Fast USB 3.0 flash drive. A “different” look at choosing a new flash drive. Criteria for choosing a USB drive
Updated: 07/13/2018 16:43:24
Flash drives, or USB drives, are convenient storage media that allow you to transfer files from one computer to another in the easiest way. However, when choosing such an accessory, it is advisable to take into account many parameters that will determine ease of use. To make your search for a suitable drive easier, we have compiled a rating of the best flash drives.
What you should know when choosing a flash drive
Choosing a flash drive is not as simple as it seems. Of course, if you plan to use the drive mainly for transferring documents, you can take the first one you come across (or the most beautiful one). But if it will store large files or multimedia with a high bitrate - movies in Full HD resolution, for example - then you should approach the choice responsibly.
Flash drive connectors (USB Type-C, USB Type-A, Micro USB)
The flash drive connector determines the hardware compatibility of this drive with the computer. The most popular standard is USB Type-A. This is a classic 4-pin rectangular connector that is used in almost all computers.
In 2018, flash drives with a USB Type-C connector are becoming increasingly popular. This is an oval, symmetrical connector. Flagship smartphones, ultrabooks and hybrid laptops are equipped with this connector. For example, the MacBook Pro 2017 only uses USB Type-C, so you can’t install a “regular” flash drive in it.
Micro USB is a gradually becoming obsolete standard. It is used in smartphones and ultra-low-cost hybrid laptops. If you plan to work on the go and open files from a flash drive on a mobile device, you should purchase a drive with two connectors: USB Type-A and Micro USB.
Adapters between connectors exist, as well as flash drives equipped with two connectors at once.
USB generation (1.1, 2.0, 3.0, 3.1)
The maximum data transfer speed to and from a flash drive is determined not only by the performance of the built-in drive itself, but also by the generation of USB used. So, the limit values are as follows:
USB 1.1 – up to 12 Mbit/s;
USB 2.0 – up to 480 Mbit/s;
USB 3.0 – up to 5 Gbps;
USB 3.2 – up to 20 Gbps.
It is self-evident that if you plan to copy a large amount of information to or from a flash drive (several GB at a time), then it is better not to skimp and take a USB 3.0 or 3.1 drive. For documents, small files, etc. Less recent generations will also fit.
By the way, USB 3.2 is only supported on USB Type-C.
Actual data volume
The actual capacity of a flash drive is always less than what is indicated on the packaging. This is not only a marketing technique, but also a technological feature. Flash drive manufacturers believe that 1000 bytes is 1 kilobyte. The operating system is sure of something else - 1 kilobyte is equal to 1024 bytes.
As a result, the actual amount of data is always less than the nominal amount. And if you plan to store 30 GB of information on a flash drive, then a 32 GB drive will no longer be suitable - you need to take a 64 GB one.
The actual capacities of flash drives are listed below:
A 1 GB drive is actually 0.95 GB;
For 4 GB – 3.72 GB;
For 16 GB – 14.9 GB;
For 32 GB – 29.8 GB;
For 64 GB – 59.6 GB.
Actual data transfer rate
Two factors affect the actual data transfer speed:
The first is drive performance. This parameter varies between models (and often copies of the same series) of flash drives, and it can only be calculated experimentally.
The second is the minimum generation of USB. If you insert a “fast” 3.0 flash drive into a slow 1.1 port, the maximum transfer speed will be limited by the speed of port 1.1. Conversely, if you insert a slow 1.1 flash drive into a 3.0 port, the transfer speed will be limited by the speed of the 1.1 drive.
This is important to consider when purchasing a flash drive. If you plan to use the drive to record movies on it from a computer and then play it on a TV, and both devices are equipped with USB 2.0, you should not purchase a 3.0 drive - it’s a pointless overpayment.
Housing material
This parameter is worth considering if you are purchasing a high-speed USB 3.0 flash drive or if you plan to use the future drive very actively (for example, for ReadyBoost technology). When writing quickly, the flash drive becomes noticeably hot. And this heat needs to be removed somehow.
The best option is to buy a flash drive in a metal case. It acts as a radiator, cooling the drive and extending the life of the device.
For slow or rarely used flash drives, this parameter is not particularly important; any material or design of the case will do.
Rating of the best usb flash drives
| Nomination | place | Name of product | price |
| The fastest flash drives | 1 | 5,040 ₽ | |
| 2 | 12,665 RUR | ||
| The best flash drives for 16 and 32 GB | 1 | 1 200 ₽ | |
| 2 | 429 RUR | ||
| 3 | RUB 2,439 | ||
| The best Flash drives with a capacity of 64 and 128 GB | 1 | 4,230 ₽ | |
| 2 | 5,299 RUR | ||
| The best high-capacity flash drives | 1 | 51,900 ₽ | |
| 2 | 16,890 RUR | ||
| The best Flash drives with two connection options | 1 | - |
The fastest flash drives
Why first place: Read speed – 420 MB/s, write speed – 380 MB/s.
Description: The rating is topped by the really fast SanDisk Extreme Pro flash drive. Thanks to hardware optimization and support for the USB 3.1 standard, it provides sequential write speeds of 380 megabytes per second. Reading is even higher - 420 megabytes per second. Therefore, it is suitable for transmitting 4K video, and even for launching and actively working with databases. This speed is ensured thanks to pSSD technology, that is, the device is not a flash drive in the classical sense of the term, but rather a compact SSD drive.
The flash drive is made in a metal case with a laconic design. Two versions are available - 128 and 256 GB. The package includes special software that allows you to encrypt data on a flash drive and protect it with a password.
Despite the metal casing, the flash drive is not protected from aggressive external environments. It is better not to wet it or drop it in the dust.
Advantages
High speed;
High-quality materials and reliable design;
LED operation indicator.
Flaws
Limited controller functionality (no display of rewrite cycles, for example);
Noticeable heating during use;
Megabyte sector layout out of the box, formatting will be required to optimize space.
Why second place: Write speed – 300 MB/s, read speed – 400 MB/s.
Description: Second place in the ranking goes to the special corporate flash drive Kingston IronKey S1000 Enterprise. It is distinguished not only by its high speed of operation, but also by its wide functionality. The flash drive is built on a USB 3.0 interface and therefore provides sequential writing at 300 megabytes per second, and sequential reading at 400 megabytes per second. It is presented in only one version – with a capacity of 64 GB.
