Background

I have had the same Kingston DataTraveller DTSE9 since around 2010, when I was still in school. I’ve carried it on my keychain for at least 12 years and it still works, its “the old reliable”.

That said, it’s slow. Very slow. I use it mostly as a boot USB for Linux / Windows, so I need several sticks with decent random read speed, and decent write speed for when I update them.

My criteria were:

  • All-metal construction for durability, including the keychain loop
  • Sits well on a keychain next to keys
  • Reasonable speed, including random reads.

Testing method

I evaluated the sticks in two ways.

I ran CrystalDiskMark with 256 MiB (x5) configuration.

I also measured the angle at which the USB stick sits on a keyring. I found that several of them could not sit perpendicular to a keyring it because of their geometry, which makes it difficult to comfortably use them next to keys.

At the datum of 0 degrees, the key sits perpendicular to the keyring.

Results

The competitors

Here are the 6 main competitors in this space I bought.

All transfer units are in MB/s.

Product Price (£) Angle on keyring (0deg is best) Sequential reads Q8T1 Sequential reads Q1T1 Random reads Q32T1 Random reads Q1T1 Sequential writes Q8T1 Sequential writes Q1T1 Random writes Q32T1 Random writes Q1T1
Corsair GTX 128GB 65 (256GB version) 0 470.214 429.330 157.436 19.390 436.990 414.201 166.829 38.937
Samsung Bar 64GB 10 55 305.424 305.268 14.517 13.428 36.434 36.247 20.537 21.619
Kingston DTSE9G3 64GB 11 0 246.705 244.496 13.756 13.028 100.236 110.054 0.484 0.474
Integral Arc 3 10 0 162.336 161.338 15.567 11.188 49.457 47.965 5.032 4.244
Kingston DataTraveller Micro 64GB 11 0 247.000 245.247 13.788 12.961 100.932 101.292 0.496 0.470
Sandisk Ultra Luxe 64GB 12 25 403.863 399.974 12.438 12.054 91.835 91.685 4.272 4.258

Some additional notes:

  • The Samsung Bar had really sharp corners. You might need to file them down like I did.
  • Corsair GTX: the 128GB version is no longer available and the lowest capacity is 256GB. It’s more of a portable SSD in the form of a USB stick, which makes it really fast, but it’s bulkier than a normal USB stick, though not by much. Often it takes up more than one USB port because it’s wide. It’s still very good and I recommend it.

Other devices

Some related products I own but don’t qualify for this comparison but are offered up here for context.

Here’s why they don’t qualify.

  • Crucial P3 Plus: It’s an NVME SSD. Can be made portable with a good enclosure, but too bulky for what I’m looking for.

  • Samsung 860 Evo: It’s a SATA SSD, definitely not the right form factor.

  • Sandisk Ultra Curve: I bought this thinking it was made out of metal, but it was not. It’s fairly flimsy plastic.

  • Kingston DTSE9 16GB: This is my old stick. The old reliable. No longer sold, but I’ve tested its successor.

  • Samsung SD Card: It’s a 2016 MicroSD card connected to my PC via a MicroSD-SD adapter and a USB card reader. I included this as a meme.

Product Sequential reads Q8T1 Sequential reads Q1T1 Random reads Q32T1 Random reads Q1T1 Sequential writes Q8T1 Sequential writes Q1T1 Random writes Q32T1 Random writes Q1T1
Crucial P3 Plus M.2 NVME 2TB 1598.227 1332.131 305.220 46.643 1560.989 1452.256 238.134 102.502
Samsung 860 Evo SATA 1TB 564.446 539.913 272.631 43.322 536.440 518.168 238.752 101.313
Sandisk Ultra Curve 160.091 158.859 9.271 9.043 58.680 60.377 2.902 3.209
Old Kingston DTSE9 16GB 18.452 18.220 8.473 8.096 13.626 13.629 0.115 0.026
Samsung Memory Pro Plus Micro SD Card 20.765 20.969 5.146 5.102 19.493 20.316 2.181 3.421

Conclusion

There are no clear winners in this fight.

