2,0 z 5 gwiazdek
Not a True Solid State Drive, No SMART Data Reading Support, and Fast Write Speeds Won't Last
Opinia napisana w Wielkiej Brytanii dnia 26 stycznia 2019
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UPDATED REVIEW
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The first Extreme Pro 128GB 3.1 USB stick I received from Amazon started having write speed problems after I had transferred approximately 200GB to 250GB of data in total to it. I thought the Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick I received was faulty so I got Amazon to send me a replacement.
Now the replacement I have received from Amazon is having the exact same problem. Again, like the first stick the problem starts after I have transferred a total of 200GB to 250GB of data to the Extreme Pro 128GB 3.1 USB stick. Just like the first Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick that I received from Amazon, when I first started using this USB stick, I was able to transfer .mkv movie files to the stick at an incredibly steady 180MB/s transfer rate (with write cache disabled in Windows 10). The transfer speed is no longer steady when copying over the same .mkv movie files to the USB stick. The transfer speed is now fluctuating up and down between 20 MB/s to 175 MB/s. CrystalDiskMark is now showing the write speed at 121.6 MB/s when it use to be 240 MB/s. You could use the "SanDisk SSD Dashboard" software and select the "Wipe Media" option to completely erase the USB stick which will temporarily restore the USB stick's steady write performance, but after I transferred 10GB of data to the Extreme Pro USB stick, speeds are now fluctuating again. I also "low-level formatted" the Extreme Pro, but that made little difference.
I have come to the conclusion that the Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick is missing 2 crucial features, and these 2 missing features are the reason the Extreme Pro 128GB 3.1 USB stick can not maintain its stable fast write speed performance after 200GB to 250GB of data in total writes has been written to it. Here are the 2 most important features that are missing from the Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick:
1. TRIM support via UASP (which would of been possible with the Extreme Pro if SanDisk did add UASP support and support for translating the SCSI UNMAP command to ATA TRIM.)
Both the above features (UASP and TRIM - if the Extreme Pro had them) would have greatly helped to maintain the overall long-term speed performance of the Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick.
SanDisk were made aware of the speed issues with their previous generation Extreme Pro USB stick and were told it was due to these two missing features (TRIM and UASP). What has SanDisk done about this problem? Absolutely nothing as their current generation Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick is still missing these important features. I'm not sure if the above issues can be fixed with a firmware update for the Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick. If a SanDisk support staff is reading my review, pass on my suggestion and see if TRIM support and UASP support can be added to the Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick via a firmware update. Or if that is not possible, SanDisk should come up with their own proprietary software tool that can send a TRIM like command to the USB stick to completely erase blocks that are storing data for files that the user has already deleted from the USB stick.
All you need to do is have a read through the many 1 star reviews on the Amazon U.S. website and the Amazon(.de) website and you will see that this USB stick will not maintain it's super fast speeds in the weeks and months ahead. Speeds will be fantastic for the first 200GB to 300GB of data you transfer to it in total, but after that the performance of this USB stick begins to suffer because the USB stick does not have UASP and TRIM support.
I have now put in a return and full refund request with Amazon.
