Top usb flash drives 3.0. Computer resource U SM. Optimal flash drive capacity

I am still interested in the question of whether there are already flash drives that are not inferior in speed to external hard drives. I had the opportunity to return two high-speed Sandisk flash drives and test them.

For the Extreme Go flash drive, the manufacturer claims write speeds of up to 150 MB/s and read speeds of up to 200 MB/s. The packaging of the Extreme Pro flash drive states write speeds of up to 380 MB/s and read speeds of up to 420 MB/s.

Both flash drives have fairly large bodies. Their length without USB connector- 7 centimeters.

Both flash drives have connectors that slide into the case.

I tested flash drives on two computers - on motherboard ASUS B85M-G and a Pentium G3258 Anniversary Edition processor running on Windows 7 and on a computer with a Core i3-4005U processor running Windows 10.

Both computers are equipped with USB 3.0 interfaces, but the tests showed different results.

According to the results of testing the Extreme Pro flash drive using CrystalDiskMark 3.0.4 x64, the maximum write speed was 315-340 MB/s, and the maximum read speed was 323-354 MB/s.
On the left here and below are the results on my computer, on the right - on the Acer Revo One.

Results of the usbflashspeed.com test for the same flash drive: writing - 297-325 MB/s, reading - 301-345 MB/s.

For unknown reasons, the write speed at different computers the Extreme Go flash drive was three times different: 42 MB/s on my computer and 126 MB/s on the Acer Revo One. The difference in read speed is not so significant - 152 MB/s and 185 MB/s.

There is a similar difference with the usbflashspeed.com test: writing - 39/143 MB/s, reading - 143/179 MB/s.

For comparison, I took another regular USB 3.0 flash drive - SanDisk Ultra Fit 64GB (I use this type of flash drive). Write - 27/39 MB/s, read - 123/152 MB/s.

To test flash drives not only using test programs, but also in " real life", I measured the time for writing to and reading from flash drives for one large file (MP4 video 2.1 GB) and a folder with photos (1895 files, 3.7 GB).

In addition to three flash drives, the same operation was performed on a Seagate Backup Plus Portable 2 TB USB 3.0 external hard drive.

The manufacturer compares the speed of the Extreme Pro flash drive with an SSD, so I measured the speed of the same operations on the disk.

The files on the tested flash drive or disk were copied from the SSD drive (when the SSD drive itself was tested, the files were copied from the fastest Extreme Pro flash drive). Files from the tested flash drive or disk were copied to nul, that is, the reading speed was measured in its pure form. Test results on my computer:

As can be seen from the results, the Extreme Pro flash drive outperformed the external HDD and turned out to be only slightly slower than the SSD. The Extreme Go flash drive outperforms an external hard drive only in read speed.

The situation with the write speed of the Extreme Go flash drive was repeated on different computers. On my computer, the writing speed of one large file is almost three times lower. Test results on Acer Revo One (the same SSD drive was moved from my computer to the Revo case):

So, the moment has come. Flash drives have appeared on sale that work faster than external hard drives. But these flash drives are quite expensive - the tested Sandisk Extreme Pro USB 3.1 costs from 9230 rubles, the same one with 128 GB costs from 5340 rubles.

Sandisk Extreme Go USB 3.1 flash drives are significantly cheaper - the tested 64 GB one costs from 2590 rubles, the 128 GB model starts from 4270 rubles, but in terms of writing speed they are slower than an external hard drive and for some reason the writing speed differs greatly on different computers.

2017, Alexey Nadezhin

The main topic of my blog is technology in human life. I write reviews, share my experiences, talk about all sorts of interesting things. I also report from interesting places and talk about interesting events.
Add me to your friend list . Remember the short addresses of my blog: Blog1.rf and Blog1rf.ru.

My second project is lamptest.ru. I'm testing LED bulbs and help you figure out which ones are good and which ones are not so good.

Sooner or later, any technical thing becomes a refrigerator, i.e. When buying it, most people think more about appearance and capacity than about characteristics. Actually, this happened a long time ago with USB flash drives - many of my friends, who are ready to discuss the speed characteristics of some SSD with foam at the mouth, when it comes to flash drives, give up and buy a pretty one from a well-known company (most often Kingston or Silicon Power). Because “...what is there to choose? A flash drive is a flash drive."

