Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

LaCie introduces updated Rugged and d2 Thunderbolt 3 storage devices

By

We’re creating more content than ever, particularly thanks to smartphones that take better pictures than many recent point-and-shoot cameras and better video than all but high-end camcorders. We need somewhere reliable to store all that content, whether it’s portable or sitting stationary on our desks.

LaCie is a company that knows good storage, and they’re introducing a couple of upgrades to popular storage options at CES 2017. Specifically, its Rugged and d2 storage solutions are getting some improvements, with more speed, higher capacity, better compatibility, and LaCie’s trademark best-in-class reliability.

Recommended Videos

Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C

Image used with permission by copyright holder

First up is the Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C, which packs a 9mm or 12mm solid-state drive (SSD) or hard disk drive (HDD) into an attractive yet durable container. We’ll get to performance in a minute, but the most important aspect of the Rugged line of storage devices is just how well they can stand up to inclement conditions and general mistreatment.

Key Specs

  • 9mm: Up to 1TB SSD and 2TB HDD
  • 13mm: Up to 5TB HDD
  • SSD performance up to 510MB/s
  • HDD performance up to 130MB/s
  • USB Type-C port with USB-A adapter cable
  • IP54-rated for shock, dust, and water resistance
  • Bus powered for mobility
  • 3-year limited warranty

Specifically, an IP54 rating means that the Rugged line is shock, dust, and water resistant, meaning that they can be taken anywhere with confidence that they’ll withstand some abuse. LaCie dubs them as Secure Mobile Storage, protecting against two-meter drops and able to withstand being run over by a 2000-pound automobile. In addition, the Rugged devices are protected against nefarious humans as well, with AES 256-bit software encryption.

In terms of performance, the SSDs run at USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3 speeds when connected to supported ports, providing up to 510MB/s. HDD performance is rated up to 130MB/s. Capacities for the 9mm version range from 500GB and 1TB SSDs to 2TB HDD options, with one model that’s Mac-only. The 13mm version will offer 4TB and 5TB HDDs.

A USB Type-C to USB-A cable is included in the box, and so the Rugged storage devices can be plugged into just about any relevant PC. In addition, the Rugged drives are fully bus powered, and so they make for good portable storage solutions.

The drives will be available in the first quarter of 2017, with retail pricing starting at $250. Every Rugged drive will come with a three-year limited warranty.

D2 Thunderbolt USB-C

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Key Specs

  • Seagate BarraCuda Pro HDDs
  • Up to 10TB capacity
  • 240MB/s performance via USB Type-C Thunderbolt or USB 3.1
  • Dual USB Type-C ports with Thunderbolt 3
  • 5-year limited warranty
For anyone whose needs are more stationary, LaCie is offering the d2 Thunderbolt 3 for an attractive combination of good looks, massive capacity, and outstanding performance. If you have an all-in-one (AIO) desktop PC or notebook that’s storage-challenged, then the d2 could be a nice option that would spruce up any décor.

The d2 will be available in a variety of capacities using the latest Seagate BarraCuda Pro HDDs for excellent performance and reliability. Storage options will be 6TB, 8GB, and 10TB all in the same compact chassis. USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1 support means that the drives can provide up to 240MB/s performance for managing large image libraries and editing 4K video.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

In addition, the d2 includes a total of three USB Type-C connections, two with Thunderbolt 3 and one with USB 3.1 support, allowing the user to daisy chain a single 5K display, up to two 4K displays, or a total of six LaCie d2 drives through a single cable. The two Thunderbolt 3 ports are also powered, meaning that compatible notebooks such as the 2016 MacBook Pro can draw their juice through the d2 as well.

The d2 will also be available in the first quarter of 2017, with retail pricing starting at $430. The d2 comes with a solid five-year limited warranty.

Topics
Mark Coppock
Mark Coppock
Computing Writer
Mark has been a geek since MS-DOS gave way to Windows and the PalmPilot was a thing. He’s translated his love for…
This Asus laptop handily beats the XPS 13 — and it’s cheaper
The Zenbook S 14 on a table in front of a grass lawn.

Windows manufacturers have been hungering for a chipset that can keep up with Apple's very fast and efficient M3 architecture. Enter Qualcomm with its Snapdragon X and Intel with iLunar Lake. Each aims at providing better battery life with good performance, as well as adding faster on-device AI speeds to support Microsoft's Copilot+ PC initiative.

The XPS 13 9345 is among the first Qualcomm laptops and the Zenbook S 14 is the first Lunar Lake laptop that we've reviewed. This makes it an important battle to see which platform can make it to our list of the best laptops.
Specs and configurations

Read more
Here are the 10 best gaming keyboards I’d recommend to anyone in 2024
A custom keyboard sitting among keycaps and switches.

Whether you want to gain a competitive edge or just mess around with some RGB lighting, you'll need one of the best gaming keyboards. Although the old guard of brands like Corsair, SteelSeries, and Razer still make some excellent gaming keyboards, the competition is fierce in 2024, with smaller brands rising up to push the market of gaming keyboards forward.

An excellent example of that is our top pick, Asus' ROG Strix Scope II 96, which elevates gaming keyboards to an enthusiast level while maintaining a mainstream price. Although it's the top gaming keyboard for most people, it isn't the best for everyone. After putting our fingers on dozens of different gaming keyboards, these 10 are the only ones you should keep in mind.

Read more
Nvidia’s CEO — yes, one person — is now worth more than all of Intel
Jensen Huang at GTX 2020.

Nvidia is one of the richest companies in the world, so it's no surprise that the company's CEO, Jensen Huang, is quite wealthy. The most recent net worth numbers from Forbes puts into context just how wealthy the executive really is, though. Huang has an estimated net worth of $109.2 billion, which is around $13 billion more than the market cap of Intel across the entire company.

Although Nvidia makes some of the best graphics cards, the obscene amount of money the company has racked up over the past two years stems from its AI accelerators. In 2020, Forbes estimated that Huang was worth $4.7 billion, and even in 2023, after ChatGPT had already exploded onto the scene, the executive was worth $21.1 billion. Now, Huang is the 11th richest person in the world, outpacing Bill Gates, Michael Dell, and Michael Bloomberg.

Read more