I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
number of different problems.

What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.

>>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

On Sun, 10 Sep 2023 17:15:34 -0500, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com>
wrote:

>I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>number of different problems.
>
>What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>
> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Had my Sandisks for years. Amazon 1 Star reviews ??
although those reviews are hard to believe. So buy at Newegg

KenW

In message <9mfsfilet9eikutkitqp7kkdis1pfevc38@4ax.com> at Sun, 10 Sep
2023 17:15:34, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> writes
>I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>number of different problems.
>
>What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>
> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

science is not intended to be foolproof. Science is about crawling toward the
truth over time. - Scott Adams, 2015-2-2

On 9/10/2023 6:15 PM, jetjock wrote:
> I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
> reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
> PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
> number of different problems.
>
> What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>
> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>

I've had a couple failures on regular USB sticks, and I blame it on
the TLC flash, and un-sophisticated controllers. One stick died and
it had only done about seven ISO9660 writes or so. Even if you assume
the write life of the flash is 600 cycles (write amplification taken into
account), that's pretty shabby performance from an endurance perspective.

Whereas my old OCZ Rally2 with MLC chips in it, just keeps going. It's done
a ton of writes over the years.

It depends on what your objectives are for the stick are. A USB stick
can be carried more places, than a larger device.

One thing about some of those sticks, is they run a bit warm. Not warm
enough to break anything, but still suggestive they should not be using
plastic cases for the body. However, the sticks that use aluminum cases,
the electronics side is usually awful (chuck-ware). You can't win :-/

Maybe the low price of the item, will offset the reliability issues.
That's the only way I could "justify" a USB stick recommendation today.
I usually get a SanDisk Extreme (not a Cruze, nor an Ultra, for write
speed reasons). The Extreme usually have a better balance between read
and write.

*******

A form factor like this, is more likely to get the life from the flash chips.
It is more likely to have working wear leveling (static and dynamic).

2.3" x 3.5" x 0.5" with cables 1TB $85

https://www.newegg.com/samsung-t7-shield-1tb/p/N82E16820147837

Has consistent write rate. A little slow on random I/O. Which means,
if copying 10GB of small files, it won't be as snappy as some
of its competitors. But the sequential write is pretty good.
It won't be doing 800MB/sec on the 10GB small-file test.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/18734/samsung-portable-ssd-t7-shield-4tb-review-ip65-pssd-gets-a-capacity-upgrade/3

Paul

In message <udmu15$11k41$1@dont-email.me> at Mon, 11 Sep 2023 07:35:00,
Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> writes
>On 9/10/2023 6:15 PM, jetjock wrote:
>> I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>> reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>> PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>> number of different problems.
>>
>> What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
[]
>One thing about some of those sticks, is they run a bit warm. Not warm
>enough to break anything, but still suggestive they should not be using
>plastic cases for the body. However, the sticks that use aluminum cases,
>the electronics side is usually awful (chuck-ware). You can't win :-/

Indeed! And thanks for the tip. I had assumed (as of course I suppose
I'm supposed to) that the metal ones were superior. I still would _tend_
to go for them as by the nature of a USB stick, they're likely to get
knocked, and damage the connector, which is less likely (I think) with a
metal one. (I have a 16G one in a very short metal case that's never
given me trouble, but I can't say I use it _much_. Besides, I doubt I
could find ones that low a capacity now.) When looking at such sticks in
the supermarket, I _should_ go for the lowest capacity on offer - though
it seems daft when the next capacity up is only marginally more. (And
then there are the packs-of-three. What's up there?)
>
>Maybe the low price of the item, will offset the reliability issues.

As you said (I think) in the bit I snipped, it depends what you want
them for. If it's just "sneakernet" - transferring files from one
machine to another, including say home to work - doesn't matter that
much: if they die, they die (though could be irritating if home-work
involves a tedious commute). If for long-term storage (e. g. backup),
I'd not use them.
[]
>A form factor like this, is more likely to get the life from the flash chips.
>It is more likely to have working wear leveling (static and dynamic).
>
>2.3" x 3.5" x 0.5" with cables 1TB $85
>
>https://www.newegg.com/samsung-t7-shield-1tb/p/N82E16820147837

Basically an SSD "drive" in an external case, though that one looks as
if it's been "shaved" a bit compared to the standard external cases.
[]
>https://www.anandtech.com/show/18734/samsung-portable-ssd-t7-shield-4tb-
>review-ip65-pssd-gets-a-capacity-upgrade/3
>
> Paul

Interesting line from that second article: "While Thunderbolt ports are
guaranteed to supply up to 15W for client devices, USB 2.0 ports are
guaranteed to deliver only 4.5W (900mA @ 5V)." Is that so? I thought
both USB1 and USB2 were limited to ½A, the only difference being speed.
(I assume "Thunderbolt" is just a fancy name for one of the USB3
variants.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Imagine a world with no hypothetical situations...

