LG XD2 500 GB - DigitalVersus

LG XD2 500 GB

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Capacity	500 Go
Interface	USB 2.0
Rotation Speed	5400 rpm
Cache	8 Mo
Write Speed	NC
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Read Speed	NC
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Pierre-Jean Alzieu
Test date: October 26, 2009

No Backup Software

These days, it's becoming the norm for manufacturers to include backup software with external hard drives, but LG has bucked that trend with this drive. It's a shame, as some of its competitors include some very useful extras like automatic backups or encryption.

One by one, all of the manufacturers are releasing 2.5'' external hard drives. LG has made a great start with the XD2, whose 500 GB version is available for under £75. Three different sizes are available: 250, 320 and 500 GB, in your choice of white or black.

At this price point, you can't expect to have a wide range of connectors. The XD2 has a single USB 2.0 port, with a second cable to power it. We were, however, pleasantly surprised by the finish of the outside of the case. It's mostly plastic with a thin layer of brushed aluminium, and the whole thing is relatively compact.

Speeds: slow at writing data

Iomega eGo FW400/USB 250 GB

LG XD2 500 GB

Speeds over USB (MB/s)

The LG XD2 comes in just below average for 2.5'' external hard drives. For writing both large and medium-sized files, it reached an average speed of 23.4 MB/s, while the best drives get to 27.8 MB/s. On the other hand, the read speed was much better at 31.6 MB/s.

Speeds for reading data

Case: finish and general style

Size: 500 GB

Speeds for writing data below average

Only supports USB 2.0

Seek time: 19.2 ms

No backup software included

The LG XD2 500 GB is one of the first hard drives in this category to fall below £75. And although it's not the fastest drive we've ever tested, it remains good value for money when you consider it how fast it can read and write data.