Synthetic Benchmarks (Cont.)

Following our usual approach we don't just stop at the first benchmark but also like to get a second view on how the hardware is performing. The same counts for the Xporter Magnum pen drive from Patriot, as we do want to get a second opinion on the actual transfer speeds. This time we will be using SiSoftware Sandra which is a well known software suite but that isn't available free of charge. Though we can say that this software bundle does warrant every penny as it has a very extensive set of tools and features. We can certainly say that SiSoftware Sandra is one of those software packages anyone should have who is a little interested in knowing what hardware resides in their system but also to check the performance and seeking to optimize it further.

SiSoftware Sandra 2009.1.15.72

SiSoftware Sandra is an information and diagnostic utility. It should provide most of the information you need to know about your hardware, software and other devices whether hardware or software. It works along the lines of other Windows utilities, however it tries to go beyond them and show you more of what's really going on. Giving the user the ability to draw comparisons at both a high and low-level. We do like SiSoftware Sandra quite a lot since it has all you can think of included to find out what kind of hardware you can find in the system but you can also run various benchmarks. However in relation to the Patriot Xporter Magnum 64GB USB flash drive we will be mainly looking at the removable storage module, which is able to run various performance benchmarks.

To also get a second opinion we have used the removable storage benchmark that resides within SiSoftware Sandra to find out the combined performance as well as the endurance factor given to the Xporter Magnum flash pen drive. The performance index is a full scale testing that is done by using different file sizes and determines for each the maximum transfer rate after which all these results are combined to come to a real world performance figure. In that aspect the SiSoftware Sandra result is a much better view on the performance of the Patriot memory stick. The endurance factor is less straight forward and should only be taken lightly. The real endurance is of course that of the drive itself, which means for the Xporter Magnum series a very high durability thanks to the metal casing.

Since some reference performance figures are available in SiSoftware Sandra we also wanted to show some comparison with other flash media, which do come in a smaller size though offering somehow similar performance. Of course the art is to combine both size and performance along with durability in one and that is certainly what Patriot has achieved with the Xporter Magnum version. With a storage capacity of 64GB it is currently one of the largest USB memory stick available next to Corsair and OCZ, which is delivering extreme performance and a very stylish though strong design. And that alone will already make it one fierce competitor to all others that want to match Patriot's Xporter Magnum series.

Final Thoughts

We have to admit that once we contacted Patriot, and that was actually after we saw that they had just recently released a 64GB strong high performance USB flash drive we gotten quite excited when we got the news a sample would be arriving shortly. Well we almost couldn't wait till it arrived to crank open the package and to stick it into our system. After all, who doesn't like to play with the newest and greatest gadget which actually has a real purpose? And we must admit this is a great little toy that many will find so darn handy, at least we find it darn handy to say the least. Since we gotten this little big flash storage drive we have used it every single day. Yeah, that is also one the reasons why we were really keen on trying it out as we actually use memory sticks on a daily basis.

The biggest advantage from our point of view is that we now just use one single flash drive, since the Xporter Magnum has 64GB while we used to work with 8GB in the past. You don't hear us complaining on that aspect, the bigger the size the better. As far as the performance goes, we have already outlined that it scores very good and resides in the higher range for both the read and write speeds. Of course there will be faster drives but the Patriot was able to just perform almost twice as fast as our current used flash drives which were not really that old either. During our testing the Xporter Magnum 64GB had no issues working under Windows Vista and worked well with ReadyBoost, as claimed on the packaging. And ReadyBoost is certainly a great added value when using Windows Vista.

The bundle itself was rather okay, but what else can you expect? There isn't much room to really standout in the crowd when it is all about a memory stick. Of course we could start nagging about the fact that quite some brands include some free software with their flash drives, which is mainly targeted towards securing and encrypting your data and that is not included by Patriot. But you can always find that software available in the internet. If you are looking for a simple USB memory stick with excellent performance, brilliant styling and a huge amount of storage you will just have to buy the Patriot Xporter Magnum 64GB USB flash drive. It looks great and performs outstanding!

Pros

• Huge Storage Space
• Excellent Performance
• User Friendly Installation
• Stylish Durable Design
• Water and Shock Resistant
• Windows Vista Certified
• ReadyBoost Compatible
• Lifetime Warranty

Cons

• N/A

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