Testing the Flash Voyager
We've
tested a couple different USB flash drives at PCstats, and realistically
speaking there isn't too much of a difference when it comes to file transfer
speeds and such. The main spec you'll want to watch out for is if the device is
'USB2.0' compliant, not just if it will work with a USB2.0 port. Devices which communicate at USB2.0 speeds do so at
480Mbits/second. This is sometimes also called Hi-Speed USB. On the other hand,
USB1.1 (or just USB) devices communicate at a paltry 12Mbits/second by
comparison.
Not all PCs have USB2.0 ports, but you can quickly
check your system by going to the 'Device Manager' under 'My Computer', and
expanding the 'Universal Serial Bus' section. If you see an entry along the lines
of 'Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller' present, then your system has USB2.0
ports. Different motherboard chipsets support different numbers of USB2.0 ports,
so consult your motherboard manual to find out which USB ports on the board are
'Hi-Speed.'
SiSoft Sandra 2005 |
Source:Sandra |
|
Sandra is designed to test the theoretical power of
a complete system and individual components. The numbers taken though are again,
purely theoretical and may not represent real world performance. Higher numbers
represent better performance.
|
Sandra
2005 Benchmark Results |
| Corsair Flash Voyager |
Crucial Gizmo
2.0 |
Crucial
Gizmo |
Gigabyte
GO-U0128B |
| Interface: USB2.0 |
Interface: USB2.0 |
Interface: USB1.1 |
Interface:
USB2.0 |
| Size: 512MB |
Size: 512MB |
Size: 256MB |
Size: 128MB |
|
Buffered Read : 17
MB/s
Sequential Read : 17 MB/s
Random Read : 14
MB/s
Buffered Write : 2641 kB/s
Sequential Write : 11
MB/s
Random Write : 7 MB/s
Average Access Time : 15
ms
Drive index 14000 |
Buffered Read : 5
MB/s
Sequential Read : 5 MB/s
Random Read : 3559 kB/s
Buffered
Write : 1657 kB/s
Sequential Write : 5 MB/s
Random Write : 1117
kB/s
Average Access Time : 5 ms
Drive index 3440 |
Buffered Read : 898
kB/s
Sequential Read : 898 kB/s
Random Read : 898 kB/s
Buffered
Write : 765 kB/s
Sequential Write : 892 kB/s
Random Write : 759
kB/s
Drive Index 718 |
Buffered Read : 8 MB/s
Sequential Read : 8
MB/s
Random Read : 8 MB/s
Buffered Write : 3382 kB/s
Sequential
Write : 7 MB/s
Random Write : 2264 kB/s
Drive Index 6193 |
The results SiSoft Sandra 2005 reports
is pretty close to what Corsair quotes the Flash Voyager as being capable of.
Buffered and Sequential read is 17MB/s, which is extremely fast, and Random read is still
quick at 14MB/s. The Flash Voyager is also very quick at writing with Buffered
write at 2.6MB, Sequential Write at 11MB/s and Random Write at 7MB/s. Access time
of the Flash Voyager is a little high at 15ms, I ran the test a few times and
got the same results.
Definitely
Different!
When it comes to moving data
around nothing can beat a good USB flash drive. With more manufacturers jumping
on the flash memory bandwagon, the increased competition has driven down prices
drastically. Earlier in the year I paid $170 CDN for a 512MB USB 2.0 drive, now
for that price you can almost buy a 2GB model that's substantially faster!
With a retail price of
$73 CDN ($59
US) , the Corsair Flash Voyager is quite a
good deal for a 512MB drive that's so fast. Performance in SiSoft Sandra speaks
for itself, and there the Flash Voyager is more than three times faster than the
Crucial Gizmo 2.0 in reading, and twice as fast when it comes to writing.
The rubber casing makes the
Flash Voyager extremely durable and if you're hard on your components you won't
have to worry about the Corsair Flash Voyager breaking! We dropped it down a flight of stairs which
didn't even leave a mark on the USB drive, and was good to go when we got back
into the office. The only things we have to complain about are purely cosmetic,
the rubber casing is sticky and a magnet for dirt and dust. If you're looking
for one of the fastest USB 2.0 drives on the market, the Corsair Flash Voyager
is exactly what the doctor ordered!
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