On 9/11/2023 5:13 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> In message <9mfsfilet9eikutkitqp7kkdis1pfevc38@4ax.com> at Sun, 10 Sep
> 2023 17:15:34, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> writes
>> I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>> reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>> PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>> number of different problems.
>>
>> What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>
>>     >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>
> Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
> already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)

If it is for desktop use look at
<https://www.amazon.com/SSK-External-Docking-Enclosure-Supports/dp/B08P1539VD/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2M735N31QK2AP&keywords=Hard+Drive+Dock+SSK+USB+3.0+to+SATA&qid=1694440285&s=electronics&sprefix=hard+drive+dock+ssk+usb+3.0+to+sata%2Celectronics%2C119&sr=1-5>
and install a HDD of the size desired.

On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 09:55:03 -0400, Zaidy036 <Zaidy036@air.isp.spam>
wrote:

>On 9/11/2023 5:13 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>> In message <9mfsfilet9eikutkitqp7kkdis1pfevc38@4ax.com> at Sun, 10 Sep
>> 2023 17:15:34, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> writes
>>> I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>>> reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>>> PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>>> number of different problems.
>>>
>>> What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>>
>>>     >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>>
>> Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
>> already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)
>
>If it is for desktop use look at
><https://www.amazon.com/SSK-External-Docking-Enclosure-Supports/dp/B08P1539VD/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2M735N31QK2AP&keywords=Hard+Drive+Dock+SSK+USB+3.0+to+SATA&qid=1694440285&s=electronics&sprefix=hard+drive+dock+ssk+usb+3.0+to+sata%2Celectronics%2C119&sr=1-5>
>and install a HDD of the size desired.

I've long used external USB HD enclosures, but never a device like
this. Can you, or anyone else here who has used this, compare it to an
external USB HD enclosure? What's better about this? What's worse
about it?

I use an external USB HD enclosure for backup. Should I switch to
this? Why?

On 9/11/2023 10:32 AM, Ken Blake wrote:
> On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 09:55:03 -0400, Zaidy036 <Zaidy036@air.isp.spam>
> wrote:
>
>> On 9/11/2023 5:13 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>>> In message <9mfsfilet9eikutkitqp7kkdis1pfevc38@4ax.com> at Sun, 10 Sep
>>> 2023 17:15:34, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> writes
>>>> I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>>>> reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>>>> PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>>>> number of different problems.
>>>>
>>>> What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>>>
>>>>     >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>>>
>>> Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
>>> already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)
>>
>> If it is for desktop use look at
>> <https://www.amazon.com/SSK-External-Docking-Enclosure-Supports/dp/B08P1539VD/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2M735N31QK2AP&keywords=Hard+Drive+Dock+SSK+USB+3.0+to+SATA&qid=1694440285&s=electronics&sprefix=hard+drive+dock+ssk+usb+3.0+to+sata%2Celectronics%2C119&sr=1-5>
>> and install a HDD of the size desired.
>
>
> I've long used external USB HD enclosures, but never a device like
> this. Can you, or anyone else here who has used this, compare it to an
> external USB HD enclosure? What's better about this? What's worse
> about it?
>
> I use an external USB HD enclosure for backup. Should I switch to
> this? Why?

I have two of these with HDD for backup including images. Exchange
weekly so one disconnected to protected from ransom attack. Use two so
do not wear them out by changing HDDs frequently. Operate by overnight
unattended batch. Reliable, economic, easier to use than an NAS, and can
easily increase HDD size if required.

On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 10:13:46 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"
<G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:

>In message <9mfsfilet9eikutkitqp7kkdis1pfevc38@4ax.com> at Sun, 10 Sep
>2023 17:15:34, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> writes
>>I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>>reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>>PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>>number of different problems.
>>
>>What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>
>Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
>already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)

Kind of like a little more portability than that.

>>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

In message <2r8ufi13uq7hhjkdnli60mf73i5m51od8q@4ax.com> at Mon, 11 Sep
2023 07:32:15, Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com> writes
>On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 09:55:03 -0400, Zaidy036 <Zaidy036@air.isp.spam>
>wrote:
>
>>On 9/11/2023 5:13 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>>> In message <9mfsfilet9eikutkitqp7kkdis1pfevc38@4ax.com> at Sun, 10 Sep
>>> 2023 17:15:34, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> writes
>>>> I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>>>> reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>>>> PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>>>> number of different problems.
>>>>
>>>> What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>>>
>>>>     >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>>>
>>> Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
>>> already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)
>>
>>If it is for desktop use look at
>><https://www.amazon.com/SSK-External-Docking-Enclosure-Supports/dp/B08P
>>1539VD/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2M735N31QK2AP&keywords=Hard+Drive+Dock+SSK+USB+3
>>.0+to+SATA&qid=1694440285&s=electronics&sprefix=hard+drive+dock+ssk+usb
>>+3.0+to+sata%2Celectronics%2C119&sr=1-5>
>>and install a HDD of the size desired.
>
(Or SS"D" of course.)
>
>I've long used external USB HD enclosures, but never a device like
>this. Can you, or anyone else here who has used this, compare it to an
>external USB HD enclosure? What's better about this? What's worse
>about it?

