USB Read/Write Speed: All You Need to Know

USB is widely used as an external storage device in our daily digital lives, and there are multiple choices on the market. What do you take into consideration when purchasing a new USB? As a matter of fact, the USB read/write speed can have a significant impact on your USB performance. 

This guide on EaseUS will explore the USB read/write speed in detail. You will learn about the USB read/write speed and the differences between USB ports. If you don't know how to choose a suitable USB, read on to make a better decision.

What Is USB Read/Write Speed

Read/write speed can be an important factor when making a choice on which USB to buy. Do you know what USB read/write speed is? Why are they important? Read the following section to find out.

What Is USB Read Speed

Put simply, USB read speed determines how fast it will take to open a file on your USB. When you store a file on your USB, it will remain in the flash drive's directory until you open and work on it. The time your USB responds when you click on it will be largely dependent on the read speed.

What Is USB Write Speed

On the other hand, the USB write speed shows how fast it will take to save something onto your USB. When you copy a file from your laptop to your USB, your USB will write all the data on the file and then store it in the directory.   

USB Read/Write Speed: How Fast Is It

The USB read/write speed is usually displayed in megabytes per second. The speed can differ on the type of USB port. In this section, you will get to know the general read/write speed for different USB specifications.

What Are USB Generations

As technology develops, the overall performance of USB read/write speed also increases with the new USB versions. Here is a list of the USB versions since the day it was released:

• USB 1.0: The first generation of USB was released in 1995.
• USB 2.0: The second generation of USB was released in 2000.
• USB 3.0: After its publication in 2008, USB 3.0 was welcomed and widely popular. USB 3.1 and USB 3.2 were also released in 2013 and 2017.
• USB 4.0: The newest version, USB 4, came to the market in 2021. It is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and USB 3.0.

USB Read/Write Speed: Which Is Faster

The average read and write speed can differ for different generations of USB versions. You can check the data in the following chart:

As you can see from the chart, the read speed of USB is generally faster than the write speed. Also, the theoretical read and write speed increases drastically with each new version of the USB. In a real situation, the actual read and write speed of a USB is influenced by many factors, such as the performance of your hard drive. To test your USB read/write speed, you can click the buttons below. 

USB Read/Write Speed: Which to Choose

The read/write speed varies greatly from generation to generation. The newer the generation, the faster it can be when it comes to reading and writing data. If you are looking for a USB with fast read/write speed, USB 4.0 can be a good choice. Nevertheless, you have to ensure that your devices have USB-C connections. So is the case with USB 3.2. If your devices have USB-B connections, you can also consider USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 for a faster speed.