Apacer just entered the local SSD market recently, and unlike the Panther AS330 model that I reviewed last week, the AS720 is a niche drive that works with USB 3.1 as it comes with USB Type-C interface.
Being an SSD that’s made to be used on USB 3.1, the AS720 is designed with a stylish looking cover. Note that with drive like this you no longer need a 2.5″ drive with E-SATA enclosure or USB enclosure anymore. The AS720 works with USB 3.1 and provides blazing transfer speed, very useful for people who transfer large file sizes frequently.
To make it all the more convenient, Apacer included a carry pouch for the drive.
Here’s the usual SATA interface, since SATA does not carry power, you still need to connect it to SATA power connector.
On the other side of the drive there is the USB 3.1 connection, power is supplied via USB 3.1 so there’s no power connection required.
Here’s the rated speed on the official product page. Let’s see how it performs in real life, especially with USB 3.10
The Benchmarks
For the benchmarks, I’ll have one for SATA and another for USB 3.1 and they will be labelled accordingly within the section.
ATTO : SATA
ATTO : USB 3.1
Anvil Pro : SATA
Anvil Pro : USB 3.1
CrystalDiskMark : SATA
CrystalDiskMark : USB 3.1
Overall the performance result is absolutely satisfactory, imagine an external drive with such a transfer speed!
The Verdict
The Apacer AS720 120GB Dual Interface SSD retails at RM389 and it comes with 3 years warranty, that’s not exactly cheap for 120GB SSD, after all Apacer has the Panther AS330 model that’s very affordable.
The Apacer AS720 is targets a very niche market – one that transfers high volume of data, one that is able to benefit from the super-high speed transfer. You’re not paying for the storage size, you’re paying for the fact that it is able to deliver speed through USB 3.1 connectivity.
