The SanDisk Extreme 16GB USB 3.0 flash drive follows the same principle as the Extreme SSD we reviewed recently: provide a great performing product into the hands of people at an affordable price.
Design
Our test unit came in the retail packaging which contained the flash drive sealed in between two plastic sheets. Once the solitary item was taken out of the packaging I could see that the matt black finish of the body and the glossy push-button (to extend out the USB head) looked fairly decent; nothing solid, but alright for the price.
Design
Our test unit came in the retail packaging which contained the flash drive sealed in between two plastic sheets. Once the solitary item was taken out of the packaging I could see that the matt black finish of the body and the glossy push-button (to extend out the USB head) looked fairly decent; nothing solid, but alright for the price.
Once plugged in the available memory was 14.9GB on the 16GB flash drive, and it came with the SanDisk SecureAcess software that allows you to setup a password for the drive and encrypts your data at 128-bit AES.
Benchmarks
Of course, the main reason for buying the SanDisk Extreme 16GB USB 3.0 is speedy transfer rates, so let’s check that out. The tests were carried out using two methods:
Benchmarks
Of course, the main reason for buying the SanDisk Extreme 16GB USB 3.0 is speedy transfer rates, so let’s check that out. The tests were carried out using two methods:
- CrystalDiskMark for the sequential read and write speeds
- Transferring a 7.85GB folder of Diablo III (containing 68 files in 14 folders)
Both tests provide a synthetic and real world idea of the actual read and write speeds.
Conclusion
As you can see, while CrystalDiskMark provided the results in line with SanDisk’s claimed speeds, a real world test showing multiple files of various sizes results in quite a different scenario. Indeed the actual transfer (from the SanDisk Extreme 16GB to my SSD) started out at 202Mbps (close to the rated speeds), but within 15 seconds the speed gradually dropped down to 77.8Mbps, resulting in a total transfer time of 1 minute amp; 40 seconds.
Still, the write speed is close to the rated speed and I can’t fault SanDisk there. It certainly is disappointing to see sequential read speeds drop over time, but if you frequently copy a small number of files, then it’s something you can live with. For AED 80 the SanDisk Extreme 16GB USB 3.0 is a decent price/performance purchase, besting most of its competitors in this price range.
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