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SECOND UPDATE
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I have just ordered a Crucial MX500 500GB M.2 type SSD and a Adwits SATA M.2 SSD to USB stick enclosure case to build my own true solid state superfast USB stick (with SMART Data reading support and UASP/TRIM support). The Adwits USB stick enclosure case does not support TRIM with the default firmware. You will need to use the following tool ASM105xMPTool.exe (Google it) and use it to update the Adwits USB stick enclosure to firmware version 140509_A1_82_40.bin (Google it) and then TRIM will work via the USB Port. This is the Adwits USB stick enclosure case I have bought and it works perfectly with my Crucial MX500 SATA M.2 SSD: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adwits-SuperSpeed-Cordless-External-Enclosure-SATA-M-2-SSD-USB-3-0-Case-Compact/dp/B0787FWVHP/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1550852681&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=adwits+usb+3.0+uasp&psc=1
MY ORIGINAL REVIEW IS BELOW (WHEN THE REPLACEMENT USB STICK WAS WORKING PERFECTLY)
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Not a True Solid State Drive and No SMART Data Reading Support
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The SanDisk Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick is not a true solid state drive, but is a USB 3.1 flash drive stick that performs like a solid state drive. The company SanDisk only supports SMART data reading on their solid state drives, and since the SanDisk Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick is not a true solid state drive, it does not support SMART data reading with softwares such as CrystalDiskInfo, HWiNFO64, etc. Even though the USB stick's previous firmware version 6EA 1010 use to report SMART data readings, these readings would not have been accurate as SMART data reading is not a supported feature on the SanDisk Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick. If you try to read the USB stick's SMART data values with its latest firmware (version 6EB 1030), you will get incorrect SMART data values. The USB's temperature will be reported as 8°C and the USB stick's health status will be report as Bad 0%. No SMART data reading support is making people think their SanDisk Extreme Pro USB stick is dying, when in fact there is nothing wrong with their SanDisk Extreme Pro USB stick.
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Quality Control Issues
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The retractor switch on top of the USB stick to extend its USB connector after some usage would not click in place to stop the USB stick connector from retracting when the USB stick is plugged into a USB port. I eventually managed to fix this problem by pushing the retractor switch forward HARD and then retracting it at least 7 times and now when I use the retractor switch on top of the USB to extend its USB connector the USB connector is now staying extended like it should. So I have managed to fix that problem.
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Default Formatting by the Manufacturer
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By default, the SanDisk Extreme pro 3.1 128GB USB stick comes formatted as exFAT (which is a optimized file system for flash drives) with an allocation unit size of 512 Kilobytes (so if you transfer folders that contain lots of small files these small files will use up much more storage space on the USB stick). You can do a quick format on the USB stick and choose a much smaller exFAT allocation unit size (for example 16K) so that folders that contain lots of small files will take up much less storage space when transferred to the USB stick.
If you are a Windows operating system user the default exFAT file system means you will not be able to set user access permissions for the files and folders you store on the USB stick. You can easily fix this issue by reformatting the USB stick to NTFS, but I do not recommended you do this as NTFS will add extra wear and tear overhead due to its journaling file system and will shorten the lifespan of the SanDisk Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick. The USB stick also has a 16 MB unallocated partition at the front of the drive.
Personally, I have put 2 separate partitions on the Extreme Pro USB stick. FAT32 (so that the USB stick works in my 4k TV) and exFAT (to use with my PC and laptop), and I used the software "DiskGenius" to do this.
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Positive Things About the SanDisk Extreme Pro 3.1 USB Stick
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POSITIVE POINT 1. The SanDisk Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick comes with a 30 years warranty. If the USB stick develops a fault and is not functioning as it should, and troubleshooting the USB stick does not fix the problems you are experiencing with the USB stick, SanDisk will replace your SanDisk Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick with a brand new one.
POSITIVE POINT 2. The USB stick maintains a high level of write performance after continual use (I have copied at least 150GB of data to the USB stick so far, and have done multiple quick formats, a complete data wipe, created a MBR partition table, and partitioned the USB stick a few times, and so far the USB stick has shown no signs of wear and tear as write speeds are still incredibly fast and consistent (176 to 180 MB/s without Windows cache, and 176 to 250 MB/s with Windows cache activated (exactly the same speeds when I first started using the USB stick). When Windows cache is disabled there is almost no fluctuations in write speed. Large files (.exe, .iso, .mkv, .mp4, .zip, .rar, etc.) transfer at a very consistent rate of 176 to 180 MB/s.
POSITIVE POINT 3. Another great thing about this USB stick is that it is using a MLC NAND chip and not a TLC NAND chip (SanDisk would not say whether the USB stick uses a 2D MLC NAND chip or 3D MLC NAND chip, and there is no way of verifying whether the Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick is really using a MLC NAND as SanDisk has gone to great lengths to make sure that the type of NAND it uses is not reported in softwares such as "ChipGenius" and "USBDriveInfo". So you will just have to take SanDisk's word that the USB stick is using a MLC NAND chip. The write cycle endurance threshold for this USB stick could possibly be anywhere from 3000 to 10000).
