Jan 27, 2011 08:05 GMT  ·  By

Though one would expect pretty much any new external storage unit to feature USB 3.0, Gigabyte figured that wasn't necessary for its newest portable HDD, the Pure Rock.

While at one time floppy disks and optical disks used to be the only means of transporting data between computers, their use for such things has actually diminished.

Programs and films and such are, of course, still sold on optical disks, but most consumers don't really use them much for transporting their own files from one PC to another, not anymore at least.

Such tasks are more easily and conveniently achieved by flash drives or other portable storage units, be they HDDs or SSDs, which, as a bonus, can quite readily perform backup tasks as well.

Gigabyte decided it was time for another series of portable HDDs to debut, so it put together the Pure Rock collection.

It is composed of four models, all of them with a platter speed of 5,400 RPM (rotations per minute) and a buffer memory of 8 MB.

What differentiates between them is, of course, the capacity, of 320 GB, 500 GB, 640 GB and 750 GB, respectively.

All are limited to the 480 Mbps bandwidth of the USB 2.0 interface, but their maker did throw in other bonuses.

For one, there is an internal mechanism that absorbs HDD vibrations while also granting a decent degree of shock resistance.

They also use sleek, glossy casings, in tune with their so-called minimalistic design.

Speaking of casings, all the specs above are packed inside frames of 12.8 x 8.2 x 1.5 cm and weigh 172 grams in total. Unfortunately no sort of pricing information was provided, but it shouldn't be long until online listings reveal this final piece of information

Meanwhile, those interested in Gigabyte's Pure Rock need only drop by the official product page in order to get a view of all available information.