Flash drive parameters. What is a USB flash drive? USB flash drive. What does Mbps mean and why it matters

Once upon a time, the shelves of any PC owner were littered with floppy disks, then CDs, but now they use Flash drives to store information and use them comfortably. This is a very handy tool that has a large memory capacity, high transfer speed, a convenient USB interface for connection, so you should have an idea of \u200b\u200bhow to choose a USB flash drive. The choice is very wide, so before purchasing you need to be able to understand the characteristics of the device.

What is a USB flash drive

People are already used to having a small, handy device that can store a large amount of music, video or video, but few people understand what the device is. A flash drive is a removable storage medium with a specific type file system without moving elements in the structure, which provides increased reliability. For writing and reading documents, TLC type of memory is used, but the choice of a flash drive is based not only on this parameter, the volume of the medium, the speed of writing and reading is also important.

Types

One of the parameters of this device is appearance... The types of flash drives are not so diverse, there are options with a 2.0 and 3.0 connection interface, but the appearance can be very different. Internal organization carrier consists of a board and an output for USB connectionbut the body options are very different. There is no difficulty in choosing an appearance, however, some design features should still be considered when buying. What are the flash drives and what to focus on:

1. Open connector. Often this option is used on models with very small dimensions. There is no protective cap on the contact plate, which helps make the drive compact, but does not protect the connector from scratches or debris.
2. Removable cap. This is a popular, simple option for plate protection. Nozzles are made of plastic or rubber to protect against moisture, USB dust. The main problem is that it is very easy to lose it, so look for models where the attachment is attached to the body with a string.
3. Bracket. The design of the case consists of a bracket and a body of the device, they can rotate to the sides relative to each other. This helps to cover the side of the bracket with the drive connector to protect the plate from scratches, but it won't help with moisture or dust.
4. Slider. With this design option, using a special key, you can hide the connector inside the case. This helps to protect the USB from breaking, scratching, but there is a risk that the locking mechanism will break and it will be difficult to get the plate. In addition, this does not guarantee protection from moisture, dust.

They produce a case for flash drives from rubber, plastic and metal. The best option is considered when these protection systems are combined. For example, the metal case has a rubberized base on top, which guarantees protection against external influences, moisture, dust. Even if dropped from a great height, all recordings on the media will remain intact. Such models are usually more expensive.

Speed

It will be possible to choose the right model correctly if you know about the basic parameters of the device. The speed of writing and reading a flash drive are important purchase criteria, because they affect the speed of interaction between the drive and the computer. Considering that you can rewrite information a large number of times, it would be better if this happens at maximum speed. This parameter is measured in megabits per second (Mb / s).

Manufacturers always write the amount of memory in large numbers on the packaging, but not all firms indicate the speed, which is a very important parameter for assessing the reasonableness of buying this removable media. On the packaging, this parameter is indicated in the rating format, for example, 200x, where the variable is equal to 200 KB / s. It turns out that the speed at this rate will be 30 MB / s. The higher the x multiplier, the faster you will record data and transfer it to your computer. High-speed flash drives are always more expensive.

Maximum volume

This is the most important characteristic of the device that buyers pay attention to. This is the correct move on the part of the manufacturer, but a person must definitely pay attention to other parameters. The amount of memory on a flash drive, as a rule, is indicated in gigabytes (in everyday life, "gig"). Modern models are designed for 32/64/128 GB, but if necessary, you can take a capacity of less than 4/8/16 Gb. Not every person is going to store huge amounts of data, so maximum performance is not needed.

The maximum amount of a flash drive available for purchase to the user is 128 GB, at the price of such a drive is on par with a 1 terabyte (TB) SSD. The devices work differently, but USB drives are more mobile, you can carry them in your pocket and connect them to any computer or laptop without any problems. If you are not constrained in funds and you need a large amount of memory, then it is better to choose a USB flash drive. You can divide the types of drives by capacity as follows:

• cheap, but low-volume - 4-16 GB;
• affordable price and good quality -16-64 GB;
• high cost, but large capacity - 128 GB.

Flash drive rating

Due to the large number different manufacturers, companies and options for speed, volume, people have the question of which flash drive is better to buy for a computer. It should be understood that there are drives for phones, cameras (SD) that are connected to a PC only through a special card reader (it is built-in in a laptop). Reviews are published every year, which consider the best manufacturers of flash drives, which models should be chosen in terms of price / quality ratio.

There are certain sales leaders that are popular with users. The classification is carried out on the basis of feedback left by buyers about the operation of flash drives. You can choose one of the following companies:

1. Transcend. A well-known company that manufactures products for computers in 1988. For the first time, this manufacturer has introduced a lifetime warranty on their drives, because the service life, the number of write cycles of these drives is really long. If you want a proven USB stick, you need to choose Transcend.
2. Silicon Power. The company is very popular, its products are sold in 90 countries of the world.
3. Kingstone. Choose this option if you want a proven brand that has been on the market since 1987. The manufacturer confidently competes with all other firms.
4. TeamGroup. Every year the assortment increases and the buyer has to choose from it.
5. SanDisk. They appeared on the market in 1988 and produce at least 4 million copies of memory cards every year. The design is very simple and the price is affordable.
6. Apacer. The company has established itself as a manufacturer of high-quality, reliable products that are scary to choose and buy.
7. Pretec. This firm is widely used for industrial and military purposes. This is a good reason for choosing this flash drive.
8. Adata. A relatively new company that produces reliable products.
9. Prestigio. A company that produces many electronic products. It is worth choosing such flash drives if you love the leather (exclusive design) that decorates the body of the product.

