PQI U510 1GB USB Drive

USB flash drives are increasingly found in the hands of both the tech-savvy computer users of the world and in the hands of the average, everyday user of PCs. Easy transport, in addition to durability and performance, is of high importance to all types of users who use USB drives for storing their files (and cool styling doesn’t hurt either). The PQI U510 USB drive is primarily targeted toward those people who are looking for a nice looking, easy to use and easy to carry drive. The thin design of the U510 makes it as easy to store as a credit card – which is the key selling point that differentiates it from other USB drives. With a close look at the U510, we will find out how well the U510 meets these design and performance goals.

Design

The flat, thin U510 is made of a rigid aluminum alloy casing and is available in silver color or in a number of design patterns such as the Chinese New Year or a soccer style. The brushed, silver casing gives the drive a clean look that will match well with black or silver laptops that also feature clean, “no-frills” styling.

To connect the U510 to a USB port, a retractable USB connector is built-in to the underside of the card. A slight tug reveals the silver ribbon cable with the USB connector. Using the included 2’ USB extension cable, the U510 can be easily attached to laptop or desktop computers.

With the thickness of 3mm, the U510 can easily fit into most wallets and can also easily slide into and out of pockets. There is no loop or other connector that can be used to attach the U510 to a keychain or key fob – it’s wallet, pocket or purse for this USB drive. Finally, there's a blue LED indicator light on the USB connector that lights up when the drive is connected and flashes when the drive is in use.

Also included with the drive is pre-installed software called “USB Notebook”, which is PQI’s version of what it calls ‘Personal File Manager Software’. Functions of the software include:

• Portable Email
• Portable Personal Backup
• Portable IE Favorite/ Web Account
• File Synchronization Center
• Portable Secure/ Zip doc
• Host Lock Functions

Features and Specifications

• Interface: High-speed USB 2.0 interface; backward compatible with USB 1.1
• Capacity: 1GB/2GB/4GB/8GB/16GB/32GB
• OS Supported: Windows ME, 2000, XP, Mac 10.1 or above
• Power Supply: DC 3.3/5V
• Power Consumption: Read <100mA, Write <100mA, Standby <70mA, Un-configuration <70mA, Suspend <0.5mA
• Dimensions: 85 x 54 x 3 mm (3.35 x 2.13 x 0.12 in)
• Weight: 23 g (0.05 lb)
• Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty

Included in the Box

• U510 1GB drive
• Carrying pouch
• 2' USB extension cable
• Quickstart guide
• Instruction guide

Click each picture to open a high-resolution view

Performance

To test the performance of the PQI U510 1GB USB flash drive, I used the HD Tach 3.0.1.0 benchmark program as well as the HD Tune 2.52 program. The first set of tests were ran with a typical set of programs running in the background – Folding@Home, 4 browser windows, Macromedia Fireworks and a My Documents file browser window. The second set of tests were ran with no other applications running in the background. These two tests should give a clear view of the overall speed of the USB flash drive.

Testing was performed using the following system:

• Motherboard: ECS KN1 SLI Lite
• CPU: AMD Athlon X2 3800+ Dual-Core
• Memory: 2GB Corsair TWINX (2x1GB) DDR RAM
• CPU Heatsink: Spire VertiCool IV
• Video card: EVGA 7900GT with 93.71 driver version
• Hard drive: Western Digital 250GB SATA2 16MB cache
• Optical drive: NEC 8X DVD-R DVD burner
• Power supply: Ultra XVS 700W
• Case: Ultra Grid with clear side window

Up first is a snapshot of the U510 drive stats from HD Tune.

Next up is the results from the first set of tests with a number of programs running in the background:

Finally, the results of the second set of tests with no other programs running in the background:

With read speeds averaging 13.4 MB/sec and write speeds averaging 11.8 MB/sec, the U510 provides middle-of-the-road performance at best. Other USB flash drives at this price point will provide higher performance both reading and writing data. With the U510, the designers were obviously going for form over function and the test results speak for themselves.

PQI U510 1GB USB Flash Drive

The PQI U510 USB flash drive is an attractively styled and dependable portable storage device, and it offers a lot of storage space in a convenient wallet-sized package that is unique to the USB drive market. However, the slow read and write speeds limit the usefulness of the drive. Although it is handy to carry around in your wallet, it's also somewhat uncomfortable to sit on for long periods of time - not recommending if you have a sensitive back!

If you are planning to install and try to run any programs from the drive, I would recommend looking elsewhere. If you are looking for a cool looking credit-card sized storage device that includes a basic software package, the U510 is an attractive choice.

Pros: Sleek styling, credit-card size, accessories and basic email / sync software included.

Cons: Slow read and write speeds, rigid case is somewhat uncomfortable to carry in back pocket.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

www.pqimemory.com