OCZ ATV Turbo 4GB Flash Drive

Introduction:

   Flash Drives is a big market today. Everyone loves the increasingly smaller size, increasingly larger storage capacities and the ability to take it with you on the go. We've reviewed many flash drives here on VH going all the way back to the first 32MB and 64MB flash drives on the market. Oh how the times have changed.

   Today I'll be checking out a new line of tough drives from OCZ called the ATV Turbo series. This unit is 4GB in capacity and covered in a rubber shockproof shell. Let's take a closer look at the specs.

Specifications:

• High Speed USB 2.0 Certified       

•  Read: 33-35MB / second       

•  Write: 26-30MB / second       

•  True Plug and Play (Compatible with MAC OS X)       

•  Dual Channel Technology       

•  Available in 4GB capacities       

•  Waterproof Rubber Housing       

•  Orange LED Status Light       

•  Lifetime Warranty

Packaging:

   No surprises here. Full plastic blister packs needing a razor blade or hulk-like strength to penetrate.

A Closer Look:

   Here we see a close-up of the OCZ Turbo 4GB Flash Drive. It's completely rubberized exterior and tread-like design certainly give it the looks and toughness OCZ is looking for. The cap holder is a nice touch so you don't lose track of it when using your flash drive for extended periods. The logos and tread pattern are slightly raised allowing for very easy and secure grip on the drive. Each side of the flash drive is a very flat design overall.

Size Comparison:

   As I stated earlier, the OCZ ATV Turbo is a "flat design". All I mean by that is the front and back of the unit are not rounded like the Corsair unit. There is no plus or minus to this design, just simply stating a fact for you guys. The OCZ ATV Turbo does look a little tougher to me personally. The Corsair flash voyager has been called a little silly looking by some over the years, but that's totally personal preference. I like them both equally.

Installation & Testing:

Orange Activity LED

Installation of this unit doesn't get any simpler than just plugging it into a spare USB port on your computer. If you're using Windows XP or Vista you won't need to install any software at all, Windows will auto recognize the device and place it in your computer properties (My Computer, etc) and be ready to use as a removable drive device. You can then simply drag and drop files to the unit as will. Flash drives are extremely handy to have for a countless number of tasks.

For testing this unit I used HD Tach and HD Tune. Both of these programs are free and easily accessible for anyone reading this to use for yourself. Just google the names and you won't have any trouble find these programs. Both of these programs will test the transfer rate and speed bursts obtained by the OCZ ATV Turbo.

   Speeds are right where I expect them to be so everything is working properly. The ATV Turbo had noticeably faster burst rates in HD Tune and just slightly slower in burst speeds in HD Tach. However notice the burst rate speeds for the OCZ flash are much higher in HD Tune for whatever reason. Either way, the OCZ ATV Turbo was flawless during testing and prolonged file transfers and I didn't notice any heat coming from the unit at all.

Conclusion:

   The OCZ ATV Turbo 4GB flash drive is a no doubt a handy little device with the ability to withstand the elements and shock by it's completely rubberized exterior. If you're tough on your flash drives and need them to withstand a beating, then this flash drive is designed for you. However even if you're like me and actually take care of your computer parts, this is still a nice unit to own because you know it can take a beating if it had to, and also for it's tough looking design.

If you're looking for a good looking, tough and very fast flash drive then give the new OCZ ATV Turbo line of flash drives a look. They're currently available on both 4GB and 8GB capacities and come with OCZ's lifetime warranty!

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