The biggest

Drives differ in cost depending on how voluminous the media is. More capacious options will cost more, at the moment the largest volume of a flash drive is 512 GB. You need to choose this option if you want to copy movies from the Internet, games with which you go on a trip. For text files, music, this will be too much storage space. At the same time, the device will still look very compact. Here are examples of such media, along with the cost:

• Intenso Ultra Line 128GB - from 1800 rubles;
• Sandisk Ultra Fit 128GB - from 2,100 rubles;
• Sandisk Cruzer Blade 128GB - from 1300 rubles;
• CnMemory Spaceloop XL (256 GB) - from 2000 rubles;
• Patriot Supersonic Mega (512 GB) - 2500 rubles.

The fastest

Another important parameter of the drive is the data transfer rate. All models undergo mandatory testing at the factory and the packaging must indicate the value in Mb / s. High-speed flash drives carry this indicator to packaging, because this is their advantage. If you cannot find this parameter anywhere, then it is low and the company does not want to open it. Below will be presented a small TOP, which flash drive is the most reliable and fastest:

Name	Write / read speed ratio in%
Sandisk Extreme USB 3.0
ADATA DashDrive UV128
Transcend JetFlash 780
Transcend JetFlash 760
Kingston DataTraveler G4
Silicon Power Marvel M01
Transcend JetFlash 790

The most reliable

It is very important to buy drives from official stores because many fakes come from China. The rating of flash drives for reliability is constantly changing, because the device is produced in large quantities and sometimes there are tanks at the factory. Below is a rating of reliable and proven models based on positive customer reviews:

1. Transcend's JetFlash 700. A very simple plastic drive. You can choose the option with the interface 2.0 and 3.0 (USB). This model is worth choosing, if needed good performance without overpayment for registration.
2. Transcend JetFlash 780. This model has a different memory cell design, which provides higher data processing speed.
3. Kingston DataTraveler 100 GЗ. Simple and practical model with sliding body made of plastic.
4. Transcend JetFlash З50. Very small and handy USB stick for work or study.
5. Kingston DataTraveler G4. Convenient fastening system, you can hang on the keys so as not to lose.

Which flash drive is better

When did you decide to choose yourself removable storage, consider the purpose for which it is needed, the budget and the practicality of the model. The best flash drive that suits your needs. If you just need to bring home a few text messages from your work computer or graphic documents, then 8 GB will even be a lot and there is no point in overpaying for the volume. Which flash drive to buy depends solely on your needs, and the most popular and reliable companies have been described above.

Which flash drive to choose

If you are buying from a regular store, feel free to ask a consultant about the drive's specifications. The parameters of the flash drive, which are indicated on the package, will help you choose the appropriate option. As a rule, people pay attention only to the maximum storage capacity, but the data transfer rate is much more important parameter. You can take a 128 GB drive, but it will have a slow write speed and you will be transferring one movie for 30 minutes. Below we will discuss in detail how to choose a USB flash drive that will suit your needs.

How to choose a good flash drive

You can overwrite the contents of your drive many times. It should be borne in mind that the expiration date of the flash drive is not indicated, but there is a certain number of cleaning cycles. As a rule, there are so many of them that a person does not have time to use them all. More often, drives are lost and then you need to know how to choose a USB flash drive. This is done according to the following parameters.

Memory size

The first thing the buyer pays attention to when deciding to choose a drive. This figure can be different from 512 megabytes to 512 GB. With the development of technologies, the maximum memory reserve also grows, so a flash drive with a large volume may appear. You need to select the one that corresponds to the files that you are going to copy. When it comes to text documents, then more than 4 GB will never be useful to you. If it's a flash drive for a teenager. which can copy movies, games, then the volume will need more (from 32 to 128 GB).

Read and write speed

These two values \u200b\u200bindicate at what speed you can transfer data to and from the USB flash drive to the computer. The higher this indicator, the better, expensive modern models have a value of 50 Mb / s, cheaper ones - from 3 Mb / s of data recording. Reading speed ranges from 35 to 90 Mb / s (indicates how quickly you can copy files from a flash drive to your computer).

Not the most important parameter, but it's worth considering. If you often lose small things or a child will use the drive, then you should choose a model with a key mount. There is no need to take options with a cap, because it is also very easy to lose. Give preference to simple models without iron caps, they will serve you for a long time and reliably.

Price

The spread in the cost of this product is great, the price will depend on the characteristics of the drive. The amount of memory especially affects the pricing, the more GB, the higher the cost. All popular types of flash drives for a computer can be viewed and ordered on the Internet, because their cost there will be more favorable. Here are examples of some of the models you might choose:

Name	Distinctive feature	Price, rubles
Transcend JetFlash 600	High speed
Sandisk cruzer fit	Very compact
Kingston DataTraveler SE9	Stylish design
Kingston DataTraveler R3.0 G2	Price-quality ratio
Transcend JetFlash 790
Corsair Flash Voyager GS (CMFVYGS3)	Reading speed

Video

Flash drive - an essential accessory not only for any modern PC user, but also for owners of such devices as a media player, stand-alone speaker system, car radio, tablet and smartphone.