Meanwhile, there is plenty to choose from. The speed characteristics of individual USB drives can exceed the market average by up to 4 times. At the same time, the price for them will not be exorbitant.

So, how will we choose? First, go to the website Usb.userbenchmark.com, where users upload benchmark results for their USB sticks. We choose a volume of 32 gigabytes (as medium-comfortable and as the most represented on the domestic market among the models under consideration). We filter the results obtained by reading speed and are surprised to find in first place the well-known Lexar JumpDrive P10 USB 3.0

Read speed – 250 Mb/s, write speed – 215 Mb/s. For comparison, its 64Gb counterpart (by the way, the leader in writing speed among flash drives of different sizes) can write data at a speed of 235 Mb/s and read at 231 Mb/s

But is this flash drive the most good purchase? For comparison, we will do three things:

1. Since benchmarks are benchmarks, and everyday use is a little different, we'll use the concept of "effective speed", which, according to userbenchmark.com, means the following: most USB drives are used for backing up and storing video, audio and photos. Accordingly, the effective speed is weighted as 50% sequential read, 40% sequential recording, 5% reading and 5% writing 4K video.
2. Let's sort 32-gigabyte flash drives according to this parameter. Let's choose the top ten, discarding brands that are exotic for Russia.
3. And to be absolutely sure, let’s put it in front of each flash drive. average price according to Yandex.market or price.ru for rare cases

*clarification regarding the price of JumpDrive P10

At the time of publication, I found only one offer with an astronomical price of 7,500 rubles. On Amazon, such a flash drive costs about $60, so I took it upon myself to set the price at about 4,000 thousand

Now let’s make a small visualization showing the speed/price ratio. To do this, we multiply the values ​​of the write and read speeds, and use the effective speed as a correction factor:

The upper right point (block 1) is our leader with a sky-high price. Then, the next block is SanDisk Extreme and Corsair Flash Voyager GT, while SanDisk will be a better buy as it is similar in characteristics and cheaper.

The rest of the flash drives, in fact, are in the third block, and here the most successful purchases would be Adata DashDrive and SanDisk Ultra Fit. Adata has a slightly cheaper price, SanDisk has a higher write speed. Interestingly, testing MicroSD flash drives in the same way demonstrates the advantage of SanDisk.

Well, the cheapest of the “correct” flash drives presented is Adata DashDrive UV150. As you can see, at this price it doesn’t have the worst characteristics.

It would seem that everything, we can put an end to this - most interesting options defined. But this is only true if you just need a flash drive and nothing else. But if you have a tablet or are interested in built-in cryptography, then speed is unlikely to interest you so much.

Alas, there is no smell of normal speeds here. Standard USB 2.0. But pleasing to the eye.

As for cryptography, there are many options that support on-the-fly encryption (including from the above-mentioned high-speed flash drives, but here, for obvious reasons, you have to sacrifice speed). But I would like to draw your attention to the ultimate and to some extent funny option with entering a pin directly on a flash drive like Samurai GuardDo Touche or iStorage DatAshur.

Among the disadvantages of such solutions, it is worth noting the slow speed (only USB 2.0) and the too high price. Still, regular software encryption seems more suitable to me.

Quite a high read and write speed (198 and 45 Mb/s, respectively, which is in 8th place on our list) allows us to classify it as quite smart shopping. Among the shortcomings, it is worth noting that the price does not correspond to the low volume (about 2000 for 16 gigabytes). But here, increased impact protection comes to the fore as the main argument.

Afterword from iCover:
Dear readers, we remind you that you are reading the iCover company blog, the place where you can get good advice or expertise in the world of gadgets, and if you have accumulated your own experience related to our range, we will be glad to see you among the authors of this blog. And, of course, don’t forget to subscribe to us and we promise you won’t be bored.

