Not only, do most of them not feature any kind of useful technical data, on the shiping box, but the fact, that if one feature is in one stick better than in another, does not mean that this goes for all features.
So instead of simply extrapolating from one known value, an actual test suite is needed, to get any idea, if the stick is any good for the intended purpose.
Here's were benchmark programs enter the picture.
A good benchmark program should be easy to use and easy to understand, yet give all the necessary informations.
For this short review, i already eliminated all programs, which can test only a single feature or require expert knowledge to even set the test properly up.
The survivors are:
- h2testw
- Atto Disk Benchmark
- Crystal Disk Mark
- AS SSD Benchmark
- HD Tune
h2testw
----------
h2testw is a very simple program. It just tests sequentiell read and write and creates an error log for the tested area.
Values shown are usually a bit lower than what other tools show.
Very easy to use and good enough for all, who move only big files. Though, where big begins, differs from stick to stick.
Atto Disk Benchmark
-------------------------
Atto Disk Benchmark is a very nice tool, as it shows the read and write rates for any number of different file sizes and thereby gives one a good idea, what performance to expect from the drive in any situation.
Unfortunately all values show sequentiell operations. Not a single random access test. Also no display of accesstimes.
But if you use your stick solely for transporting files from her to there, this is the only tool you will ever need!
Crystal Disk Mark
---------------------
A very nice and simple interface, which gives you not the in depth view of Atto, but instead an overview of the usefulness of the stick in various usage scenarios.
On top we see the top read and write speeds, which only big files will ever have.
Then we have the 4k and 512k random tests. Which show performance while reading or writing the usual small individual files, like pictures and documents.
And last a test, which is suppose to emulated the performance of the stick, when a program is directly run from it.
AS SSD Benchmark
------------------------
In essence a Crystal Disk Mark on steroids, with some major drawbacks, i don't want to keep from you.
A:) This is a .Net application, so imo not usable in a PE
B:) There is no way to select the size to be tested. It always uses 1GB, which means easily hours for the 4k tests.
(Despite the picture, this comes also with an english interface!)HD Tune
-----------
A classic. It gives top read speed and read access time. Equiped with those two and some experience on can easy guess the performance loss with smaller files. However the missing write tests, make it only useful for people, who hardly ever write to the stick, like for the use as a boot stick.
(Write tests are available in the buyware HD Tune Pro.)
Last, but not least two recommendations from me.
The SanDisk Cruzer Micro Skin, is without a doubt the most sturdy USB-Stick, i have ever seen.
What makes this stick so sturdy is, the genius constructed shell. Instead of the usual, where the connector is just soldered to PCB and the PCB then put in two plastic shells, here the outer connector and the shell holding the PCB are a single metal part wrapped in a thin silicon skin.
A friend of mine managed, by accident, to lift his whole PC of the table by this stick.
The HDD was toast afterwards, but the stick didn't even had a bend.
- top read speed 24MB/s
- top write speed 10MB/s
- price ~16Euro for the 8GB version
The Supertalent Pico-?, deliver the best boot performance for the buck, but also have a lot of problems.
For the Pico-C, SuperTalent seems to have reinvented the USB standard to their liking. Many people report, that the stick is about 0,5mm too thick and has to be forced into the port on first use. Once the port is widened, it works good.
To give you an idea, what forcing in means, take this: More than one person has reported, that he actually broke the port while trying to get the stick in!
The Pico-A line does not have this problem. The stick fits easily in the USB-Port and delivers even a bit better performance. (Since i only own this version, the swivel to be exact, i can only compare to what i've read about the C.)
HOWEVER the stick is very thin and made from plastic. I would really think twice, before putting it into a port, while being angry.
- top read speed 30MB/s
- top write speed 12MB/s
- price ~18Euro for the 8GB version
If you're looking for a stick with any higher write performance, you immediately double the price tag.
Reviews and recommendationss for other good or even better benchmark programs and USB-Sticks are welcome.
