Question 1

Why does sandisk refer to this as solid state when it is really just a fast flash drive, and why the critical reviews?

Accepted Answer

SanDisk refers to this as a solid state drive because it is a solid state drive in a flash drive form factor over a USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface.

This device uses a SSD controller over an SCSI-to-USB bridge. A typical flash drive uses an eMMC controller, which optimistically has similar peak read speeds but falls flat with writes, complex workloads, and extended continuous use.

For an example of this distinction in practice, a USB SCSI device such as this can be configured for direct access by a Windows Hyper-V hypervisor. Most USB SSD devices support TRIM and all that I'm aware of support SMART.

As a cautionary note, there are some products that support flash drives that won't support this device or similar. For instance, I once attempted to use a similar device with a printer/copier that could print from flash drives, but the printer didn't support USB SCSI and failed to mount the drive (formatted with a single exFAT partition). It was able to print from an exFAT traditional flash drive.

Question 2

Since this usb is 3.1, will the speed be less if I'm using it on the usb 3.0 port on my pc? If yes, by how much?

Accepted Answer

Short answer - No.  Per USB.org, the terms "USB 3.0" and "USB 3.1 Generation 1" are "synonymous" for the same 2008 technology.  The change from "USB 3.0" to "3.1 Gen 1" was just a (very confusing) marketing/licensing rebranding issue.  So USB 3.0 = USB 3.1 Gen 1 = max 5 Gigabits per second (Gbps) = 625 Megabytes per second (MBps).  Simple ... until 2013 when they introduced the next generation technology at double the speed as "USB 3.1 Gen 2" = max 10 Gbps.  Note the "Gen 2".  So now if you want the older 5 Gbps, look for "USB 3.0" or "USB 3.1 Gen 1" or just plain "USB 3.1".  But if your PC supports it and you want to make sure you're getting the new 10 Gbps technology, absolutely look for the additional "Gen 2" or don't buy it.

Question 3

How does the slider on top of this usb stick lock? Do you have to press the slider down or something to move it up and down?

Accepted Answer

You can extend the connector whether or not you press down on the button.  Once extended, the connector locks in place requiring you to press down on the button to retract it.  However, it's pretty easy to accidentally press down on the button while inserting the drive to your computer or usb hub.  So you must avoid that if you want to insert it easily.  Hold it along the edges or wrap your finger across the back and down the side and you can insert it easily.

Question 4

Does this need to be reformatted to store a large single file greater than 4gb

Accepted Answer

Actually the 256GB arrived exFAT, allocation unit size 1024k, probably ideal for large files such as video. The down side is that if you try to store a large number of files, such as 245,000 jpg that are about 130GB total on my computer, Windows 10 would report not enough space!
The simple solution is to reformat in exFAT with an allocation unit size of 128k or less. Then everything fits since not so much wasted space of each file.

ASIN	B01MU8TZRV
Additional Features	Lightweight
Best Sellers Rank	#8,239 in Computers & Accessories ( See Top 100 in Computers & Accessories ) #126 in Pen Drives
Box Contents	Flash Drive,,,,,,,,
Brand Name	SanDisk
Colour	Black
Customer Reviews	4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (14,343)
Flash Memory Type	USB
Global Trade Identification Number	00619659152512
Hardware Connectivity Technology	USB Type C
Hardware Interface	USB
Importer Contact Information	RASHI PERIPHERALS PVT LTD.,RASHI COMPLEX A BLDG, SURVEY 186, DONGARIPADA, POMAN, VASAI-E,THANE, MAHARASHTRA-401213
Item Type Name	Pen Drive
Item Weight Unit of Measure	0.04 Pounds
Manufacturer	20F No. 918, Unit B,C,D Middle Huai Hai Zhong Road Shanghai 200020 PRC, SanDisk Semiconductor (Shanghai) Co. Ltd
Manufacturer Contact Information	20F No. 918, Unit B,C,D Middle Huai Hai Zhong Road Shanghai 200020 PRC
Manufacturer Part Number	SDCZ880-128G-G46
Memory Storage Capacity	128 GB
Model Name	Extreme Pro
Model Number	SDCZ880-128G-G46
Network Connectivity Technology	USB
Number of Items	1
Packer Contact Information	20F No. 918, Unit B,C,D Middle Huai Hai Zhong Road Shanghai 200020 PRC
Read Speed	420 Megabytes Per Second
Secure Digital Association Speed Class	Class 10
UPC	619659152512
Unit Count	1 Count
Write Speed	380

SANDISK Extreme Pro 128GB, USB 3.2, Solid State Flash Drive, Upto 420MB/s Read & 380MB/s Write (SDCZ880-128G-G46)

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