this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2024
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Would Lemmings be so kind as to post their USB-A/C memory sticks of choice?
Right now I have a small collection of Kingston USB drives I bought a decade ago. Haven't had any issues with them yet, but I know they won't last forever. They're all named Reebok[storage capacity] (because sneaker-net).
A colleague of mine recommended https://bulkmemorycards.com/ saying every device he's gotten from them was exactly as advertised. I've yet to need to order more but I bookmarked it for the next time I need to order more boot drives
I really like what explainingcomputers did for their pi4 build, where they basically convert a m.2 SSD into a big usb thumb drive with a simple metal enclosure. Check it out, the timestamp you want is 6:25
I went this route as well. You can get a good quality usb 3.1 portable nvme enclosure for ~$20-$30 (be careful not to accidentally buy the msata version, which is cheaper but slower). Now you have a very fast thumbdrive! The main drawback is, unlike traditional thumbdrive, I can't use it on my android phone. Not sure if higher end phone with usb 3.1 port can actually use it.
I have an nvme enclosure with USB on one end and USBC on the other end. It reads on my Pixel phones as well as on my Samsung tablet.
Now that you mention 3.1 compatibility with devices, I wonder if my enclosure is only 3.0 or if all my devices support 3.1. I've never done a speed test on it, but I guess I should.
Your Android phone can mount an external drive enclosure over OTG, just make sure it's compatible and formatted properly.
Depends on how much current the drive draws. If the m2 SSD needs more current than your regular thumb drive, your phone might not supply enough power and it stays unusable.
Besides that, as long a the enclosure uses the standard protocol and the filesystem is supported by Android, it should work
My old Android phone only has USB 2.0 port and can't mount the external nvme drive (I tried with a USB 3.1 otg dongle). The same nvme drive with the otg dongle works on M2 MBA though.
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
Check it out,
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I buy SanDisk CruzerBlade drives from AliExpress. Of course, there's a risk you get a fake one, but with how cheap they are already, it might not be worth it manufacturing fakes anyway.
There's a scratch-off sticker at the back with a code to check on SanDisk website. It will also tell you whether it was checked before, which would mean it was copied.
They don't seem to have the best sequential write speed, but have great random-access, at least compared to some other random flash drives one of which was Panasonic drive.
This is great if you want to run programs off of the flash drive, or even a whole OS. Under normal use, even a USB 2.0 CruzerBlade performs better than my 5,400RPM SMR HDD running Linux Mint, granted you're not copying large files or downloading stuff. Of course, in that case USB 3 version (Ultra Shift) is better.
Wouldn't buying directly from SanDisk eliminate the risk of fakes?
Directly from sandisk should be fine, but just want to point out that's not the same as sandisk on a marketplace such as Amazon. There's some arrangements where Amazon will combine bins of a same product and let oem lots mix with reseller lots. Sometimes knockoffs get mixed in to legit lots. Amazon can make exclusive bins for a price, of course
Perhaps. ~~But it seems the Chinese versions might be a bit cheaper.~~ (nevermind, it seems the prices are just higher with both now) Also I don't know about shipping to Slovakia.
Anyway, I just checked it. After visiting the website, they redirected me to European version. I searched for Ultra Shift, I got the result, clicked on it, 404: https://www.westerndigital.com/en-ie/products/usb-flash-drives/sandisk-ultra-shift-usb
Nice...
AliExpress is not exactly known for their trustworthiness.
My SanDisk usb A/C dual 64gb has been abused for quite some time and still works perfectly. Hosted a portable windows install so I could test pcs and has probably transferred more than 2tb of GoPro footage sofar.
I don't have a need for any (if I need USB storage for an OS image or such there's always the card reader and a 64G Samsung MicroSD I have lying around), but if in doubt I'd go with Samsung or Crucial on the basis, just like with SSDs, that they produce their own NAND.
...and looking around it doesn't seem that Crucial is producing USB sticks. So Samsung it is. 10 bucks for 64G for the cheapest isn't bad if you ask me. Fast ones the cheapest seems to be around 30 bucks for 256G, 400MB/s read 110MB/s write that's bordering on SATA speeds.
Kingston certainly is a reputable company though, they won't use completely bargain-bin chips or pull false capacity shenanigans. But they also won't be significantly cheaper than the chip manufacturers.
Another option would be to buy a USB case for an old SATA or M.2 SSD you have lying around, or are eyeing to upgrade. Or use your phone.
My personal preference is Patriot flash drives, and has been for the past decade. I’ve got 3 older flash drives that I would commonly use, and they were very reliable.
I just recently bought this one, as I was looking for a drive that would take full advantage of USB 3.2 speeds. It definitely does, I get 300+ MB/s writes regularly on it.
https://www.patriotmemory.com/products/rage-prime-usb-3-2-flash-drive
One decade old Kingston Datatraveler, one newer cheap Datatraveler, and a whole bunch of SATA SSDs inside usb3 enclosures