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Negative Points
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NEGATIVE POINT 1. The USB stick has a slippery aluminium metal casing and because of this the USB stick can easily slip out of your hands (I have dropped the USB stick once due to this).
NEGATIVE POINT 2. SanDisk are to secretive about additional specs for this USB stick that are important for a customer to know. SanDisk support will not say what the max write cycle is for this USB stick or give an estimation of the max terabytes that can be written to the USB stick over its lifetime. Also, SanDisk support would not tell me what kind of MLC NAND chip the USB stick has. I asked them if it was using a 2D MLC NAND chip or a 3D MLC NAND chip, but they would not disclose this information. I wanted to know because then I would know what the approximate max write cycles are for this USB stick which is important if I am going to be storing my valuable data on it.
NEGATIVE POINT 3. Again SanDisk being far too secretive about the USB stick's additional specs. SanDisk support will not state what is the max terabytes that can be written to the drive over its lifetime and will not provide other important additional technical details (such as what is the Extreme Pro's Erase Sector size?).
NEGATIVE POINT 4. No "Looking After Your Solid State Flash Drive USB Stick" user guide is included in the packaging box. SanDisk should include a user's guide in the packaging box that provides tips on how to look after the USB stick. A user guide with a list of do's and don'ts such as to never do a full format on the USB stick and to never do a full drive encryption on the USB stick will stop individuals from doing things that have a severe negative impact on the USB stick's write performance and lifespan.
NEGATIVE POINT 5. The SanDisk Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick has no UASP or TRIM support to help maintain the overall long-term speed performance of the USB stick. After you have written data to the USB stick that is 2 to 3 times it capacity (when all free blocks have been written to), expect the fast write speeds of the USB stick to drop considerably when copying large files (.exe, .iso, .mkv, .mp4, .zip, .rar, etc.). You can somewhat restore the USB stick's performance by using a software named "DiskGenius" to do a "Erase Free Space" on the USB stick, or you will need to do a "Secure Erase" on the USB stick using the SanDisk SSD Dashboard software (UPDATE: I do not think Secure Erase works on this USB stick. The "Secure Erase" procedure completes, but my files are still showing on the USB stick when I view it's HEX code). If you can manage to get "Secure Erase" to work, then it will restore the USB stick to peak performance. Also, if you use SanDisk's RescuePro Deluxe software to permanently "Wipe Media" from the USB stick, you will need to use the software "Rufus" to create a MBR partition table (in the software Rufus select the "NON-BOOTABLE" partition scheme) and to do a "quick format", otherwise you will experience problems when trying to add a partition at the front of the Extreme Pro flash drive.
NEGATIVE POINT 6. No SMART data reading support, which leads people to think their SanDisk Extreme Pro 3.1 USB stick is dying when they view its SMART data stats with softwares such as CrystalDiskInfo, HWiNFO64, etc., when in fact there is nothing wrong with their SanDisk Extreme Pro USB stick. Future SanDisk high-end USB sticks such as the Extreme Pro need to support smart data reading. As doing so will cut down on the number of people returning their USB stick for a refund or submitting it for a RMA with SanDisk due to them thinking the USB stick is faulty.
NEGATIVE POINT 7. HEAT issues under certain use cases. For example, if I plug the USB stick in the back of my PS4 Pro for 10 minutes (the PS4 Pro is switched on and in use), when I remove the USB stick it is not warm, but very hot. This could be due to the fact the PS4 Pro disperses heat at the back of the console. Once I removed the USB stick from the back of my PS4 Pro, it cooled down within a few minutes. Using the Extreme Pro USB stick in my PC to copy gigabytes of files to it only results in the USB getting warm, not hot, but that can be because the back of my PC (where the USB stick is) has a PSU fan that is dispersing cool air.
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