How to choose the right flash drive, taking into account the purposes for which it will be used, its speed, quality, durability and other equally important parameters?

1. The volume of the flash drive

Modern flash drives have a volume of 4 GB to 2 TB.

To transfer office files, a minimum 4 GB flash drive is enough for you, but you can add a little and take an 8 GB flash drive, because the price difference is not significant.

If you plan to store music on it, then it is better to take a USB flash drive of 8 GB or more, which will also be optimal if you need to install Windows from a USB flash drive.

The optimal price / volume ratio is flash drives from 16 to 64 GB, be guided by your real needs and financial capabilities.

To exchange video files and a media player, it is advisable to take a flash drive of 16 GB or more, it is also slightly more expensive than an 8 GB flash drive.

To transfer images of operating systems and software, you may need a 32 GB flash drive, which is already significantly more expensive.

For videos in high quality, which can be up to ten gigabytes in size, you will need a flash drive with a capacity of at least 64 GB.

Please note that flash drives are relatively unreliable, easily fail, deteriorate and get lost. Therefore, you do not need to invest in it significant funds for you with a view to the future.

To transfer images of games, the size of which reaches 50 GB or more today, reserve copy system and files, some serious work projects, you may need a flash drive of 128 GB or more.

2. USB stick interface

The connection interface is a collection of connectors and corresponding data transfer algorithms. Modern flash drives can have different interfaces with different speed data transmission.

Maximum speed of interfaces:

• USB 2.0 - 480 Mbps (60 MB / s)
• USB 3.0 - 5 Gb / s (640 MB / s)
• USB 3.1 - 5 Gbps (640 MB / s)
• USB 3.1 Gen 2 - 10 Gb / s (1280 MB / s)

The above is the maximum possible theoretical baud rate for the interface. The main units of measurement are megabytes per second (MB / s).

But there are several nuances here. First, the standard specifies the total baud rate in both directions (read + write). Thus, the transmission speed in one direction will be 2 times less.

One way speed:

• USB 2.0 - 30 MB / s
• USB 3.0 - 320 MB / s
• USB 3.1 - 320 MB / s
• USB 3.1 Gen 2 - 640 MB / s

In addition, transfer overheads (service code) are not included. Therefore, in reality, the maximum speed is still somewhere 10% less.

Real maximum speed:

• USB 2.0 - 27 MB / s
• USB 3.0 - 290 MB / s
• USB 3.1 - 290 MB / s
• USB 3.1 Gen 2 - 580 MB / s

This means that a USB 2.0 flash drive will not be able to copy files at a speed higher than 27 MB / s. For comparison, the speed of modern hard drives is 120-150 MB / s, which is 4-5 times faster than the fastest USB 2.0 flash drive.

At the same time, the USB 3.0 interface is 10 times faster than USB 2.0 and 2 times faster than a modern hard drive. Therefore, the speed of the USB 3.0 flash drive will not rest against the interface speed and will be limited only by the speed of the memory that is installed in the flash drive.

Of course, to achieve a high speed of copying files, a USB 3.0 or 3.1 flash drive must be connected to a USB 3.0 or 3.1 connector on your computer or laptop.

3. Interface compatibility

USB sticks are compatible with the nearest older and younger versions of this connector.

Interface compatibility:

• USB 3.1 - 3.1, 3.0, 2.0
• USB 3.0 - 3.1, 3.0, 2.0
• USB 2.0 - 3.1, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

This means that a USB 3.1 or 3.0 flash drive can be plugged into a USB 2.0 connector and it will work fine, but the file copy speed will be limited by the speed of the USB 2.0 interface (27 MB / s).

In this case, a flash drive with a USB 3.1 or 3.0 interface will not work when connected to a USB 1.1 or 1.0 connector. Such connectors can be found on very old computers and some other devices.

At the same time, a flash drive with a USB 2.0 interface can work successfully both when connected to more modern USB 3.1 or 3.0 connectors, and to the younger 1.1 or 1.0. If suddenly you are still dealing with such antediluvian computers or devices, it is better to take a USB flash drive with a USB 2.0 interface. Although in most cases this is not justified due to the very low speed of the USB 1.1 / 1.0 interface (1.5 MB / s) and the possible incompatibility of modern flash drives with old devices. For such purposes, it is better to have a separate small flash drive of the old model (up to 4 GB).

Flash drives with USB 3.1 and 3.0 interfaces are the most optimal today, since USB 2.0 is much slower and is rapidly losing its relevance.

4. Connectors for flash drives

Flash drives with the same interface can have different connectors that differ in size and shape. The USB flash drive connector determines which devices you can connect it to.

There are the following USB flash drive connectors:

• USB Type-A (computers, laptops, players, TVs, radio)
• Micro-USB (most smartphones and tablets)
• USB Type-C (modern smartphones and tablets)
• Lightning (Apple devices - iPhone, iPad, MacBook)

Most flash drives have a regular USB (Type-A) connector.

