[Review] SanDisk Cruzer Titanium U3 2GB

[chconline Veteran]

Despite SanDisk's experience and quality in their products, it seems that they've historically been a very average-consumer oriented company, with less aim at the enthusiast market. What I mean is that their emphasis on high performance flash memory, especially USB flash drives, is minimal. Companies such as OCZ have and still been very effective in marketing their products at prosumers with a huge stress on performance. To credit SanDisk, they did advertise speed with many of their products lately -- but it doesn't seem to me that their performance highlights is as strong and revolutionary as the legendary OCZ Rally (Which, as far as I know, is still a fast flash drive, so it's not plain marketing), as well as their follow-up product, the OCZ Rally2, which we'll be looking at in a few weeks. Benchmark results are in for the Rally2, so we'll use the numbers for that in today's review as well.

Moving back on topic, today we'll be looking at the SanDisk Cruzer Titanium U3, the follow up product to SanDisk's own legendary SanDisk Cruzer Titanium on strength and reliability. It's quite an opportunity for us to take a look at the OCZ Rally2 as well, another second generation product, but from OCZ whose main emphasis is on performance. Will they cross each other's line and take back what they have been previously missing and still uphold their flagship features?

http://aphnetworks.com/reviews/sandisk_cruzer_titanium_u3

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[Aud]

The Titaniums are tanks. I've had the original 512MB model for almost two years now and despite it going through some hellish punishment, it stills works perfectly. The text markings are a little scratched out but the body has remained seemingly unphased.

The plastic retracting/extending button is not as weak of a design as it seems. The button doesn't protrude above the metallic border so, unless you exert a really concentrated force directly ontop, it's not going to damage the inside. It does seem like this new 2GB model has an even tougher casing than before too. (Y)

...and, yes, this flashdrive can survive a 20 story fall onto pavement as well as a couple cycles in the washing machine (not that I would know, of course). :shifty: :whistle:

[Sophism]

Good review :) Might have to pick one of these up myself

[L3thal Veteran]

Nice review indeed. I'm going to get one and intentionally throw it to the middle of the street so a few buses and cars can give it a ride for the money.

[Premgenius]

I got the Micro Cruzer but dam a car over it :o

[LingeringSoul]

Wow, the fact that it survived getting run over by a minivan is extremely impressive. The one time my no-name brand flash drive fell on the tiled floor really made me work up a sweat. I thought it was a goner. Having a drive like this one to hold my Powerpoint presentations on would give me some peace of mind.

Great review. It looks like you guys do a hell of a lot of research on the products.

[asdfoi83wyrl]

CNET drove a Mini Cooper over the old non-U3 Titanium, and it cracked a bit but still stayed intact and didn't lose any data.

http://reviews.cnet.com/SanDisk_Cruzer_Tit...7-30795193.html

I just picked up a 1 gig U3 Titanium today from Staples (they're on sale this week for 50% off, check your local circular). The thing's smaller than many USB drives, but it feels pretty heavy for a flash drive.

Here's a couple pics I snapped earlier this evening (sorry for the crappy photography, they were handheld slow(ish)-shutter macros and I'm not a photographer):

EDIT: Added links to larger sized versions.

Edited August 7, 2006 by Jason He

[pyehac]

Wait, is that a 10gb flash drive? :blink:

[asdfoi83wyrl]

no, 1.0 gb. Perhaps you'd want to check out a larger version....

[bbuubb]

im considering the sandisk titanium with U3. ive heard U3 tries to autorun and install on every computer you plug into. is this true?

i have also heard it is a huge pain to remove. have you tried the new removal software? how easy was it for you?

can you just turn U3 off and then on if you want to use it?

[Toology]

Damn. :huh: I haven't bought a new USB drive in 2 years and this definitely looks like a worthy replacement.

[Smigit]

I got this to replace my 32meg Stone drive from years ago. I get 15.5MB/S read too so slightly above spec. It's a lovely drive but. The only thing I would have liked would have been a USB extension cable but I have a few anyway. I really can't complain but and I'm very happy wit hthe purchase.