SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review
Introduction
Note: Before I start this review, I just want to say that all the flash drives used in this review were purchased with my own money and are not a review sample given by the manufacture.
The SanDisk Extreme Pro is the successor to the original non-pro version USB 3.0 flash drive that was released back in 2012.
The Pro version is available only in 128GB capacity which means there’s no lower capacity option to save a few dollars.
It retails for $150.00 and also includes SanDisk’s usual lifetime warranty.
It weighs approximately 17 grams and according to SanDisk, it can reach speeds of up to 240MB/s in write and up to 260MB/s in read.
Assuming that it can reach those speeds suggested by SanDisk, then this means that’s far faster than any internal or external disk hard drive on the market. The Western Digital Black HDDs are considered to the fastest drives on the market and even they can barely reach 170MB/s.
The original non-pro version had some issues with the design and build quality. It had a plastic housing that felt cheap and would suffer from the slide action’s squeaking noise. SanDisk has decided to change the design in the Pro version and now we have an improved design and build quality that makes it very attractive yet very durable with its aluminum metal casing. Similarly like the non-pro version, SanDisk has kept the same black switch in the center of the drive that moves up and down which retracts the connector inside the enclosure.
The SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB USB 3.0 flash drive comes formatted in FAT32 which pretty much makes it compatible with every operating system out there. I did, however, try it on my TV and it did not seem to support the drive. The maximum individual file size that you can work with is 4GB when using FAT32 so I went ahead and re-formatted the drive with NTFS since I personally work with large individual files. I know some people like to use exFAT but you have to remember that Windows XP doesn't natively support it and you have to download an update from Microsoft.
Moving on, I like the fact that it doesn't have a removable cap because I know that I’ll never lose the cap. The casing on the Pro version seems more sturdier and it is still roughly the same size as the non-pro version. It is a little bit bulky and wide for a USB port and depending on what else is plugged in near the USB port, you might have some trouble fitting it. The SanDisk Extreme Pro flash drive comes with SecureAccess software that provides 128-bit AES file encryption and password protection.
Specifications And Test Setup
| SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | SanDisk | Model: | Extreme Pro | Model Number: | SDCZ88-128G-G46 | Available Capacity: | 128GB |
| Weight: | 17 grams | Performance/Speed: | Up to 240MB/s write; Up to 260MB/s read |
| Dimensions: | 11.0 x 21.0 x 71.0 mm; 0.45 x 0.84 x 2.79 in |
| Operating Temperature: | 0 C to 45 C |
| Storage Temperature: | -10 C to 70 C |
| Compatibility: | USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 |
| Removable Cap: | No |
| Test Setup | |
|---|---|
| Processor: | Intel i7 3770K @ 3.5Ghz/3.9Ghz |
| CPU Cooler: | Noctua NH-U14S |
| Thermal Compound: | Noctua NT-H1 |
| Motherboard: | Asus Maximus V Gene |
| RAM: | Kingston HyperX 8GB (2x4GB) 1600 MHz |
| Graphics Card: | EVGA GTX 680 |
| Storage: | Samsung 840 Pro 256GB |
| Power Supply: | Antec Earth Watts 650W |
| Case: | Corsair Obsidian 350D |
| OS: | Windows 7 64Bit |
| USB 3.0 Flash Drives: | SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SanDisk Extreme 64GB Patriot Supersonic Magnum 64GB Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 64GB Patriot Rage XT |
We will be comparing the SanDisk Extreme Pro to the original non-pro version, Patriot Supersonic Magnum, Kingston DataTraveler HyperX and Patriot Rage XT. All of these flash drives are considered to be some of the fastest USB 3.0 offerings available. As far as benchmarking goes, we will be using CrystialDiskMark x64 to benchmark the Sequential Read and Write speed of each flash drive. Also, we will benchmark these drives in 4 KB/512 KB Random Read and Write speeds and we will wrap it up with an AS SSD Copy benchmark.
