512GB PNY PRO Elite V3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive Review: Exceptional Transfer Speeds at a Very Reasonable Price

The Lowdown

The PNY PRO Elite V3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive is an easy product to recommend; its read and write speeds are truly in a league of their own. It is solid, attractive, and very reasonably priced. The USB 3.2 Gen 2 technology is perfectly suited for today’s larger files, especially for demanding applications such as high-resolution photos and full HD and 4K videos. It is aimed at “content creators, graphic designers, gamers, professionals and more for whom speed and reliability is a must,” but at this price, I recommend it to everyone.

Overall
4.9

Pros

  • Impressive Read and Write Speeds
  • Reasonable cost
  • Solid construction

Cons

  • No Activity Light

USB Type-A thumb drives are a ubiquitous part of today’s computing world. Regardless of your platform or the type of work that you do, flash drives make moving files and taking them with you easy and practical. As computers get more powerful and the types of work we do become more demanding, files get larger, and copying them takes more time. This is where the new PNY PRO Elite V3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive comes in. The flash drive is available in 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB. In this review, we look at the 512GB model.

512GB PNY PRO Elite V3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive

Technology

It’s not my intention to take a deep dive into the technology behind the continuing evolution of USB ports and drives. I expect that most will understand that over the years, USB connectivity has changed many times and has added different formats, the most popular of which are USB Type-A and Type-C.

Most computers support both formats, but the flash drive market is predominantly Type-A, and the demands for greater speed and reliability have pushed the development of newer standards, including USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and USB 3.2.

The PNY PRO Elite V3 is the latest iteration, USB 3.2 Gen 2, and the performance increases are truly impressive.

Speed

The PNY PRO Elite V3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive makes some serious claims in terms of speed “with read speeds up to 1000MB/s and write speeds up to 800MB/s.

To test these claims, I used a popular open-source application, CrystalDiskMark, which allows me to compare the read and write speeds of various drives. Again, without getting too detailed with the technical specifications, it is important to note that the type of port used with each drive greatly affects the results. In other words, you must use a USB 3.2 port to take full advantage of the faster drives.

My ASUS ZenBook has a USB 3.0 port and a 3.1 controller. This should allow for nearly the full performance of the PNY drive, but perhaps more demonstrative of this increase is the comparison with other drives I use daily.

Using CrystalDiskMark, the PNY Pro Elite achieved read speeds of 831 MB/s and write speeds of 855 MB/s. I tested a few other USB drives: a SanDisk USB 2.0, which tested a very low 13 MB/s and 9 MB/s, two USB 3.0 drives, a Memorex, which achieved 38 MB/s and 14 MB/s, and a Kingston, which tested at 53 MB/s, and 11 MB/s.

As should be perfectly clear, the PNY USB 3.2 Gen 2 is in another world in terms of performance.

I also tested my internal SSD primary hard drive and a USB Type-C external drive to see how they compare. My internal drive tested at 1743 MB/s and 2326 MB/s, and the Type-C external drive, a Micron Crucial X10 Pro, which I reviewed in 2023 and said that it was the fastest external drive that I have ever used, came in at 923 MB/s and 837 MB/s.

The PNY PRO Elite V3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive comes very close to those read and write speeds for less than $60 for half of a terabyte; I call that progress.

Design and Build Quality

The enclosers of many USB flash drives are made entirely of plastic and don’t particularly inspire much confidence in their durability. The PNY PRO Elite V3 features an understated but attractive metal case with either a black or gunmetal matte outer shell and a gloss black drive case. The gunmetal finish drives are a few dollars more expensive than the matte black variations. The end of the case has a loop for connecting the drive to whatever you see fit.

The unit feels sturdy and solid, and the action of exposing the drive is equally firm, requiring a decent amount of pressure to push open and close. Especially compared with other USB drives that I own, the PNY Pro Elite V3 seems resistant to damage caused by crushing or dropping.

Although not a significant drawback, one noticeable omission is an activity light. Many of the USB drives that I own have an LED that flashes to show when the drive is in use. The PNY PRO Elite V3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive does not.

512GB PNY PRO Elite V3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive

Compatibility

The PNY PRO Elite V3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive is fully compatible with USB 3.2 Gen 2 enabled desktop and laptop computers and backward compatible with USB 3.2 Gen 1/USB 3.0 and USB 2.0.

512GB PNY PRO Elite V3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive in retail packaging

The PNY PRO Elite V3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive is an easy product to recommend; its read and write speeds are truly in a league of their own. It is solid, attractive, and very reasonably priced. The USB 3.2 Gen 2 technology is perfectly suited for today’s larger files, especially for demanding applications such as high-resolution photos and full HD and 4K videos.

It is aimed at “content creators, graphic designers, gamers, professionals and more for whom speed and reliability is a must,” but at this price, I recommend it to everyone.

The 512GB PNY PRO Elite V3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive sells for $57.99 and is available directly from the manufacturer and other retailers, including Amazon and B&H Photo.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Like: Impressive Read and Write Speeds; Reasonable cost; Solid construction

What Needs Improvement: No Activity Light

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About the Author

Charles Kliment
A lifelong gearhead, as a teenager Charles was obsessed with high-end audio and musical instruments and through the years has focused on computers, mobile devices, 3d printing and drones. Both in his career and hobby, he employs a wide range of video, still and VR cameras. An avid gamer, dog lover and father of three adult sons, Charles is married to Jane Randel and lives in New Jersey.

3 Comments on "512GB PNY PRO Elite V3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive Review: Exceptional Transfer Speeds at a Very Reasonable Price"

  1. I have many PNY flash drives. I like the brand and find them reliable.

  2. The performance of this flash drive is great, and it has as much capacity as the SSD’s in many computers.

  3. MisterTrance | January 15, 2025 at 10:34 pm |

    I already have a lot of hard drives and flash drives, but the PNY PRO Elite V3 looks super tempting. The speeds are insane, and it seems perfect for handling large files quickly. Might have to add this one to my collection!

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