The 16GB Sandisk Extreme has led my USB 3.0 Flash drive group test since it was released back in Jun '12. Often with flash based devices, write speed scales linearly with capacity and the Extreme is no exception. The sequential write speeds for the different capacities are: 16GB = 62 MB/s, 32GB = 117 MB/s and 64GB = 188 MB/s. In the 64GB category there are several alternatives to the Extreme including the new Corsair Flash Voyager GT Turbo, Kingston HyperX and Patriot Supersonic Magnum. In the 16 GB category there are also a few viable alternatives but in the 32GB category I have yet to come across a drive that even comes close to the Sandisk Extreme from either a value for money OR performance perspective.
[Mar '13USBFlashPro]
Despite a very strong sequential read speed of 153 MB/s, we are disappointed with this drive. Given its high price point we expect a more symmetrical read/write performance profile. The drive is not alone in this regard, all to often manufacturers focus on headline speeds rather than factors that will impact real world performance. The drive has no indicator light, is priced relatively highly and has below average write speeds. At this time there are far better deals to be had in the market. [Aug '12USBFlashPro]
We highlight the best USB flash drive in terms of balanced performance and value for money using current prices, sequential read, sequential write , 4k read and 4k write speed. The speeds are combined to form a single effective speed which measures performance for tasks such as copying photos, music and videos. Effective speed is adjusted by current price and capacity to yield value for money. Finally thousands of individual user ratings are used to validate our benchmark figures. [USBFlashPro]
Welcome to our PC speed test tool. UserBenchmark will test your PC and compare the results to other users with the same components. You can quickly size up your PC, identify hardware problems and explore the best value for money upgrades.