Sequential Read And Write Performance
Patriot's Supersonic Magnum offers mind blowing 301.8 MB/s sequential read speeds. This is the fastest read speed that we have ever seen on a USB 3.0 flash drive and it surpasses even the fastest spinning hard drive that's out there. All of the tested flash drives offer more than acceptable write speeds except for the Patriot Rage XT which disappoints with its 53.2 MB/s write speed. The SanDisk Extreme Pro performs on par with the original non-pro version and does not offer any improvements.
SanDisk says that this drive can provide read speeds of up to 260 MB/s and write speeds of up to 240 MB/s and we just confirmed those speed ratings using CrystalDiskMark. SanDisk also uses CrystalDiskMark to benchmark their own products.
4 KB Random Read And Write Performance
This is where both the original SanDisk Extreme and the Pro version truly shine. You can see that in our 4 KB random read and write performance benchmark, both the SanDisk thumb drives post some impressive read and write numbers. The rest of the drives fall way behind in this benchmark. Similarly like the sequential read and write benchmark, the Pro version does not bring any performance improvement in 4 KB read/write over the non-pro version. Kingston's DataTraveler HyperX and Patriot's Rage XT thumb drives offer abysmal write and read speeds in 4 KB compared to the SanDisk's thumb drives.
512 KB Random Read And Write Performance
The Patriot Supersonic Magnum surprised us by posting the fastest 512 KB random read speed, hitting 255.3 MB/s. It fell short though when it came to random write speed with a disappointing 1.3 MB/s. We are also very impressed with both the SanDisk thumb drives breaking the 200 MB/s barrier in random read speed. We are even more impressed by their exceptionally good random write speed which put the rest of the drives to shame with their horrible random write speeds. These thumb drives are no competition for both the SanDisk drives. As we have said before, the Pro version performs almost exactly as the original with no improvement.
AS SSD Copy Benchmark
Here we have used AS SSD's three copy benchmarks (ISO, Game, Program) and we can clearly see that the SanDisk Extreme Pro and the non-pro thumb drives are the clear winner here. They win the game copy, ISO copy, and program copy benchmarks with little effort and put the other drives to their place.
Conclusion
Overall, the SanDisk Extreme Pro USB 3.0 128GB Flash Drive is an impressive flash drive that is capable of transferring files at 260MB/s read and 240MB/s write. SanDisk has used a premium NAND flash memory in the Extreme Pro flash drive which explains its mind-blowing speeds. The rest of the drives were delivering disappointing 4 KB and 512 KB random write and read speeds which makes the SanDisk Extreme Pro flash drive that much more impressive.
Pros:
+ Attractive Design
+ Improved Casing
+ Lifetime Warranty
+ Blazing Fast Read & Write Speeds
+ Top-In-Class Random Transfer Speeds
Cons:
- No Performance Improvement Over The Non-Pro Version
- Pricey (Gigabyte Per Dollar Value)
- No Lower Capacity Option
- Bulky
It comes at a steep price of $150 which I guess it can be expected when purchasing a thumb drive that performs this good.
For people who want a smaller capacity, you are out of luck because it is available only in 128GB capacity.
It also feels a little bit bulky compared to the other drives tested in this review which could block adjacent USB ports.
The lifetime warranty that SanDisk includes is just very difficult to find on other products and this shows that SanDisk is very confident in their product.
If you are someone who purchased the original non-pro version and are happy with the capacity that you have chosen, then you obviously do not need to upgrade to the Pro version as it offers zero performance improvements except for a better design. Unless you really need a ton of storage in a small form factor then it's just not worth it since the original Extreme 64GB version sells for only $60 and offers the exact same performance.
With all that being said, the SanDisk Extreme Pro USB 3.0 flash drive definitely improves on the build quality and design but it does not offer any performance improvement over the original non-pro version.
Final Score 8.2