A flash drive of this class is very practical - with a relatively small size, it holds a lot of information and does not take up much space. These USB 3.0 drives are much lighter than external hard drives and are quite fast. We have compiled a rating of the best USB 3.0 flash drives based on such an important parameter as price-quality ratio and a user survey. To make the connection, your laptop or PC must have USB port 3.0 so that the flash drive can perform the tasks assigned to it. Here you will find a huge number of flash drives with interface 3.0 at the best prices http://ru.gearbest.com/usb-flash-drives-c_11258/nu1_usb~3.0.

Silicon Power Jewel J80

The fast Jewel J80 flash drive has an original, sophisticated zinc alloy body and a special coating - harmonious design, which gives a luxurious appearance, as well as effective protection from mechanical damage, even fingerprints are not left. The flash drive stores information securely because it uses COB technology - Chip on Board, which protects the metal components of the USB connector, providing protection from moisture and dust, shock from an accidental drop and mechanical impact during daily use.

Main characteristics:

• Volume: 32-128 GB;
• Housing: zinc alloy;
• Speed; reading - 120 MB/sec, writing - 40 MB/sec;
• Color: silver gray;
• Interface: USB 3.1;
• Dimensions: 44x18x4.5 mm;
• Weight: 11 g.

Pros:

1. Harmony of design;
2. Protection from external influences;
3. Ring to wear;
4. Encryption function.

Minuses:

1. Not detected.

ADATA DashDrive Elite UE700

An all-metal flash drive equipped with a retractable connector has high read and write speeds for any parameters, which has been confirmed by tests. There is proprietary software that expands the standard capabilities of the device, which is not expensive, but very good. The appearance is a classic of the genre, or as they say in Odessa: “oil painting”, the flash drive has a durable body with protection from dust, fingerprints, the connector, whether inside or outside, is held tightly and does not create extraneous vibration. The leatherette strap adds a touch of sophistication, while LED backlight of blue color reports drive activity.

Main characteristics:

• Volume: 32-128 GB;
• Case: metal;
• Speed: read - 190 MB/sec, write - 50 MB/sec;
• Interface: USB 3.0;
• Dimensions: 21x63x7 mm;
• Weight: 5.9 g.

Pros:

1. High build quality;
2. Modern design;
3. Excellent write and read speed;
4. Software.

Minuses:

1. Not identified.

Kingston DataTraveler R3.0 G2

A flash drive with a shock-resistant, rubber-coated body with blue embossed patterns, according to the manufacturers, can be kept under water at a depth of a meter for up to one hour. Based on the rating of the best USB 3.0 flash drives that have been sold to date, this model ranks third among the leading products. A very impressive flash drive with a nice-to-touch body that handles well protective functions, impressive 5 year warranty. The only negative is the cap, which practically does not stay on the back of the flash drive when opening the connector; there is a 100% guarantee that users will lose it.

Main characteristics:

• Volume: 16-64 GB;
• Housing: rubberized plastic;
• Speed: read -120 MB/sec;
• recordings - 25-45 Mb/sec;
• Dimensions: 56.0x22.0x9.2 mm;
• Weight: no data.

Pros:

1. High performance;
2. Impact resistance of the case;
3. Moisture resistance;
4. Dual compatibility;
5. 5 year warranty.

Minuses:

1. Risk of losing the cap.

Transcend JetFlash 750

The black flash drive is a high-performance solution, which is confirmed by the high read and write speeds: during testing, they were even higher than those specified by the manufacturer - 145 and 40 MB/sec, respectively. The price-quality ratio is excellent, and the variety of memory capacities from 16 to 64 GB also speaks volumes. The flash drive has a classic form factor: with a cap and blue LED backlighting, which pleasantly winks at users when the external drive is loading data. Unlike other products, the cap fits perfectly on the back of the flash drive during operation. The cost of such a flash drive is around 2 thousand rubles.

Main characteristics:

• Volume: 32-64 GB;
• Housing: plastic;
• Speed: read -130 MB/sec, write - 30 MB/sec;
• Interface: USB 3.0 (compatible with USB 2.0);
• Dimensions: 69.5×19.8×8.8 mm;
• Weight: 10.3 g.

Pros:

1. Strict design;
2. High reading speed;
3. Free software can be downloaded;
4. LED operating mode indicator;
5. Lifetime warranty.

