While portable solid-state drives are becoming increasingly popular and can offer excellent performance, they still can’t beat the portability and convenience of a USB flash drive. Kingston’s new DataTraveler Max pushes the limits of flash drive performance with its USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface for 1,000MB/s read and 900MB/s write. While the drive lacks encryption and robust features, the DataTraveler Max is a great value for fast, portable storage.
While portable solid-state drives are becoming increasingly popular and can offer excellent performance, they still can’t beat the portability and convenience of a USB flash drive. Kingston’s new DataTraveler Max pushes the limits of flash drive performance with its USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface for 1,000MB/s read and 900MB/s write. While the drive lacks encryption and robust features, the DataTraveler Max is a great value for fast, portable storage.
Also read: Kingston XS2000 Review: Best Device To Storage your Business Important Files
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Kingston DataTraveler Max Pricing and Specifications
Kingston offers the DataTraveler Max (DT Max) in three sizes: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. We’re testing the latter, which Amazon is offering for $179 as of this writing. That’s at the high end of what you should expect to pay for even a fast 1TB USB flash drive, but it’s not unreasonable given Kingston’s performance claims. It looks like the 512GB capacity is available for around $106.
As noted in the introduction, the DT Max is a standard USB flash drive. It has no encryption or security features of any kind, nor does it include any drive management software. This is strictly a storage device. (For the latest in portable flash drive security, check out our SecureData SecureDrive KP USB Review.)
The full DT Max specs below contain few surprises. The standard five-year warranty is notable, as is the free technical support should you need it.
| Available capacities | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Easy to use | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) |
| nominal yield | Up to 1,000MB/s read and 900MB/s write |
| Operating system support | Windows 8.1/10, MacOS (v 10.14.x+), Linux (v 2.6.x+), Chrome OS |
| Dimensions (HWD) | 0.36 by 0.87 by 3.24 inches |
| Weight | ounces 0.42 |
| Operating temperature | 0 to 60 degrees C |
| Storage temperature | -20 to 85 degrees C |
| Warranty | Five years limited with free technical support |
Kingston DataTraveler Max Design and Construction
The DT Max is about the size of a stick of gum and easily fits into a pocket or carry bag. Much smaller USB flash drives are available, though not if you want the performance level of the DT Max.
The exterior is made of sturdy black plastic. Horizontal grooves provide a secure, non-slip way to grip it, especially when plugging or unplugging it. While this drive lacks ruggedness and water resistance ratings, it feels solid and should withstand the stress of daily use. Kingston’s lengthy standard warranty goes some way to ensuring that.
The USB-C connector is hidden away—simply press the keychain tab on the back of the unit to pop it out. This design prevents the connector from getting bent or damaged during transport. (As long as you remember to retract it, that is.)
The final physical highlight of the DT Max is its LED status indicator on the top, just to the right of the Kingston logo, a feature that has disappeared from many flash drives. Our inner geek sense always appreciates knowing when the drive is being accessed.
Kingston DataTraveler Peak Performance
The DT Max performed very well in our first test, the popular Blackmagic Disk Speed Test. It achieved 883MB/s write and 898MB/s write, close to Kingston’s claimed maximums and approaching USB 2 Gen10’s maximum 3.2Gb/s bandwidth.
The DT Max produced similarly excellent results in our next and final test, IOMeter, especially in 4K random reads and writes. In the 2MB four-thread sequential test, we saw the DT Max surpass Kingston’s maximum read and write claims, where it managed 969MB/s write and 1,006MB/s read. Its write numbers are good enough to compete with those of external NVMe SSDs like the OWC Envy Pro SX SSD.
| IOMeter (1 thread) | |
| Exam | Result |
| 2MB sequential write | 778.5 MB/s, 389.2 IOPS |
| 2MB sequential read | 796.9 MB/s, 398.5 IOPS |
| 2MB Random Write | 727.6 MB/s, 363.8 IOPS |
| 2MB Random Read | 776.5 MB/s, 388.2 IOPS |
| 4K Random Write | 37.8 MB/s, 9687.6 IOPS |
| 4K Random Read | 16.4 MB/s, 4186.7 IOPS |
| IOMeter (4 thread) | |
| 2MB sequential write | 969.4 MB/s, 469.7 IOPS |
| 2MB sequential read | 1006.5 MB/s, 503.3 IOPS |
| 2MB Random Write | 718.5 MB/s, 359.3 IOPS |
| 2MB Random Read | 808.8 MB/s, 404.4 IOPS |
| 4K Random Write | 110.9 MB/s, 28405 IOPS |
| 4K Random Read | 47.7 MB/s, 12215 IOPS |
Conclusion
The DataTraveler Max met and even exceeded Kingston’s high-performance claims in our testing. Its performance is outstanding considering it’s not an external solid-state drive, but rather a traditional USB flash drive. The drive’s biggest downsides are its lack of security and rugged features, so be wary of that. Otherwise, the DT Max’s performance is powerful enough to make it a viable alternative to external SSDs, and its highly portable design sweetens the deal.