Transcend JetFlash 790 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review

An affordable, standard capacity flash solution with a lifetime warranty, today Tyler gives us a rundown on Transcend's JetFlash 790 pen drive.

Published
Updated
Manufacturer: Transcend
2 minutes & 55 seconds read time
TweakTown's Rating: 78%

The Bottom Line

Transcend's JetFlash 790 pen drive is a solid solution for those wanting a standard off the shelf flash drive with respectable read performance.
Transcend JetFlash 790 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review 99

While flash drives have increased in capacity, having the largest capacity drive on the market isn't always the most efficient for a given application. For instance, if you just have a few documents that you take with you on the go, you don't really need a 512GB HyperX Predator. Instead, drives like the JetFlash 790 can easily fit the bill and save you quite a bit of your hard earned money.

The JetFlash 790 is one of many flash based solutions available from Transcend. Coming in capacities ranging from 8GB all the way up to 128GB, this solution boasts a traditional slider design to safely protect your drive during travel. Performance of this solution sticks to 90 MB/s read, while write speeds can vary anywhere from 12 MB/s with the 16GB capacity to 40 MB/s with the 128GB model. Compatibility carries a wide range of options including all Windows operating systems from Windows 2000 to Windows 8.1, along with Mac OS 9 and Linux Kernel 2.4.2 and later.

MSRP of the Transcend JetFlash 790 in the 16GB capacity tested here today is listed at $14.99 with a lifetime warranty.

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Packaging for the JetFlash 790 houses the drive itself in a bubble container, and to the right we have the capacity listed in large bold print with marketing performance just beneath.

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On the back, Transcend lists out some of the specifications of the drive, including dimensions and weight. At the top, we find this 16GB solution can hold 4000 songs, four hours of HD video, or 7800 JPEG photos.

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As I mentioned in the introduction, the JetFlash 790 uses the standard slider design. This allows the drive to stay compact, whilst protecting the drive when it's not in use.

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The Transcend JetFlash 790 is factory formatted with the FAT32 file system, insuring compatibility between Windows and Macintosh computers. The usable capacity after formatting is 14.6GB.

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In our chart above, we have our results from sequential testing. Starting with our read results, the 790 did quite well topping the marketing performance coming at 97 MB/s. Write performance was able to exceed the 12 MB/s set forth on the packaging by a slight margin, coming in at 17 MB/s.

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DiskBench testing for the JetFlash 790 had this solution coming in at 11 MB/s with MVK video, while JPEG was able to reach 15 MB/s.

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Here we have the latest Price/Performance chart for flash drives. As you can see, the JetFlash 790 landed towards the middle of the charts at 86%, just one per cent higher than the 760 we tested nearly a year ago.

While low capacity drives don't always get all the press coverage as we see the latest and greatest solutions get, they most certainly serve an important purpose in our everyday lives. When it comes down to it, you wouldn't want your 16GB drive to be any less reliable over any high capacity solution you may own.

While we haven't tested any reliability metrics with flash drives to this point, there is certainly something to be said about a company that stands behind their product with a lifetime warranty, as in the case of the JetFlash 790.

In my testing, I found the JetFlash 790 to be a lightweight, compact solution that can take a few drops here and there and keep on going. Of course, it's not going to survive if you run it over with your car or step on it, but as an everyday use flash drive, it should be reliable enough.

Performance of the drive was on par with what marketing had depicted on the packaging - we were even able to get just slightly over those specifications. Our measured read and write speeds for the Transcend JetFlash 790 came in at 97 MB/s read and 17 MB/s write, putting it right in the middle of our price/performance chart.

PRICING: You can find the 16GB JetFlash 790 USB 3.0 Flash Drive for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The 16GB JetFlash 790 USB 3.0 Flash Drive retails for $10.65 at Amazon.

Canada: The 16GB JetFlash 790 USB 3.0 Flash Drive retails for CDN$11.46 at Amazon Canada.

Performance 78%
Quality including Design and Build 80%
General Features 80%
Bundle and Packaging 65%
Value for Money 89%
Overall 78%

The Bottom Line: Transcend's JetFlash 790 pen drive is a solid solution for those wanting a standard off the shelf flash drive with respectable read performance.

PRICING: You can find products similar to this one for sale below.

USUnited States: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com

UKUnited Kingdom: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.co.uk

AUAustralia: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com.au

CACanada: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.ca

DEDeutschland: Finde andere Technik- und Computerprodukte wie dieses auf Amazon.de

Tyler joined the TweakTown team in 2013 and has since reviewed 100s of new techy items. Growing up in a small farm town, tech wasn't around, unless it was in a tractor. At an early age, Tyler's parents brought home their first PC. Tyler was hooked and learned what it meant to format a HDD, spending many nights reinstalling Windows 95. Tyler's love and enthusiast nature always kept his PC nearby. Eager to get deeper into tech, he started reviewing.

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