The sizes of digital media files have grown over the years, with features like 4K video and RAW photography now accessible to the masses. Recording home movies with your phone can easily pile up hundreds of gigabytes worth of clips, while things like family photos, music libraries, and digital movies you may have purchased over the years can eat up a lot of space of their own. All of these files were once easily stored on a device like a USB flash drive, but these have traditionally been limited in terms of storage capacity.
Makers of USB flash drives have done a pretty good job of keeping up with the increased demand for portable storage space. There are 1TB and 2TB options available from SanDisk and Buffalo, as well as a number of other recognizable and reputable brands. But the Dash Pro by Oyen Digital is the biggest USB drive you can buy right now, offering a whopping 4TB of storage space. And this isn’t just junk from the Amazon bargain bin. Oyen Digital is an established company that focuses on professional storage solutions, with the Dash Pro 4TB being its professional USB flash drive option.
Oyen Digital’s Dash Pro 4TB USB drive
The Dash Pro 4TB flash drive utilizes USB 3.2 Gen2 technology, so it can deliver some impressive transfer speeds. When connected to a computer via USB-C, USB 3.2, or Thunderbolt 3 or 4, it can reach speeds of up to 1050 MB/sec. When connected via USB-A 3.0, the Dash Pro can hit up to 525 MB/sec. When working in an environment that 4TB of storage space matters to you, it’s likely those transfer speeds will too. Oyen Digital includes both USB-A and USB-C connectors with the Dash Pro, giving it a little versatility in the event you have certain ports already in use when you want to connect it. It also has a Phison E21 controller, a weight of just two ounces, and compatibility with Windows, Mac, and Linux.
There are external hard drives out there capable of reaching storage capacities in the range of 30TB, and the biggest SSD you can buy offers 8TB of storage. But USB flash drives are more limited due to their size, which makes the Dash Pro’s 4TB unique. Its price tag is also unique, as the drive comes in at a pretty hefty $409. By comparison, the SanDisk Extreme Pro 2TB USB drive goes for $180, and the Buffalo 2TB USB drive is priced at $140. You would need to purchase two of these to get to 4TB of storage space, but that would still be quite a bit cheaper than the Dash Pro 4TB.
Should you buy the Dash Pro 4TB USB drive?
While buying two 2TB drives might be slightly cheaper, the 4TB capacity the Dash Pro offers all on its own can be incredibly beneficial. Professional media workflows will almost certainly benefit from the storage space, and the speed of USB-C connectivity matters when transferring massive files like 4K and 8K video. This is also true for photographers who shoot hundreds or even thousands of RAW files at a time. For such users, the Dash Pro 4TB USB drive could be looked at as a worthy investment.
If your digital workflow is made up of smaller files like word processing and spreadsheet documents, 4TB of backup storage and a $409 price point are probably overkill. Even users with large digital libraries consisting of photos, movies, music, and other space-eating files might be able to get away with 1TB or 2TB USB drive options. If that sounds like you, Oyen Digital makes a 2TB version of the Dash Pro, and it delivers the same transfer speeds as the 4TB model.
Whether you’re a media professional or more of a media consumer, time is something to keep in mind. Digital files are going to keep getting bigger, and your library will grow with every picture taken, every moment recorded, and every piece of content purchased. It may seem like 4TB of files is unachievable right now, but a 4TB USB drive could also be seen as a great way to future-proof your digital storage.