Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 2 (32GB)

The Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 2 (32GB, $80 street) represents the latest incarnation of the humble flash drive, but it ramps up the possibilities with 32GB of space, a fast USB 3.0 connection, and a chunky plastic enclosure protecting the drive against bumps, bangs, and crushing. With the 32GB version selling for $75 (street), the Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 2 is also available in 16GB ($50 street), and 64GB ($142 street) capacities.

Design
The DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 has a rugged enclosure of white plastic and brushed aluminum. Though it may not be as tough as the Corsair Flash Survivor (32GB) ($229.99 list, 3.5 stars), a removable cap keeps out dirt, grime, and moisture, and a solid loop on the back end of the drive secures it when attached to a key ring or lanyard. The drive weighs 1.6 ounces and measures 0.6 by 0.9 by 2.9 inches (HWD), which is wide enough that it may crowd out other drives when plugged into a USB port. The last is not an uncommon problem with larger-capacity drives, which are often larger physically as well, such as the Kingston DataTraveler 150 (32GB) ($60 street, 4 stars).

In addition to the problem of port blockage, the DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 has two other potential design problems. The first is the plastic cap that covers the USB connector. Though it snaps securely into place when covering the USB plug, it doesn't stay so secure when it's put on the back end. Even more problematic is the fact that though the drive itself can be added to key ring or lanyard, there's no tethering loop for the cap, making it extremely easy to lose, a problem previously seen on the Editors' Choice OCZ Rally2 Turbo USB 2.0 Flash Drive (32GB) ($102.99 list, 4.5 stars). The other problem is heat. The plastic and aluminum body of the DataTraveler got noticeably warm when transferring large volumes of data. While it may not reach temperatures hot enough to be dangerous, it's certainly one detail that left us worried.

The DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 offers plenty of storage space, but $75 might seem steep for a flash drive?it works out to $2.34 per gigabyte, compared to the $40 price tag on the 32GB Corsair Flash Voyager ($1.25 per GB).

Features and Performance
The drive features USB 3.0 technology, which offers more than twice the speeds delivered by USB 2.0. If a USB 3.0 port is unavailable, however, the connection is backwards compatible?it will work with any existing USB connection of any speed. In addition to fast data transfer, the DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 2 (G2) also offers considerable storage capacity. The 32GB model, for example, is estimated to hold more than 6,000 MP3s or more than 6,400 10-megapixel photos. Kingston backs the DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 (32GB) with a five-year warranty and offers free 24/7 tech support.

In actual testing, the DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 produced impressive performance, with write speeds of 61.8MB/sec and read speeds of 99.4MB/sec in our timed file-transfer tests. Though not quite up to Kingston's advertised speeds (70MBps write, 100MBps read), the DataTraveler Ultimate is still a very fast flash drive. Even when slowed by a USB 2.0 connection, the performance was decent, with 32.1MBps read and 28.0MBps write speeds. By comparison, the USB 3.0-equipped Corsair Flash Voyager produced identical scores using USB 2.0, but only managed 34.5MBps write and 63.4MBps read when plugged into a USB 3.0 port.

The Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate Generation 2 offers a high-capacity drive with speedy performance and a rough-and-tumble design, but does that justify the price? If you need both the capacity and the speed offered by the DataTraveler Ultimate, then yes; people who work with rich media like music and video will definitely want to pony up the $75 for this beefy drive. For everyone else, however, the price may be just too steep. Either way, in the realm of USB 3.0 flash drives, the performance bar has been set.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 2 (32GB) with several other flash drives side by side.

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