Minuses:

1. Not detected.

Corsair Flash Voyager GS 64GB (CMFVYGS3)

This is not even a flash drive, but a flash drive with high capacity and high performance in a stylish design, which is why it takes first place in the TOP. Advantage of high speed USB interface 3.0, but at the same time there is compatibility with already outdated systems - perhaps this is the best flash drive. The case is shockproof and during testing showed excellent result, withstanding a fairly large load of 40 G. Polished aluminum inlays add elegance, because of this the flash drive looks very impressive - you will not regret the money spent.

Main characteristics:

• Volume: 64-128 GB;
• Body: aluminum with inlays;
• Speed: read - 295 MB/sec, write - 170 MB/sec;
• Interface: USB 3.0 (compatible with USB 2.0);
• Dimensions: 79.0×26.5×9.0 mm;
• Weight: 30 g.

Pros:

1. Unique read and write speed;
2. LED indicator.

Minuses:

1. The cap does not hold well.

Conclusion

Here you will find a huge number of flash drives with interface 3.0 at the best prices

USB Flash Drive is a drive or storage device used as portable data storage. The storage medium here is flash memory. Such drives are predominantly removable and rewritable, but have more short term services than optical discs. The average weight of the carrier is 30 grams.

The new drive replaced floppy disks and CDs with its smaller size and faster speed. Reliability increased and virtually complete absence moving parts. Immune to magnetic fields and are not exposed to scratches, as all important elements“recessed” inside the body.

Of the advantages of this type drives are distinguished:

• low weight and dimensions;
• versatility and compatibility with various types of devices from desktop computers to TVs;
• resistance to mechanical stress and magnetic fields;
• protection from water, dust;
• Long-term offline data storage up to 10 years.

Main disadvantages:

• limited number of erase and write cycles up to 5000 cycles;
• limited connection resource of the USB connector up to 1500 connections;
• strong restrictions on bandwidth(typical for usb);
• sensitivity to electrostatic discharge and radiation;
• the connector is asymmetrical, which is why the connection sometimes does not work correctly.

We have selected for you the top 20 best flash drives of various sizes and interfaces.

The best USB flash drives with 2.0 interface

The specification was released in 2000. It differs in speed from its “ancestor” - USB 1.1 due to the presence of the High-speed mode. The specification has three operating modes for keyboards, mice, joysticks, video devices and drives.

5 Verbatim Store "n" Go USB Executive

Metal body
Country: China
Average price: 632 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.3

The attractive price of the flash drive is complemented by good read and write speeds. The metal case, which not only serves the role of reliable protection for the insides of the storage device, but also for the diffuser. The metal absorbs heat well and the flash drive does not heat up during long sessions.

We were also pleased with the lack of unnecessary software. The drive is not clogged with antiviruses, adware or maintenance utilities. Retractable mechanism with a slider, it is made well and does not become loose after prolonged use.

4 Silicon Power Ultima U06 16GB

Buyers' choice
Country: Taiwan
Average price: 456 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.4

A reliable choice with write speeds of 7.5 to 8 MB/sec and read speeds of up to 18 MB/sec. A serious minus is that the actual capacity is disappointing; instead of 16 GB, only 14.9 GB are available to you. The official website of the manufacturer offers a lifetime warranty on the purchased product upon purchase.

By default, the flash drive has a link to a site where you can download additional software that allows you to make data storage comfortable and safe. Additionally, a free 60-day version of Norton antivirus and a drive recovery utility are available. There is an indexing indicator when the flash drive is running.

3 Kingston DataTraveler SE9

The most stylish
A country: USA (manufactured in China)
Average price: 450 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.4

The flash drive from Kingston is made in a matte metal case, which is very pleasant in terms of tactile sensations. Scratches are also invisible, which can only be seen on the front side when you constantly insert or remove the drive. There is a mount for a keychain or keys.

Now let's talk about the shortcomings and there are a lot of them here. One of the main ones is a sharp drop in recording speed. A situation often occurs when recording starts at 120 Mb/sec and then sharply drops to 3-4 Mb/sec, frankly not even reaching its stated characteristics. There is no overheating protection or indicator light. Low price significantly affected the quality of the component base and we recommend the drive only as a document storage and nothing more.

