Bad 2 GB Flash Drive Performance

[JB]

I just got a 2GB Connection Computers flash drive and tested it several ways
using HD Tune for benchmarking. Regardless of whether I run it on a powered
hub, unpowered hub or extender cable, the performance is roughly the same.

HD Tune indicates about 8MB/s until it reaches the 45% point, then it
abruptly drops to about .5MB/s.

I changed the caching for performance in win xp to no avail. Reformatted in
both FAT and FAT 32 but results varied little.

HD Tune indicates no bad sectors in the quickscan mode.

Is this bad performance just a fact-of-life for cheap drives or am I missing
something?

Thank you,

Mike

 

[kony]

I just got a 2GB Connection Computers flash drive and tested it several ways
using HD Tune for benchmarking. Regardless of whether I run it on a powered
hub, unpowered hub or extender cable, the performance is roughly the same.

HD Tune indicates about 8MB/s until it reaches the 45% point, then it
abruptly drops to about .5MB/s.

I changed the caching for performance in win xp to no avail. Reformatted in
both FAT and FAT 32 but results varied little.

HD Tune indicates no bad sectors in the quickscan mode.

Is this bad performance just a fact-of-life for cheap drives or am I missing
something?

Thank you,

Mike

It's a real flash memory thumbdrive right? I mean not a
mini HDD in a plastic USB converter case?

Typically the cheap 2GB flash drives have performances
around 3.5MB/s write and 8 -16MB/s read, maybe even as low
as 2MB/8MB. If it's closer to 1MB, I'd start to suppect
your system considers it a USB1 device (or is it actually a
USB1 device?). This is with fairly large transfers, not a
bunch of tiny files. Part of this is due to a slow USB
controller chip in the thumbdrive and part due to MLC type
of flash chips used on most budget 2GB drives.

You might have some system USB2 performane issues... do you
have any other USB2 devices that bench significantly faster
than this product?

I can't account for the extreme performance drop at 45% but
I don't know how HDTune tests... so I suggest some other
tests instead, pick something else for bench and a
confirmation of the drop instead of HDTune. IIRC Sisoft
Sandra has a test built in, though I haven't used it in ages
so someone else might better compare the results to what you
see.

 

[DaveW]

You generally get what you pay for. That goes for cheap flash drives as
well...

 

[JB]

It's a real flash memory thumbdrive right? I mean not a
mini HDD in a plastic USB converter case?<

The packaging says it's a flash drive. There is no other documentation.

Typically the cheap 2GB flash drives have performances
around 3.5MB/s write and 8 -16MB/s read, maybe even as low
as 2MB/8MB. If it's closer to 1MB, I'd start to suppect
your system considers it a USB1 device (or is it actually a
USB1 device?). This is with fairly large transfers, not a
bunch of tiny files. Part of this is due to a slow USB
controller chip in the thumbdrive and part due to MLC type
of flash chips used on most budget 2GB drives.<

My test results changed after I stuffed the drive full and then emptied it.
The drastic knee in the curve is gone and I am getting around 8MB/s for
reads and that is about what my 1GB PNY unit does. That shows it's
operating in the USB2 hi speed mode I believe.


The write speed for a .9GB file transfer is 2.3 MB/s which is half the speed
of the PNY. The numbers again indicate it's a USB 2 device.

You might have some system USB2 performane issues... do you
have any other USB2 devices that bench significantly faster
than this product?<

Yes...like the PNY above on writes. I don't know if the controllers are
slowed by the other devices ...I have four or five other devices on the bus
but they are only active one-at-a-time.

I can't account for the extreme performance drop at 45% but
I don't know how HDTune tests... so I suggest some other
tests instead, pick something else for bench and a
confirmation of the drop instead of HDTune. IIRC Sisoft
Sandra has a test built in, though I haven't used it in ages
so someone else might better compare the results to what you
see.<

The drop at 45% moved to 90% as I increased the file load...so I stuffed it
full and the drop disappeared. I have checked it with Aida32 and the
results rhyme with HD Tune but neither test writes so I use a file transfer
for that.

This drive I described as cheap...what I mean is I got it for $8.75 after
rebates and have never heard of the brand. But the retail price was around
$70 so I did not describe it well. Even with the sluggish writes it's a
deal AFAIC.

Thank you for your input.

Mike

 

[JB]

Yup...but "cheap" may have been a misnomer. The retail price is the same or
higher than the brand-name stuff. If you read my reply to kony it does not
sound like a bad deal IMO.

 

[kony]

The write speed for a .9GB file transfer is 2.3 MB/s which is half the speed
of the PNY. The numbers again indicate it's a USB 2 device.

Agreed, it has to be.

Yes...like the PNY above on writes. I don't know if the controllers are
slowed by the other devices ...I have four or five other devices on the bus
but they are only active one-at-a-time.

Leave all other ports on same USB hub (on motherboard)
empty, test with only that drive plugged in.

This drive I described as cheap...what I mean is I got it for $8.75 after
rebates and have never heard of the brand. But the retail price was around
$70 so I did not describe it well. Even with the sluggish writes it's a
deal AFAIC.

Old flash drive prices have plummeted recently, I bought
over half a dozen different 2GB cards over the past month or
so, and most are old stock with similar performance to what
you reported, what I'd mentioned previously, roughly 3.6MB/s
write and 8-16MB/s read. That's ok by me for the price as I
already had faster cards for specific needs and they weren't
any particular speed rating but for a few 60X CF cards.

Connect Computers seems to be a Compusa branding, it's some
other brand of product that was relabeled for Compusa.