A Closer Look

As this is a basic, budget external drive, the plastic enclosure is not of the highest quality but should get the job done. I am just afraid that it won't survive a fall without cracking or a piece breaking off. On top there is a Verbatim logo, while the bottom only has a sticker with the model and serial numbers.


The connector has been placed on the side of the drive. This is simply to save some space and cut down the dimensions to a minimum.


Taking the Store'n'Go apart is no easy task, but as is the case with most external hard drives, it is not intended to be opened up by the end user. Doing so generally voids your warranty. That said, I did managed to tear it apart, but also broke off one of the many clips which hold the enclosure together in the process. The enclosure is made of the top and bottom cover along with a black plastic ring and the PCB is extremely compact and stuck directly unto the drive. Verbatim has chosen to use a Samsung 5400 RPM drive, which is surely one of the more affordable drives available today. The production date of the drive is fairly recent and there are no markings suggesting that you would not receive any warranty from Samsung in case of a defect.


Taking a quick look at the PCB, as mentioned, it is very compact and sits on top of the SATA connector. A tiny JMicron 20329 chip takes care of the USB 2.0 to SATA connectivity. You may read up on it here. JMicron calls the IC "Hi-Speed USB to SATA Bridge (Mask ROM)"