  • The Corsair GTX is the fastest in all categories by a country mile, but has a larger form-factor than other entries and higher price. Very good, but not for everyone.
  • Samsung Bar has the fastest random writes, and decent performance in other metrics for its USB stick form factor, but sits awful on a keychain due to the angled hole.
  • The Integral Arc 3 has solid random performance, but worst sequential performance than the rest.
  • Sandisk Ultra Luxe gets the best overall balance of performance, but does not sit on the keychain super well.
  • The two Kingston’s perform effectively the same, with the Micro being much more compact. That said, that can be a disadvantage on a keyring if there are adjacent items.
  • All competitors (bar the GTX) had similar random reads.

For me, I’d say the right choice is either the Kingston DTSE9G3. It’s a nice upgrade over my old DTSE9 and sits nicely next to it’s grandfather. If I needed any random writes though, for copying lots of small documents like code files, I’d pick the Integral Arc 3.

  • Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    59·
    6 days ago

    Others have said this but THANK YOU SO MUCH! This is extremely valuable info for me as I pretty much only want full metal flash drives. I have a couple Samsung Bars, and I will absolutely snag a GTX.

  • ChojinDSL@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    25·
    5 days ago

    I’m curious if anyone has ever done a longevity test. Rather than Io performance, I’m more interested in how quickly they wear out.

  • SapphironZA@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    40·
    6 days ago

    One of these took me through university in 2002

    I really miss the hardware read only switch.

    Computer labs did not have front USB back in those days, so we had to choose between floppies or diving under the desks. I was in the diver club.

    32MB was massive for documents at the time. It could hold your entire academic life back then.

  • BlueLineBae@midwest.socialEnglish
    37·
    6 days ago

    My husband has had a metal USB stick that is shaped like a key and is very thin specifically for this purpose. I don’t know the brand as it’s not printed on it, but it’s lasted him a long time and I would assume it to win this contest by a landslide. Excellent analysis, very interesting!

    For reference, it looks like this (not the same brand):

    • BearOfaTime@lemm.eeEnglish
      22·
      6 days ago

      LaCie IAmAKey. No longer made. Current ones are made from aluminum and bend easily. Originals were stainless and rigid.

      My 2006 one just died, and I’m so frustrated with the new ones. Fortunately they’re pretty cheap, so who cares.

      • GhostlyPixel@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        5 days ago

        Yep I had a couple aluminum ones, the 90 degree walls by the contacts would always bend inward to make a trapezoid ship on the connector instead of a rectangle and they sucked to try to bend back every time

    • foggenbooty@lemmy.worldEnglish
      49·
      6 days ago

      It would win the “will it fit nicely on a keychain” by a landsline.

      However I doubt it would suit OP’s needs as the contacts are exposed so durability may be suspect, and seeing as it is generic I doubt the performance is up to his standards.

      • BearOfaTime@lemm.eeEnglish
        8·
        6 days ago

        The contacts were surprisingly robust. Mine just died, sadly.

        New ones are crappy knockoffs, but they’re cheap enough.

  • Atherel@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    221·
    6 days ago

    I had one Samsung Bar fail after two years, the second one still works.

    At the moment I’m using a Philips Moon Edition USB stick but only since February. Can’t speak for long term usage and didn’t do any benchmark but I’m happy so far and the form factor would meet your criteria.

  • Emerald@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    12·
    6 days ago

    Pro tip from me (a pro): Never buy flash drives that aren’t one metal body. I have broke a 128GB flash drive simply by putting a tad bit too much pressure on it and misaligning the USB connector. It now doesn’t work. I also injured one by misaligning the usb in the plastic case. It still works but isn’t ideal.

    Even if it is one plastic body, the plastic will chip away with insertions. My SanDisk Ultra Dual is in rough shape because of the weak plastic. Meanwhile my SanDisk Ultra Dual Luxe (the metal variant) is still pristine.

