By: Preston Yuen
October 14, 2011
Nations rise and nations fall, and from this, patriotism and war arises. Survival is key in conflicts between nations, which reminds me of a saying from a famous US General George S. Patton. He said, "War is not meant to be you dying for your country -- it is by making the [enemy] die for his." In the world of technology, companies rival against each other as well. Some claim patents on newly invented technology, while others sue each other for stealing ideas of innovation. Heck, when it comes down to consumer preference for different brands, the same scenario applies. We can evidently see this between Microsoft and Apple fanboys, but only in a more "subtle" and less violent sense. There is never only one type of technology developed and produced by one sole proprietorship. Hard drives are produced by Western Digital, Seagate, and other companies. The same concept applies to different laptops, desktops, memory, and many other such products. Even between small consumer products, we still have competition on who has the best hardware. To determine who is the best, well, welcome to APH Networks. What we have here at APH Networks today is a lightning fast USB 3.0 flash drive -- namely, the Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate G2 32GB. Back in the day when USB 2.0 flash drives were still kicking around, 8GB of flash drive space was the real deal in quickly transferring files to your friend's computer. Now, with the Ultimate G2 featuring a USB 3.0 interface and speeds up to 100MB/s and 70MB/s for read and write respectively, how hard can it be to conveniently carry all the data you need in your pocket? Read on to see how 'ultimate' the Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate G2 32GB flash drive is!
The Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate G2 32GB flash drive came in relatively small, brown corrugated cardboard box shipped in a packaging bag from Kingston's headquarters down in California, USA. Using FedEx International Priority, everything in the box arrived in our Calgary, Alberta office in pristine condition. So without further adieu, I pulled out my camera, and got down to work.
The first thing that crosses my mind when I see the packaging are moai, because the background features a simplistic design of a face on a white background. For approximately $80 at press time, the overall design is rather unsophisticated. Kingston's logo and model is prominently displayed on the top right, while the USB flash drive itself is placed in the center with its highlighted features printed around it. All of this is encased in a clear plastic shell. This is where a sharp pair of scissors comes in handy to gain access to your flash drive. While I am not a big fan of such packaging, it gets the job done without wasting too much time and money in the process. Before you hastily throw out the packaging, it may be worthwhile to take a peak between the folded background, as it contains a small draw string to tie around your USB flash drive for easier portability.
Before we get down to the meat of things, let's take a quick look at the features and specifications of the Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate G2 32GB USB, as obtained from the manufacturer's website:
Features/Specifications
- Capacities: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
- Requirements: system with USB 3.0 port
- Fast data transfer rates for USB 3.0 to 100MB/sec read and 70MB/sec write, USB 2.0 = 30MB/sec read and 30MB/sec write
- Backwards compatible with USB 2.0
- Simple – just plug into a USB port
- Practical and durable casing with a solid lanyard loop
- Dimensions: 2.90" x 0.87" x 0.63" (73.70mm x 22.20mm x 16.10mm)
- Operating Temperature: 32° to 140°F (0°C to 60°C)
- Storage Temperature: -4° to 185°F (-20°C to 85°C)
- Guaranteed five-year warranty
Page Index
1.Introduction and Specifications
2. A Closer Look, Test System
3. Benchmark: AIDA64 Disk Benchmark
4. Benchmark: ATTO Disk Benchmark
5. Benchmark: Crystal Disk Mark 3.0
6. Benchmark: HD Tach 3.0.1.0
7. Benchmark: HD Tune Pro 4.60
8. Conclusion