This is enough for many users, as it allows you to connect a USB flash drive to computers and to most other devices where you may need it. But there are also flash drives with an additional reduced-format connector for connecting to various mobile devices.

If you have a smartphone or tablet with a Micro-USB connector and you feel the need to connect a USB flash drive to it (for example, to watch movies from it on the road), then it is convenient if the flash drive is compact and has a corresponding connector.

This is more convenient than using an OTG adapter, but it is mostly justified when it is not possible to install a memory card.

Also, with the help of such a flash drive, you can easily and quickly transfer large files from one smartphone or tablet to another and exchange them with other people anywhere.

Many modern smartphones and tablets are equipped with a USB Type-C connector.

In this case, you will need a USB flash drive with a similar connector, but to exchange files with devices equipped with a more common Micro-USB connector, you will have to use an OTG cable, look for a rare adapter "Micro-USB to USB Type-C" or "Micro-USB to USB" ...

Much more common is the USB Type-C to Micro-USB adapter.

When choosing a flash drive for mobile devices be guided by the connector of the device to which you will connect the USB flash drive most often in order to do without an adapter.

If you are the proud owner of Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad or MacBook, then you cannot do without a flash drive with a Lightning connector.

But they are already much more expensive and instead of them you can use a regular USB flash drive and a "Lightning to USB" adapter, which you will most likely still need anyway.

There are adapters from Lightning to full-size USB (Type-A), to Micro-USB, USB Type-C, various combined options and compact solutions.

Only buy a USB stick with multiple connectors if you really need it, as they are usually slower and less reliable, and if necessary, you can use an adapter.

5. Flash drive speed

Flash drives can vary significantly in read and write speed. The write speed of flash drives ranges from 2.5 to 380 MB / s, and the read speed is from 5 to 450 MB / s.

The write speed is always much slower than the read speed, and it is this speed that can be critical at the moment when you need to quickly throw something onto a USB flash drive.

The cheapest flash drives are usually very slow, with write speeds of 3-5 MB / s and read speeds of 10-15 MB / s. But for a small flash drive (4-8 GB), on which office documents are thrown off, and sometimes music, this may not be critical.

The criticality of the write speed increases greatly on large flash drives when copying large files to them. Therefore, the larger the flash drive, the faster it should be.

Lyrical digression

Once a friend brought a new 64 GB flash drive to my work with a request to throw off a collection of educational films. At the same time, I was surprised at the low price for which he bought it. But everything quickly fell into place.

In the morning I started copying files to a USB flash drive and it lasted almost the entire working day (about 8 hours), despite the fact that only half of the flash drive was busy. Since it was the cheapest 64-gig flash drive, its speed turned out to be very low.

As a result of a hell of a long wait while copying files on different computers, the friend just decided to give this USB flash drive to his colleague for his birthday. Friends, do not repeat his mistakes, because a faster flash drive could be bought for a little more.

For an inexpensive USB 2.0 flash drive with a capacity of 4-8 GB, the normal read / write speed is about 5/15 MB / s.

For a 16-32 GB USB 2.0 flash drive, the speed values \u200b\u200bshould be closer to 15/30 MB / s.

Please note that USB 2.0 is limited to 30MB / s for both writing and reading. In reality, the USB 2.0 interface cannot transfer data faster than 27 MB / s, which has been confirmed by many tests.

Flash drives with a volume of 32 GB or more (by and large, 16 GB) should have a faster USB 3.0 or 3.1 interface and a speed of about 30/70 MB / s. This is usually enough for a 64GB stick.

Higher speed may be needed for flash drives with a volume of 128 GB or more. For comparison, external drive volume of 1 TB, has a speed of about 120/120 MB / s.

Please note that the speed of flash drives of cheap Chinese brands does not correspond to the declared speed and can be 1.5-2 times lower, while decent brands such as Corsair, SanDisk and Transcend have these figures, on the contrary, slightly higher than those stated.

6. Design of flash drives

Flash drives can be of different designs and this affects not only its appearance, but also convenience, functionality, security, durability, speed and recovery.

Classic design

The classic design is an ordinary USB flash drive in a plastic case with a cap that protects the connector from damage, contamination and oxidation.

Plastic comes in different qualities and thicknesses. In flash drives of Chinese brands and even cheap models of decent brands, it is thin, fragile and can break.

For example, the Transcend company produces flash drives of good quality, but the plastic in the old models was, albeit of high quality, but too thin, which is why pieces of it chipped off over time. The company took into account this drawback and in the new models the plastic has become much thicker and stronger.

Among the disadvantages of this design, we can only note the probability of losing the cap if it is not tied to the body of the flash drive with a leash.

Metal case

Flash drives in a metal case of a similar design differ only in higher strength and can survive brutal handling, but they usually cost more and do not have any other advantages.

Also, they can put a slower memory in order to reduce the cost, which has increased due to the use of metal, pay attention to this.

There are also all-metal flash drives, but they may not have a cap to protect the contacts.

A flash drive in a case with a combination of metal and leather looks stylish.

Due to its large dimensions, it is not always practical and often such flash drives do not differ in fast filling, but they will fit as a gift for a respectable person. Unless, of course, he is especially fond of computer technology and he does not have something cooler.