Better: you can use any HD (that it has connectors for*), and change
them a lot more easily than the sort of external HD enclosure you need
to find a screwdriver for (I think they may even be hot-swappable,
though not sure about that). Worse: bigger; need a power supply (though
external holders for 3.5" drives usually do too); more knockable
(slightly).
>
>I use an external USB HD enclosure for backup. Should I switch to
>this? Why?
Up to you.

* I have an older model (only USB2, but also has EIDE interface) - a
common red-and-black one with two slots. It has SATA in one slot, and
EIDE in the other. Useful for archaeology (-:. You can also get them
with two SATA slots. The ones with two slots (both SATA or SATA/EIDE)
sometimes have a button, which allows copying from one drive to the
other without needing the PC connection.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

age. fac ut gaudeam.

On Sun, 10 Sep 2023 16:35:30 -0600, KenW <ken1943@invalid.net> wrote:

>On Sun, 10 Sep 2023 17:15:34 -0500, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com>
>wrote:
>
>>I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>>reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>>PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>>number of different problems.
>>
>>What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>
>Had my Sandisks for years. Amazon 1 Star reviews ??
>although those reviews are hard to believe. So buy at Newegg
>
>
>KenW

Don't think it matters much where it's bought.

>>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 07:35:00 -0400, Paul <nospam@needed.invalid>
wrote:

>On 9/10/2023 6:15 PM, jetjock wrote:
>> I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>> reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>> PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>> number of different problems.
>>
>> What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>>
>
>I've had a couple failures on regular USB sticks, and I blame it on
>the TLC flash, and un-sophisticated controllers. One stick died and
>it had only done about seven ISO9660 writes or so. Even if you assume
>the write life of the flash is 600 cycles (write amplification taken into
>account), that's pretty shabby performance from an endurance perspective.
>
>Whereas my old OCZ Rally2 with MLC chips in it, just keeps going. It's done
>a ton of writes over the years.
>
>It depends on what your objectives are for the stick are. A USB stick
>can be carried more places, than a larger device.
>
>One thing about some of those sticks, is they run a bit warm. Not warm
>enough to break anything, but still suggestive they should not be using
>plastic cases for the body. However, the sticks that use aluminum cases,
>the electronics side is usually awful (chuck-ware). You can't win :-/
>
>Maybe the low price of the item, will offset the reliability issues.
>That's the only way I could "justify" a USB stick recommendation today.
>I usually get a SanDisk Extreme (not a Cruze, nor an Ultra, for write
>speed reasons). The Extreme usually have a better balance between read
>and write.
>
>*******
>
>A form factor like this, is more likely to get the life from the flash chips.
>It is more likely to have working wear leveling (static and dynamic).
>
>2.3" x 3.5" x 0.5" with cables 1TB $85
>
>https://www.newegg.com/samsung-t7-shield-1tb/p/N82E16820147837
>
>Has consistent write rate. A little slow on random I/O. Which means,
>if copying 10GB of small files, it won't be as snappy as some
>of its competitors. But the sequential write is pretty good.
>It won't be doing 800MB/sec on the 10GB small-file test.
>
>https://www.anandtech.com/show/18734/samsung-portable-ssd-t7-shield-4tb-review-ip65-pssd-gets-a-capacity-upgrade/3
>
> Paul

Thanks, Paul.

>>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

On Sun, 10 Sep 2023 17:15:34 -0500, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com>
wrote:

>I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>number of different problems.
>
>What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>
> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I guess I should have said that all
the drive will be used for is transferring shows that I download
(mostly .mkv files) from my computer to the TV. Computer is older (Z95
MB) so it only has USB 3 ports in back so thumb drives are preferable,
but not required. They are much easier to plug into the TV. Most of
the shows run between 2-4GB, so transfer speed is pretty important, as
is number of read/writes. The 1 star reviews main complaints were xfer
speed and early failure...or both.