2 Transcend JetFlash 600

Best speed
Country: China
Average price: 949 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 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

Flash drives consist of several components, which include:

• USB connectors;
• microcontrollers;
• control points;
• flash memory chips;
• quartz resonators;
• LEDs;
• write-protect switches;
• space for an additional memory chip.

1 SanDisk Cruzer Fit

Most compact sizes
A country: USA (manufactured in China)
Average price: 569 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

Specification 3.0, announced in 2008, increased data transfer rates to 5 Gb/s, which was made possible by raising the current from 500 mA to 900 mA. This has led to an increase in the number of powered devices.

To distinguish it from USB 2.0, cables of this specification are made of blue color, and the ports have a similar color coding. Supported by default on Windows 8 and 10 without installing additional software.

5 Corsair Flash Survivor Stealth (CMFSS3B)

Wide range of available memory
Country: Taiwan
Average price: 1180 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.4

When purchasing Corsair Flash Survivor Stealth with USB 3.0 interface, you can choose the following storage capacity:

I would also like to note the appearance of the drive. Outwardly, it resembles a torpedo, a case or a cartridge, fortunately there is room for imagination to run wild. Security element covers not only the connector itself, but also almost the entire body, made of metal (aluminum). Role decorative elements perform rubber inserts. There is protection against water, which works at a depth of up to 200 meters. Holds impact well with a 5 year warranty. Because of this, it weighs over 100 grams and is heavy for its segment.

4 Silicon Power Jewel J06 16GB

Super flash drive
Country: Taiwan
Average price: 818 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.4

Silicon model worthy of many epithets with the prefix “super”. Super size, super speed, super looks. We would like to note that this particular model is available in several modifications, but we would like to highlight the 32 GB drive separately. Buyers in their reviews consider it the golden mean for a number of reasons, for example, the absence of conflicts with software or operating systems, which is the problem with the 64 GB version.

The minimum available volume starts from 8 GB and up to 64 GB. The shape of the module completely replicates the company’s signature features, and the emerald color coupled with the “handle” complements the appearance of the device. Black and blue options are available to choose from.

3 Transcend JetFlash 790

Best price
Country: China
Average price: 511 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.4

Budget storage with a reserve for the future. Compatible with all supported operating systems. Works equally well with both USB 2.0 and 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. On average 101.75 MB/s read and 44.8 MB/s write.

Another interesting fact is that there is a 790K model on sale, which operates over a 3.1 channel and supports all devices with it.

2 Transcend JetFlash 710G 64Gb

Compactness
Country: Taiwan
Average price: 1300 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.7

The main advantage of this flash drive is its compactness. The length is only 2.2 cm with a width of 1.2 cm and a thickness of 6 mm. Available in a single “gold” finish. Copes well with tasks common to its type of device. Buyers in reviews note a quick “death” under prolonged loads and moving files from 10 to 15 GB per day.

It is not recommended to use it as a multi-boot drive, even though it low heat. Memory chips often fall off, especially during formatting. Recommended as a regular file carrier or movie storage module. Let us also mention the presence of a waterproof case, the effectiveness of which is not mentioned on Internet sites.

Currently, flash drives of specification 3.2 are being prepared for release, which is the final one for the USB 3.x series. This specification provides for a twofold increase in data transfer speed, which at its peak can reach 20 gigabytes per second. Owners of USB Type-C get some advantage due to redundant pins and double-sided contacts. The appearance of the first devices is planned for the second half of 2019.

At the same time, the USB 4.x specification is planned to be released, specifications which in this moment unknown.

1 Kingston DataTraveler R3.0 G2

The best ratio of price and quality. Waterproof case
A country: USA (manufactured in China)
Average price: 1300 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 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 3.1 interface

The specification was released in 2013. The data transfer speed is already 10 Gb/sec. It has two variations - Gen 1 with speeds up to 5 Gb/s and Gen 2 with 10 Gb/s. Ports of this specification are often colored red, and the Gen 2 plug is even thinner.

