TOP 5 capacious flash drives as an alternative to a hard drive

The 256 GB SanDisk Cruzer Glide drive is hidden in a glossy black plastic case, in the middle of which there is a large red button for extending the USB connector. On the one hand, this protects it from damage (and you will not lose the protective cap), on the other hand, when unfolded, the length of the flash drive reaches a decent 6 centimeters. As for the design, thanks to the combination of red and black gloss, the flash drive looks spectacular, but quickly collects handprints.

For its price, the Cruzer Glide boasts decent speed indicators. According to official data, the buyer receives 100 Mbps for reading and 20 Mbps for writing. In synthetic tests, the picture turns out to be identical. These figures are relevant only when using USB 3.0 and copying large files. In the case of using the old version of USB 2.0 and transferring archives that consist of many small files, the speed indicators will drop several times.

A small bonus to the SanDisk Cruzer Glide USB 3.0 comes from SanDisk software called SecureAccess, which allows you to create a secure folder with support for 128-bit AES encryption. This will allow you to hide your personal files from prying eyes.

The Kingston DataTraveler 100 G3 case is made of matte fine-grained plastic with the Kingston logo on the front side. The design of the flash drive is quite strict and minimalistic, but aesthetically distinct and cute, associated with a business style. The DataTraveler 100 G3 does not have a protective cap for the USB connector, as it is equipped with a sliding mechanism with automatic locking in the closed and open position. The only thing you can find fault with is a fairly wide case, which can make it difficult to access other USB ports of a computer or laptop.

When using USB 3.0, Kingston DataTraveler 100 G3 has quite interesting passport speed indicators: 130 Mbps for reading and only 10 Mbps for writing. This is a noticeable difference, which would be worth worrying about if synthetic tests did not paint a different picture In CrystalDiskMark, the flash drive shows an average of 155 Mbps and 60 Mbps for reading and writing, while in ATTO Disk we will see figures at the level of 150 Mbps and 70 Mbps. This model is also compatible with USB 2.0.

This speed allows you to quickly transfer large files from a USB flash drive and back, for example, Blu Ray rips of new blockbusters for viewing on TV. All this makes the Kingston DataTraveler 100 G3 one of the best inexpensive alternatives to external hard drives for storing backups.

Sandisk positions the Ultra series as reliable, fast and versatile flash drives for all occasions. For example, there is no cap to protect the USB port. Instead, there is a convenient slider for opening / closing, which looks quite strong and at the same time does not require effort to remove the drive from the "shell". The second point is the presence of the proprietary SanDisk SecureAccess application, which allows you to encrypt data on a flash drive.

With a passport read speed of up to 100 Mbps, SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 allows you to transfer huge amounts of data to your computer in a matter of seconds. You can copy a 1.46 GB movie to a PC in a matter of seconds, and you will have to wait about two and a half minutes to transfer it to a USB flash drive. Despite the name, SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 supports the USB 2.0 interface, but in this case, the speed indicators will decrease significantly.

All this makes SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 the optimal solution for tasks related to reading information of any volume. Fortunately, the 256 GB memory reserve allows you to store photos and audio recordings, use a USB flash drive as a car radio, media player or TV, as well as store backups from a computer on it, without resorting to the help of an additional disk or cloud storage.

Many flash drive manufacturers are following the lead of the mass market, increasing the volume and speed, but not really caring about data security and the long-term operation of the device. Samsung BAR Plus differs from them by combining high write/read speed, a large memory reserve of 256 GB and increased protection measures.

The drive is clad in a protective metal case that is not afraid of impacts, can withstand immersion under water (to a depth of 1 m for 72 hours) and boasts resistance to X-rays, temperature changes and demagnetization. At the same time, Samsung BAR Plus is compact and lightweight even by the standards of compact flash drives — its dimensions are 40x16x12 mm with a weight of only 12 grams.

The data reading speed of the device is 300 Mbps. The manufacturer assures that you can copy a 3 GB file from the drive in just 10 seconds. Writing files to a USB flash drive is traditionally slower. In addition to USB 3.1, Samsung BAR Plus is backward compatible with the older USB 2.0.

The only disadvantage of this Samsung brainchild manifests itself under prolonged load: copying a large database, you may find that the metal case of the flash drive has noticeably heated up. However, this does not manifest itself so often, and such a disadvantage can be tolerated for the sake of increased protection.

With the development of the USB interface, flash drives have greatly increased in speed, but there are still not enough really high-speed devices on the market. One of the representatives of this rare breed is Kingston HyperX Savage USB.

The drive opens when connected to USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 ports. In the latter case, it almost catches up with inexpensive SSD drives, demonstrating a read speed of 350 Mbps, and 250 Mbps for writing. These are very, very cool indicators, which, for example, allow you to copy a 4 GB movie to a flash drive in just 30 seconds.

To emphasize the racing character of the HyperX Savage USB, Kingston designers hid the flash drive in a stylish expressive casing with a large letter X along the entire body. At the same time, the USB connector is hidden under the removable lid, which is more difficult to lose than usual — if necessary, it can be put on the opposite end of the case.

On the other hand, you have to pay for all this — Kingston HyperX Savage will cost 2-3 times more expensive than most of its 256 GB counterparts and with USB support for the third version. Therefore, this model can be recommended to time-demanding buyers who often plan to move large amounts of data from place to place.