Swivel mechanism

Flash drives with a rotating mechanism can be plastic, a combination of plastic and metal, or completely metal.

This design is convenient due to the absence of a cap, but does not protect the connector contacts, and the mechanism is often erased and loosened.

Retractable mechanism

Flash drives with a retractable mechanism look interesting and modern.

But they are less reliable, as the mechanism can break over time. The fixing of the connector after pulling out is not always at the proper level and it slides in when the flash drive is inserted into the USB socket.

Such flash drives are also often wider than conventional ones and in some cases it is problematic to insert them into the recessed USB socket when the protrusions around it or other connected devices interfere.

Again, due to the lack of a cap, the contacts are not protected, in addition, any debris easily gets into the slots of the sliding mechanism. So this is the least reliable design.

Compact flash drives can have a different design from monolithic to cunning sliding mechanisms.

Their distinctive feature is often that they do not use a full-fledged printed circuit board with a memory chip and a controller, but something like a memory card.

Such models are usually slower and cannot be recovered in the event of a failure. However, some of them do not have a full metal connector, which is why they dangle in the USB socket and lose contact.

Many people ordering a miniature flash drive on the Internet expect to get a compact model for a low price, without even realizing how small and inconvenient it is.

In addition, a small flash drive is easier to lose and inconvenient to give to someone else to use. Keeping it connected with the keys all the time and constantly removing it is also far from the most convenient option.

The best compact flash drives are the mid-size quick-release models that are really handy to keep with you at all times.

Protected flash drives

There are flash drives with protection against moisture and small mechanical stress in a rubber case.

Swimming with them or getting on them is certainly not worth it, but they will withstand a run in the rain or a fall from a height onto a hard surface. Accordingly, they are more suitable for lovers of an active lifestyle or just a sports style.

There are also more protected options in a sealed metal case that will withstand immersion in water and higher mechanical stress.

You can take this one with you to a sailing regatta or to the mountains, water and excessive pressure in a backpack are not afraid of it.

Everything has a price and protected flash drives are 1.5-2 times more expensive, but many of them can also offer a fairly high speed, which will be a nice bonus to protection and unusual design.

Children's flash drives are often animal-shaped and made of rubber or plastic.

Usually, they have the cheapest components inside, and the flash drives themselves are quite slow. But they are interesting for a child and big enough so as not to lose.

The disadvantage of the large size may be the inability to connect the flash drive to some computers.

The unusual ones include curved flash drives, flash drives in the form of a cable, flash bracelets, key rings, pens, tie pins, etc.

Sometimes the design of the flash drive is practical, making it easier to use and making the flash drive more functional, but often this is a purely design decision.

Approach the choice of a flash drive wisely, knowing a lot about the pros and cons of this or that design. In most cases, the simplest USB stick will be the most reliable and practical.

7. Manufacturers of flash drives

One of the most important conditions when choosing a flash drive is the correct choice of the manufacturer, as its quality, durability and real speed will depend on this.

The best flash drive manufacturers:

• Corsair - sporty, protected and fast
• SanDisk - stylish and quality
• Transcend - quality and inexpensive
• Leef - high-quality flash drives with USB and Lightning interface
• PhotoFast - expensive USB / Lightning flash drives with password and encryption

Corsair - an expensive brand for enthusiasts and their flash drives do not differ in a democratic price. But in the assortment there are many models for people leading an active lifestyle - in a rubber and metal case, which are distinguished by increased water resistance and shock resistance. There are also just models with a stylish modern design. Moreover, they all differ in high and very high speed, on which the price strongly depends.

Sandisk - produces beautiful, stylish and unusual flash drives with traditionally high quality for this brand and good speed. Their price is no longer that high and only slightly more expensive than the cheapest Chinese brands. The models are mainly with a pull-out system and in a miniature format.

Transcend - produces flash drives high Quality at a very tempting price. The assortment is quite wide, there are classic flash drives with a cap, retractable, miniature, stylish, sporty, protected. At the same time, the speed indicators often turn out to be higher than the stated ones, and there is a unique program for recovering flash drives, which we will talk about later.

Leef - expensive, unusual and fairly high-quality flash drives with USB and Lightning interfaces, which are suitable for connecting to any technology, including Apple.

PhotoFast - even more expensive and advanced devices with USB and Lightning interfaces, support for password protection and encryption functions, will suit those for whom data privacy is paramount. Among other things, it is also a cable that allows you to sync files and charge mobile devices.

Just look what such devices can do, it's amazing.

Popular flash drive manufacturers:

• Kingston - average quality, there are voluminous fast models
• Toshiba - cheap flash drives of average quality
• Goodram - Polish brand, quality memory, unimportant body
• Verbatim - low quality and speed
• Team - good quality and design, average speed
• Sony - stylish but slow

Kingston - a very popular brand, it produces flash drives of average quality and mostly at a low speed. But in the range there are relatively inexpensive models with ultra-high capacity and speed (from the HyperX series) that have no competitors.

Toshiba - once a popular Japanese brand, now produces the cheapest flash drives that do not deserve special attention.

Goodram - sticks of consistently good quality from a well-known Polish manufacturer of high-quality memory, but not always in a good case.