5 SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.1 32GB

Best price tag
Country: China
Average price: 528 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.7

We recommend this product to those for whom every penny is important, but requires a fast storage device. Reading speed of 131 MB/sec and USB 3.1 will make the purchase more than relevant. The manufacturer has worked on the bugs, getting rid of the ever-lost cap and completely removing it. Not to say that the decision is correct, but it will relieve the pain of losing the cap.

Where the flaw lies is in the write speed of 17 MB/sec. Heating is also observed during prolonged intense load. The case is completely plastic, which negatively affects the protection of internal elements. Easily lost.

4 Samsung BAR Plus

Exquisite appearance
Country: South Korea
Average price: 2200 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.8

So, we present a drive for those who, in addition to the technical component, also care about appearance. Titanium gray and champagne silver are the marketing names for this flash drive. The product is more suitable for business people who need to show their self-sufficiency. Let's be honest - the flash drive is very large and weighty. Despite the high speed, the module quickly warms up and recording drops to 40-50 MB/sec.

Reliability is also pleasing, thanks to branded components from Samsung. The acute-angled shape raises questions, and if in front of the connection plug this can be justified, then from the opposite edge such features of appearance are difficult to explain. There is a special hole for attaching to keys. Slightly more expensive than its competitors, which may scare off a potential buyer.

3 Samsung USB 3.1 Flash Drive FIT Plus 64GB

The best component base
Country: South Korea
Average price: 1290 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.8

Every computer owner knows that the best drives and circuits are made by Samsung. Its miniature size is striking, since the previous generation with an identical volume was 10 times larger. Now you won't be afraid to break it when touching it. Overheating or other similar problems were not noted by customers in the reviews. The module will allow you to easily transfer large amounts of data and we can safely recommend it as the main storage for important information or boot images for operating systems.

Works great with both large and small files. There is no LED. Despite excellent optimization, speed is sometimes not enough. The recording speed is on average 13-20 MB/sec. The largest volume is 256 GB. Reading speed 200 MB/sec.

2 HyperX Savage

Better operational stability throughout the entire service life
Country: USA
Average price: 5706 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 traditional style Hyper X. 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: 3255 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 blitz check key parameters showed their complete coincidence with the declared ones.

The presence of SanDisk Extreme PRO USB 3.1 also speaks in favor of metal case with a connector pull-out mechanism. 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

Here we have included drives with the maximum possible storage capacity. It is worth noting that this product instantly disappears from store shelves and, if possible, it is worth purchasing such flash drives to order.

5 Patriot Memory Supersonic Rage 2 512GB

Low heat
Country: China
Average price: 8384 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.8

The body of this flash drive from Patriot is so thick that you won’t feel it heating up during operation. However, some buyers note a good heat dissipation system. In fact, it maintains its 400 MB/sec specified in the technical documentation when reading. There is a red flashing operation indicator at the end of the housing.

Among the disadvantages, its thickness is noted, which is also a plus. It also happens that the kit does not include a cap and you have to buy it separately. It does not produce the stated 200 Mb/s, it is mostly 140-150 Mb/s. Doesn't work well with Sony Playstation 4.

4 Corsair Flash Voyager GT USB 3.0 (CMFVYGT3C) 512GB

High reliability
Country: China
Average price: 8695 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.8

Flash Voyager is not just a name, but a universally recognized reliability certificate with excellent compatibility even with systems with USB 2.0. Data transfer speed thanks to the most modern technologies exceeds analogues on version 3.0 by 2 times, and on version 2.0 by 8 times. Delays in data preparation and processing have also been reduced.

The proprietary rubberized case is durable and protects all the insides of the drive perfectly. Water protection will withstand any criticism. The semiconductor drive can withstand heavy impacts and falls from heights thanks to rubber shock-absorbing elements. The manufacturer provides a 5-year warranty and undertakes after-sales service obligations. The buyer can choose a drive with a capacity from 32 to 512 GB.

3 Patriot Memory Supersonic Magnum 2 512GB

Best data writing speed (300 MB/s)
Country: China
Average price: 17159 rub.
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: 10281 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.8

Despite its original Chinese origin, the PNY PRO Elite USB 3.0 512GB drive has one very tempting aspect 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 largest flash drive on the market Russian market for now. 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 finished products should recoup all costs... but not everyone is ready to pay the cost of a good gaming laptop for a flash drive.