The flash drive is housed in a metal, waterproof case. Supports hardware encryption and password protection of data using bundled software.
The kit also includes Iron Key software, which creates an online interface for remote access to data on a flash drive. Therefore, you can centrally administer multiple drives, which will be greatly appreciated by corporate users.
Advantages
Protected housing;
Useful software included.
Flaws
Heats up noticeably during operation;
Iron Key only works if the flash drive is inserted into the computer and the client is installed on it;
The connection connector is protected by a removable cap, which tends to get lost.
The best flash drives for 16 and 32 GB
Why first place: Best combination of price and quality: USB 3.0, metal case, hardware encryption.
Description: High-speed flash drive, which is based on USB 3.0 technology. Thanks to this, writing is carried out at 20 megabytes per second, and reading at 135. The capacity of the flash drive, as the name of the model implies, is 16 gigabytes. The data transfer speed is sufficient, for example, for streaming video in Full HD 30 fps.
The flash drive is housed in a metal casing. There is no layer to protect it from moisture and dust, so it is better not to drown it or drop it in the mud. However, the flash drive has hardware data encryption and protection against unauthorized access using a password and bundled software. That's why she tops our rating.
Advantages
Full hardware data encryption and password protection;
Reliable metal case;
Minimum heating level.
Flaws
The decryption software only works on Windows and Mac OS; it will not be possible to remove protection on other operating systems;
Incorrect translation of the bundled decryption software;
The connector is closed with a removable cap, which tends to get lost.
Why second place: Slightly lower speed than the previous flash drive, but also the lowest price.
Description: Transcend JetFlash 790 is a good solution for those who need “just a flash drive.” At a low price of several hundred rubles, it supports the USB 3.0 standard, which provides a write speed of about 12 megabytes per second, and a read speed of about 90 megabytes.
The flash drive is housed in a plastic case with a retractable connector. There are no seals to protect against moisture or dust. The case has a built-in data transfer indicator - an LED flashing when copying or pasting.
The flash drive comes in various versions depending on the memory capacity - from 16 GB (minimum) to 128 GB. The technical characteristics of all configurations are the same. The Transcend JetFlash 790 is a good all-round device, which is why we included it in the rating.
Advantages
Convenient configuration with retractable connector;
Minimum heating.
Flaws
Flimsy mechanism for extending the connector and locking it (which is typical for all Transcend JetFlash models);
Wide body, may take up too much space when used on laptops;
The LED indicator may seem too bright.
Why third place: Fast and secure, but relatively expensive flash drive.
Description: The last place in the rating is one of the most secure flash drives on the market – Corsair Flash Survivor. It is housed in a waterproof case (withstands immersion to a depth of 200 meters) made of high-strength duralumin with rubber shock-absorbing gaskets and a hermetically screwed cap. Therefore, you can drop it, drown it, drive it over by car - nothing will happen to the data. The manufacturer is so confident in the security of the flash drive that it gives it a five-year warranty.
The flash drive supports the USB 3.0 standard, thanks to which the data writing speed is about 40 megabytes per second, and the reading speed is 80 megabytes.
The model also features a rich set of equipment. It comes with a chain and a token, which will appeal to “preppers” and will make this drive a good gift.
Advantages
Maximum housing protection;
Optimal read and write speed;
Quality of materials.
Flaws
Bulky, large-sized body;
Tight screw cap;
The flash drive module itself inside the case is not firmly fixed; it is better not to bend it near the connector.
The best Flash drives with a capacity of 64 and 128 GB
Why first place: High data transfer speed, hardware encryption.
Description: 64 GB flash drive configuration, which took first place in the ranking of drives with a capacity of up to 32 GB. Like its “little brother”, this model offers high read and write speeds – up to 40 megabytes per second and up to 135 megabytes per second, respectively; USB 3.0 interface; dense metal case and hardware protection.
Data protection is implemented through hardware encryption - all files on the drive are encrypted, and you can access them only after entering a password. The corresponding software is included with the flash drive and runs on the most popular operating systems: Windows and Mac OS.
The flash drive, of course, does not need to be encrypted in order to provide access to data from various third-party computers.
Advantages
High read and write speed when using the USB 3.0 interface;
Support for hardware encryption;
Durable metal housing.
Flaws
Heats up noticeably during use;
There are no gaskets to protect against water or dust;
The connector is closed with a cap that is easy to lose.
Why second place: Maximum read and write speed, but relatively high price.
Description: HyperX Savage is not exactly a flash drive. The drive uses SSD technology, providing the highest data transfer speed in the rating. So, writing occurs at 250 megabytes per second, reading at 350. Of course, if you use a flash drive with a USB 3.1 interface.
Like other SSD drives in flash drive format, this model is initially divided into megabyte segments. Therefore, if you plan to store small files on it, it is advisable to format it immediately after purchase, setting the standard sector sizes for the required file system.
The body of the flash drive is made of plastic and does not have gaskets to protect it from moisture or dust. In addition, the outer shell is covered with soft-touch material, which is pleasant to the touch.
Advantages
Maximum data transfer rate;
Low heating during operation;
Pleasant to the touch plastic.
Flaws
Relatively slow recording in random access mode;
The soft-touch coating “collects” dust and lint;
Relatively heavy and bulky.
The best high-capacity flash drives
Why first place: Terabyte flash drive.
Description: The Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate GT terabyte drive is based on SSD technology, which allowed the developers to fit 1024 GB of internal memory into a compact case and provide high read and write speeds. In particular, sequential copying of data to it is carried out at 200 megabytes per second, and from it at 300 megabytes. To ensure this speed, the USB 3.1 protocol is used.
The flash drive does not support hardware encryption, as it requires frequent rewriting of segments, which is critical for SSD drives. The device body is made of metal with plastic inserts. The connector is retractable, and the ejection mechanism is implemented very reliably and will not fail even after many years of use.
Why second place: 512 GB - half that of the leader in the rating.
Description: Another SSD drive in flash drive format. All devices manufactured under the HyperX Savage brand have the same technical characteristics. Therefore, like the 128 GB version, the 512 GB model has a sequential write speed of 250 megabytes per second and a read speed of 350 megabytes per second. Random access (for example, when copying small files) is a little slower, but still at the level of USB 3.1 interface speeds.