Team - a well-known manufacturer of memory for enthusiasts, makes quite interesting flash drives in an unusual design with average speed indicators.

Here, interesting example using one of these flash drives.

Sony - flash drives from a well-known brand in a strict design, but with low speed characteristics, therefore, they are suitable only for ardent fans of the brand.

Cheap flash drive manufacturers:

• A-DATA - stable quality, good body
• Apacer - average quality, unimportant case
• PQI - Medium Quality Metal Body
• Silicon Power - average quality, unimportant case

All these manufacturers make flash drives of average quality and speed, they can be purchased if we are talking about strong savings.

Manufacturers of designer flash drives:

• ANYline - children's flash drives based on American cartoons
• Iconik - cheap children's flash drives in stock
• Mirex - good children's flash drives and flash drives with a unique design
• SmartBuy - inexpensive flash drives of the Russian brand, there are children
• Tribe - flash drives in the form of superheroes from comics
• Uniq - decent flash drives with a unique design in a huge range

Such flash drives are suitable if design is more important to you than everything else or if you need a unique gift. But pay attention to the speed characteristics.

There are many more unpopular and little-known Chinese brands that make the cheapest low-quality flash drives, as well as flash drives for children and with a unique design, but their quality and speed leave much to be desired.

8. Software

Some manufacturers are developing software for their flash drives with different directions. For example, for Transcend, these are mainly utilities that facilitate file synchronization for active users, while for SanDisk they provide password protection and encryption, which is more in demand in the corporate sector.

Also, Transcend has a wonderful utility "JetFlash Online Recovery", which allows you to independently recover a USB flash drive in case of failure, even when the computer does not see it.

Such cases are often associated not with a failure of the file system, which is being restored simple formatting, but with a power failure in the flash drive controller.

This utility finds a USB flash drive connected to a PC, automatically detects the type of controller, downloads the necessary firmware from the manufacturer's website and re-flashes the flash drive controller. You just need to insert a USB flash drive, run the program and click "OK", after which the operation of the flash drive is restored in most cases.

This utility has already saved many flash drives of my friends and clients, while flash drives from other manufacturers were usually just thrown away, since their recovery requires specialized software, native firmware and a lot of experience.

The Transcend flash drive recovery utility is the most important and demanded for most users. But it works only for full-size flash drives, not miniature ones based on memory cards.

9. Conclusion

I recommend purchasing full-size Transcend flash drives, they have an optimal price / quality / speed ratio and can be restored on their own in case of failure. Also noteworthy are flash drives from Corsair and SanDisk.

If you need a flash drive for a modern computer or laptop, then definitely take a model with a USB 3.0 or 3.1 interface, it will also be compatible with USB 2.0 connectors.

If you plan to use a USB flash drive on very old computers, an ancient media player or car radio, then it is better to take a model with a USB 2.0 interface (compatible with USB 1.0 / 1.1), since modern USB 3.0 flash drives are not always detected correctly on older devices.

For use in conjunction with a tablet or smartphone with a Micro-USB or USB Type-C connector, it is better to take a USB flash drive with a second corresponding connector, it is more convenient than using an OTG adapter.

And to connect to an Apple device (iPhone, iPad, MacBook), you need a USB flash drive with a Lightning connector, unless of course you do not already have a USB adapter.

Well, do not forget that if you need a lot of volume and speed at an acceptable cost, that is.

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A computer flash drive is an accessory that should be at hand for everyone who at least sometimes works with a PC. It's not a tribute to fashion, but the urgent need to quickly copy files from one computer to another. But other tasks, like long-term storage of information or backup, which are often assigned to a USB flash drive, it is better to entrust other information carriers. Everything in order.

What are the flash drives. Types of USB drives

The main characteristics of a USB stick called a flash drive:

• capacity;
• type of connection to the computer;
• data writing / reading speed.

How to choose a USB flash drive by volume (capacity)

The capacity of a flash drive is the simplest parameter to be guided by when buying. Modern models rarely have less than 4 gigabytes of memory. It is probably more practical and not much more expensive to take a model with a larger capacity - 8 or even 16 gigabytes. Flash drives with even more memory, starting from 32 gigabytes, are rarely needed on the farm, and, as a rule, are much more expensive than slightly less capacious drives.

It hardly makes much sense to buy a more capacious model of a USB drive than 16-32 gigabytes. If the task is to transfer files (as it should be), then you should think about purchasing an external hard disk... First, it is more reliable. Secondly, copying and writing data to it is many times faster, which can be very critical with such volumes. Waiting for 5-10 minutes for copying information is a tedious task. Especially when there is a relatively inexpensive alternative (decent models of external hard drives cost from $ 50..80, and their capacity starts from 120-240 fast and reliable gigabytes). A hard disk will cope with copying information in a couple of minutes where a USB flash drive will need 8-10 minutes. But then you will also need to copy the information ... The minutes of waiting add up to hours, hours - into days.

