USB 3.0 Thumb Drive: Is It Worth the Cost?

USB 3.0: A Performance Evaluation

Although available for some time, the widespread adoption of USB 3.0 has been gradual. It is currently a standard feature on most newly manufactured desktop computers and laptops, with a minimum of two USB 3.0 ports typically included.

In response to this growing demand, flash drive manufacturers have developed a diverse selection of USB 3.0 drives, often marketed with compelling names such as SuperSonic XT and Voyager.

Is a USB 3.0 Upgrade Worthwhile?

Many users possess older USB 2.0 drives and are considering whether an upgrade to USB 3.0 is justified. A key question arises: what benefits does USB 3.0 offer?

How significantly does this newer standard improve transfer speeds? Is the performance gain substantial enough to warrant the investment, or is it simply a marketing tactic?

The following analysis will explore these questions and determine the real-world advantages of USB 3.0 technology.

We will investigate whether the performance enhancements are truly noticeable during everyday use.

USB 3.0 and Its Impact on Thumb Drives

A newer USB standard represents a significant advancement for devices utilizing USB connectivity. It substantially boosts the maximum data transfer rate from 480 megabits per second to 5 gigabits per second.

This improvement is akin to upgrading from a minivan to a large semi-truck simply to accommodate a relocation.

Real-World Performance Considerations

Many users haven't experienced these peak speeds with their own storage devices. This is due to the fact that the stated maximums don't account for protocol overhead inherent in the standard.

Furthermore, the speed of the flash memory within the drive itself can become a limiting factor. The connection speed can exceed the read/write capabilities of the memory.

Practical Testing and Comparison

Our focus extends beyond theoretical capabilities; we aim to evaluate performance in a practical setting. To achieve this, we will conduct a comparative analysis of three different USB drives.

The drives selected for this evaluation are as follows:

• Kingston DataTraveler G3 8GB: A widely available USB 2.0 drive, typically priced around $5.
• Corsair Flash Voyager Slider USB 3.0 16GB: A USB 3.0 drive offered at a price point of $23.
• Kingston DataTraveler Elite 3.0 32GB: Kingston’s latest USB 3.0 offering, available for approximately $40.

These drives will allow us to assess the tangible benefits of USB 3.0 technology.

The performance differences between these models will be carefully examined.

HD Tune

HD Tune serves as a widely utilized data transfer benchmark, frequently employed to evaluate the peak performance potential of various storage devices.

Upon completion of its transfer benchmark process, the software provides the average data transfer speed achieved.

Let's examine the results obtained from these drives using this tool.

Benchmark Results

Interestingly, the more affordable Corsair drive demonstrates superior performance.

It achieves an average transfer speed four times greater than that of the DataTraveler G3 USB 2.0.

Furthermore, the DataTraveler Elite also significantly outperforms its predecessor.

The data indicates a substantial performance difference between the models.

This highlights the impact of newer technologies and design improvements on data transfer rates.

Practical Folder Transfer Performance

Although HD Tune provides valuable insights, it doesn't fully replicate real-world usage. Actual file transfer speeds are frequently reduced when working with genuine files. To assess this, a timed transfer of a directory containing 365 files, with a combined size of 2.11 gigabytes, was conducted.

This evaluation focuses on elapsed time, meaning that lower results indicate superior performance.

Transfer Time Results

The observed differences are clearly illustrated in the data. The DataTraveler G3 USB 2.0 drive completed the transfer in 10 minutes and 23 seconds.

In contrast, the Corsair Flash Voyager Slider USB 3.0 achieved the transfer in just one minute and 47 seconds.

The DataTraveler Elite USB 3.0 demonstrated even faster speeds, finishing the transfer in a mere one minute and 16 seconds.

This substantial disparity in transfer times highlights the significant advantages offered by USB 3.0 technology over its predecessor, USB 2.0.

Practical Video File Transfers

The concluding phase of our evaluation involves a timed file transfer scenario. In this test, we are transferring a collection of four video files, with a combined size of approximately 2.2 gigabytes and each file being around 550 megabytes. It's important to assess how the drives perform with larger files, as transfer speeds can differ from those observed with numerous smaller files of equivalent total size.

Transfer Performance Results

As demonstrated previously, the Datatraveler G3 USB 2.0 drive exhibited significantly slower performance compared to its competitors. The complete transfer of the video files took 10 minutes and 45 seconds to finish.

In contrast, the Corsair Flash Voyager Slider USB 3.0 completed the same transfer in a much quicker one minute and 38 seconds.

The most efficient performance was achieved by the Datatraveler Elite 3.0, which successfully transferred the files in just one minute and eight seconds.

These results highlight the substantial benefits of utilizing USB 3.0 technology for transferring large files, particularly when compared to the older USB 2.0 standard.

Key takeaway: Drive selection significantly impacts transfer times, especially with larger files.

Concluding Remarks

The findings from these evaluations are straightforward. The legacy Datatraveler G3 USB 2.0 drive consistently underperforms in all assessments, yielding substantially lower results. Practical file transfer speeds are demonstrably slower when compared to newer USB 3.0 drives, translating to a considerable advantage in real-world usage.

While a USB 2.0 drive with increased storage capacity might exhibit marginally improved speeds, it remains evident that even the fastest USB 2.0 drive will lag significantly behind USB 3.0 technology.

The Corsair Voyager Slider USB 3.0 commands a higher price point than the DataTraveler G3, but delivers a correspondingly superior level of performance. Notably, it remains accessible at a price of approximately $25.

The DataTraveler Elite USB 3.0 32GB is offered at a premium of $40, a cost justified by its larger storage capacity. The 16GB variant is available for around $20, slightly less than the Corsair model. It's important to note, however, that the smaller capacity version might not achieve the same speeds as the drive evaluated in this analysis.

For those currently utilizing an older USB 2.0 drive in conjunction with a USB 3.0-compatible computer, an upgrade is highly recommended. USB 3.0 drives are now reasonably priced and provide exceptional performance. There is little justification for selecting a USB 2.0 drive in the present market.