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Buying the right Flash drive is pretty straightforward. Most people just buy them based on their prices because flash drives are generally cheap investments. However, if you want to get the most out of your money, I am here to help with the most detailed flash drive buying guide.
As our storage devices, flash drives can serve different purposes, and sometimes you may store critical data on them. Therefore, selecting the right drive is crucial.
You should not just look at the price, capacity, and speed. There are some other essential things to consider, which we will know in this article. So, without any delays, let’s get started.
Flash Drive Buying Guide 2024
It is beneficial to understand your purpose before purchasing a flash drive. This Flash drive buying guide will help you with that as well. If you are transferring small files, such as PDFs, Word documents, or spreadsheets, a low-capacity (2GB-32GB) flash drive with USB 2.0 or 3.0 is more than enough.
To transfer large files, especially video files or install software, you’ll need a faster drive with at least USB 3.0. A higher storage capacity, from 125GB to 1TB, would be beneficial in this case. For other purposes, such as car stereos, Smart TVs, or Gaming consoles, at least USB 3.0 is sufficient for the storage space you require.
1. Storage Capacity
This step is all about understanding your needs. Typically, flash drives are available in various storage capacities, generally starting from 4GB to 1TB. You can find drives with storage capacities of up to 4 TB, but they are rare. The key point to note is that higher storage variants typically provide better performance. They have higher TBW (endurance) and good wear leveling. The sustained performance is better with the bigger storage variants, i.e., after 64GB. Also, higher storage capacity drives are generally more cost-effective.
Here is a calculator that you can use to determine your flash drive storage space requirements.
