ASRock details its HDD Saver Technology (video)

by Mark Tyson on 1 July 2014, 12:45

Tags: AsRock, PC

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In a new video, published on its YouTube channel, ASRock has detailed the functionality and utility value of its recently introduced HDD Saver Technology. This could be a USP (unique selling point) of the ASRock motherboards that some readers might find useful.

ASRock says that its HDD Saver Technology's benefits are threefold, the tech can;

  • Protect user privacy,
  • Save electricity,
  • And prolong the life of your fixed storage device.

The tech is implemented via a power special connector on the motherboard and a corresponding custom made power cable with two SATA power ports. Other than these power connections the drives are connected to your motherboard via the usual SATA data cables.

The hardware works with ASRock's A-Tuner Windows application, where you will find the HDD Saver settings under the 'Tools' section. Within this software dialogue box you can access a control to turn the HDD Saver connected drives on and off. Currently it looks like it's an all-or-none setting so you can't select just one of the possible two drives for powering up or turning off.

ASRock presenter, Shaun, suggests that one of the best use cases for HDD Saver is to save your embarrassment on a shared PC. When you want to look at your private files, as depicted above, you can easily turn the HDD saver drives on. Upon leaving the PC you can easily turn off these drives again via the software switch. As an added level of 'security' the HDD Saver software section includes a password to access feature.

HDD Saver is also said to be good for power saving, as the SATA drives connected via this cable can be switched off most of the time, if they are used for backup or install duties only, for example. Also ASRock says that your HDD Saver connected storage should benefit from a longer life span as they aren't needed to be powered on except for occasional use.

Would any HEXUS users find ASRock's HHD Saver useful?



HEXUS Forums :: 6 Comments

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I don't see the point of this. You can configure hard drives to turn off after a certain amount of minutes/hours in Windows.
Is he auto-tuned? Or are my speakers going screwy?
Seems a bit niche use only to me.
Apart from Windows being able to power down HDD, you can also download software that un-mounts, powers down, sleeps or locks HDD, you can mod/buy a power cable with a switch, you could also use could use a HDD caddy.
Best use I can think of this, if you can plug a load of LED lighting into the power saver instead of a hard drive then you can make the inside of your PC flash on and off under software control.

OK OK, but I didn't say it was a good use, just the best I could think of ;)

I assume they had a spare power FET originally intended to PWM a fan, and this is the best they could come up with?
That's… not in the least, tiniest bit secure. In any way. Bypasses include: plugging the drives into another PC, plugging the drives into different SATA connectors in the samePC, and simply turning the drives back on in the same software you turned them off with. You'd be better off just encrypting the drives, or the portions of the drive you want to secure.
As has been mentioned, you can already send an ATA command to shut down drives, so the power savings are nonexistant.

No security benefit, no power benefit, but you're paying extra for proprietary crap. No thanks.