Similar to the 128 GB version, this flash drive does not support hardware encryption due to SSD technology limitations on the number of sector overwrites and is housed in a plastic case with a soft touch coating. Out of the box, the segment size is 1 MB, so for storing small files it is better to format it with other cluster parameters.
Advantages
Maximum read and write speed;
Pleasant to the touch body;
Low heating during operation.
Flaws
Heavy and bulky;
Needs formatting;
Low speed when writing small files.
The best Flash drives with two connection options
Why first place: Combination of USB 3.0 and Lightning speeds, original design.
Description: The top-ranking ADATA i-Memory UE710 flash drive is a good solution for quickly transferring data from a computer to an Apple smartphone or tablet without the need for copying via Dropbox or iTunes. The Lightning interface is used for these purposes. The flash drive communicates with the computer via USB 3.0, which provides high speed file copying.
To view data on a flash drive from a phone or tablet, you will need to install a special application downloaded from the AppStore. It is compatible with a huge number of file formats, so the drive is suitable for streaming music, watching movies or working with documents on the go.
The flash drive is made in a plastic case with two retractable connectors. There is no hardware encryption or protection from water or dust.
Advantages
High speed of file copying;
Special software included;
Original design and compact dimensions.
Flaws
It is not a full-fledged “flash drive for iPhone”; it is useless without a special application or when opening incompatible file formats;
No hardware encryption;
No protection against water and dust.
Attention! This rating is subjective in nature, is not an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before purchasing, consultation with a specialist is required.
The variety of USB flash drives today is simply huge. The share of drives with a USB 3.0 interface is gradually increasing, and the most popular flash drive capacity at present is 32 and 64 GB. In order for readers to get an idea of the speed characteristics of modern flash drives with a USB 3.0 interface, we conducted comparative testing of several models with capacities of 32 and 64 GB.
Gone are the days when manufacturers of USB flash drives equipped their products with a variety of bonus utilities, equipped them with fingerprint scanners or free space indicators. Either the manufacturers realized the pointlessness of such a strategy, or such “tricks” have ceased to be fashionable, but the fact remains that the flash drives produced today have nothing of the kind.
With the advent of the new USB 3.0 interface, flash drives have become faster and their capacity has increased. It is clear that the greater the capacity of flash drives, the higher the requirements for their speed characteristics, since no one needs a capacious flash drive with low write and read speeds.
In order to determine the speed performance of modern flash drives with a USB 3.0 interface, we conducted comparative testing of several models with a capacity of 32 and 64 GB. A total of five models were tested: Apacer Handy Steno AH552 32GB, Kingmax ED-01 64 GB, Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 64 GB, Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 32 GB and Verbatim Store’n’Go USB 3.0 Flash Drive 64 GB.
Testing methodology
To test USB flash drives with a USB 3.0 interface, we used a bench with the following configuration:
- processor - Intel Core i7-2600K;
- motherboard - ASRock P67 Pro3;
- memory - 4 GB DDR3-1333;
- USB 3.0 controller on board - Etron EJ168A;
- drive with operating system - Kingston SSDNow KC100 with a capacity of 120 GB;
- operating system - Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit.
Additionally, the Intel RST driver was installed on the system, and the Kingston SSDNow KC100 SSD drive with the operating system installed on it was connected to the SATA 6 Gb/s port, which is implemented through a controller integrated into the Intel P67 Express chipset. In the BIOS settings, the AHCI operating mode was set for SATA ports.
For comparative testing of flash drives, we used the well-known IOmeter utility, which is a very powerful tool for analyzing drive performance and is a kind of industry standard. In addition, we used a special test developed in our laboratory.
Let us remind you that the IOmeter utility allows you to work both with drives on which a logical partition has been created, and with drives without one. However, when testing flash drives with a USB interface, it is not always possible to delete a logical partition using the operating system, and therefore we tested all USB drives with a logical partition and the NTFS file system.
If the drive has a logical partition, then initially the IOmeter utility creates a file that, by default, occupies the entire logical partition (in principle, the size of this file can be changed by specifying it in the number of 512-byte sectors), and then works with it, that is reads or writes (rewrites) individual LBA blocks within this file.
The IOmeter utility allows you to set the request block size (Transfer Request Size) for writing/reading data; The test can be carried out both for sequential reading and writing, that is, when LBA blocks are read and written sequentially one after another, and for random reading and writing, when LBA blocks are read and written in random order. When creating a load scenario, you can set the test time, the percentage ratio between sequential and random operations (Percent Random/Sequential Distribution), as well as the percentage ratio between read and write operations (Percent Read/Write Distribution).
During testing, the dependence of the speed of sequential and random reading operations, as well as sequential and random writing, on the size of the data transfer request block was investigated. All download scenarios used data transfer requests in blocks of the following sizes: 512 bytes, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 KB, and 1 MB.
In all load scenarios, the test time with each request to transfer a data block was 3 minutes. Also note that in all of the tests listed, we set the task queue depth (# of Outstanding I/Os) to 4 in the IOmeter settings, which is typical for user applications.
The IOmeter utility actually bypasses the operating system, that is, it directly sends requests to the controller to read/write data. At the same time, the test results actually do not depend on the platform used for testing (processor, memory, motherboard), nor, what is especially important, on the performance of the drive with the operating system installed. Moreover, as experience shows, the test results are almost independent of the file system used on the drive being tested, that is, for NTFS, FAT32 and exFAT the test results are almost the same. The IOmeter utility allows you to measure the maximum possible (theoretically) data transfer rate for each data block size. On the one hand, this is its big plus, and on the other hand, it is a minus, since in real conditions the speeds demonstrated by the IOmeter utility are simply unattainable. The fact is that when testing using the IOmeter utility, the system disk (drive) is not used, that is, all data movement operations are carried out between RAM and the drive being tested. In real conditions, data is always moved between a flash drive and a system disk or other drive. That is, two “players” are always involved in the process of moving data, and the copying speed depends on the speed abilities of both of them. For example, when a file is copied from a flash drive to the system drive, a read operation is performed for the flash drive, and a write operation is performed for the system drive. If the writing speed to the system disk is lower than the reading speed from the flash drive, then the copying speed will be determined by the writing speed to the system disk, otherwise - by the reading speed from the flash drive. Thus, when copying data between two drives, a read operation is implemented for one drive, and a write operation is implemented for the other; The copy speed depends on which of the two speeds (read or write) is lower. This is why in a real situation, even a high-speed flash drive may not provide high copying speeds.
