Does anyone make a flash drive with 3D NAND memory

Me | 11/26/2022 | Paul R.

[Paul R.]

I'm looking for flash drives (USB 3.1 or 3.2 memory sticks) with 3D NAND memory if such are out there? MLC would be next best. I'm looking more for reliability than speed. Most useful would be a 256 GB stick. A dual drive (USB A and USB C connection on either end) would be best.

Recommendations?

[Paul R.]

Ah, need to ask this too...

NOW it's off to the laptops on sale for a bit... :-)

[Paul R.]

Might get one “dually” and one single (Type A).

[klute]

Transcend Jetflash

[algore]

Something like this?

https://www.amazon.com/PNY-Elite-480GB-Portable-Solid/dp/B01GQPXB3U/ref=sr_1_2?crid=M8CA3AKZJNVO&keywords=pny+480+usb+ssd&qid=1669510826&sprefix=pny+480+us%2Caps%2C1864&sr=8-2

Or maybe microsd endurance card and USB adaptor.

[ShadowAce]

Get a M.s SSD enclosure and buy a M.2 SSD. You can get the enclosures that use USB and Type-C connectors. I’ve got one and it’s great—1TB of portable storage.

[ShadowAce]

Should be “Get a M.2 SSD.....”

[ShadowAce]

[GingisK]

Rule number one: Never store all of your eggs in one basket.

[redfreedom]

“Rule number one: Never store all of your eggs in one basket.”

My very first thought when reading this, from personal experience.

I used to have a collection of hard drives with gobs of information stored on them. Some financially related and thus quite confidential. I bought a new hard drive that would hold all, with intentions of backing that new hard drive up.

The complete transfer was made to the new single hard drive, the old ones were destroyed, then the new one failed. Two decades worth of data lost. The warranty was worthless unless I wanted some recovery tech to see my confidential goodies.

Never, ever again will all the eggs be in one basket.

[sauropod]

bkmk

[GingisK]

Never, ever again will all the eggs be in one basket

Been there, done that, and have the mug and T-shirt to prove it. ;-D I also wised up about media in general. Eight inch floppy gave way to five inch, which gave way to 3-1/2 inch. Those morph into CD, and then DVDs, and so on. I've copied a lot of files, in duplicate to be sure.

I've been screwed too many times.

[El Cid]

I'm not sure what you are asking about 3D Flash.
That technology started coming on-board in 2015, and WD, Samsung, Micron, and Toshiba all built their NAND devices using 3D technology.
I think, the way you phrased the your question, that you were more interested in reliability, and not cost, that you are actually talking about SLC (single bit per cell). And not MLC (two bits per cell), or TLC (three bits per cell), or even QLC.
If that is the question, yes, you are right, SLC is the most reliable, but I don't know how this advertised (or maybe they are only used for high end solid-state drives).
But as others noted - whatever you do, back it up. Even the most reliable system can 'crash'.

[El Cid]

Also, SLC is faster than MLC. So maybe I wasn’t interpreting your question correctly. SLC is ‘better’ for everything - except cost. And cost is the main driver for memories.

[ConservativeMind]

El Cid, I, too, believe Paul R. misinterpreted which technology was truly reliable.

You stated what I have learned, that SLC is the most reliable.

[SauronOfMordor]

Yes, if it’s important data, it needs to be backed up to at least three different places, with at least one backup stored off-site.

[Ken Regis]

RAID

[ptsal]

Bkmk

[Auntie Dem]

I have all my documents backed up to:
1. A server which backs up to an external 8TB drive
2. 2 separate NAS HD’s of 4TB and 8TB
3. 2 separate portable HD’s
4. 4 separate thumb drives of 256 GB each

My problem is I have so many backups it’s hard to tell which is the most recent. I’ve never lost a single data file, but oddly, have never had to recover any files either. Had to re-install Windows multiple times, and lost a lot of programs, but never lost any data. One good thing about re-installing Windows is you never miss the clunker programs and I don’t re-install them, so each subsequent Windows install gets cleaner.

[zeugma]

Never, ever again will all the eggs be in one basket.

Yup. Backups matter. I recommend a backup program based on rsync. Do a full backup daily. On at least a quarterly basis rotate that drive out for a spare, then put the original one back. My current backup drive has 37 backups going as far back as 2016.

20161231-030001-690
20171231-030002-454
20181231-030001-279
20191231-030001-946
20201227-135700-250
20210131-030001-547
20210228-030001-431
20210331-030001-183
20210430-030001-831
20210531-030001-819
20210630-030001-816
20210731-030001-550
20210831-030002-995
20210930-030001-473
20211031-030001-289
20211130-030001-433
20211231-030001-721
20220131-030002-366
20220228-030001-825
20220331-030001-420
20220430-030001-312
20220531-030001-519
20220630-030001-815
20220731-030001-104
20220831-030001-840
20220930-030001-144
20221031-030001-434
20221106-030001-162
20221113-030001-489
20221120-030001-602
20221121-030001-421
20221122-030002-899
20221123-030001-831
20221124-030001-447
20221125-030001-161
20221126-030001-358

Thanks for reminding me. Tonight would be a good evening to do my quarterly backup.

[Varmint Al]

Here is setup that is better than a flash drive and it works GREAT!
One of these for about $30
https://www.newegg.com/team-group-512gb-cx2/p/N82E16820331560?Item=N82E16820331560

And One of these for about $10
https://www.newegg.com/rosewill-rcuc-16001/p/N82E16812119874?Item=N82E16812119874
Very fast and reliable. Much more reliable that any flash drive.

Good Hunting... from Varmint Al