USB drives don’t make headlines when they are a dollar a dozen. Yes they are essentially a consumable item, but you still want your data to be stored safely on it. Is it worth getting Kingston DataTraveler Exodia Onyx and Kingston DataTraveler 80 M? Let’s find out with thanks to Kingston. This is going to be a quick snappy review.
Once in a while I am reminded of my first USB drive, or rather, Thumb Drives as they were called back when 2000 was calling and IBM had their DiskonKey with the whopping 8MB storage. It was enough for me to throw the Mcafee Antivirus signature fie on whilst I update air gapped computers manually.
The latest Kingston DataTraveler comes in USB-A and USB-C flavours. The DataTraveler Exodia Onyx being the USB-A unit and the DataTraveler 80 M for the USB-C. Both comes with a sliding cap to protect the connector.
Both models are comparable in size, the Exodia Onyx being a little longer and the DataTraveler 80 M being a bit thicker.
Speed Run
Running the two drives through a bunch of speed tests, there is a clear distinct in speed between the USB-A and the USB-C versions of the drives.
The best I could get out of the Kingston DataTraveler Exodia Onyx is:
As for the Kingston DataTraveler 80 M, the results are:
Other Features
The USB-C DataTraveler 80 M can be plugged directly into an Android phone for extra storage. An immensely handy feature if you are on the road and want to take some extra media with you, or backup your photos when you don’t have free Wi-Fi to upload your data.
Gripes
This is petty, but the sliding cap on the Exodia Onyx is really stiff to move, especially to return to rest position. It’s a little hard to see being smoke clear black with an Onyx unit. But I’ll build myself a bridge and get over that.
Conclusions
I am sure we have all had bad experiences with storage devices at some point. Faulty NAND or just outright fraud from a dodgy-Bay seller. There is no reason not to buy a reputable brand like Kingston for your storage needs.
The Kingston DataTraveler Exodia Oynx starts at around AUD$20 for the smallest capacity, the Kingston DataTraveler 80 M starts around AUD$32. Both are available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities.
KINGSTON DATATRAVELER EXODIA ONYX SPECIFICATIONS
Capacities: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
Speed: USB 3.2 Gen 1 compliant
Dimensions :60.7mm x 21mm x 10.2mm
Weight :8g
Operating temperature :0°C~60°C
Storage temperature : -20°C~85°C
Warranty: 5-year warranty, free technical support
Compatible with: Windows 11, 10, macOS (v.10.15.x +), Linux (v. 4.4 +), Chrome OS
KINGSTON DATATRAVELER 80 M SPECIFICATIONS
Capacities: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 1
Speed: Up to 200MB/s read
Dimensions: 54.18mm x 21.81mm x 11.60mm
Weight: 6g
Operating temperature: 0°C~60°C
Storage temperature: -20°C~85°C
Warranty/support: 5-year warranty with free technical support
Compatible with: Windows 11/10/8.1, macOS (v. 10.15.x +), Linux (v. 4.4.x +), Chrome OS