In order to determine not the theoretically possible speed of reading and writing, but the real one, we also used a utility of our own development during testing. It uses function calls from the WinAPI library and copies data in the same way as it is done using standard Windows 7 tools - by calling a standard window displaying the copying progress.
The operating principle of this utility is very simple. Initially, a test directory is copied from the flash drive to the SSD drive and the copying speed is measured. The test directory is 4.54 GB in size and is a set of 973 files of different sizes, which are contained in 113 folders. At the second stage, the test directory is copied from the SSD drive to the flash drive and the copying speed is again measured. Next, the test directory is copied from flash drive to flash drive. Well, at the final stage of testing, the speed of dual-threaded copying of the test directory from a flash drive to an SSD drive is measured (the same directory is copied, but saved under different names) and from an SSD drive to a flash drive.
All tests were run five times, and before each new run the computer was rebooted. In addition, in order to eliminate the possibility of data caching during copying and increase the repeatability of results, the Prefetch and Superfetch functions of the Windows 7 operating system were forcibly blocked through the registry settings.
As already noted, the results of actual copying depend not only on the speed characteristics of the flash drive, but also on the performance of the computer’s disk subsystem (in our case, the SSD drive). For example, if an SSD drive is replaced with a regular HDD drive, the results will be significantly lower. However, it should be taken into account that our test bench used a high-speed SSD drive, which allowed us to minimize its impact on the test results. That is, in our case, the results were determined mainly by the speed characteristics of the flash drive being tested.
In addition, you need to take into account that the test results also depend on the compatibility of a particular flash drive with a USB 3.0 controller integrated on the motherboard.
Test participants
Before moving on to reviewing the test results, we will provide a brief description of each flash drive.
Convenient, stylish and compact flash drive. Its body is made of aluminum, powder-coated in a dark blue color, which emphasizes that this model is a drive that supports the USB 3.0 standard.
The USB connector is closed with a cap, which is fixed quite firmly. Moreover, the cap can also be fixed on the side of the case opposite the USB connector, which is very convenient, since in this case there is less chance of losing it.
On the side of the case opposite the USB connector there is a special plastic ring to which you can attach a lanyard for carrying a flash drive. Under the plastic cover there is a blue LED, which glows dimly when using the device.
According to the technical documentation, the maximum sequential read speed of this flash drive is 110 MB/s, and the sequential write speed is 70 MB/s.
The Apacer Handy Steno AH552 flash drive is available in two versions - 32 and 64 GB. The younger model, with a capacity of 32 GB, visited our test laboratory. Its dimensions are 73.3 x 19.8 x 9.0 mm and weighs only 13 g.
Kingmax offers flash drives of the ED-01 series with capacities from 8 to 128 GB. These USB 3.0 flash drives have a black plastic case with a chrome trim. The cap covering the USB connector is also plastic, but stylized as metal and made in the same color as the edging. Note that the cap is not fixed to the flash drive body on the side opposite the USB connector, so it is easy to lose. And on the USB connector itself, the cap is fixed rather awkwardly and you need to make an effort to remove it.
The overall dimensions of the Kingmax ED-01 flash drive case are 74.5 × 20 × 9 mm, and the weight is 10.5 g.
According to the technical specifications, the maximum sequential read speed for this flash drive is 69 MB/s, and the sequential write speed is 47 MB/s. As you can see, even the stated characteristics indicate that we have a very slow working flash drive. Most likely, it is based on a USB 3.0 controller and first-generation flash memory, which manufacturers no longer use in new models.
Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 flash drives were one of the first flash drives with a USB 3.0 interface to appear on the Russian market. They are available in capacities of 16, 32 and 64 GB.
Compared to other models, the Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 flash drive looks quite bulky. Its body is made of white plastic with metal inserts on the sides and has dimensions of 73.7 × 22.2 × 16.1 mm. As you can see, the flash drive is somewhat thick.
The USB connector is closed with a cap that is securely and easily fixed, and can also be attached to the flash drive body on the side opposite the USB connector.
The design of the case allows for the possibility of carrying a flash drive on a cord. Note that the flash drive has a built-in blue LED that lights up when the device is operating.
According to the technical specifications, the maximum sequential read speed for this flash drive is 80 MB/s, and the sequential write speed is 60 MB/s. These are not very high speed characteristics for modern flash drives with a USB 3.0 interface, but they are still better than the Kingmax ED-01 flash drive.
Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 is a new flash drive from Kingston. According to the manufacturer, the new product has become the fastest and most capacious flash drive with a USB 3.0 interface in its range.
DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 drives are available in three capacities - 64, 128 and 256 GB. We received a 64 GB flash drive for testing.
The flash drive body is made of metal and has a rubber coating. The case dimensions are 75x23.3x15.9 mm.
According to the manufacturer, thanks to the eight-channel architecture, the maximum sequential read speed of the DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 flash drive is 225 MB/s, and the sequential write speed is 135 MB/s.
As you can see, if you focus on the speed characteristics stated in the specification, then DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 is the fastest flash drive in our review.
According to unofficial information, the DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 flash drive uses a PHISON PS2251-01-L controller and 32 nm NAND flash memory chips based on multi-level cells (MLC) from Toshiba.
Verbatim Store`n`Go USB 3.0 Flash Drive is a relatively new flash drive from Verbatim, which was officially announced in April last year. It is available in capacities of 16, 32 and 64 GB. The drive has a retractable USB connector, eliminating the need for a protective cap.
The body of this flash drive is made of dark blue plastic. Moreover, it looks, so to speak, quite cheap, there are no frills in the design, everything is extremely simple.
According to the specification, the maximum sequential read speed for this flash drive is 120 MB/s, and the sequential write speed is 70 MB/s.
Test results
The results of testing flash drives using the IOmeter utility are presented in Fig. 1-4, and the test results using our own utility are in the table.
Rice. 1. Dependence of sequential reading speed
Rice. 2. Dependence of sequential write speed
on the data block size in the IOmeter test
Rice. 3. Dependence of random read speed
on the data block size in the IOmeter test
Rice. 4. Dependence of random write speed
on the data block size in the IOmeter test
First of all, based on the testing results, we can clearly say that the Apacer Handy Steno AH552 and Verbatim Store`n`Go USB 3.0 Flash Drive flash drives are one and the same. That is, their cases are, of course, different, but the hardware “filling” is exactly the same. This statement can be made based on the fact that all their test scores are the same.
