Best USB Thumb Drive!

[kjv1611]

Okay, certainly many or all the people on THIS forum know what one is, and have used one or many by now.

I've been wanting to start a thread on this for some time, but just never got around to it.

Here's the thought: Tell what one (or few) thumb drive(s) you think is/are the best, and tell why. If possible, include some numbers - size, speed type stuff. If you can measure your read/write speed with an application such as Windows Vista's default explorer file transfer/copy prompt or the program, TeraCopy (which I've grown to love, even more with their latest release a month or so ago), or FreeCommander has something similar as well, I think.

Or if you can use HDTach or something similar, that'd be great.

I'll try to post some numbers on a handful of thumb drives I now own later on if I can. But before I do, I'll say that my new favorite is the Patriot XPorter XT Boost 32GB - I'm sure the smaller variants are fast as well. NewEgg has it relatively cheap right now.

From memory for now:
Patriot Xporter XT Boost 32GB
[ul][li]Write Times: (I think is the most telling factor, now, for thumb drives, since it's the slowest)
[ul][li]Small Files, Minimum = 8 or 9 MB/sec[/li]
[li]Large Files, Minimum = 11 or 12 MB/sec[/li]
[li]Large Files, Fastest = 15 or 16 MB/sec (at least, I can't remember for sure if saw higher, but I'll check.[/li][/ul][/li]
[li]Read Times:
[ul][li]Small Files, Slowest = 20MB/sec - if I remember correctly.[/li]
[li]Large Files, Fastest = 33 MB/sec[/li]
[/ul][/li][/ul]

In my opinion, this is flat out the BEST thumb drive now. There are a couple of CONS so far that I have just recently noticed (had read about them before, but just noticed myself):
[ol][li]Will not work on really old computers - I think it has something to do with the power draw, maybe it's all USB 1.1, or maybe it's just older computers, I'm not sure.[/li]
[li]Cannot transfer files larger than 4GB, as that is the max for FAT32 apparently. I tried formatting in NTFS just to see with Windows Vista, but Vista wouldn't go through the formatting for some reason.[/LI]

For me, at least, neither of those cons is a big deal. For the older computers, I can use a network connection or just one of the smaller older thumb drives. For the file size issue, really, when it's that big, you ought to use an eSata external hard drive if possible, or at least a standard USB hard drive instead of a thumb drive.

As for the others, here are a few I'll try to post for:
[ul][li]Corsair Flash Voyager 2GB (non-GT version)[/li]
[li]Corsair Flash Voyager 8GB (non-GT version - is currently away, fulfilling an RMA, as it seemed to be going bad)[/li]
[li]Kingston DataTraveler (I think), 512MB[/li]
[li]"Privacy Drive", 1GB - is a generic drive, if I remember correctly.[/li]
[li]Verbatim, Red, 512MB[/li][/ul]

The last 3 are anything but impressive, but I thought they might also give some base for comparison, b/c I think they are about equal to the "typical" thumb drive.

I will say that the Lexar JumpDrive Secure drives also seem faster than I would expect. I don't know if they are made any longer, but I've had 2 (I think) in the past - 512MB and 1GB. I sold or gave them away at some point - when flash drives were actually worth something. [WINK] They weren't as fast as the Voyager or the Xporter, though - just faster than the "average" drive.

So, any other thoughts so far?

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[kjv1611]

By the way, on the Patriot USB Thumb Drive I mentioned earlier, I got even better transfer rates on the Vista machine after installing TeraCopy Beta 2.4.

I actually once saw write speeds show at 20MB/Sec. They stayed consistent for the most part at 15/16+.

Oh, and yeah, I'm sure it's measuring correctly, b/c I can definitely tell the difference in the amount of time it takes. That is mostly transferring large files. Frankly, with small files, the transfer is generally so quick that I don't have the slightest as to what the reported transfer speeds are... especially on reads.

I'm REALLY liking this drive. I highly recommend it. And I mean 32GB for <$100 at that speed! Now, the same drive is something like $65 after a mail-in rebate and free shipping at NewEgg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220261

Of course, that's IF you send in the rebate. I've gotten horrible at sending in rebates, just b/c I get so busy with so many other things, that I don't take the time to sit down and fill them out probably 90% of the time.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[kjv1611]

Correction on my last post. That was TeraCopy 2.0 Beta 4 that I'm using... not Beta 2.4... It's the most recent listed on their download page as of today:

http://www.codesector.com/download.php

I've not tried their other products yet, but I might sometime.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[kjv1611]

There may be a new king in thumb drives:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220370

This one apparently just came available.

The Patriot Xporter Magnum 64GB

It boasts the same or about the same specs as the Xporter XT 32GB, but it's also in an aluminum casing.

If only I had a reason!

I use these things several times a week, and much of that is with large files, so yeah, speed is VERY important to me.

Of course, the best thing soon will be the eSata/USB thumb drives that are coming out. Generics are already saying they can read at 55 MB/sec. That might end up being the next one I try, but I've got to wait a while.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me