32GB OCZ ATV USB Flash Drive Review

Performance Testings and Conclusions

An ASUS S62J ‘white box’ notebook with a Core Duo T2500 processor was used for testing. The Removable Storage test found in SiSoft Sandra XII was used to get read and write performance numbers.

To test the speed on the 32GB OCZ ATV USB 2.0 Flash Drive we rounded up some of the various USB keys we use in the lab and ended up with six common models that would be interesting to compare to each other. Each of the drives were then formatted and benchmarked with SiSoftware Sandra XII SP1 on an ASUS S62J notebook. All of the drives were plugged into the same USB port and the system was restarted before each set of tests.

The removable storage benchmark in Sandra XII SP1 showed that not all flash drives are created equal. The PNY Attache 2GB drive was by far the slowest with ‘Write’ speeds that were just 2.74MB/Sec and ‘Read’ speeds of 13.44MB/Sec. The OCZ Rally2 lead the group with impressive Write speeds of 7.10MB/Sec and the Kingston DataTraveler 400 was the speed champ in the Read test with 28.03MB/Sec. How did the 32GB OCZ ATV flash drive do? It placed second in the Read test and third in the Write test out of the seven USB flash drives we tested. Impressive results for a 32GB drive, but this is just the 256kB file test!

The 64MB file test showed improved performance and the 32GB OCZ ATV USB 2.0 Flash Drive flirted with 30MB/Sec on the Read test and was nearly 12MB/Sec on the Write test. The 32GB OCZ ATV is one fast thumb drive!

Final Thoughts and Conclusions:

The 32GB OCZ ATV USB 2.0 Flash drive has been used for few months here and has replaced several other smaller USB keys that we used to copy data to and from the test systems during benchmarking. The large capacity of the drive makes it the first and only USB drive that we need in most situations. The Read speed of nearly 30GB/Sec also makes this one of the fastest USB Flash drives that we have ever used, which is a good thing due to the amount of data that can be stored on it. Moving roughly 32GB of data (actual storage size is 29.8GB) off the drive still takes a fair amount of time.

When it comes to using the OCZ ATV Flash drive, it was found to be a solid performer over the months. We’ve used it on the test bench, for Ready Boost on Windows Vista, and for travel with no problems at all. As for the durability of the drive, it has survived being put through the laundry wash and a number of trips in the mouth of a dog and cat when they like to run off with important things. The OCZ ATV is one tough drive no doubt about that!

Pricing on the 32GB OCZ ATV starts at $146.99, which is expensive, but not too crazy. Other drives around this price point would include the equally as rugged Corsair 32GB Survivor at $160.99 and the Patriot 32GB Xporter XT at $149.99. The 32GB OCZ ATV is priced lower than the competitors rugged line of drives, so the price versus performance value is also there.

If your looking for a USB Flash drive that has tons of storage space and can handle the abuse of real life then the OCZ ATV is worth a closer look. These drives are the real deal and they are priced right compared to other brands on the market.

Legit Bottom Line: The 32GB OCZ ATV USB 2.0 Flash drive is rugged, super fast and can hold 29.8GB of data! What more do you want?