If we talk about the results of testing using the IOmeter utility, the situation is as follows. In terms of sequential reading and writing speed, the fastest, as expected, was the Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 flash drive. So, at our stand (remember that the Etron EJ168A USB 3.0 controller is integrated on the motherboard we use), its maximum sequential read speed was 178 MB/s, and the sequential write speed was 140 MB/s. Next in the speed rating are the Apacer Handy Steno AH552 and Verbatim Store`n`Go USB 3.0 Flash Drive, followed by the Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 flash drive, and in last place is the Kingmax ED-01 flash drive.
In terms of random write speed, the leader was the Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 flash drive. It is followed by the Apacer Handy Steno AH552 and Verbatim Store`n`Go USB 3.0 Flash Drive flash drives with the same results, followed by the Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 flash drive with a slight lag behind them, and the slowest Kingmax ED-01 flash drive closes the list.
If we talk about the results of testing using our utility, that is, the results of measuring the actual speed of data copying, the picture is as follows. The fastest was again the Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 flash drive. In second place with absolutely identical results were the Apacer Handy Steno AH552 and Verbatim Store`n`Go USB 3.0 Flash Drive, followed by the Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 flash drive, and the Kingmax ED-01 flash drive.
Conclusion
To summarize our comparative testing of flash drives with a USB 3.0 interface, we can draw the following conclusions. Firstly, the speed characteristics of USB 3.0 flash drives can differ greatly (by several times) from each other, which, of course, must be taken into account when choosing a drive. Secondly, the maximum read and write speeds declared by manufacturers are unattainable in practice, since in reality the copying speed depends on the performance of not only the flash drive, but also the second participant in the testing process. Therefore, there is no point in purchasing a high-speed USB 3.0 flash drive if your PC or laptop has a traditional slow HDD. It only makes sense to use a high-speed flash drive if your laptop or PC has a high-speed SSD drive installed.
When choosing the best product from those we reviewed, we would recommend taking a closer look at flash drives such as Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0, Apacer Handy Steno AH552 and Verbatim Store`n`Go USB 3.0 Flash Drive (the last two are, in principle, the same thing) . Of course, the Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 flash drive is faster, but you are unlikely to notice this on a regular computer or laptop with an HDD.
Speaking of price, we note that on average flash drives with a capacity of 64 GB now cost about 4 thousand rubles. We could not find prices for all the flash drives reviewed (for example, the Verbatim Store`n`Go USB 3.0 Flash Drive with a capacity of 64 GB is not yet on sale), but we note that the Apacer Handy Steno AH552 64GB flash drive is offered for 4,100 rubles, and Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 64GB will cost 4,600 rubles.
Today our colleague Victor Mrikh will talk about the pains of choosing USB flash drives in terms of possible data recovery from them.
The emergence of a “different” view on choosing a flash drive
Very often, friends and acquaintances, knowing the specifics of my work, ask me about choosing a good/reliable/stylish drive for storing data. Some people need another flash drive, others need a memory card for a new gadget or camera. I usually answer that all carriers are almost equally unreliable, but as a rule, such an answer suits few people and is perceived as an act of disrespect and indifference towards the questioner. The most persistent ones continue to insist: “This is how you choose flash drives and memory cards?” And I decided to answer...
I choose drives from which, if something goes wrong, I can most likely recover data. The specifics of my work are as follows: our company receives completely new Flash drives for research, and the main task is to simulate the failure of this flash drive and restore the contents from it.
It was restored quickly, with the help of existing developments - good, it was not restored - we need to figure it out and replenish the base of knowledge and experience. Thus, a situation has arisen in which a list of manufacturers of flash drives and specific models of media from which data recovery, in the event of a hardware failure, occurs without any problems has been determined.
This is important, since it should be noted that today there are flash drives, data recovery from which has not been studied not only within our company, but also since we closely communicate with all the leading specialists around the world and keep our finger on the pulse, we know that some devices are not yet recoverable in principle.
An idea came to mind. Why not review flash drives from this batch on behalf of a data recovery engineer? Perhaps this information will be useful to someone, and they will read it before the flash drive dies, burying files that were not backed up in time.
Flash drives 64 GB. Prices
In this article we will talk about seven USB Flash drives. All of them were purchased in one of the chain stores on the same day.- Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 - 4,630 rub. (RUB 72.34 per 1 GB)
- Toshiba SUZAKU - 1,840 rub. (RUB 28.75 per 1 GB)
- Kingston DataTraveler G4 - RUB 1,920. (30 rubles for 1 GB)
- Qumo Aluminum 3.0 - RUB 2,120. (RUB 33.13 per 1 GB)
- Transcend JetFlash 780 - 3,820 rub. (RUB 59.69 per 1 GB)
- Kingston DataTraveler 101 G2 - RUB 1,840. (RUB 28.75 per 1 GB)
- SanDisk Extreme - RUB 3,270. (RUB 51.09 per 1 GB)
Read and write speed
For the speed test, I deliberately did not use software written by my colleagues. To check the speed of the drives, the publicly available CrystalDiskMark version 3.0.3 program was selected. A very simple and understandable software that shows:- Sequential read/write speed
- Random read/write speed of 512 KB blocks
- Random read/write speed of 4 KB blocks (Queue depth 1)
- Random read/write speed of 4 KB blocks (Queue depth 32)
Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0
USB 3.0 port
USB 2.0 port
Toshiba SUZAKU
USB 3.0 port
USB 2.0 port
Kingston DataTraveler G4
USB 3.0 port
USB 2.0 port
Qumo Aluminum 3.0
USB 3.0 port
USB 2.0 port
Transcend JetFlash 780
USB 3.0 port
USB 2.0 port
Kingston DataTraveler 101 G2
USB 3.0 port
Here an inattentive reader will say: “Why so little???” An attentive reader will pay attention to the packaging of this flash drive and see that it has a USB 2.0 interface installed. Most likely, this explains the lowest price in this group of flash drives.