You absolutely should not pay attention to especially large flash drives. 128 or 256 gigabytes - yes, such drives are found in nature. However, very often such numbers are just an unpleasant marketing ploy by dishonest manufacturers of the lower echelon. The fact is that there is not so much real memory - 64, 32, or even 16 gigabytes. But the special "firmware" inside the flash drive - the program that allows the computer to work with it, makes the PC "think" that there is actually more memory. Much bigger. In practice, it is rarely necessary to fill such a giant USB stick completely. As a rule, you rarely need more than a few gigabytes of flash drive space. This data is successfully placed on the existing capacity. And the user remains unaware that only 10-20% of the total capacity remains free. After all, the computer "draws" completely different data - like the fact that the flash drive is only 5% full, and the rest of the space, supposedly, remains free.

So, a reasonable capacity of a flash drive in 2014-2015 is from 8 to 32 gigabytes. If you need more, it is better to pay attention to external hard drives.

How to choose a flash drive: the dilemma between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0

The abbreviation USB is also the connector with which the flash drive is connected to the computer, it is also the data transfer interface. The connector can be compared to an ordinary electrical outlet - electrical appliances are "stuck" into it, nothing complicated. There are “sockets” on the computer case, and USB sticks are connected to them like “plugs”.

There are two types of USB connectors - 2.0 and 3.0. Troika is a much faster interface. This is a relatively recent achievement of human computer thought. A couple of years ago, flash drives and other devices with a USB 3.0 interface were expensive exotic, but today all modern computers are equipped with at least one or two USB 3.0 ports. Most of the flash drives produced before 2012-2013 were produced with a USB 2.0 interface. Their production is still ongoing, but it is an endangered species. You can compare them with older versions of Windows - once Windows 98 worked on almost all computers, but by 2002-2005 this operating system became extinct almost completely. And now a computer with the number 98 and "windows" looks like an unrealistic anachronism. Very soon, the same fate awaits USB 2.0 flash drives.

When choosing a USB flash drive for your computer, it is better to forget about the existence of USB 2.0 drives. They are noticeably slower than their newer counterparts at a comparable cost. Moreover, there is no need to think about whether a USB 3.0 flash drive is suitable for your computers. It will fit exactly and will work even in old USB 2.0 "sockets". However, in this case, there will be no gain in speed. Such cases will happen less and less: all modern PCs are equipped with a high-speed USB 3.0 interface, and very soon the old 2.0 connectors will become a rarity. Like old / slow USB 2.0 sticks

The fastest flash drives: choosing a drive by copy speed

It is more correct to call speed not copying, but writing and reading, but these are unnecessary trifles. The speed of USB drives depends, first of all, on the type of interface: modern USB 3.0 flash drives are noticeably faster than key fobs with a 2.0 connector. True, only if they are connected to the appropriate connector - more on this in the previous section.

Differ in speed and drives within the same generation. The differences here are not at times, but, at best, by tens of percent. For example, especially high-speed flash drives manufactured by "A" are capable of writing a set of files to themselves in 100 seconds. Their slower cousins \u200b\u200bwill complete the same task in 105 or 110 seconds. The difference in speed is not fundamental here, and choosing a flash drive by speed becomes an unnecessarily difficult task.

In addition, speeds vary greatly depending on the task. Writing or reading from a flash drive 100 files with a small volume of 1-5 megabytes will take much more time than working with one large file of a gigabyte or two.

How to choose a USB flash drive by manufacturer: brands and brands of USB drives

USB sticks for data storage are made by hundreds of companies, from obscure "Chinese" to thoroughbred Verbatim or Kingston. Frankly bad flash drives have been gone for a long time. However, in general, the overall level of their reliability and quality decreases from year to year. Once upon a time, flash drives were expensive and less common items. Huge funds were invested in their production, and USB drives were of better quality than they are now. Over time, manufacturers were forced to look for ways to reduce production costs. After all, if you use all the same super-quality and expensive materials, then you will not be able to withstand the competition: less scrupulous brands will be able to crush a quality product with a low cost.

Therefore, in the era of mass production of flash drives, almost all of them are rather unreliable. On the other hand, the cost of USB drives is such that purchasing a new one instead of the old one will not be difficult or tangible financial investments. You can compare the availability of flash drives to inexpensive wall clocks or ballpoint pens. Such an item is broken - it is easier to buy a new one. True, there is a threat of losing a much more valuable thing - data. You should always have a backup copy of all files stored on the USB stick.

So what about flash drive manufacturers? Leaders and outsiders practically do not exist here. The read and write speeds rarely differ by more than ten percent, and even then: in some tasks, one flash drive will be faster, in others it will be completely different. Reliability is relatively low for all manufacturers of flash drives. Therefore, choosing a flash drive by manufacturer is not entirely justified.

Tales and myths about computer flash drives

The first flash drive myth: the larger the volume, the better. Once upon a time it really was so. In that era (7-8 years ago), when these devices for transferring data were expensive, and a gigabyte seemed a serious value, this volume was often not enough for everyday tasks. Now, with a typical flash drive “growing” to 4-16 gigabytes, this space is rarely needed. As a rule, only 2-3 gigabytes are filled, and other capacity is idle.

The second myth about USB flash drives: no need to buy USB 3.0 drives for the following reasons:

1. USB 3.0 flash drives and do not work in older computers;
2. USB 3.0 devices are significantly more expensive than older ones;
3. Speed \u200b\u200bgain for uSB flash drives 3.0 won't be noticeable.

