Verdict and Conclusion
Wow, I can’t remember the last time I used an external storage device that was this simple to setup and use. With the Drobo 5Dt, I just need to put the drives in, load up Drobo Dashboard once to configure it … and that’s it!
As you can see from the performance tests, the read/write speeds of the Drobo 5Dt is excellent. It’s almost on par with the internal SSD storage found on the Macbook Air itself. I have to say though, the speed was being maxed out on the Thunderbolt 1 connection … and if I had a newer updated version of the Macbook Pro with Thunderbolt 2 connections, I will reckon it will be sublime!
All-in-all, the Drobo 5Dt is perfect for users who want to store large files that they edit regularly, especially when video editing or photoshop/3D rendering. These files can easily be over 2-3Gb in size per file.
What’s more, the Drobo 5Dt features BeyondRAID technology which allows you mix and match drive brands, capacities and speeds. Excellent! This means … if you later find that your storage isn’t enough, you don’t have to worry about replacing the unit with larger capacity hard drives. Remember, the Drobo 5Dt is not a NAS, but a DAS (direct attached storage) device.
I am extremely pleased with the performance the Drobo 5Dt, I never thought I’d see an external storage device that can almost match the speed of an internal SSD! This is all thanks to the built-in 128GB mSATA SSD which gives the unit its acceleration.
You can watch the following videos on the Drobo 5Dt …
- Drobo 5Dt Unboxing – https://youtu.be/d4-dd-EOm68
- Drobo 5Dt Live Testing and Setup – https://youtu.be/wau4wlDGC08
Pricewise, the Drobo 5Dt is a little bit on the expensive side. It will cost you around USD $900 (HKD $8,000) just for the bare unit – with NO drives!
If you’re after cheaper alternatives that don’t require a Thunderbolt connection, then you may consider the newer Drobo 5C, which is basically the same device but with a USB-C connector instead.
Pros
- Excellent speed on both read and write
- Extremely easy to setup and configure
- Thunderbolt 2 interface
- 2 Thunderbolt ports (can be daisy-chained)
- 1 x USB 3.0 port
Cons
- Very expensive
Final Thoughts
Despite the high price, the Drobo 5Dt is an excellent product. Designed with the power user in mind, you’ll definitely benefit from the increased read/write speed over traditional external hard drives. Base on performance alone, we’ed decided to give it our Editor’s Choice.
