The Toshiba TransMemory Pro USB 3.0 Flash Drive is Toshiba's newest and largest flash drive. Available in 64GB and 128GB capacities it provides huge portable storage space and impressive transfer speeds, and would be ideal for use by enthusiasts and professionals looking to transfer or store large video, picture, or audio files. The drive comes with EX II Pad Locker encryption software (Windows) for protection and the ability to create both public and private partitions. For physical protection, the drive uses an aluminum body for a rigid build that keeps the flash inside safe.
The Toshiba TransMemory Pro USB 3.0 Flash Drive is Toshiba's newest and largest flash drive. Available in 64GB and 128GB capacities it provides huge portable storage space and impressive transfer speeds, and would be ideal for use by enthusiasts and professionals looking to transfer or store large video, picture, or audio files. The drive comes with EX II Pad Locker encryption software (Windows) for protection and the ability to create both public and private partitions. For physical protection, the drive uses an aluminum body for a rigid build that keeps the flash inside safe.
Toshiba claims the TransMemory Pro can hit transfer speeds of up to 205 MB/s write and 222 MB/s read which puts it firmly in the enthusiast-grade class when looking at USB drive segmentation. The 64GB version carries an MSRP of $129.99, the 128GB $199.99. Both drives ship with a five year warranty.
Specifications
- Available capacity
- 64GB (PFU064U-1BDS)
- 128GB (PFU128U-1BDS)
- Performance/Speed: up to 205 MB/s (write); up to 222 MB/s (read)
- Operating Temperature: 0-50 °C
- Storage Temperature: -20-60 °C
- Compatibility: USB 3.0 and USB 2.0
- Warranty: 5 years
Design and Build
The TransMemory Pro protects the USB 3.0 connector with a cap matching its silver aluminum body, which is textured for grip. The cap can be stored at the rear of the enclosure during use, though in a device of this class and quality, we'd expect a cap-less design.
Overall the drive has a minimalist design, with almost nothing written on it other than branding. There is a noninvasive keychain tether near the rear of the flash drive.
Wile the drive feels good and is definitely high-quality, the unit itself is a little boxy and isn't nearly as memorable from a design perspective, as some of the other high-end competition. Granted, USB drives aren't intended to be stared at with admiration, but Toshiba's design is what we'd describe as utilitarian.
Performance
In this review, we include the following comparables from our database of recent USB flash drive reviews:
- Patriot Supersonic Magnum USB Flash Drive – 256GB
- SanDisk Extreme PRO USB 3.0 Flash Drive – 128GB
- Lexar JumpDrive P10 – 64GB
Using our Consumer Testing Platform, we measured transfer speeds from the TransMemory Pro 128GB Flash Drive with IOMeter. Its sequential transfer speeds were measured to be 202.66MB/s read and 180.9MB/s write. Both of these were somewhat slower than the other drives tested, the exception being the write speed of the Patriot Supersonic Magnum 256GB Flash Drive (151.3MB/s). The sequential transfer speeds of the SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB Flash Drive, Lexar JumpDrive P10 64GB Flash Drive, and Patriot Supersonic Magnum 256GB Flash Drive were 229MB/s read and 211MB/s write, 252MB/s read and 225.9MB/s write, and 247MB/s read and 151.3MB/s write, respectively.
When we switched to random large-block transfers, the Toshiba TransMemory Pro 128GB performed well in read activity (183.6MB/s), only being outpaced by the SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB (229MB/s). However, it was the slowest drive tested in write activity, scoring 10.7MB/s. The SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB also lead the pack in this measurement with 66.4MB/s. The random transfer speeds of the SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB Flash Drive, Lexar JumpDrive P10 64GB Flash Drive, and Patriot Supersonic Magnum 256GB Flash Drive were 229MB/s read and 66.4MB/s write, 167.7MB/s read and 14.8MB/s write, and 166.3MB/s read and 39.1MB/s write, respectively.
Conclusion
The Toshiba TransMemory Pro 128GB Flash Drive is a performance oriented flash drive that can provide its users with plenty of storage space on the go. Its sleek competitor, the SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB Flash Drive, outperformed the TransMemory-Pro in transfer speeds. It also looks better, the TransMemory Pro features a simplistic silver aluminum body with a removable cap that while durable, leaves quite a bit to be desired from a design perspective. SanDisk also offers a lifetime warranty, compared to the five-year Toshiba offers. Turning to price, at current street pricing, the Toshiba is $30-50 more than the same capacity SanDisk, making this a difficult one to recommend. The TransMemory Pro also fell behind the other comps in most of the performance testing.
It's not all bad for the TransMemory Pro, as the drive ages some and makes it way through retail, the pricing will come down, at which point the Toshiba drive would be more compelling. Buyers in the performance high-capacity USB drive market would find the drive to be capable in most workloads, the drive did well in the sequential work these drives are normally used in.
Pros
- Lots of portable storage
- Good sequential workload performance
- Included encryption software
Cons
- Boxy design
- Poor random write performance
The Bottom Line
The Toshiba TransMemory Pro offers 128GB of storage that handles sequential workloads reasonably well. The included encryption software gives Windows users additional peace of mind.
Toshiba TransMemory Pro at Amazon
