Flashdisc speed

Dolby

Dolby

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Hi,

How was fast should I be able to copy 256MB from the flash drive using USB2.0? It takes me about 1:15 minutes. That means nearly 6hrs for 80GB. What about USB1.0? How can I tell which my PC is using? Is USB2.0 default on a new P4 ... ? How long does a normal internal IDE take to transfer 80GB?

I enquired about an external drive and I'm told it works like a flashdisc - which puts me off at these speeds.
 
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The max copy speed you would get from the Flash disk would be +-10MB\s, and from a IDE HDD through USB you would get the same copy speed as if it where HDD to HDD. 20MB\S to 48MB\s . If my memory severs me correctly USB should allow 420Mb\s Copy.
 
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First lets get the terminology right:

Mb = MegaBit (Devide by 8 to get Megabyte)
MB = MegaByte (Multiply by 8 to get Megabit)

The max theoretical transfer rate of USB 2.0 is 480Mb/60MB per second, in contrast to USB 1.0 which is 11Mb/1.375MB per second. USB2.0 does however have three different signaling rates: Low Speed (1.5Mbps), Full Speed (12Mbps - Also referred to as USB1.1), and Hi-Speed (480Mbps). In practise USB2.0 actually only performs at around 30MB per second on average.

Flash drives cannot attain these speeds however because they are limited by the speed of the solid state memory. High end flash drives will deliver around 20MB per second read speed but standard drives would probably only be up to 10-15MB per second read speed.

Most new (decent) motherboards should support USB2.0 on all the USB ports.

A standard (7200RPM, 8mb cache, ATA) hard drive transfers data at an average speed of 40MB per second, therefore 80GB would take approximately 35 minutes to transfer (Hard Disk - Hard Disk).

An average flash drive in contrast would take about 4 times longer to copy 80GB (If you could find an 80GB Flash Drive :D), but should take about 30 seconds to copy a 256MB continuous stream of data.

Remember though that you have to take access time into account for both flash drives and Hard Drives, which also affects the transfer time.

An external drive would most definately be faster than a flash drive, at around 30MB per second, so tell whomever told you they operate like a flash drive to stop smoking the green stuff. Just because they both use USB2.0 does not imply the same speeds.
 
Alright ... well that's a good thing! Then I'm really happy to get an 80GB external! That comment really scared my because I wouldn't want to sit for 3hrs transferring files across ;)
 
Dolby said:
Alright ... well that's a good thing! Then I'm really happy to get an 80GB external! That comment really scared my because I wouldn't want to sit for 3hrs transferring files across ;)
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Send me a Pm tell me what you are looking for and i'll get you a good price.
 
Only thing is that you're in CT :( I hate the postal service and waiting for goods!

The HDD is going to be sitting on my desk next my desktop 90% of it's life - so I guess a normal internal would be better. However, EVERY single time I've formatted my PC in the last 6 or 7 years, I've lost all the data on it because I have nothing to back it up to. So, having this will be great when it comes to that time! Another benefit (for me) is not having to open the case and connect anything : I can simply buy it and plug it in.

Disadvantage are the speed (25% slower than IDE, judging by what I've read) and pricing. Comments? Other pros or cons?
 
Dolby, see PM...

Person, which external enclosures and hdd do you supply?
 
quik said:
Dolby, see PM...

Person, which external enclosures and hdd do you supply?
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If you can find it anywhere in the world, I can get it. Vantec Or Thermaltake enclosures are the best, and a good WD or Seagate HDD would work really well.
 
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I've had lots of problems with Vantec enclosures (They seem to work intermittantly), had to send a couple back and eventually gave up, plus using plastic for a drive enclosure might not be the best solution.

The thermaltake ones are a bit overpriced.
 
I've seen those but my confidence in them are dented. Maybe one day when those are the only types in stock will I try Vantec again, but until then I'll stick with stuff I trust.
 
quik said:
I've seen those but my confidence in them are dented. Maybe one day when those are the only types in stock will I try Vantec again, but until then I'll stick with stuff I trust.
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I dont have a problem with the new Vantecs, but the Thermaltakes are well worth the money.
 
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