12 hours ago
4
ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- Comes successful 128GB and 256GB retention options
- Constructed from tough, heat-dissipating aluminum
- Write speeds are passable for both, but the 150MB/s for the larger thrust is amazing.
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One happening that you tin ever beryllium definite of erstwhile it comes to Raspberry Pi accessories is that they are ever made to the highest quality.
I've ne'er bought thing with that has the Raspberry Pi logo emblazoned connected it and been disappointed, and the latest Raspberry Pi Flash Drive is nary exception.
But it's conscionable a boring aged flash drive, right?
Wrong.
When the news broke astir the caller Flash Drive, it was pitched arsenic the cleanable accessory for those who privation high-speed retention that went supra and beyond what the humble microSD paper could offer, but you don't privation the hassle of utilizing a much fixed solution similar the M.2 HAT+ (which, remember, is lone compatible with the Pi 5).
Removable drivers are truly useful successful concern settings and for things similar NAS boxes.
There's nary uncertainty that the bully aged USB flash thrust is inactive a useful signifier factor. And erstwhile it's encased successful tough, heat-dissipating aluminum, with the capableness and Raspberry Pi logo profoundly embedded successful the shell.
I emotion the detailed, heavy etching.
But can't you conscionable usage immoderate aged USB flash drive?
Well, you can, but determination are a mates of features that are beauteous circumstantial to the Raspberry Pi Flash Drive. The archetypal is SMART wellness reporting and enactment for TRIM. While I've travel crossed a fewer drives that had the chips to bash this, I can't deliberation of immoderate different flash drives disconnected the apical of my caput that connection this.
Without SMART, I wouldn't spot a flash thrust to grip important worldly similar holding captious data, and I decidedly wouldn't usage it arsenic a footwear thrust connected a captious system.
How it performs
It's besides fast, particularly the 256GB variant, which tin execute a sequential constitute velocity of 150MB/s, treble that of its smaller 128GB sibling. A batch of inexpensive flash drives I've tested person decent work speeds, but I've travel crossed a batch of big-brand drives that person cripplingly dilatory constitute speeds, truthful it's bully to spot this exemplary keeping to its selling promises.
I've tested the Raspberry Pi Flash Drives -- some capacities -- connected a fig of systems, and the show is arsenic described, and it is susceptible of handling heavy, sustained loads. Another question I had astir the thrust was however it handled heat, and I'm blessed to study that I had nary issues astatine each -- and adjacent recovered the thrust precise effectual astatine dissipating heat.
One happening that everyone needs to carnivore successful caput -- and thing that was a spot mislaid successful the archetypal coverage, I deliberation -- is that this doesn't regenerate anything. Raspberry Pi inactive supports (and adjacent makes its own) microSD cards and M.2 SSDs.
This is conscionable different option. If microSD cards, M.2 SSDs, oregon adjacent immoderate aged flash thrust you person lying astir enactment for you, past you transportation connected doing what works for you. What this offers is simply different option.
ZDNET's buying advice
Priced astatine $30 for the 128GB version, and $55 for the 256GB variant, the Raspberry Pi Flash Drive is simply a large enactment for idiosyncratic looking for thing amended than a microSD card oregon immoderate random flash drive, but who doesn't privation to spell the full hog and get an M.2 HAT+ and SSD.
I'd besides urge these drives are besides large solutions for those moving a Pi 4 oregon earlier that can't instrumentality an M.2 HAT+ upgrade. Yes, they're flash drives, but these are darn bully flash drives.
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