Inateck FD1005 Top-Loading HDD Docking Station Review

Final Thoughts

Pricing

The Inateck FD1005 did really great in this review, grabbing the top spot in almost all benchmarks. But it doesn’t cost as much as you might thing for a great device like this. At the time of writing this review, there is up to 50% discount on this docking station, so head on over to Amazon and pick on up yourself for $24.99, £24.99, or €25.99 depending on your physical location. It’s absolutely worth it.

Overview

Inateck’s FD1005 has a sleek and simple black design featuring bold while letters. I really like the clear printing, especially on the rear side where it makes it very easy to see and read despite being a place where you usually don’t have the best lighting. The docking station has a firm stand despite its small footprint thanks to a great build quality and the extra weight added inside.

We saw a really great performance, actually one that beats anything we’ve previously had connected through the USB 3.0 port, in almost all the tests that I ran. There was no noticeable performance drop over a native SATA connection, except that the access times will be naturally slower due to the USB bus and the overall speed possibilities due to the bus’ 5Gbps limitation.

The FE1005 is UASP enabled which allows us to achieve these speeds and the ASmedia ASM 1153E controller does a great job as supporting it. The dedicated 12V 2A power supply makes sure that even the most power hungry hard drives always have enough power to function without trouble and at maximum performance. The unit also has a convenient power button for safer drive ejection as well as the ability to just turn it off when you don’t need it without the need to remove attached cables.

Users should keep in mind that it’s always safest to power down a drive before you unplug it. Treat your hardware nicely and it will last you a long time.

Pros:

• Impressive performance
• Firm stand even when loaded with heavy drives
• Sleek and simple design
• Dedicated 12V power supply and power button

Cons:

• None

“Inateck’s FD1005 is the fastest USB docking station I’ve tested to date. It’s also extremely convenient to use and looks great on the desk.”

Thanks to Inateck for providing this review sample