>>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

On 9/11/2023 10:32 AM, Ken Blake wrote:
> On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 09:55:03 -0400, Zaidy036 <Zaidy036@air.isp.spam>
> wrote:
>
>> On 9/11/2023 5:13 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>>> In message <9mfsfilet9eikutkitqp7kkdis1pfevc38@4ax.com> at Sun, 10 Sep
>>> 2023 17:15:34, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> writes
>>>> I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>>>> reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>>>> PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>>>> number of different problems.
>>>>
>>>> What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>>>
>>>>     >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>>>
>>> Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
>>> already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)
>>
>> If it is for desktop use look at
>> <https://www.amazon.com/SSK-External-Docking-Enclosure-Supports/dp/B08P1539VD/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2M735N31QK2AP&keywords=Hard+Drive+Dock+SSK+USB+3.0+to+SATA&qid=1694440285&s=electronics&sprefix=hard+drive+dock+ssk+usb+3.0+to+sata%2Celectronics%2C119&sr=1-5>
>> and install a HDD of the size desired.
>
>
> I've long used external USB HD enclosures, but never a device like
> this. Can you, or anyone else here who has used this, compare it to an
> external USB HD enclosure? What's better about this? What's worse
> about it?
>
> I use an external USB HD enclosure for backup. Should I switch to
> this? Why?
>

It's a "toaster". UASP is USB Attached SCSI Protocol, with a slightly
higher transfer rate.

You want sufficient mass in the base of the thing, so
it is not too "tippy". Some of them, actually had a weight
added to the base, to help.

The vibrations would not be well-controlled, if you
stuck two drives in a toaster at the same time, so you
want something other than a WD Blue hard drive for that :-)

Hard drives operate in "six axis of orientation", and
sticking them on-end like that is "legal". Some Dell
computers, have bays storing hard drives in that orientation.

With the odd exception, toasters don't have cooling air.
The drive could get a bit warm, but stay within the 50C-60C
limitations it has got. At least one toaster ("dock")
previously, had an 80mm fan arranged in toaster-orientation,
next to the drive, providing cooling. But that's probably
out of production by now.

The wall adapter sources 12V @ 2A. The wall adapters are not
usually over-generous with hard drives. Large capacity hard
drives, may draw less current on +12V during startup, than
smaller (1TB) boot drives. I would be happier with the idea,
if they would sell wall adapters claiming to source 12V @ 3A.
But they insist on the 12V @ 2A adapters.

When you shove a SATA SSD into a toaster, some toasters have a
plastic guide for smaller drives. As far as I know, the x-Y offset
on the connector, is the same on 2.5" and 3.5" drives, which is why
they can slide into the same style of hole (with their back resting
against the guidance materials).

*******

Please don't read the prices on these, OK ? :-) These
web pages are for their technical detail, not for prices.

This advert, serves two purposes. It shows the removable plastic
piece, that adapts the socket hole for 2.5" or 3.5" drives. And
Startech adverts give the "converter chip number". ASMedia - ASM225CM
The info is in the Technical Spec section.

https://www.startech.com/en-us/hdd/satdocku3s#overview-description

We look up the active chip inside.

https://www.asmedia.com.tw/product/d32yq49sx2YR9Jg6/d1Eyq85QN8GhBwRC

Compliant with Serial ATA Specification Revision 3.2
Serial ATA bus up to 6Gbps Signal bandwidth <=== SATA III, 530MB/sec or so

Compliant with USB3.1 Specification Revision 1.0 <=== 500MB/sec USB3 flavor

What the chip specification does not tell you, is how fast the
little processor inside the adapter chip is. For example, my
adapter here, only manages about 230MB/sec on a good day,
even though the "wire speeds" are in the ~500MB/sec range.
This makes the adapter "less than impressive with an SSD".

That's why, in addition to doing that sort of research,
you may need to read some reviews to see that "it's a good one".

For a hard drive, the one above is "good enough". If you were
shopping on price, and a Chinesium one offered that chip, plus
a good price, you might buy it. For working with SSDs (a person
running an SSD-only shop), you'd want to take more care to
read the reviews.

*******

This one, has the 10Gbps version of USB3, instead of the 5Gbps
interface of USB3 on the previous dock. This one is not a
"duplicating dock". Duplicating docks have additional buttons
on the top surface, to commence disk-to-disk transfer. A Duplicating Dock
can also be used for normal host transfers.

A Macrium transfer is less abusive (when cloning to an SSD for example),
so I'm not all-in on duping docks. Duping docks are fine for HDD-to-HDD,
but even then, you may not want the thing to spend all day doing a clone,
when Macrium and a regular toaster (like this one), would be faster.

https://www.startech.com/en-us/hdd/sdock2u313

ASMedia - ASM1352R

"USB 3.2 Gen2x1 to SATA 6Gbps RAID/Port Multiplier solution.
ASM1352R is ASMedia’s single chip solution to bridge
the USB 3.2 Gen2x1 to dual SATA interface."

A dock design, may not necessarily use all features of the silicon,
such as the RAID feature. The RAID feature is why it has a faster
USB3.2 interface. The chip can also be used in designs, such that
the user need not be informed about the RAID aspect (because it's disabled).