    Also, don’t buy cheap flash drives if you wish to use them frequently. They have terribly slow speeds even if they use a USB 3.0 interface. They might work okay as install media which you only need to use every few months or years, but they have painfully slow write speeds.

    Edit: Yes, I know the metal drives have thermal issues. But thermal issues are better then losing the entire drive because the casing chips away and exposes the connector to things that eventually kill it.

    • Armand1@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      10·
      6 days ago

      I agree of course, hence why I am only picking metal ones. I’ve lost USB sticks to broken clips and bodies.

      Why would they have thermal issues? If anything, they should dissipate heat better than plastic drives.

      Or is it that by thermal issues people mean that they get hot to the touch?

  • thinkyfish@lemmy.worldEnglish
    13·
    6 days ago

    you should check out the kingston SE9 G2. It has a smaller loop end and so it works way better on a keychain. unfortunately they didn’t keep the feature for the G3.

    picture Amazon Link

  • MangoPenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    8·
    6 days ago

    It’s wild just how slow most thumb drives benchmark even with recent models, the Samsung Bar at 36MB/s is just ridiculous, that’s 30 minutes of waiting to fill it up entirely!

    A basic V30 microSD card is at least that fast!

  • freeman@feddit.orgEnglish
    81·
    6 days ago

    I have a stick dangeling on my keychain too, also in heavy use. But due to my Mac-Friends i need one with usb-c. So I settled for this: 81gqM6ouEcL.SL1500-247235771 The hinge is still holding on since almost a year. Also have two of those: sandisk_ultra_dual_usb_c_flash_drive_3-1009136228 But they seem a lot cheaper, flimsier and I probably got ripped off by a dropshipper.

    Havent benchmarked them, if anyone knows of a comparison as good as this one for “dual” usb sticks, let me know!

    • Gumus@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      5 days ago

      I have the bottom one and it’s a piece of crap. The clip is weaker then the friction required to insert the stick into the USB slot - it just slides back into the body. And it overheats as hell.

  • y0kai@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    2·
    5 days ago

    Out of curiosity, could the Samsung and Sandisk not have been flipped over on the ring to fit at a better angle? I realize they’ll run around the ring and be at the worse angle in your pocket from time to time but, I guess I’m just wondering how you made the measurement. The Samsung bar in the picture is at a solid 90 degrees to the GTX, which would be annoying as hell if the GTX was replaced by a set of keys lol

    • Armand1@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      2·
      5 days ago

      Like you say, it will just happen on the other side as I don’t normally hang them from a chain. I’d rather pick something that hangs nicely from the start.

  • xploit@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    6 days ago

    Any noticeable durability issues? Had my Samsung stick die completely just outside of warranty window…

    • Armand1@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      2·
      6 days ago

      I just got it, so I couldn’t say. Someone else in these comments said theirs failed too.

      • Lumisal@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        6 days ago

        I have 2, a 32gb and a 64gb, that I’ve had for over 6 years I think. Not sure exactly how long since I’ve had them for a long time - since before I met my wife, so maybe I got them when they first came out?

  • AllHailTheSheep@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    3·
    6 days ago

    beautiful post, thank you!! I’ve been using the same traveling USB for ages at this point and will probably upgrade soon, this research is super useful

  • Acters@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    5 days ago

    For durability and smallest features, a metal unibody types that don’t have seams are great.

    For performance, I opt to have an nvme SATA enclosure that is USB 3.1 capable. Copying 15 GB in a minute or 2 is so satisfying. Plus my god being able to easily change the nvme SATA drive on the fly if needed and it being able to go up to a few TB without loss of performance is just to good

    For price, nothing beats free. Just don’t expect much more than what you get.

  • GhostlyPixel@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    6 days ago

    Much appreciated!

    With no clear winner in terms of performance, which one do you think has the most durable material? I have been using a Corsair Voyager mini for years, which I think has an aluminum shell, and it very quickly bent inward on the side that doesn’t have the contacts, usually I need to put a key or some other metal thing into the USB slot of the drive to re-flatten it before it can be plugged in.