Performance:
The test system used in this review was an HP 8200 Elite. The computer is equipped with an Intel Core i5-2400 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 1333MHz memory, Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3250312AS 250GB SATA 6 Gb/s hard drive, NVIDIA Quadro FX580 512MB PCIe graphics card, Intel 82567LM-3 gigabit network card and Patriot SuperSpeed USB PCIe host card. For the operating system, I installed a fresh copy of Windows 7 Enterprise.
To test the performance of the Kingston DataTraveler Elite 3.0, I ran a series of benchmarks using CrystalDiskMark 3.0.1, HD Tach RW 3.0.4.0, and ATTO Disk Benchmark 2.46. To get a feel for the "real world" performance, I also copied and pasted 500MB of random files and directories in Windows Explorer.
CrystalDiskMark 3.0:
First, I ran a few quick tests using CrystalDiskMark. This benchmark tool measures the performance of a storage device by testing its sequential read and write speeds as well as its random read and write speeds using blocks 512K and 4K in size.
 Kingston DataTraveler Elite 3.0 - USB 3.0 |
 Kingston DataTraveler Elite 3.0 - USB 2.0 |
 Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 - USB 3.0 |
 Patriot SuperSonic - USB 3.0 |
According to Kingston, the DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 is capable of reading at 70MB/s and writing at 30MB/s when connected to a USB 3.0 port. Looking at the screenshot above, you can see that the drive had no problems exceeding these numbers in CrystalDiskMark's sequential read and write speed tests.
HD Tach RW 3.0.4.0:
Next, I used HD Tach to test the DataTraveler HyperX 3.0's read, write and burst speeds as well as its seek times and CPU usage.
When connected to the computer's USB 3.0 port, the DataTraveler Elite 3.0 had average read and write speeds of 71.4 MB/s and 34.8 MB/s respectively, as well as a burst speed of 76.9 MB/s. As you'd expect, the drive wasn't nearly as fast when using USB 2.0. Compared to what we saw with USB 3.0, the DataTraveler Elite 3.0's read speed dropped by more than half.
ATTO Disk Benchmark 2.46:
I also used ATTO Disk Benchmark to test the DataTraveler Elite 3.0's sequential read and write speeds. The test was run using blocks ranging in size from 0.5KB to 8192KB and the total length set to 256MB.
 Kingston DataTraveler Elite 3.0 - USB 3.0 |
 Kingston DataTraveler Elite 3.0 - USB 2.0 |
 Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 - USB 3.0 |
 Patriot SuperSonic - USB 3.0 |
When tested with ATTO, the DataTraveler Elite 3.0's read speeds topped out at about 71 MB/s and its write speeds at 34 MB/s.
"Real World" Benchmark:
To test the "real world" performance of Kingston's new flash drive, I copied and pasted 500 MB worth of randomly generated files and directories. All of the files are between 10 bytes and 32MB in size and no more than four directories deep.
| Kingston DT Elite 3.0 - USB 3.0 | Kingston DT Elite 3.0 - USB 2.0 | Kingston DT HyperX 3.0 - USB 3.0 | Patriot Supersonic - USB 3.0 | |
| Write: | 0:26 | 0:32 | 0:38 | 0:45 |
| Read: | 12 seconds | 19 seconds | 7 seconds | 9 seconds |
The DataTraveler Elite 3.0 performed surprisingly well here, taking 26 seconds to write our test data and 12 seconds to read it back.
Final Thoughts:
The Kingston DataTraveler Elite 3.0 is ideal for the consumer looking to take advantage of the performance offered by USB 3.0 without breaking the budget. Along with an attractive, cap-less design, the DataTraveler Elite 3.0 offers transfer speeds approximately twice that of a standard USB 2.0 flash drive. In our tests, the drive was able to read at 71 MB/s and write at speeds as high as 35 MB/s. Obviously, these numbers aren't nearly as high as what we saw with Kingston's DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 and HyperX 3.0 flash drives, but at about half the cost, the DataTraveler Elite 3.0 delivers a lot of bang for your buck.
The DataTraveler Elite 3.0 is available now in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities. Suggested retail prices range from $37 to $135 depending on the size. However, the drive can be picked up for considerably less from Amazon or through some of the vendors on PriceGrabber.
Highs:
- Available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities
- Good transfer rates with USB 3.0
- Backwards compatible with USB 2.0
- Compatible with Windows XP/Vista/7, Mac and Linux
- Cap-less, tri-colored design with slider
- Five year warranty
- Reasonably priced
Lows:
- Not as fast as Kingston's other USB 3.0 flash drives