*******

The fastest sled you can get for external storage,
takes an NVMe in the tray. And has USB3.2 Gen2x2 for 2GB/sec transfers.
Since the largest NVMe easily available at present is 8TB in size,
that's about as much storage as you could put in one of those.
Your PC needs some sort of USB-C connector *AND* the wiring/silicon
inside the PC needs to support that protocol. Future PCs may
neglect to support exactly that protocol (it was considered an orphan
option when it was invented). But at the present time, with a PC
you built in the last couple of years, it might be workable.
For example, my PC has a USB-C, but it's only single channel USB3.2
and would get only half the bandwidth this advertises.

https://www.newegg.com/p/35G-00KP-00001

While there are faster trays than that (Thunderbolt), not many
ordinary PCs have Thunderbolt on the back. Some $1000 retail motherboards
have that. I expect the guy making these, isn't selling a lot.
You might expect 3.5GB/sec and 8TB max size. Also, at
speeds like that, sometimes the innards in the tray get
hot enough to "throttle".

https://www.amazon.ca/GiGimundo-Enclosure-Interface-Compatible-Aluminum/dp/B0B2LM8KKP

*******

Summary: A basic toaster is just as good as a "USB Hard Drive" like a Passport or a MyBook.
However, you the purchaser, are responsible for determining the "fit for purpose"
aspect. I did not know my adapter cable for SATA drives, was limited to 230MB/sec
by its internal processor. I have just one HDD that goes faster than that
(291MB/sec fake spec). If you work with SSDs a lot, you would spend extra time
looking for benchmarks for the purchase. That changes a five minute purchase, into
"day-long research" :-/

Paul

On 9/11/2023 9:10 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

> Interesting line from that second article: "While Thunderbolt ports are guaranteed to supply up to 15W for client devices, USB 2.0 ports are guaranteed to deliver only 4.5W (900mA @ 5V)." Is that so? I thought both USB1 and USB2 were limited to ½A, the only difference being speed. (I assume "Thunderbolt" is just a fancy name for one of the USB3 variants.)

The enumeration of the USB devices, carries the "rating" of the
device. A high-power USB2 would report "5V @ 500mA".
A high-power USB3 would report "5V @ 900mA".
These numbers are not real, and are not based on lab measurements.

However, on the circuit board, is a Polyfuse (self-resetting fuse),
and a USB2 dual stack uses a 1.1 ampere fuse. This means if
there was an *actual* current flow excursion, the fuse does not
start to melt, until it's been at 1.1 ampere for a fraction of
a second. Similarly, the USB3 has a fuse on board, and it might
be on the order of 2 amperes shared over two ports. If one USB3
thing is plugged in, then it can draw on the single fuse up to
the fusing limit. It's not a good idea, to put two hard drives,
onto the same USB3 dual-stack.

The declaration in USB devices is for "planning purposes",
such as switching between low power and high power mode.
A high power device, may not be allowed to draw 500mA right away.
It may start in 100mA mode, then switch up a bit later. There
can be protocols involving the "fake" numbers. But it's the fuse
that is the boss -- draw too much current, the fuse will ruin your
day. Yes, they cool off and reset, but you don't want to piss them
off, as they become mushy if you constantly overload and reset them.

For thermal reasons, laptops use silicon fuses and not Polyfuses.
Polyfuses are for well-ventilated desktops. The silicon fuses
trip faster and are more obnoxious if you're trying to abuse the
powering. But, the silicon fuses will be consistent performers,
and there are no "crystals to wear out" on them. I could not
tell you, what the programmed value for a silicon fuse is.
There were reports of some "opening at precisely 500mA" back
in the USB2 days, but I expect that's been fixed in later
designs. Intel issued an Application Note, warning designers
to "not be nitwits with your fuses". That's why the fusing
limits are higher now, at least on Polyfuses. Intel noted
that some designs had set the fusing too low (designers were
confusing the "boiler plate" current flow number, with what
their fuse should be).

The motherboard has a 100uF capacitor near the dual stack.
USB peripherals are allowed to use a 10uF bypass capacitor.
When you plug in a USB device, there is "inrush current"
which flows, as the 10uF capacitor charges instantly on
contact. The purpose of the 100uF capacitor, is to
supply the bulk electrons needed during the inrush, and
prevent a voltage transient from crashing the rest of the
computer. If a USB peripheral happened to use more than
10uF capacitance, bad things could happen (PC could reboot even).

Paul

jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> wrote:
> I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
> reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
> PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
> number of different problems.

I have had only one USB memory-stick fail and that was a 'no-name'
brand (brand of a local chemist chain). No problems with any others,
mostly SanDisk. But, as always, YMMV/YMWV.

My only 'big' one is a 64GB Samsung Fit Plus, which gets used every
day (for backup). It is very small and has a metal housing and plug.
It's also available in 128GB and 256GB.

I bought the Samsung one, because I needed a small and sturdy one.

Samsung also has sticks which are a bit bigger. One of them is USB-C
instead of USB-A.

FWIW, I also never had problems with SD-cards which were used in a
similar way, i.e. every day for many years. They never failed and only
got replaced because I needed bigger capacity ones.