Sooner or later, any technical thing becomes something familiar, and as a result, when buying it, most people think more about appearance and capacity than about characteristics. Actually, this happened a long time ago with USB flash drives - many of my friends, who are ready to discuss the speed characteristics of some SSD to the point of a fight, when asked: “which flash drive is better to buy,” they wave their hand and buy a pretty one from a well-known company (most often Kingston or Silicon Power). Because “...what is there to choose? A flash drive is a flash drive."

Meanwhile, the choice is simple. The read and write speed of individual USB sticks can exceed the industry average by 4 times. At the same time, you can buy a fast flash drive quite inexpensively.

So, how will we choose? First, go to the website Usb.userbenchmark.com, where users from all over the world upload test results for their USB drives. We choose a volume of 32 gigabytes (as medium-comfortable and as the one most often present on the domestic market among the models under consideration). We sort the results obtained by reading speed and are surprised to find in first place the not very well-known Lexar JumpDrive P10 USB 3.0

Read speed – 250 Mb/s, write speed – 215 Mb/s. For comparison, its 64Gb counterpart (the leader in writing speed among flash drives of different sizes) can write data at a speed of 235 Mb/s and read at 231 Mb/s

But is this flash drive the best choice? For comparison, we will do three things:

1. Since tests are tests, and daily use is a little different, we will use the concept of “effective speed”, which, as userbenchmark.com writes, means the following: most USB sticks are used for backing up and storing photos, videos and audio. Accordingly, the effective speed is weighted as 50% linear read, 40% linear write, 5% read and 5% write of random 4Kb areas.
2. Let's filter 32 flash drives using this parameter. Let's choose the top ten, discarding brands that are rare for Russia.
3. To be completely sure, let’s enter its average price next to each flash drive according to Yandex.Market.

The table below shows the results of this work ( prices updated as of mid-March 2017):

*At the time of publication, I found only one offer for the Lexar JumpDrive P10 with an inadequate price of 7,500 rubles. On Amazon, such a flash drive costs about $60, so I took it upon myself to set the price at about 4,000 thousand.

Update March 17, 2017: I have been updating this page regularly for two years now. During this time, I never met the recognized speed leader in Russia, the Lexar JumpDrive P10. They just don't sell it. But SanDisk Extreme is sold everywhere and its price does not change much.

As for inexpensive flash drives, they regularly disappear from sale and are replaced by new models. It’s interesting that once fast flash drives, such as the SanDisk Ultra Fit, with big amount measurements begin to show lower speed. This means that over time, manufacturers begin to use cheaper components, which affects the speed of work.

Now let's make a small visualization showing the price/speed ratio. To do this, we multiply the values ​​of the write and read speeds, and use the effective speed as a correction factor:

The upper right point (block 1) is our leader with a sky-high price. Then, the next block is SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 32GB. As you can see, SanDisk is the only successful purchase in this segment. This is our golden mean.

The rest of the flash drives, in fact, are in the third block, and here the most successful purchase would be the Verbatim Store n Go V3 Max USB 3.0 32GB. It is inexpensive, yet has maximum operating speed compared to its competitors.

Our previous favorite SanDisk Ultra Fit, unfortunately, has slipped lower. This means that the latest batches use cheaper chips, which do not allow them to work as quickly as happened before. This may be due to numerous complaints about overheating and the manufacturer’s desire to solve this problem by slightly reducing the recording speed. However, this does not prevent it from remaining the cheapest and most common offer from our TOP-10 flash drives.

To be fair, it should be noted that the editorial copy of Ultra Fit “died” after about a year of active use. Fortunately, SanDisk has a pretty good warranty, and they replaced the flash drive with the same copy for free (all I had to do was send the dead flash drive to the manufacturer’s address and receive a new one in the mail). Let's see how long this one lasts.

conclusions

If you need the fastest USB flash drive 3.0 with a capacity of 32 gigabytes at an adequate price, then the best choice would be SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 32GB, but if you just need to buy a 32 gigabyte flash drive, and preferably the fastest of the cheap ones, then the best option will become Verbatim Store n Go V3 Max USB 3.0 32GB.