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Thread: Recommendations For a New USB Flash Drive?

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    The User DemonDragonJ's Avatar
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    Default Recommendations For a New USB Flash Drive?

    I currently am seeking a new USB flash drive, to replace an existing drive of mine, which uses the USB 2.0 interface and has a storage capacity of 16 gigabytes. Although my current drive still has 80% free space, I shall seek a drive with a larger capacity, and also one that uses the newer USB 3.0 interface for greater transfer speeds. Capacity is actually a secondary concern to transfer speed, but I have noticed that the larger-capacity devices often have better transfer rates, so I shall seek such a device.

    I currently cannot afford the price of a 128-gigabyte or a 256-gigabyte unit, but a 32 gigabyte of 64 gigabyte unit shall be most excellent for me, and I shall list the units that appeal to me, here: unit #1, unit #2, unit #3, unit #4, unit #5, unit #6, unit #7, unit #8. Are any of those units excellent devices, or would any users here recommend a completely different device?
    "When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." -Thomas Jefferson.

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    Water Cooled Stonerboy779's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommendations For a New USB Flash Drive?

    Not going to lie I am partial to patriot USBs and love my 64GB Patriot Supersonic Magnum. Of all the drives you listed I would probably only avoid the ADATA flash drives.

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    The User DemonDragonJ's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommendations For a New USB Flash Drive?

    Quote Originally Posted by Stonerboy779 View Post
    Not going to lie I am partial to patriot USBs and love my 64GB Patriot Supersonic Magnum. Of all the drives you listed I would probably only avoid the ADATA flash drives.
    Are you saying that you have had negative experiences with ADATA-brand flash drives?
    "When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." -Thomas Jefferson.

    "Those who would trade their freedoms for security will have neither." -Benjamin Franklin

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    Stupidity feeds my children blueonblack's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommendations For a New USB Flash Drive?

    I have to agree with the Patriot brand, they are all I use for the custom drives I build any more.

    This is currently my drive of choice.
    “Do not trust people like me. I will take you to museums, and parks, and monuments, and kiss you in every beautiful place, so that you can never go back to them without tasting me like blood in your mouth. I will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible, and when I leave you will finally understand why storms are named after people.”

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    Water Cooled Stonerboy779's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommendations For a New USB Flash Drive?

    Quote Originally Posted by DemonDragonJ View Post
    Are you saying that you have had negative experiences with ADATA-brand flash drives?
    No I haven't but in terms of quality I don't put them far above generic brands. Mushkin, Patriot, Sandisk, Kingston a several others I trust for quality a speed and when I am buying a 3.0 drive I am buying for speed and quality of course

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    The User DemonDragonJ's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommendations For a New USB Flash Drive?

    So, based upon the responses from StonerBoy and BlueOnBlack, I have narrowed my selection to only three drives, and I shall now provide a detailed analysis of each device, below.

    1: Kingston HyperX DataTraveler 64 GB ($89.99 at the time of this post); I have heard that Kingston is an excellent name for flash drives, so I definitely am considering this drive. Its price is greater than $1 per gigabyte, but it also has incredibly fast transfer rates, so I believe that it may be worth that price (or I can wait to see if that price decreases in the near future).

    2: Patriot Supersonic Magnum 64 GB ($79.99); Patriot is another highly-respected name in flash memory, and this drive also features exceptional data transfer rates, as well. It also is a full ten dollars less expensive than the Kingston drive, which may possibly influence my decision when I am ready to purchase a drive.

    3: Mushkin Enhanced Ventura Plus 64 GB ($54.99); this drive is slower in terms of transfer speed than are the other two drives, but it is also less expensive then are they, being less than $1 per gigabyte, which is often considered to be the threshold/crucial point of the price-to-capacity ratio for most consumers when considering data storage devices.

    What does everyone say about my revised selections? Are any of these drives worthwhile choices for a user who desires both speed and capacity?
    "When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." -Thomas Jefferson.

    "Those who would trade their freedoms for security will have neither." -Benjamin Franklin

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    Water Cooled Stonerboy779's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommendations For a New USB Flash Drive?

    One thing you need to know is that the patriot supersonic magnum is exceptionally large and you likely won't fit it side by side with another USB.

    Also you can get the drive for $69.79 with free shipping from Platinum Micro on Amazon
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...&condition=new

    As such it is my rec unless you really want under the dollar per GB

  8. #8
    Stupidity feeds my children blueonblack's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommendations For a New USB Flash Drive?

    If durability is an issue you should also know the Patriot comes in an extruded aluminum housing, very strong stuff.

    I know, I had to cut it off of one.
    “Do not trust people like me. I will take you to museums, and parks, and monuments, and kiss you in every beautiful place, so that you can never go back to them without tasting me like blood in your mouth. I will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible, and when I leave you will finally understand why storms are named after people.”

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    Anodized. Again. Konrad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommendations For a New USB Flash Drive?

    I'm a bad boy, I buy my USB flash drives and take 'em apart right away. If I don't like the memory controller part or the performance of the memory itself then I exchange for another type.

    I've noticed that brand/model doesn't really mean a lot - they just use pretty much whatever parts they've got laying around, even when the packaging is completely identical.

    Is anyone interested in doing a bulk order, low FOB price (like maybe 5 or 10 bucks per unit) and completely custom specs straight from Shenzhen haha. I've done it before, was thinking of doing it again ... but I'd want to get people involved, rather than sit on, say, 100 USB flash drives I'll never use.

    I've seen some nice controller chips capable of sustaining about 70-80MB/s transfer speeds, capable of addressing up to about 32/64GB (or 64/128GB with dual-banks), and fully loaded with all the latest in cool USB wear-levelling and bootloading and whatnot. If enough people are interested then I'll put together a real price-per-unit on full USB drives (chassis/case/connector, PCB, LED, flash controller, flash RAM) ... whatever the specifics might be, I'm confident they'll price cheaper per piece than they would in a branded Wal-Mart blister package.
    My mind says Technic, but my body says Duplo.

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    The User DemonDragonJ's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommendations For a New USB Flash Drive?

    StonerBoy, I originally was planning to dismiss the fact that the Patriot drive is very large in physical size as a negligible trait, but I do occasionally have multiple devices attached to my computer simultaneously, so it would be wise to not have such a large device.

    Additionally, I currently own a Kingston drive (only 8 gigabytes with a USB 2.0 interface), and it has functioned flawlessly, thus far, so I would certainly purchase another drive from the same manufacturer. And finally, the fact that the cap of the Kingston drive is certainly appealing, as the caps of USB drives are often in danger of being lost.

    Does anyone here know if any of these drives have LED's to display their activity? Although such a feature is not an absolute necessity, it certainly is very appealing to me, as it allows me to know when the drive is active.
    "When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." -Thomas Jefferson.

    "Those who would trade their freedoms for security will have neither." -Benjamin Franklin

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