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Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 64GB

The Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 is supposed to be Kingston’s fastest flash drive to date. We’ll compare it with a USB 3.0 flash drive they released a few months ago to see if it’s true.

Introduction

By now, USB 3.0 has been out for quite a while. Most performance, enthusiast, and extreme level motherboards now have USB 3 ports for the front and rear panels. To meet the needs of this crowd, Kingston has released the DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 flash drive.


The 256GB Version of the Kingston DT HyperX 3.0

These flash drives use the USB 3.0 standard, and are reported to be Kingston’s fastest flash drives, with stunning speeds of 225MB/s read and 135MB/s write when plugged into a USB 3 port. The drives are available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB versions.

We previously reviewed the Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Gen 2 flash drive, which was Kingston’s flash drive when it was first released in mid-2011. We’ll be comparing the two drives to see how they perform (keep in mind they are targeted to two different demographics of user). Shown above is the 256GB version of the DT HyperX 3.0; today, we’re testing the 64GB version, which retails for $150 USD on Newegg.

Features & Specifications

The drive comes backed by a five year warranty.

Capacities:  64GB, 128GB, 256GB

Speed:
USB 3.0: up to 225MB/s read and 135MB/s write
USB 2.0: up to 30 MB/s read/write

8-Channel Architecture

Backwards Compatible:  with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 ports

Solid/rugged design: durable metal and rubberized casing provides increased protection

ReadyBoost Support

Dimensions: 2.952″ x 0.916″ x 0.626″ (74.99mm x 23.29mm x 15.9mm)

Operating Temperature: 32°F to 140°F (0°C to 60°C)

Storage Temperature: -4°F to 185°F (-20°C to 85°C)

Simple: just plug into any USB port

Storage
Capacity*
Photos†
Video Recording (in minutes)†
Storage Usage
 
10MP
18MP
24MP
12 Mbps (1080p)
24 Mbps (1080p)
48 Mbps (1080p)
HD .MKV
Movies
Compressed
.MP4 Movies
 
 
64GB
17067
9481
7111
569
284
142
4
49
 
128GB
34133
18962
14222
1137
569
284
9
99
 
256GB
68266
37924
28444
2276
1137
568
19
198
 

 

Compatibility Table
Operating System
File Transfer
Windows® 7
Yes
Windows Vista® (SP1, SP2)
Yes
Windows XP (SP3)
Yes

 

Pictures & Impressions

The flash drive comes in the standard hard plastic packaging, which may be a little difficult to remove. However, we managed to remove it with a heavy pair of scissors. The packaging has relevant information written on it, such as capacity and warranty. The package also proudly boasts the HyperX logo and the transfer speeds.

The flash drive is about 7cm long, just a tad longer than the Kingston DTU3G2.

Testing & methodology

For the purpose of accuracy, all our testing runs were carried out three times. This ensures that we don’t have any random error in our results. We ran CrystalDiskMark, HDTach, HDTune, and productivity file transfer tests on the drive.

Test Rig
Case Zalman Z9 Plus Mid-Tower Case
CPU

Intel Core i5-2500K @ 3.3GHz

Motherboard ASUS P8P67 Deluxe LGA 1155
Ram

Kingston H2O 8GB (4x2GB) DDR3 2133MHz 9-9-9-27

CPU Cooler Intel XTS100H Destkop Thermal Solution
Storage 1x WD Caviar Black 1TB 7200RPM
Optical ASUS DVD Burner
GPU

1x Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti

Fans 1x 120mm (bottom left side panel)
1x 120mm (rear panel)
1x 120mm (bottom front panel)
1x 120mm (rear top panel)
PSU

Corsair HX Series 750W Modular Power Supply

Mouse Razer Lachesis
Keyboard Logitech Keyboard

 

Results

CLICK IMAGES BELOW TO ENLARGE

USB 3.0 Testing

 

Kingston DT HyperX 3 (left) and Kingston DT Ultimate 3 G2 (right)

The drive performed excellently in CrystalDiskMark, averaging around 216MB/s read and 125MB/s write speeds, very close to what Kingston claimed.

 

Kingston DT HyperX 3 (left) and Kingston DT Ultimate 3 G2 (right)

““  ““

Kingston DT HyperX 3 (left) and Kingston DT Ultimate 3 G2 (right)

The drive performed well in both HDTach and HDTune, and stayed around an average of 115-120MB/s.

““  ““

Kingston DT HyperX 3 (left) and Kingston DT Ultimate 3 G2 (right)

““  ““

Kingston DT HyperX 3 (left) and Kingston DT Ultimate 3 G2 (right)

For the productivity test, we performed two operations. First, we transferred one large file of 8.15GB to the flash drive. Then we transferred a large number of different files (14.7GB in size altogether). The performance of the drive dropped slightly in the second test, though some performance drop is to be expected when the number of files increases drastically. Nonetheless, the performance of the drive is stunning in the first transfer test.

USB 2.0 Testing

Since older computers are not compatible with USB 3, and there are still users who use USB 2 as the primary USB transfer bus, we did testing on USB 2 as well.

““  ““

Kingston DT HyperX 3 (left) and Kingston DT Ultimate 3 G2 (right)

A USB 3 drive in a USB 2 port will be limited to USB 2 transfer speeds, but the improved technology of the USB 3 chip does yield a marginal speed increase, as seen here.

““  ““

Kingston DT HyperX 3 (left) and Kingston DT Ultimate 3 G2 (right)

““  ““

Kingston DT HyperX 3 (left) and Kingston DT Ultimate 3 G2 (right)

The drive stayed consistently above 30MB/s in a USB 2 port, and had a lower access time.

““  ““

Kingston DT HyperX 3 (left) and Kingston DT Ultimate 3 G2 (right)

““  ““

Kingston DT HyperX 3 (left) and Kingston DT Ultimate 3 G2 (right)

We did the same productivity tests for USB 2 as we did for USB 3. The drive performed at a stunning speed in the USB 2 port, changing only slightly, and only by a few MB/s.

Conclusion

This flash drive made our jaws drop. It has stunning performance under USB 3.0, and is a great overall drive. It stays consistent in terms of performance, is sturdily built, and is compact and easy to carry around. The drive does drop in performance slightly when used with USB 2.0, but this drive is targeted towards gamers, and most users should have considerable USB 3.0 connectivity.

We are sure this drive will make a great utility for gamers and enthusiasts alike.

OUR VERDICT: Kingston DT HyperX 3.0 64GB Flash Drive
Performance 9.5
Value 8
Quality 9
Features 8.5
Innovation 8
We are using a new addition to our scoring system to provide additional feedback beyond a flat score. Please note that the final score isn’t an aggregate average of the new rating system.
Total 9
Pros Cons

Sturdy and well built

Excellent performance

Backwards compatible with USB

2.0

Compact

Speed decreases when transferring large numbers

Speed drops slightly under USB 2.0

Summary: The Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 flash drive is the best flash drive we have come across so far. For its large capacity and excellent performance, the Kingston DT HyperX 3.0 flash drive earns the Bjorn3D Silver Bear Award.

 

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