Flash Drives

At RS, we understand how frustrating running out of storage can be. As most devices only have a set amount of memory, a flash drive is a perfect solution. Whether you're looking for a little extra memory or a terabyte (TB) of extra storage, our range of impressive USB flash drives come in various sizes.

Read on to find out more about our versatile range of flash drives from the world's top manufacturers. Alternatively, if you know exactly what you're looking for, search our product range using the filters at the side of the page to narrow down your search.

What is a flash drive?

Put simply, a flash drive is a small, portable storage device. Invented in 1999, a flash drive can be distinguished from an optical drive or hard drive as it has no moving parts.

A flash drive connects to computers via a USB A or USB-C port. Having similar uses to floppy disks and CDs, flash drives are used primarily for additional storage, backing up data, and file transfer.

The key difference is that they are much smaller and more durable than floppy disks and CDs.

What's the difference between a USB flash drive and a memory stick?

The two terms are often used interchangeably, but they were previously different products. Memory sticks were removable storage cards developed by Sony. They were typically used in digital cameras, though no new ones have been released since 2010.

USB flash drives are consequently often referred to as memory sticks because one of their primary uses is for storing data. However, they are also good for transferring files between machines.

How does a flash drive work?

A flash drive works by storing data using flash memory. To retrieve and store data, flash drives use electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) formats. The main difference to a traditional hard drive is that flash drives do not need battery backup as they are non-volatile.

What types of flash drives are available?

Sometimes referred to as a pen drive, thumb drive, or jump drive, flash drives come in many different types. Some of the flash drives we stock at RS include:

• Security flash drives: As the name suggests, these are specifically designed to protect your data. Enhanced with physical or encrypted measures, these flash drives keep data secure.
• Boot flash drives: These are used to install different operating systems and software onto a computer.
• Memory flash drives: As the name suggests, these flash drives are designed to offer additional storage.

Flash drives typically connect to a computer using a USB port, though there are a variety of types:

• USB 3.1 and 3.2 ports: These are the fastest ports on the market with a write and speed of up to 1,250 MB/sec.
• USB 3.0: Like its predecessor the 2.0, these flash drives are faster at reading, writing, and transferring data. In fact, they read data at 624 MB/sec.
• USB 0 flash drive: The original memory stick, the USB 2.0 reads data at 60 MB/sec.
• USB-C flash drive: Gaining momentum in recent years, these types of flash drives make light work of data transmission with 150 MB/sec reading speed.

What memory can I get with my flash drive?

In general, two different types of memory are designed to save and store data: volatile and non-volatile.

Volatile data is temporary data storage that is only accessible when the device has power and is switched on.

Non-volatile data on the other hand is a type of computer memory that retains information without power. Flash drives are a fine example of non-volatile computer memory.

At RS, we stock the best flash drives from world-renowned manufacturers. In our product catalog, you can choose from a wide range of memory sizes.

Some of our most popular flash drive sizes include:

• 1TB flash drive
• 256 GB flash drive
• 128GB flash drive
• 16GB flash drive

What are the benefits of USB flash drives?

If you're wondering whether you should consider a flash drive, you may be interested to know the many benefits they can offer:

• Durability: Thanks to a lack of moving parts, flash drives are extremely durable. Unlike hard drives, they are much less susceptible to damage from drops or shocks.
• Portability: Given that flash drives are much smaller than other storage devices, they are also much more portable. Flash drives tend to be no bigger than a few inches long, meaning they can be placed into pockets, bags, or on keychains easily.
• Ample storage: One of the main benefits of flash drives is that they offer ample storage. In fact, we stock everything from 16 GB to 1TB flash drives, meaning you won't be short of usable memory space.
• Speed: USB 3.0 flash drives are incredibly fast, meaning transferring files is quick, easy, and secure.
• Compatibility: As our flash drives come with a USB connection as standard, you can connect to virtually any device.

Why choose RS for your flash drives?

We're proud to be one of North America's top electronics distributors. As such, we have a broad catalog of flash drives from the world's leading manufacturers. If you need some assistance deciding between a USB-C and USB 2.0 flash drive or want to know more about the sizes we offer, speak to our team today.

Alternatively, if you'd like additional advice and guidance, head to our expert hub for top tips on our most popular products.