On 9/11/2023 12:01 PM, jetjock wrote:
> On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 10:13:46 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"
> <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
>
>> In message <9mfsfilet9eikutkitqp7kkdis1pfevc38@4ax.com> at Sun, 10 Sep
>> 2023 17:15:34, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> writes
>>> I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>>> reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>>> PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>>> number of different problems.
>>>
>>> What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>>
>>> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>>
>> Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
>> already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)
>
> Kind of like a little more portability than that.
>
> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>

OK.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/16982/kingston-datatraveler-max-ufd-review-nvme-performance-in-a-usb-thumb-drive

On page two, you can see the device has a temperature problem that causes
throttling to a fraction of the write-rate.

*******

https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-DataTraveler-256GB-USB-C-Performance/dp/B09DVPH8NQ

https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-DataTraveler-256GB-Performance-DTMAXA/dp/B0B57T5G5L

They're rather long, but are supposed to use an SSD inside.

it cries out for a metal casing -- with heatsink fins :-)

One reviewer complained, it exceeded the current limit
on his computer. Good times :-)

You know you've got a good device, when it idles at 67C.

Maybe with a long cable, you can stick the thing in the
refrigerator freezer :-)

Paul

On 9/11/2023 12:32 PM, jetjock wrote:
> On Sun, 10 Sep 2023 17:15:34 -0500, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>> reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>> PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>> number of different problems.
>>
>> What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>
> Thanks to all for the suggestions. I guess I should have said that all
> the drive will be used for is transferring shows that I download
> (mostly .mkv files) from my computer to the TV. Computer is older (Z95
> MB) so it only has USB 3 ports in back so thumb drives are preferable,
> but not required. They are much easier to plug into the TV. Most of
> the shows run between 2-4GB, so transfer speed is pretty important, as
> is number of read/writes. The 1 star reviews main complaints were xfer
> speed and early failure...or both.
>
> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>

If the motherboard has a USB3 20 pin header, you may be able to get
an adapter cable for usage in an optical drive tray opening on
the front of the computer. USB3 is 9 pins, so 20 pins is sufficient
for two sets of wires.

https://www.amazon.ca/axGear-Motherboard-External-Panel-Bracket/dp/B07DFVL8ZF

[ You can undo the screws, and just hang that thing out the optical drive hole ]

I don't own one of those. But I think both of my PCs are
equipped for it, at motherboard level.

My newest motherboard, has a different connector for it. But your
Z97 might be using the 20 pin header. While this is not the adapter cable,
it shows a device which adapts from the older 20 pin format, to the
newer thing-a-mabob they stuck on my MSI brand motherboard. They claim
that connector is actually USB-C.

https://www.amazon.ca/JoyReken-Vertical-Socket-Header-Adapter/dp/B08TW9S7B3

*******

And I'm not selecting expensive devices on purpose (like this
was a Cadillac dealership). The problem is, the cheap USB keys
just won't have good quality controllers inside, which forces
"shop by keyword" and the resulting choices end up being
more expensive than I'd like.

My OCZ one, is an example of a "good by accident" stick.
Back when they only made good flash. We need a lot more silliness
in the controllers now, to make up for the shit flash they're using.

Flash chips, don't even have to be "well-sorted" by the maker.
They can pass the chips off, for others to sort. And that's where
the "chuck-ware" sticks come from. The flash is just not first-rate stuff.
It's already got more than its fair share of spared-out chunks.

Paul

On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 11:32:01 -0500, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> wrote:

>On Sun, 10 Sep 2023 17:15:34 -0500, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com>
>wrote:
>
>>I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>>reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>>PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>>number of different problems.
>>
>>What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>
>Thanks to all for the suggestions. I guess I should have said that all
>the drive will be used for is transferring shows that I download
>(mostly .mkv files) from my computer to the TV. Computer is older (Z95
>MB) so it only has USB 3 ports in back so thumb drives are preferable,
>but not required. They are much easier to plug into the TV. Most of
>the shows run between 2-4GB, so transfer speed is pretty important, as
>is number of read/writes. The 1 star reviews main complaints were xfer
>speed and early failure...or both.

Now that you've said what you're trying to accomplish, could you be talked into
doing the same thing but without any sneakernet?

I have a large video collection on a PC and all of it is available at the
various TV's at any time, all the time, without me having to physically
transport anything. I have a Roku box connected to an HDMI input on each TV, and
the Roku can use wired Ethernet or WiFi to connect to the network that the video
server is on, which is my home LAN. I can browse through the collection on the
TV, view movie trailers, see who the actors are, see all movies with a specific
actor, and so much more. Does that sound interesting? If so, instead of buying
another memory stick, look at the Roku models. I very recently bought a $30 Roku
for my sister and got her on board with the ease and convenience of having the
entire movie collection available to watch at any time. She and her husband
couldn't be happier.

