Performance: 30 out of 40.
Nothing has changed on the performance front from the Stream S06 series. That is to say the levels of performance are decent for its price class but nothing spectacular. While we would be hesitant to use words like ‘mediocre’ those looking for high performance levels will be a bit disappointed. 5400 RPM, SMR based drives are not going to blow your skirt up. Instead they are all about running (fairly) cool and quiet.
Technological Innovation: 15 out of 20
On the one hand this chassis may be made from plastic and lacks a physical power switch… but Silicon Power has made get strides in making the plastic not look like plastic. With a few tweaks to this blue print they really will have a nearly ‘stone’ like model. As it stands, it almost pulls off the looks but only if you do not look closely. That still is pretty impressive considering most other manufactures do not even try.
Build Quality & Warranty: 15 out of 20
Much like the Stream S06 before it, the Stream S07 is built mainly to confuse. It is meant to confuse what it is and instead make it into a work of art. It is only moderately successful at this. Sadly, the lack of power switch and lackluster internals does not inspire ‘master piece’ thoughts. Thankfully the warranty is decent. Not great, certainly not best in class, but decent. Overall, we score it at decent 15 out of 20 with a lot of room for improvement.
Value: 12 out of 20
Due to its inherent design issues the overall value of the Stream S07 is going to be down right controversial. Some will love it, some will not… though few will ‘loathe’ it as it does not invoke such negative emotions. For those looking for a moderately large capacity at a moderately low asking price the value is going to be pretty good. For those looking for all that with a ‘think different’ aesthetic appeal the value will be better. For those looking for an external model that is also functional… will find it less than optimal. On average we feel it would be about a 12 out 20.
Final Score: 72 out of 100
While the Silicon Power Stream S07 does fail to live up to all its promises and hype, it is a great step in the right direction. With just a few tweaks to their formula combined with better internals Silicon Power would have a truly amazing masterpiece. At it stands it is unique but does have some quirks that may annoy some.