The first "reason" does not stand up to scrutiny. USB flash drive 2.0 in new 3.0 slots will also work. USB 3.0 sticks will also work if you connect them to the old USB 3.0 interface.

The second part of the flash drive myth concerning their high cost is outdated. If at the beginning life cycle USB 3.0 flash drives, they were both rare and expensive devices, then, starting around 2012, the difference in price between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 is minimal, if not completely absent.

There is also a legend that USB 3.0 flash drives are of no use to anyone, since they do not provide a more or less tangible superiority in copying speed. It's not like that at all. Computer flash drive with uSB connector 3.0 plugged into the corresponding port on the PC (by the way, these ports differ from the usual blue sockets), many times faster than their outdated colleagues. But it is difficult to name specific figures for the data transfer rate, a separate article on our website is devoted to this: The whole truth about the speed of computerUSB stick.

All you need to do is plug the USB 3.0 drive into the corresponding blue port. The performance gain will be visible to the naked eye. Even if you watch the process of copying to a USB flash drive with just one eye.

The third myth aboutUSB flash drives: These devices work great as backup storage. In other words, flash drives can be used for backup - a copy of data that will save in case of a failure of the main hard drive.

Unfortunately, this is not the case at all. The reliability of modern flash drives is too weak to rely on them seriously. These devices only serve to transfer data between computers. Do not copy important files to them for storage. The probability of failure is very high. For a backup, it is better to use external hard drives or "cloud" data storage on the Internet.

Having copied important data to a USB flash drive today, you should not be surprised if tomorrow the same device simply refuses to work. Of course, most likely the flash drive will last more than one month (or even a year). But it may not work for a week.

Dear readers, today I want to tell you about how to choose the right USB flash drive that will suit you in your everyday life. Such devices have long been included in our daily life... They can store a huge amount of information, as well as transfer it from one device to another. Not a single student or office worker can do without a good flash drive. There are now just a huge number of them on the modern market and each has its own characteristics. Sometimes you can just get lost in such a wide variety.

Interface

When choosing a good USB flash drive, be sure to first look at its interface. The speed of reading and writing data directly depends on this. Currently, the cool models of the 2.0 and 3.0 format are mainly used. If possible, you should purchase the latter option.

Before buying, you should also think about the amount of memory that will be available. Do not overpay for large volumes if they will not be used anyway. Better to get a budget USB stick and don't bother with it.

1. Memory up to 4-8 GB can only be used in cases where you plan to transfer using the device text files or a small amount of music and pictures. For other purposes, this volume will not be enough.
2. Good USB sticks up to 16 gigabytes are used mainly for transferring photos, text documents, music and some films of certain formats.
3. If we talk about powerful models that have a volume of up to 64 GB and 128 GB, then they can safely store movies, music, and even games. This volume will be sufficient. There are models on the market that have a volume of over 256 Gigabytes. However, they are rarely used in practice. They have long been replaced by external hard drives.

This is one of the most important parameters for an inexpensive USB stick. Some simply do not pay attention to it before buying, but in vain. It directly depends on how quickly all the information stored on the carrier will be read. If, for example, you purchase a device that is too slow, then a movie installed in the corresponding slot and viewed from this removable media will slow down.

This indicator is also important enough for best USB flash drives. The speed with which the device will record the necessary information directly depends on this. Sometimes you come across instances that copy files for several hours. Recording speed is specified in megabits per second. Pay attention to this parameter too, please. It is worth noting the fact that such a parameter as write speed is rarely indicated on store windows, so a person often buys a pig in a poke, that is, he does not really know how fast it will work.

Password protection

Password protection will keep your information confidential. Not all modern devices of this type are equipped with this option. Password requires special programthat is already installed on the media, or is installed by a person from the disk. By the way, you can password protect not all disk space, but only certain files.

Today, the best USB flash drive is necessarily equipped with a similar option. In fact, it is also a program that, at a certain point in time, starts recording all the information stored on the card on hDD personal computer. This option can be very useful to you, so be sure to pay attention to it.

Terms of Use

It directly depends on the conditions of use whether it is worth protecting it additionally or not. Some people use the card only occasionally. In this case, the drive does not have to be covered with anything. When a person inserts a USB flash drive into a computer ten times a day, he can damage it. In this case, he may need a waterproof case. Fortunately, these can be purchased today for a separate plan. By the way, some of the best USB sticks are already equipped with such a cover. Pay your attention to them.

Retractable connector or cap

There are two types of such devices on the market today. Some of them are closed with a special cap, while others simply slide into the body. The first option is considered preferable. Those flash drives that are retracted into the case are quite fragile. They can fail soon enough, which will lead to new economic infusions.

Design and ergonomics

Consideration of design and ergonomics should not be ignored either. Modern models must definitely emphasize the image of a person. Today on the market you can find a wide variety of devices that can be both convenient to use and not quite. Don't buy something fancy. A simple flash drive with a cap will perfectly emphasize the image of a business person. It can become a real human accessory.

Manufacturers

Yes, today on the market you can find a huge number of similar devices that are made in China. This country is famous for its products. Be sure to trust only those items that belong to factory China, that is, they are a brand. The drives from Kingston and Gigabyte are considered the best today.