USB 2.0 port
SanDisk Extreme
USB 3.0 port
USB 2.0 port
Subtotal of tests
Leader in speed reading became a storage device Transcend JetFlash 780Leader in speed records became a storage device SanDisk Extreme
Analysis of intermediate test results
After conducting read and write speed tests, we will calculate several important coefficients that will help determine the most profitable drive in terms of several parameters.Having counted ratio of reading speed to cost of 1 GB of memory
Having counted ratio of recording speed to cost of 1 GB of memory, we received the following values (the larger the value, the more profitable it is to use the drive):
It will also be useful to know ratio of write speed to read speed. The closer the value is to 1, the more versatile the device is, and the more “comfortable” it is to use the drive.
Logical conclusions
So, it's time to draw some basic conclusions from this bunch of pictures:- If your budget is very limited and you need to find the cheapest option, the obvious choice is Toshiba SUZAKU for 1,840 rubles.
- If you need the best option, taking into account reading speed and cost, then the choice would fall on Qumo Aluminum 3.0 for 2,120 rubles.
- Therefore, if I were shown all these tests and asked, “What would you choose for yourself?”, I would answer that in terms of price-performance ratio, I would take myself SanDisk Extreme.
Honesty test
Some manufacturers display read/write speed indicators on the packaging of their drives in the hope that when choosing, the buyer will pay attention to this and make a choice in favor of this product. Let's check how much the declared values differ from the real ones.Reading
Record
It is clear that next to each declared value there is a small " * ", which refers to barely noticeable text. It says that real data may differ, testing took place in special conditions and UAV UAV UAV.
The most “honest” flash drive is Transcend JetFlash 780. Missing percentages can be attributed to measurement error. In second place - SanDisk Extreme And Toshiba SUZAKU.
If something went wrong...
Flash drives tend to break at the most inopportune moments. And it contained important data that was needed two hours ago. Frustrated, you search and find a data recovery company and go there with the hope of hearing an answer that everything will be ready in a few days.Then the specialist in data recovery from flash drives begins his work. He disassembles the drive and begins to shamanize and get the data piece by piece, step by step. And he thinks to himself: “Well, why again these low-quality microcircuits, again a complex controller, etc.”
We tried to look at the flash drives presented in the review through the eyes of a data recovery engineer and evaluate them. And this is what happened.
Methodology and evaluation criteria
Let's try to evaluate drives using a 9-point system. 4 criteria will be considered:Removing memory chips
- 0 points - no problems
- 1 points - possible difficulties
- 2 points - possible under certain conditions
- 0 points - no problems
- 1 points - possible difficulties
- 2 points - time-consuming/labor-intensive, impossible
- 0 points - no problems
- 1 points - possible difficulties (solvable)
- 2 points - possible difficulties (currently unsolvable)
- 0 points - no problems
- 1 points - possible difficulties (solvable, labor-intensive, time-consuming)
- 2 points - possible difficulties (not yet solvable)
Drive components
Any flash drive includes a controller (a microprocessor responsible for distributing user data) and memory chips (at least 1, but there may be several. In fact, the memory chips store data in a specific form). The task of an engineer for data recovery from flash drives is to emulate the operation of a controller that has failed. Let's see what our drives consist of:1. Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0
- Phison PS2251-01-L controller
- Memory chips 4 pcs in TLGA-52 package, manufactured by Toshiba
- Toshiba TC58NC2303GST controller (relabeled Phison PS2251-03-v)
- Memory chips 2 pcs in TSOP-48 package, manufactured by Toshiba
- Phison PS2251-07-V controller
- Phison PS2251-07-6 controller
- Memory chips 1 pc in BGA-132 package, manufactured by Toshiba
- Innostor IS903 controller
- Memory chips 2 pcs in BGA-132 package, manufactured by Samsung
- Phison PS2251-68-5 controller
- Memory chips 1 pc in TLGA-52 package, manufactured by Toshiba
- SanDisk controller 20-82-08369-1
- Memory chips 1 pc in TLGA-52 package, manufactured by SanDisk
Recovery test results
Having gone through all the necessary steps to recover data from these flash drives, we received the following results:
The winner in the category of the most likely successful recovery of files in the event of a failure was the drive Toshiba SUZAKU, since this flash drive scored the lowest number of points. If I were choosing a drive for myself based on the best chance of successfully recovering files in the event of a hardware failure, I would choose this one. Data recovery from it is the fastest, and the probability of recovering data is very high. To be fair, it should be noted that USB drives under the Toshiba brand appeared relatively recently. This is a new player in the market, such low prices are associated with the company’s marketing moves, and, according to forecasts, prices for these products will increase.
Practical conclusions
Each of you will be able to quickly and effortlessly assess the likelihood of data recovery from your flash drive by following two simple steps:Download a special program from the website flashboot.ru that will help determine the composition of the components of the drive without disassembling it. For example, Flash Drive Information Extractor 7.5
Having found out the controller’s markings, go to the “Solution Systems” website of AceLab and search for your controller. If the controller is on the list, then your data can be recovered using special equipment. If trouble happens and the flash drive does break, then look for specialists who use the PC-3000 Flash hardware and software complex in their work. If your controller is not on the list, then my advice is to replace your flash drive with one from which you can recover data.
Finally, I would like to add - when choosing a drive, carefully study the prices, read reviews and look at our Habra blog or the Hardmaster website. We may have already reviewed this flash drive, and the test results will help you make the right choice.
That's all. And remember, Lost forever still can be found...
Tags: Add tags
Modern technologies are developing by leaps and bounds. Processors are becoming more powerful, screens are sharper, cameras are better - all this allows you to create much more productive programs and higher-quality films and games than before. But this “arms race” has led to the need to store huge amounts of information. And if a 50 GB movie doesn’t take up much space on your hard drive, then transferring it to another device is more difficult. Fortunately, manufacturers do not forget about the good old flash drives.
There are a huge variety of them: MicroSD, SD, MemoryStick and a bunch of other things. We will talk about the format most familiar to most people - USB Flash drive - or simply speaking about USB flash drives. In literary terms, this is a device for storing, transferring and exchanging data (movies, music, documents, etc.). Flash drives are also used for backing up and loading operating systems, but these areas are less popular among the population.
In terms of their structure, most USB flash drives are quite standard: a USB interface for communication with a receiving device (computer, TV, car multimedia system, etc.), a controller, an oscillator, and a NAND flash memory chip itself. So it turns out that flash drives essentially differ little from each other, and therefore the choice of one or another model depends mainly on the read and write speed, reliability and appearance. We will pay attention to these parameters in our traditional rating. Go!