On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 22:28:50 -0500, Char Jackson <none@none.invalid>
wrote:

>On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 11:32:01 -0500, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> wrote:
>
>>On Sun, 10 Sep 2023 17:15:34 -0500, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>>>reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>>>PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>>>number of different problems.
>>>
>>>What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>>
>>> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>>
>>Thanks to all for the suggestions. I guess I should have said that all
>>the drive will be used for is transferring shows that I download
>>(mostly .mkv files) from my computer to the TV. Computer is older (Z95
>>MB) so it only has USB 3 ports in back so thumb drives are preferable,
>>but not required. They are much easier to plug into the TV. Most of
>>the shows run between 2-4GB, so transfer speed is pretty important, as
>>is number of read/writes. The 1 star reviews main complaints were xfer
>>speed and early failure...or both.
>
>Now that you've said what you're trying to accomplish, could you be talked into
>doing the same thing but without any sneakernet?
>
>I have a large video collection on a PC and all of it is available at the
>various TV's at any time, all the time, without me having to physically
>transport anything. I have a Roku box connected to an HDMI input on each TV, and
>the Roku can use wired Ethernet or WiFi to connect to the network that the video
>server is on, which is my home LAN. I can browse through the collection on the
>TV, view movie trailers, see who the actors are, see all movies with a specific
>actor, and so much more. Does that sound interesting? If so, instead of buying
>another memory stick, look at the Roku models. I very recently bought a $30 Roku
>for my sister and got her on board with the ease and convenience of having the
>entire movie collection available to watch at any time. She and her husband
>couldn't be happier.

Same here. Roku is IT!

On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 11:01:34 -0500, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com>
wrote:

>On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 10:13:46 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"
><G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
>
>>In message <9mfsfilet9eikutkitqp7kkdis1pfevc38@4ax.com> at Sun, 10 Sep
>>2023 17:15:34, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> writes
>>>I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>>>reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>>>PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>>>number of different problems.
>>>
>>>What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>>
>>> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>>
>>Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
>>already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)
>
>Kind of like a little more portability than that.
>
> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
https://thepihut.com/products/ssd-to-usb-3-0-cable-for-raspberry-pi?variant=38191015559363

This is cheap(£6), small and works great. I have used this one and an
other similar, to SSD's working as boot and data disks for Raspberry
Pi 3 and 4 running 24/7 for maybe 2 years now. They work with a PC
also.
--
Jesper Kaas - jesperk@neindanke.online.no

In message <3h70gid585mds10eeo0vk724hmf5amn70m@4ax.com> at Tue, 12 Sep
2023 10:19:25, Jesper Kaas <jesperk@neitakk.online.no> writes
>On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 11:01:34 -0500, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com>
>wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 10:13:46 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"
>><G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
>>
>>>In message <9mfsfilet9eikutkitqp7kkdis1pfevc38@4ax.com> at Sun, 10 Sep
>>>2023 17:15:34, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> writes
[]
>>>>What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
[]
>>>Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
>>>already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)
>>
>>Kind of like a little more portability than that.
>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>https://thepihut.com/products/ssd-to-usb-3-0-cable-for-raspberry-pi?vari
>ant=38191015559363
>
>This is cheap(£6), small and works great. I have used this one and an
>other similar, to SSD's working as boot and data disks for Raspberry
>Pi 3 and 4 running 24/7 for maybe 2 years now. They work with a PC
>also.

That's the poor man's equivalent of the dock (the "toaster" we have been
discussing). Basically, an external SSD/HD case without the case! (The
electronics are inside the SATA connector.

Certainly, more portable than a case.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Veni Vidi Visa [I came, I saw, I did a little shopping] - Mik from S+AS Limited
(mik@saslimited.demon.co.uk), 1998

On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 16:59:05 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"
<G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:

>In message <2r8ufi13uq7hhjkdnli60mf73i5m51od8q@4ax.com> at Mon, 11 Sep
>2023 07:32:15, Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com> writes
>>On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 09:55:03 -0400, Zaidy036 <Zaidy036@air.isp.spam>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>On 9/11/2023 5:13 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>>>> In message <9mfsfilet9eikutkitqp7kkdis1pfevc38@4ax.com> at Sun, 10 Sep
>>>> 2023 17:15:34, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> writes
>>>>> I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>>>>> reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>>>>> PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>>>>> number of different problems.
>>>>>
>>>>> What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>>>>
>>>>>     >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>>>>
>>>> Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
>>>> already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)
>>>
>>>If it is for desktop use look at
>>><https://www.amazon.com/SSK-External-Docking-Enclosure-Supports/dp/B08P
>>>1539VD/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2M735N31QK2AP&keywords=Hard+Drive+Dock+SSK+USB+3
>>>.0+to+SATA&qid=1694440285&s=electronics&sprefix=hard+drive+dock+ssk+usb
>>>+3.0+to+sata%2Celectronics%2C119&sr=1-5>
>>>and install a HDD of the size desired.
>>
>(Or SS"D" of course.)
>>
>>I've long used external USB HD enclosures, but never a device like
>>this. Can you, or anyone else here who has used this, compare it to an
>>external USB HD enclosure? What's better about this? What's worse
>>about it?
>
>Better: you can use any HD (that it has connectors for*), and change
>them a lot more easily than the sort of external HD enclosure you need
>to find a screwdriver for (I think they may even be hot-swappable,
>though not sure about that).

