![]() The physical design can also be important. In some cases, you may find that the 32GB or 64GB version of a drive is significantly slower than the 128GB or 256GB version, so bear this in mind if you’re looking for a drive that can transfer large quantities of data quickly. Speeds can also vary with the capacity of the drive, with write speeds particularly affected. As we said, if you want the highest levels of performance with a larger capacity, you could be better off with a 500GB SSD. We’re seeing USB 3.2 Gen 2 SSDs reach speeds in excess of 1,700MB/sec and even USB 3.2 Gen 1 SSDs can hit 540MB/sec or more, but the fastest USB flash drives we’ve seen are stuck at under 400MB/sec, and most are significantly slower. This really comes down to the speeds of the controllers on the drives and the flash memory being used. The USB 3.1 interface goes up to a potential 1,250MB/sec, although, again, no actual USB memory sticks get even close to that performance. USB 2.0 drives are now unusual, and even the cheapest drives support USB 3.0, with theoretical speeds of up to 625MB/sec (though no drives actually reach this level). The controllers usually support a range of USB standards, with the fastest being USB 3.1 (or USB 3.2 Gen 1 as it’s often called now) or USB 3.2 Gen 2. Most USB flash drives sport a standard, rectangular USB-A connector, though the popularity of USB-C in laptops and tablets means that dual-interface and USB-C only drives are becoming more and more popular. Performance is determined by three things: the interface, USB mass storage controller and NAND flash memory chip within the drive. We’re even seeing a few 512GB drives creeping through, although here a USB SSD will give you more performance for around the same price. 64GB is probably the sweet spot, particularly if you’re not moving massive files around, but if you’re working with game files or video, or adding some extra storage space to a laptop, a 128GB or 256GB drive can be well worth the extra. You’ll pay £5 to £8 more for a 64GB drive, and it’s really only once you get to 128GB and above that you start paying the big bucks. 8GB and 16GB drives still exist, but these days there’s precious little price difference between them and a 32GB drive. ![]() When most of us buy a USB flash drive, we’re balancing price against capacity. Things only get expensive with the highest-capacity drives, but you can still find 256GB devices for between £30 and £50 without much effort. Shop online and you can pick up a 32GB USB 3.0 stick for well under £10, or double the capacity for just a fiver or so more. There’s an abundance of great options at every price point, and choosing a higher capacity, better performance or a particular physical design rarely costs much more than buying a basic device. Like SD and microSD cards, USB flash drives have become a commodity product. How to choose the best USB memory stick for you How much do they cost? Plug in one of today’s low-profile efforts and you can add 64GB for less than £15. Finally, USB flash drives are ideal for expanding the limited storage space you tend to get on budget laptops. Many TVs, media boxes and car stereos can play music or video files directly from a USB stick, and you’re less likely to lose one than you are an SD card. You wouldn’t want to use one for full PC backups, but they’re ideal for keeping a safe copy of important documents or photos, and you can stash them in a locked drawer or safe. Nor is this the only reason to keep a flash drive within arm’s reach. It’s quick, easy and reliable – and incredibly cheap to boot. There’s no faster way to move massive files than to plug a flash drive into one computer, copy the files across, then plug it into the other and reverse the process. While it’s more convenient to move data from one PC to another using the cloud, it’s not much fun doing it with 8GB or more of video files and photos. There’s an argument that USB flash drives (or memory sticks) are the best bargains in storage today.
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