Tech nerds, blogs and industry experts will say that purchasing a USB flash drive worth the money. Bloggers need to find new things to write about, and they also want to get new links in order to advertise affiliate products. But are these blogs providing valuable information prior to someone spending their hard-earned dollars?
Comparing the difference between USB 3.0 and USB 3.1, we will be able to discover some useful information.
Universal Serial Buses have different transfer rates depending on their version. USB 3.1 is a specification that has a max transfer rate of 1.250 MB/second. USB 3.0 specifications have a transfer rate that taps out at a maximum of 625MB/second. This is the theoretical transfer speed. Whenever someone mentions ” maximum theoretical transfer speed“, it implies that the conditions are ideal. As an example, if the host computer is able to push this much data while the receiving device has the throughput necessary to receive it, both devices are in perfect harmony. Does that reflect the real-world – should you buy a USB Flash Drive with USB 3.1?
The following are some images, and this is the order in which we will be reading them:
- Screen shots showing the USB device types (USB 3.00 and USB 3.1).
- Screen shots of benchmarking software that tests USB and USB 3.0 technologies
- Screenshots from a copy job in the real world using a Windows Computer
Below are screen shots of a USB 3.1 as well as a USB 3.00 flash drive. Both flash drives utilize an SMI USB 3.0/3.1 controller. Micron Technology provides the same superior controllers as those used in iPhones. NAND MLC memory (multi-layer cells) is slower than SLC NAND (single cell). USB flash drives are not equipped with SLC memory due to the high cost of NAND and the limited availability of SLC. Flash drives can be mass produced and are meant to serve as low-cost storage and data transfer tools. Speed, however, is not a priority despite the online marketing.
The benchmark speed tests below are for both USB devices discussed today.
The program provides two benchmarking settings. The program has two test settings for benchmarking a speed test. One is the theoretical maximum device speed. This setting writes data to memory directly without accounting for operating systems and devices overhead. Consider this a random write-test to any available sector in the flash drive.
The second test mode is a sequence of writes that include the operating systems and devices overhead caches for placing the files in a file allocation table. This requires extra time during the data transfer for logging where each sector was written as well as the calculation needed to write the next bit. This second setting is more similar to a real-world situation.
Speed benchmark software provides a summary of device capabilities in a short time. So the first test mode is intended to demonstrate the theoretical write speed, or “burst”, write speed. The second test is to demonstrate a more “sustained speed”. Any benchmark software is designed for a quick and simple snapshot of what a device can do. But, can it?
- USB 3.0 flash drives will write data with a burst of 67MB/second, and a sustained 59MB/second.
- USB 3.1 flash drives can write at speeds of up to 244MB/second for bursts and 151MB/second for sustained data.
Can it do it?
A difference is noticeable when writing at 30% of device capacity or more, compared with shorter benchmark speed testing.
When you look at these numbers, you might think that USB 3.1 USB flash drives are particularly fast. The data that tech blogs post would support the statement: “Yes it’s worth buying a USB Flash Drive with USB 3.1.”
Let’s dig deeper and see how these same drives perform with more data. In the screen shots, we use a 32GB flash drive. Nearly 45GBs are loaded. The results will not be impressive.
- USB 3.0 flash drive can write at a rate of 67MB/s burst, or 59MB/s sustained.
- USB 3.1 flash drives can write at speeds of up to 244MB/s burst, and 151MB/s sustained.
As you can see from the graph, we initially observed a burst-like transfer speed. However, as time went on, the write speed began to drop significantly. In the screenshots below, the USB flash drive shows a sustained transfer speed (68MB/second) of the USB 3.0. This speed test is close to what was seen in the benchmarking software. The second screenshot below shows that the USB 3.0 flash drive’s average transfer speed is only 18MB/second. This is terrible. It is clear that the initial write speed was over 200MB/second but it then dropped significantly.
Why does the USB device have such a low transfer rate?
The device became very warm during operation. If the USB controller heats up too much, it slows down the writing speed to reduce the heat and maintain . This isn’t the only cause of performance drop, but it is certainly a factor.
In order to make a decision, you should look at the above information rather than just marketing material that defines write speeds. The sustained transfer speed may not be important for all applications or the user might not want the hassle of testing each drive. A company that is looking to buy a lot of USB 3.0 flash drives should take the time necessary to ensure the quality. When loading data to large flash drives, companies often use a USB flash drive duplicator. One common use of bulk USB 3.1 Flash drives and flash memory duplicators by a business would be to copy restore images for computer installations in the field. Most companies prefer offline restore media in case of equipment failure and reimaging. It’s true that, in many cases, restoring a computer is difficult because the connection needed to download the image files may be slow, the computer may be malfunctioning, or even the operating system might be infected. A flash drive or other offline restore device is vital for those who may need it.
Should you buy a USB Flash Drive 3.1?
The value you get from a USB 3.1 Flash Drive will be determined by the performance of that device. You can get the data you need from the manufacturer to find out about USB 3.1 write speeds.