The best USB flash drives with interface 2.0
First, let's look at a slightly older flash drive technology that has a USB 2.0 interface. This standard was born back in 2000, and therefore it is difficult for it to meet modern performance standards. The maximum possible speed is 480 Mbps, which is equal to 60 Mb/s. It doesn't seem that bad, but these are just theoretical numbers. In fact, flash drives with USB 2.0 are capable of delivering no more than 35 “meters” per second when reading, and even lower when writing. Of course, there are still restrictions on the maximum current, but in the context of an article about flash drives, this is of little interest to us. The only thing that models in this category can boast of at the moment is price. If we compare flash drives of similar capacity from the same manufacturer, it turns out that a USB 2.0 flash drive is about 2 times cheaper than a more modern competitor.
So it turns out that the models from this rating should be recommended to people who either do not care much about the time spent waiting for loading, or to those who work with small amounts of data, where speed is not so important. In any case, we advise you to look at our rating of the best USB flash drives with a 2.0 interface
Note! For the “purity of the experiment” in the rating, we compare models with the most popular capacity – 16 GB. Versions with higher or lower capacity may differ in cost and speed.
3 Kingston DataTraveler SE9
The most stylish
A country: USA (manufactured in China)
Average price: 710 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.4
Unfortunately, the flash drive from one of the company's leading drives on the market is not particularly high quality. Yes, the design is interesting. The sizes are compact. But you forget about all this when you try to upload a large file to a flash drive. The speed is amazing, but not in a very good way. The price, of course, is pleasant, but winning less than 50 rubles, the buyer significantly loses in speed and additional functions.
Advantages:
- Metal body
- Best price
Flaws:
- Low read (22.5 MB/s) and write (15.6 MB/s) speeds
2 Transcend JetFlash 600
Best speed
Country: China
Average price: 1,120 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.7
Transcend produces quite interesting drives, but it is quite difficult to call the JetFlash 600 such. Outwardly, it does not stand out in any way - an ordinary piece of black plastic without a single hint of designer sophistication. Here you can even criticize the manufacturer for the lack of any kind of fastening of the lid, which makes it very easy to lose. And there are no eyelets on the flash drive itself, so it won’t be possible to attach it to the keys. The only thing that can really smooth out these shortcomings is the highest speed in the rating.
Advantages:
- Best speed. Reading – up to 32 MB/s. Recording – up to 16 Mb/s
- Has password protection
- Data compression function
- There are versions from 4 to 128 GB - the largest selection
Flaws:
- High cost - one and a half times higher than competitors
The bestmanufacturing companiesUSB-flash drive
- SanDisk. A large American corporation that has conquered a third of the market for memory cards and flash drives. It is the best-selling brand in this segment, including in Russia.
- Transcend. The most famous Taiwanese brand, characterized by consumers as the manufacturer of the most stable memory cards and USB drives. Despite the modest size of the occupied market, it is extremely popular among the Russian community.
- Corsair. A young American company that specializes in the production of gaming peripherals and memory modules for personal computers, as well as the creation of USB flash drives. The latter, by the way, are moderately popular among domestic consumers.
- Kingston. Founded in 1987, this company is one of the leaders in supplying USB flash drives, flash cards and RAM modules for personal computers to the international market. He is the owner of the world-famous HyperX gaming memory module division.
1 SanDisk Cruzer Fit
Most compact sizes
A country: USA (manufactured in China)
Average price: 740 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.8
A flash drive from SanDisk has almost everything you could want. The main advantage over competitors is its very compact size. Yes, this one is easier to lose than larger models, but judging by the reviews, they mainly buy it for use in a car. And here the small size is simply a salvation, because in many car radios the USB connector is located on the front and a large flash drive can simply be broken if you move it carelessly with your hand. Cruzer Fit protrudes no more than 5 mm, and therefore it will be difficult to remove it with your hand. This model can also be recommended to owners of laptops with a small amount of built-in memory. I inserted this little thing into the port and forgot about it - there was more memory, but almost nothing stuck out.
Advantages:
- Good speed performance. Read – 28.3 MB/s, write – 13.96 MB/s
- The most compact dimensions
- It is possible to protect the flash drive with a password
- There is a backup function
The best USB flash drives with 3.0 interface
The USB 3.0 standard, like 2.0, can hardly be called very modern, because the final specifications were formed in 2008. However, this interface remains popular to this day, because... Provides theoretical speeds up to 625 Mb/s. Already impressive, right? In fact, such flash drives provide about 250 “meters” for reading, which is also a very good result. Our rating will help you choose the best model in this category.
Attention! As in the previous category, we compare models with the same volume. In this case it is 64 GB. Other versions may differ in price and speed.
3 Transcend JetFlash 790
Best price
Country: China
Average price: 959 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.4
No matter how strange it may sound, the manufacturer of the fastest flash drive in the previous category does not perform very well with USB 3.0. The design is interesting, and you won’t lose the lid. The speed indicators also seem okay, but they are very unstable. Judging by the reviews, they differ by one and a half times! What this is connected with is unclear. Otherwise, this is a fairly standard flash drive for a low price.
Advantages:
- Data transmission indicator
- Large selection - models from 8 to 128 GB
Flaws:
- Unstable speed indicators. Average 101.75 MB/s read and 44.8 MB/s write
2 Corsair Flash Voyager GS (CMFVYGS3)
Best reading speed
A country: USA (manufactured in China)
Average price: 4,089 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.7
Corsair products are quite well known among computer enthusiasts and, not surprisingly, are little known to ordinary users. And the only thing that prevents the brand from becoming widespread is the high price. Very high. Yes, the speed of work here is one of the best in the world. Yes, the build quality and reliability are at the highest level. But, unfortunately, the average buyer is unlikely to want to pay 3-4 times more for the sake of increasing productivity by several tens of percent.
Advantages:
- The highest speed - in real tests, the read speed was 236 MB/s, the write speed was 170 MB/s
- Metal body
Flaws:
- High price
- Large dimensions
1 Kingston DataTraveler R3.0 G2
The best ratio of price and quality. Waterproof case
A country: USA (manufactured in China)
Average price: 1,300 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.8
Finally, we come to one of the most interesting flash drives. Its main feature is water resistance. Of course, any model will almost certainly survive a light rain, but this flash drive from Kingston can be safely immersed in water without fear of losing data. This can be useful not only for extreme sports enthusiasts, but also for ordinary people who are worried about the safety of important files. In addition, the speed of the flash drive does not suffer at all from the protected rubber casing. On the contrary, the official figures are a little... underestimated, which is good news.
