!
Photo #1: LaCie P'9230 original box top side
Photo #2: Outer packaging removed, sturdy inner carton
Photo #3: P'9230 inner carton opened
Photo #4: LaCie P'9230 removed from inner box …
Photo #5: LaCie Porsche Design P'9230 unpacked without film
Photo #6: LaCie Porsche Design Desktop Drive P'9230 unpacked, bottom side
Photo #7: LaCie Porsche Design Desktop Drive P'9230 unpacked, back side
Photo #8: LaCie Porsche Design P'9230 right side with power buttom, jackets for USB 3.0-cabel and power cord
Photo #9: LaCie Porsche Design Desktop Drive P'9230 left side
Specifications
LaCie Porsche Design P'9230 Desktop Drive
Capacity
5 TB (also available with 3, 4 and 8 TB)
Interface
USB 3.0 port (USB 2.0-compatible)
Interface Transfer Rate:
USB 3.0: up to 5Gb/s
USB 2.0: up to 480Mb/s
Size
77 x 130 x 18 mm
Weight
260g / 9.2 oz
System Requirements
Computer with a USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 port (for optimal performance, the drive must be connected to a USB 3.0 host port)
Latest version of Windows® XP, Windows Vista®, Windows 7, Windows 8 / Mac OS® X 10.5 (Intel only), 10.6, 10.7, 10.8
Minimum free disk space: 600MB recommended
Setup
Very easy to setup even for non-specialists
Especially technology beginners need to know before buying, whether the establishment of a hard drive is complicated. Every professional will be able to set up the hard drive with on-board means. One of skill will require none of these software tools. So that you can get an idea, I have documented it step by step.
Because of my German-language software version these screenshots are in German-language with translated text below.
Image 1: LaCie Setup Assistant: Welcome – Welcome Screen and EULA (German: Willkommen)
Image 2: LaCie Setup Assistant: Format (proposed setting by the assistant – change it to your needs)
Image 3: LaCie Setup Assistant: Format (changed to a partition with 5.00 TB in NTFS format)
Image 4: Warning before start of Formatting
Image 5: LaCie Setup Assistant: Formatting has started
Image 6: LaCie Setup Assistant: Formatting has ended successful – Windows has assigned the drive letter J: for this hard disk drive
Image 7: LaCie Setup Assistant: Register your product (or tick the box at “Ich möchte mein Produkt jetzt nicht registrieren”) and go to next (German: “Weiter”)
Image 8: LaCie Setup Assistant: Software (tip: use the free software offer!)
Image 9: LaCie Setup Assistant: Summary (at the first setup I hadn´t selected any software)
Yesterday I have started the Setup Assistant application again (X:\LaCie Setup\LaCie Setup.exe) and have installed the following software:
- Genie Timeline Free
- LaCie Desktop Manager
Both are very recommendable. Genie Timeline Free is a senseful downgraded free version of an easy to use software for data backup. LaCie Desktop Manager shows you the specs of connected LaCie hard discs. After a time of inactivity which you can preset separate for every LaCie hard disk drive the hard disk drive will go to standby mode to save energy (up to 77 percent). That is great!
Image 10: LaCie Setup Assistant: Installing Genie Timeline Free …
Image 11: LaCie Desktop Manager; Info Menu
Image 12: LaCie Desktop Manager; Eco Menu (Eco Management) – set the time of inactivity independently for every cnnected LaCie Drive
Image 13: New update available! Genie Timeline Free checks for updates directly after its installation
Image 14: LaCie Setup Assistant: Summary (German: Zusammenfassung)
Practice
Usage worthwhile also with older Computers
My Sony VAIO notebook unfortunately has no USB 3.0 ports, but three USB 2.0 ports. The possible speed of the hard disk drive I cannot use with it, but I am planning to buy a new notebook maybe this year.
But anyway saving and loading files or running portable apps e.g. Firefox Portable or Notepad++ is comfortable fast and silent.
This Hard Disk Drive will be warm at longer copy actions but never hot
After the startup procedure first of all I have copied all data from the older hard disk drives to this new one as a backup. Although this procedure has needed hours cause of my notebook has no faster USB 3.0 but much slower USB 2.0 ports only, it became warm to the touch only. That´s surely by curtesy of the three millimeter thick aluminium casing!
Pros
- cool design – word-for-word cause the aluminium case cools the heat harddisk effective
- metal case – solid and perfect to deflect the waste heat from the drive
- silent – the fan from my notebook is much louder than two of these drives
- no vibrations – smooth operation courtesy of neat build quality and aluminium casing
- manual – very good descriptions not only for professional IT specialists
- installation process – very easy if you follow the install instructions on the short manual
- software – very easy to use light version of a backup software called Genie Timeline
Cons
- very sharp edges (little risk of injury for your skin)
Conclusion
This external hard drive has not disappointed me a single day to date, it is very fast and runs nearly quietly.
Compared to its mobile sisters LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive P'9220 with 1TB and 2TB, this desktop model is equipped with a larger, louder 3.5-inch hard drive. So it's not completely silent like the 2.5-inch mobile models.
Since 31.01.2021 it show what it's made of at the Apple MacBook Air (2020) connected via the Anker PowerExpand Elite 13-in-1 Thunderbolt 3 Dock at USB 3.0 port. It is “incredibly” fast (subjective feeling of a long-time USB 2.0 user)!
A clear Recommendation to buy!
This model looks good, is well made and the very quiet operating noise is not unpleasant. When you operate it in a compartment under the desk top, the noise is usually below the perception threshold.
Unfortunately, this product is no longer available.
Alternatives
Please read the the page with current alternatives from my recent hard disk test.