USB Flash Drive Transfer Speed

[Barryng]

I have a need to transfer almost 25 Gigabytes of files to another computer at a geographically different location once each week. All the files are located in a single tree structured directory system so it is easy to use Windows explorer to to just copy and paste the highest level folder to something like a USB flash or hard drive.

Using the machine in my signature, and a good quality flash drive (Corsair 32 GB), the maximum transfer rate is only around 11 MB/sec but averages closer to a dismal 8-9 MB/sec. This just takes much too long. Is this typical and reasonable for a USB 2.0 Flash drive? An external USB HDD does a little better and averages about 10 MB/sec.

 

[Amnesiac]

RohXS, might you know the specs/ a link to your flash drive? It sounds like you may be being limited to USB 1.0. Do you connect your flash drive through a hub or to your computer? Is your 25GB of data fewer large files or many small files? What is the flash drive currently formatted as?

No. He is not being limited to 'USB 1.0'.

@ OP, Unless you shift to external HDD or to USB 3.0, that is the max you will achieve.

 

[Woomack]

Since there is some random files read then max transfers are dropping especially on usb flash drive.
Best will be to get external hdd USB 2.0 or 3.0.
USB 2.0 drives are usually making up to 30-32MB/s read/write. USB 3.0 depends from drives and USB controller but usually up to 80-100MB/s read.

I have PQI 32GB old, 1st generation SSD that also has USB 2.0 port and it's making up to ~32MB/s read/write with reasonable random transfers.
I don't know if these are still available but some SSD have SATA-> USB cable ( like Crucial M4 ).

 

[Barryng]

Since there is some random files read then max transfers are dropping especially on usb flash drive.

USB 2.0 drives are usually making up to 30-32MB/s read/write.

Thanks for the response. The total size of the files I am copying is 23.4 GB but that consists almost 28,000 files in almost 4,000 folders.

I ordered a USB 3.0 32GB Corsair memory stick and a USB 3.0 1 TB Seagate HDD from Newegg yesterday. Hopefully one or both of these will result in traansfer rates that are not as unreasonably time consuming as the USB 2.0 devices are providing.

 

[wingman99]

The USB 3.0 32GB Corsair memory stick should do the job well. USB 3.0 is 400 MB/s

Make sure you use the blue USB 3.0 ports on the back of the case unless you have the optional 2 blue USB ports on the front.

 

[Amnesiac]

The USB 3.0 32GB Corsair memory stick should do the job well. USB 3.0 is 400 MB/s

Yeah right. In your dreams, I presume.

OR maybe, you typed one more zero.

Or maybe, you are just talking about USB 3.0's theoretical speed.

OP, As much as I love Corsair, their flash drives aren't the best, at least from a performance point of view.

Which one did you buy?.

 

[dejo]

small random files will slow down any currently used storage medium. But a USB 3.0 device would obviously be the way to go. If you have a good dropbox account with the needed storage that would also be a usable way to do said transfers, and would likely be rather usable

 

[Woomack]

The USB 3.0 32GB Corsair memory stick should do the job well. USB 3.0 is 400 MB/s

Make sure you use the blue USB 3.0 ports on the back of the case unless you have the optional 2 blue USB ports on the front.

In theory it's 400MB/s but in real , flash drives will make not more than 3-5MB/s random transfers and in most cases it's near 1MB/s. Sequential read transfers will be ~80-100MB/s for most USB 3.0 flash drives. Some best series are making up to 200MB/s.

@RhoXS
I think that this Seagate HDD will be just fine for what you need.

 

[wingman99]

I was looking at the theoretical speed of USB 3.0.

 

[Barryng]

I ordered a USB 3.0 32GB Corsair memory stick and a USB 3.0 1 TB Seagate HDD ...

Got home today after being away for a week and tried out my new toys.

The USB 3.0 32GB Corsair memory stick was disappointing in overall performance transfering the 23 Gb block of files I described above. It started out averaging about 50 Mb/sec. Unfortunately this gradually dropped, I assume due to the large umber of random files, and even dipped down to 9 Mb/sec at one point.

The Seagate 1 TB Backup Plus USB 3.0 portable drive is really a nice piece of machinery and it performs well. It averages a solid 30 Mb/sec.

The Seagate also has an excellent backup app. With no intervention, once it is setup and started, it will save all important files to the drive. Until now I have been cloning my drives every couple weeks. The Seagate does not make a bootable clone replacement but it is much simpler and I think more reliable. I am going to buy a secon drive (only $80) and swap them as data backups every couple weeks now.

 

[wingman99]

Glade your having good luck with the USB Seagate 1 TB Backup drive.