Advantages:
- Waterproof housing
- The real speed is higher than the officially declared ones - reading 141.5 MB/s, writing 44.7 MB/s
- Maximum memory capacity up to 256 GB
Flaws:
- Under high load the case becomes noticeably hot
The best flash drives with increased speed
The speed of writing and reading data is one of the two most important characteristics of any flash drive. It determines the overall speed of working with files, as well as the nominal price requested by the manufacturer (and distributors) for purchasing USB. Not so long ago, fast flash drives had a low working resource, but at the moment this problem has been successfully resolved.
3 Corsair Flash Voyager GS (CMFVYGS3)
High degree of reliability
Country: USA
Average price: 5,290 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.8
Corsair Flash Voyager GS is the essence of quality and impressive technical characteristics that can satisfy the needs of any unassuming user. It comes in three different memory options, ranging from 64 to 256 GB, which is a very good indicator. Accordingly, the recording speed characteristics also change from model to model. In the “junior” GS it is only 70 Mb/s, while the “elder” has 105 Mb/s. The file reading speed in both cases is the same - about 260 MB/s.
The USB 3.0 interface drive is housed in a not very attractive, but reliable metal case, the degree of sealing of which reliably protects the internal circuitry from dust and dirt. This design still has its drawback: the difficult heat dissipation contributes to the accumulation of heat in the flash drive circuit. In this regard, long-term work, for example, modeling or video editing, directly from the drive can cause overheating and subsequent failure.
2 HyperX Savage
Better operational stability throughout the entire service life
Country: USA
Average price: 6,190 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.8
HyperX Savage is a powerful USB 3.1 drive designed to store enormous amounts of information. There are as many as four models in its line, the volume of which varies from 64 to 512 GB. Actually, this characteristic was the most impressive for thousands of users, which is clearly demonstrated by their positive reviews.
The read/write speed of the HyperX Savage was also a cause for great joy. As the capacity increases, the speed of data transfer changes from 180 to 250 Mb/s, which has a lot of logic behind it. The read speed remains the same in all versions, and does not fall below the threshold of 350 MB/s. The visual component of the drive, the lining of which is made in the traditional Hyper X style, also received a portion of praise. Actually, the totality of all the splendor described above fully justifies the average price tag, which has increased slightly over the past year.
1 SanDisk Extreme PRO USB 3.1
User selection
Country: USA
Average price: 6,266 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.9
A high-quality 3.1 interface flash drive from SanDisk, designed to provide the fastest possible access to data storage. It found a great response among domestic users, who were largely pleased with both the technical standards and the overall build quality. SanDisk Extreme PRO USB 3.1 comes in two memory options: 128 and 256 GB, respectively. Supports password protection of data, so you can store purely personal information on it. The data transfer/read speed on this model is also at its optimum, amounting to 380 and 420 MB/s. And, as particularly demanding consumers note, a quick check of key parameters showed their complete coincidence with the declared ones.
The presence of a metal case with a connector extension mechanism also speaks in favor of SanDisk Extreme PRO USB 3.1. The cost, fully justified by such excellent parameters, is expectedly high, but the existing safety margin will be enough for several years to come.
The best high-capacity USB flash drives
Along with read/write speed, memory capacity is a fundamental characteristic of any USB flash drive. It directly affects the amount of information that can be placed on the drive, and also affects the access speed according to the “more-worse” principle. Such problems are often found on inexpensive flash drives with capacities from 16 to 128 GB, the nominal speed of which is not capable of providing users with quick access to stored data.
3 Patriot Memory Supersonic Magnum 2 512GB
Best data writing speed (300 MB/s)
Country: China
Average price: RUB 17,159.
Rating (2019): 4.8
A USB 3.1 flash drive suitable for falling into several categories of this rating. It has, in our opinion, the most optimal memory parameter, equal to 512 GB, which is comfortably enough for both ordinary use and purely work needs. It has excellent data transfer and reading speeds, the figures of which are 300 and 400 MB/s, respectively. In order to verify the veracity of the declared characteristics, particularly sensitive users gave the flash drive a real functional test... and did not reveal any critical deviations.
However, there are still catastrophically few consumers among the Russian audience for the Patriot Memory Supersonic Magnum 2 512GB. The fact is that a flash drive is a very specific model, the resources of which are often not needed by a simple PC user. Hence the low popularity, rather high price, and extremely rare appearance on store shelves.
2 PNY PRO Elite USB 3.0 512GB
The most reliable flash drive (up to 60 months warranty)
Country: China
Average price: RUB 10,281.
Rating (2019): 4.8
Despite its original Chinese origin, the PNY PRO Elite USB 3.0 512GB drive has one very tempting aspect of service. 60 months warranty - for significant equipment (both in terms of dimensions and functions), this figure is very worthy, eloquently speaking about the manufacturer’s confidence in its equipment. In the case of a flash drive, it looks completely astronomical - perhaps none of the leading flash drive manufacturers has such a reserve of “patience”.
The technical characteristics of the PNY PRO Elite USB 3.0 512GB also look very impressive. Coupled with a good amount of internal memory, the consumer receives high data processing speed, writing at its peak at 250 MB/s, and reading at 400 MB/s. Yes, the popularity of flash drives in Russia still leaves much to be desired. However, the company expects to seriously address this problem soon.
1 Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate GT 1TB
The largest amount of internal memory (1 TB)
Country: USA
Average price: 61,200 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.9
Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate GT is the most capacious flash drive on the Russian market at the moment. All the more interesting is the fact that it is the youngest model in the series - soon the American company is preparing to provide Russia with a copy with a memory capacity of 2 TB. However, until this happens, the terabyte version of the drive is becoming increasingly popular among professional bloggers and people whose work is in one way or another connected with a colossal flow of information. Its write speed is at the level of elite balanced flash drives, and is 200 MB/s. The reading speed of 300 MB/s also stands out positively against the general background of characteristics.
The only real weak point of the Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate GT 1TB is its cost level. It is clear that the development technology is completely new, and the finished product should recoup all costs... but not everyone is ready to pay the cost of a good gaming laptop for a flash drive.
