PNY reached out to me asking if I was willing to test its new Duo Link V3. The company announced it at CES 2026, and it went on sale shortly after.
Before we get underway, PNY provided a free sample without any editorial input or review pre-approval. Below are its specifications:
| PNY Duo Link V3 | |
|---|---|
| Capacity: | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB |
| Interface: | USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A & Type-C) |
| Speed: | Up to 1000MB/s read and up to 800MB/s write |
| Dimensions: | 3.13 x 0.71 x 0.41" / 7.95 x 1.8 x 1.04 cm |
| Weight: | 1.4 oz / 40.6 g |
| Operation Temp: | 32 to 158°F / 0 to 70°C |
| Storage Temp: | -40 to 185°F / -40 to 85°C |
| Durability: | None |
| Color: | Black |
| Material: | Metal |
| SKU: | P-FDI256DULNK3TYC-GE P-FDI512DULNK3TYC-GE P-FDI1TBDULNK3TYC-GE P-FDI2TBDULNK3TYC-GE |
| Warranty: | Limited 2-Year Manufacturer Warranty |
| MSRP: | $53.99, $72.99, $113.99, $196.99 |
Introduction
Yes, the Duo Link V3 is available in four sizes, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB, I have the 1TB version as denoted in bold up above. It also only comes in the one black colorway. It is USB 3.2 Gen 2 compatible with a rated 1000MB/s read speed, and up to 800MB/s write speed.
What"s in the box
- Duo Link V3
The Duo Link V3 came in an oversized box that had to be filled with paper to stop it from moving around during transport, it made me chuckle a bit; that is until I attempted to open the packaging and discovered I needed scissors and a Stanley knife to get into it.
Result 👉 Packaging is completely destroyed.
Design
PNY says that the Duo Link V3 is made from metal, and it certainly feels that way, it is cold to the touch, and weighs in at just over 40 grams. The swivel mechanism is pretty good in that it "snaps" back into place when put in the Type-A or Type-C mode. Upon closer inspection, it appears that it is using a metal hinge to achieve this locking style.
Overall the device looks premium, but it is a bit of a dust magnet. I tried to clean it thoroughly before taking photos, but dust was still able to be seen on it, oh well.
Above you can see all of the "modes" that the Duo Link V3 can be configured to. As I said, when locked into Type-A or Type-C mode, the covering snaps into place and doesn"t feel like it will move on its own.
At the bottom of the Duo Link V3 is where you will find all the regulatory safety marks, capacity, and a friendly reminder that it is USB 3.2, not USB 4. I do feel like a covering for the connector is missing here, so you"ll have to be extra careful to take care of it, since there is no box to store it in or a cap.
Above you can see its size in comparison to the TouchLock I reviewed earlier this week. As a reminder, the TouchLock is actually lighter at 40 grams, while the Duo Link V3 is 40.6 grams, this is all thanks to the metal housing vs the TouchLock"s being mostly made up from plastic.
Usage
I was going to complain here, but everything became clear to me when I used it on a phone, as it will for you if you read on.
| Type-C port in use | Type-A port in use |
|---|---|
It actually makes sense that the Type-C connector is long, because I myself have experienced different port lengths in smartphones with my FLIR ONE Gen 3 thermal camera attachment, which includes an adjustable dial where you can make the connector length longer or shorter, but with the Duo Link V3 this is not possible, it"s just a long connector that will fit any phone with a Type-C port.
This results in a poor connection experience on a PC, it doesn"t feel like it is all the way in, but it is, and the drive is left hanging with all that weight on the connector. I can excuse this for the Type-C connector, but not the Type-A; here it is the same story, it doesn"t go all the way in because the connector is quite long. It makes me wonder if, overtime, this will damage the drive.
If you have a port on the top of your PC, you"ll be fine though, gravity and all that.
Speed
Next, I did a few tests with drive speed and manual copy/delete tests on my main PC using one of the the USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports.
| AS SSD | CrystalDiskMark |
|---|---|
As you can see, it easily exceeds the write rating of 800MB/s in both tests, read speed was just a touch under 1000MB/s in AS SSD at 995.73 MB/s, and over in CrystalDiskMark at 1,061.56 MB/s.
No complaints here.
As you can see above, the connector almost completely disappears into the phone"s Type-C port; in fact I had to remove the Samsung Silicon Case of my Galaxy S23 Ultra, because with the case on, the connector was not long enough to be able to insert it fully.
Next, I copied 81.06GB of data from my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to the Duo Link V3 using Smart Switch. The whole process took around sixteen minutes, which is around ~86.46 MB/sec.
Finally, permanently deleting that same data back on my PC took around 8 seconds.
Conclusion
What I liked:
- Premium metal build.
- Swivel mechanism snap/locks into place.
- Speeds greater than official rating.
What I didn"t like:
- No protective cap/covering for the connectors.
- Type-A connector too long, resulting in it "hanging" off the connected port.
Would I recommend it?
If you need a USB flash drive that you can connect to your laptop, or tablet that only has a Type-C port, then you"re in business. In addition to that, you have the backwards compatibility of the Type-A port for those older devices. So yes, I do recommend it.
Where to buy
At the time of writing, it appears that only the 512GB can be ordered directly from PNY. Over on Amazon, it is much the same story with only the 2TB variant being offered through the official PNY store on Amazon US.
- PNY Duo Link V3 (512GB) for $93.99 at PNY
- PNY Duo Link V3 (2TB) for $190.99 at Amazon US
In the UK, only the 256GB variant is not currently in stock, with all others available through the official PNY Amazon store links. It is the same story in Germany, with all except the 256GB variant in stock.
- PNY Duo Link V3 (512GB) for £59.99 at Amazon UK
- PNY Duo Link V3 (1TB) for £100.42 at Amazon UK
- PNY Duo Link V3 (2TB) for £179.99 at Amazon UK
- PNY Duo Link V3 (512GB) for €69.99 at Amazon DE
- PNY Duo Link V3 (1TB) for €115.99 at Amazon DE 8% off
- PNY Duo Link V3 (2TB) for €199.99 at Amazon DE
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