PNY Pro Elite V2 review: This flash drive hides a fast, spacious SSD

Price When Reviewed

1TB: $109.99 I 512GB: $74.99 I 256GB: $44.99

Best Prices Today: PNY Pro Elite V2 10Gbps USB stick

$44.99

Few folks on the planet today get enthusiastic about USB thumb drives. Especially with so many customers relying solely on storage within the cloud. But I’ll be damned if I don’t expertise a slight twinge of “Oh, boy!” after I get 700MBps-plus writing from one in every of these tiny wonders—on this case, the PNY Pro Elite V2 flash drive.

Maybe that’s as a result of I are inclined to run restore utilities and alternate working methods from them. But even the common person will recognize with the ability to offload or again up the day’s work in just some seconds, somewhat than the minutes that slower 5Gbps USB sticks can take.

And whereas on-line storage has confirmed comparatively safe and protected so far, there’s nothing fairly as protected or safe as your knowledge tucked away in your pocket.

Further studying: See our roundup of the best external drives to find out about competing merchandise.

PNY Pro Elite V2 design and options

The Pro Elite V2 is obtainable in 256GB ($44.99/examined), 512GB ($74.99), and 1TB ($109.99) capacities. Note that these costs had been additional discounted to the tune of $3 to $15 on Amazon on the time of this writing. Even discounted, that’s as much as 5 occasions what you’ll pay for a 5Gbps USB stick of like capability. Ahem.

PNY didn’t disclose the internal workings of the Pro Elite V2 on our truth test, nevertheless it’s a certain guess from the efficiency that it must be NVMe internally. Also, given the small type issue, the NAND is both TLC or QLC. Since the bottom velocity I noticed in testing off cache was 350MBps, I’m calling TLC. (QLC will usually write natively at 90 to 150MBps.)

Unlike a lot of its ilk, the Pro Elite V2’s USB connector doesn’t slide into an enclosed physique, however somewhat the connector is a part of cartridge like ingredient that’s pushed in from the rear of the stick to supply the USB connector up entrance. When the connector is retracted, the cartridge ingredient protrudes from the again. The roughly 2.2-inch lengthy, 0.74-inch extensive, 0.37-inch thick profile stays fixed in both state.

Inserting the Pro Elite V2’s by holding its finish eliminates my widespread criticism with USB stick retractable connectors: top-mounted slide switches that could be obstructed by different USB sticks, cables, and so forth. Not the Pro Elite V2. Nice contact, PNY.

How does the PNY Pro Elite V2 carry out?

Either we obtained an upgraded model, or PNY is being stupidly modest in its claims of 600MBps learn and 200MBps write efficiency for the Pro Elite V2. We noticed 637MBps studying (no shock), and a whopping 753MBps writing—practically 4 occasions the claimed write velocity. How many gross sales has the corporate squandered due to this error?

Compared to the opposite 10Gbps USB stick we’ve examined—the Teamgroup C212—the Pro Elite V2 mopped the ground with it. Of course, the C212 is somewhat cheaper than the Pro Elite V2, although hardly bargain-basement 5Gbps-priced.

Note that these numbers are from a retest of the C212 on our new take a look at mattress (described on the finish of this text). Its numbers beneath AS SSD, albeit nonetheless slower than the Pro Elite V2’s, are extra according to the real-world efficiency seen within the 48GB transfers.

The 256GB model of Pro Elite V2 we examined may need suffered from lack of secondary cache throughout our 48GB copy checks, although it nonetheless did fairly effectively in comparison with the C212. Also, 256GB is clearly not sufficient to take part within the 450GB write, which we’d usually embrace within the article proper after the 48GB transfers.

While we weren’t in a position to carry out the 450GB write on the Pro Elite V2, based mostly on the 350MBps low level we noticed with the 256GB model near full, the 500GB and 1TB variations ought to have the ability to end the duty in 22 minutes or much less—effectively beneath half the time (52 minutes) it took the C212. Again, that’s not a assure, nor a promise, however a projection based mostly on remark.

Is the PNY Pro Elite V2 value it

If you simply desire a plain-Jane USB stick, you may get one for much lower than the Pro Elite V2. If however, you contemplate your time worthwhile, or often must rush to catch the bus, then the PNY’s product is effectively value the additional coin. Zero complaints. Good stuff.

How we take a look at

External drive checks presently make the most of Windows 11 (22H2) 64-bit operating on an X790 (PCIe 5.0) motherboard/i5-12400 CPU combo with two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 modules (64GB of reminiscence whole). Intel built-in graphics are used.

The 48GB switch checks make the most of an ImDisk RAM disk taking on 58GB of the 64GB whole reminiscence. The 450GB file is transferred from a Samsung 990 Pro 2TB, which additionally comprises the working system.

Each take a look at is carried out on a newly formatted (NTFS, not the extra appropriate, however slower exFAT) and TRIM’d drive so the outcomes are optimum. Note that in regular use, as any drive fills up, efficiency will lower on account of much less NAND for caching, and different elements.

The coverage for all drives is about to “Better performance” with write caching enabled. You would possibly get decrease numbers if you happen to depart the drive’s coverage set to “Quick Removal” (the default).

The efficiency numbers proven apply solely to the drive we had been shipped in addition to the capability examined. SSD efficiency can fluctuate by capability on account of extra or fewer chips to learn/write throughout and the quantity of NAND obtainable for secondary caching (writing TLC/QLC as SLC).

Vendors additionally often swap elements and Teamgroup reserves this proper. If you ever discover a big discrepancy between the efficiency you expertise and that which we report (methods being roughly equal), by all means—tell us.