Sure, but it's very rare that I need to make a change.

> Worse: bigger; need a power supply (though
>external holders for 3.5" drives usually do too); more knockable
>(slightly)

None of those are important as far as I'm concerned.

..
>>
>>I use an external USB HD enclosure for backup. Should I switch to
>>this? Why?
>Up to you.

Of course. I was just looking for guidance from people with experience
with this.

I think I'll stick with what I already have.

>* I have an older model (only USB2, but also has EIDE interface) - a
>common red-and-black one with two slots. It has SATA in one slot, and
>EIDE in the other. Useful for archaeology (-:. You can also get them
>with two SATA slots. The ones with two slots (both SATA or SATA/EIDE)
>sometimes have a button, which allows copying from one drive to the
>other without needing the PC connection.

On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 22:28:50 -0500, Char Jackson <none@none.invalid>
wrote:

>On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 11:32:01 -0500, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> wrote:
>
>>On Sun, 10 Sep 2023 17:15:34 -0500, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>>>reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>>>PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>>>number of different problems.
>>>
>>>What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>>
>>> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>>
>>Thanks to all for the suggestions. I guess I should have said that all
>>the drive will be used for is transferring shows that I download
>>(mostly .mkv files) from my computer to the TV. Computer is older (Z95
>>MB) so it only has USB 3 ports in back so thumb drives are preferable,
>>but not required. They are much easier to plug into the TV. Most of
>>the shows run between 2-4GB, so transfer speed is pretty important, as
>>is number of read/writes. The 1 star reviews main complaints were xfer
>>speed and early failure...or both.
>
>Now that you've said what you're trying to accomplish, could you be talked into
>doing the same thing but without any sneakernet?
>
>I have a large video collection on a PC and all of it is available at the
>various TV's at any time, all the time, without me having to physically
>transport anything. I have a Roku box connected to an HDMI input on each TV, and
>the Roku can use wired Ethernet or WiFi to connect to the network that the video
>server is on, which is my home LAN. I can browse through the collection on the
>TV, view movie trailers, see who the actors are, see all movies with a specific
>actor, and so much more. Does that sound interesting? If so, instead of buying
>another memory stick, look at the Roku models. I very recently bought a $30 Roku
>for my sister and got her on board with the ease and convenience of having the
>entire movie collection available to watch at any time. She and her husband
>couldn't be happier.

I do have a Fire Stick. I'll see if I can get that set up to work.
Thanks!

>>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

On Tue, 12 Sep 2023 10:41:09 -0500, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> wrote:

>On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 22:28:50 -0500, Char Jackson <none@none.invalid>
>wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 11:32:01 -0500, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com> wrote:
>>
>>>On Sun, 10 Sep 2023 17:15:34 -0500, jetjock <jetjock@unkown.com>
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>>I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
>>>>reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
>>>>PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
>>>>number of different problems.
>>>>
>>>>What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.
>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>>>
>>>Thanks to all for the suggestions. I guess I should have said that all
>>>the drive will be used for is transferring shows that I download
>>>(mostly .mkv files) from my computer to the TV. Computer is older (Z95
>>>MB) so it only has USB 3 ports in back so thumb drives are preferable,
>>>but not required. They are much easier to plug into the TV. Most of
>>>the shows run between 2-4GB, so transfer speed is pretty important, as
>>>is number of read/writes. The 1 star reviews main complaints were xfer
>>>speed and early failure...or both.
>>
>>Now that you've said what you're trying to accomplish, could you be talked into
>>doing the same thing but without any sneakernet?
>>
>>I have a large video collection on a PC and all of it is available at the
>>various TV's at any time, all the time, without me having to physically
>>transport anything. I have a Roku box connected to an HDMI input on each TV, and
>>the Roku can use wired Ethernet or WiFi to connect to the network that the video
>>server is on, which is my home LAN. I can browse through the collection on the
>>TV, view movie trailers, see who the actors are, see all movies with a specific
>>actor, and so much more. Does that sound interesting? If so, instead of buying
>>another memory stick, look at the Roku models. I very recently bought a $30 Roku
>>for my sister and got her on board with the ease and convenience of having the
>>entire movie collection available to watch at any time. She and her husband
>>couldn't be happier.
>
>I do have a Fire Stick. I'll see if I can get that set up to work.
>Thanks!

OK, the app that you should be looking for is called Plex. The free version
works perfectly and is all you need. I know it's compatible with Roku but I'm
not sure about Fire Stick.