Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 2 Review – Last year, Kingston released the DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 USB flash drive, the fastest USB flash drive with a native USB 3.0 controller and comes in a whooping huge space, up to 64 GB (check Craving Tech’s DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 review). It felt like having a mini hard drive in your pocket that reads and writes fast.
So what does the DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 2 (also known as DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 G2) offer?
Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Review – Packaging
The packaging did not come with the “Y” cable like its previous model though – honestly I never saw the need for it. I’ve been using the flash drive for some time without the Y connector.
Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 1 vs Generation 2
Both models actually look the same, however, the read and write speeds when plugged into a USB 3.0 slot are not. According to Kingston’s press release, the new DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 2 (DTU30G2) has a read speed up to 100 MB/second and a write speed up to 70 MB/second if plugged in a USB 3.0 slot. The DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 1 (first generation) only has a read speed up to 80 MB/second and a write speed up to 60 MB/second.
When plugged into a USB 2.0 port, both models have a read and write speed of up to 30 MB/second.
Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 2 Review – CrystalDiskMark benchmark
Using CrystalDiskMark Benchmark,
USB 2.0 benchmark test:
USB 3.0 benchmark test:
Now, I’m not too sure why the second test (in 512k) has a very slow writing speed (only 1MB/sec) and what the significance is. So I tried testing the first generation model again (on a USB 2.0 slot) and it gives the same result like my last review, which was actually faster than the G2 model on the 512k test:
Worried with this, I tried copying large files (without using a benchmarking software) on my Windows 7 x64 system. Windows does detect the speed correctly and I couldn’t find any faults whatsoever.
On a USB 2 slot:
And on a USB 3 slot:
Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 2 Review – Conclusion
Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 2 USB flash drive is the fastest USB flash drive I’ve ever used and reviewed. The Generation 2 improves the original model with an extra 20MB/second read speed and 10MB/second write speed. It may not sound much but if you are transferring massive files (such as video files), the time difference can be huge.
If you already own the first generation model, you may have to think twice before upgrading, though. Everything else is the same, except for the extra speed. If you transfer large files frequently though, it will definitely be a worthy upgrade. But if you don’t own the first generation model, this is definitely a keeper – it’s fast (assuming you have a USB 3 slot on your motherboard) and has a large capacity.
Note: Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 G2 sample was provided for the review
Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 2 Review – Pros
+ Even faster than the first generation model
+ Large capacity
+ USB 2 compatible
+ Can be attached to a keyring
Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 2 Review – Cons
– Size a bit bulky
– Apart from the speed, nothing else is new in the Generation 2 model
