Corsair Flash Survivor GT 8GB escapes torture test unscathed

We've seen some mighty rugged flash drives put to the test in our day, but Corsair's Flash Survivor GT 8GB managed to withstand a well-planned and carefully executed attack on its life like none that have come before it. This soldier of a USB drive not only performed great when tested against more fragile alternatives, it somehow escaped sans injury after being submerged in a pool, cooked in boiling water for ten solid minutes, and being creamed with a hammer numerous times. The torturers expected the CNC-milled anodized aircraft-grade aluminum housing to hold up fairly well under duress, but even they were utterly amazed at how invincible this thing really seemed. The $130 drive earned a much deserved 10 out of 10 rating from the flabbergasted review crew, and while we're not quite sure if it could withstand a nuclear attack like one of its competitors, it can apparently live through just about anything that you yourself could.

[Thanks, Rodger]

[tekdroid @ May 24th 2007 1:40AM]

nice to know, but if only flash media itself was infinitely rewritable, we'd have a far more meaningful result for the majority whose flash drives die through simple over-use...

[Daryl Herbert @ May 24th 2007 2:00AM]

For the majority of Americans, our flash drives effectively die when we lose them somewhere.

10,000 write cycles is a hell of a lot, and not many of us are anywhere close to reaching that.

[Joe @ May 24th 2007 1:44AM]

I found this 8GB Flash Drive on Amazon for ONLY $75:

http://www.amazon.com/PNY-P-FD08GU20-RF-Attache-Flash-Drive/dp/B000N5WIJI/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/103-8850479-3271860?tag=freeplefav-20&ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1179985273&sr=1-2

[andrew harrison @ May 24th 2007 2:22AM]

that doesn't look like it will stand up to even ONE creaming by a hammer

[tau zero @ May 24th 2007 1:59AM]

yes but will it blend?

[Tom @ May 24th 2007 2:31AM]

I agree. How can we get the review crew to donate this to Blendtec? Just like Mythbusters, a demolition review shouldn't be complete until you actually demolish the unit, by whatever means necessary.

[Julian Emmett Turner @ May 24th 2007 12:19PM]

Actually, I think the other durability factors outnumber losses. I've had two different 512MB flash drives die on me in four months. It's made my classwork EXTREMELY difficult!

Case 1 - Sandisk 512MB Cruzer Mini
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Sandisk+Cruzer+Mini&gbv=2

After losing another cap (it comes with three but I had six froma second one), this bugger just started being recognized as "Unrecognized Device" and it took everything with it.

Case 2 - Wary of using my second Sandisk 512MB Cruzer Mini, I decided to use an Imation 512MB drive with a rubber shell/belt clip.
http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&q=Imation+512MB+clip

I was particularly fond of the fact that it didn't have a cap to lose because I believed that pocket change or keys may have damaged my last drive after it lost the cap. This thing was almost entirely cased in rubber and was too small to get bent when sat on. It seemed to be the most well-protected flash drive I've ever seen. It too bit the dust and took some freshly complete schoolwork with it. It would mount a drive letter when inserted, but it would tell me to "inser disk" when I tried to access it (as if it were a drive with removeable media that simply needed the media inserted). The light wouldn't even come on. This time, I was able to get it to work for a few moments by bending it as I inserted it, indicating that it is a connector problem. Though the light would remain lit, I couldn't get it to work long enough to get the files off of it.

I thought flash drives were supposed to be reliable. I think the engineers take the reliability aspect of solid-state storage for granted and make everything else suck. I know this drive doesn't! I only wish they had tested the connector durability in this case, considering that it is what killed one of mine and I'd like assurance that it too has been taken into account.

[Andrew H. @ May 24th 2007 2:22AM]

one more thing i dont need but i really really want

[Gadgetguy @ May 24th 2007 3:49AM]

I THINK I WILL HAMMER IT WHEN IT STOPS WORKING

[akijikan @ May 24th 2007 4:08AM]

So all that's with the shell...

[Nick @ May 24th 2007 4:17AM]

You can put it up for suggestion at willitblend.com.

So I did.

[Supi @ May 24th 2007 4:20AM]

But is it bulletproof? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCO3P3letKs

[drtekger @ May 24th 2007 4:39AM]

What, not A-Bomb proof? Useless...

[jono @ May 24th 2007 6:12AM]

Will Engadget please stop using that damned word "sans". It's like they are trying to see if you can get it into every post

[suntiger @ May 24th 2007 4:48PM]

And "touts/touted"...

[Spencer Fogler @ May 24th 2007 8:01AM]

I liked that you said, it can stand up to pretty much anything that "you yourself could." And quite honestly, hanging out in boiling water for over 10 minutes does not sound like something I want to go through and I'm thinking it just might kill you.

[Aaron @ May 24th 2007 9:11AM]

"Will Engadget please stop using that damned word "sans". It's like they are trying to see if you can get it into every post"

Yeah, that was bothering me too... it really doesn't fit right there. That sentence would make more sense if the word were omitted altogether.

Anyway, on-topic: that's definitely impressive, but I can't think of a situation where you would need to have your USB drive along with you under such crazy conditions. And if you needed the drive, would you not need the computer as well? Where's the laptop that can be boiled for 10 minutes and smashed with a hammer?! Actually, now that I think about it, I remember hearing about laptops for the military that could be run over by a freakin' tank, but I don't think they were ever commercially available.

[tiuk @ May 24th 2007 10:34AM]

I've seen a few flash drives killed by snapping at the connector. This is pretty easy to do when using one on a laptop. It'd be nice if they had tested that aspect of it.

[mike @ May 24th 2007 10:43AM]

That's awesome ... when I lose it, it will still work for the person who finds it.

[Durandal @ May 24th 2007 11:09AM]

A secret agent could hide that in their Butt for months!

[Asq @ May 24th 2007 2:53PM]

Colour me not impressed. It's not really as though the drive is so durable, but rather the tube that drive is stored in. You can beat that tube all day long with that hammer and hardly make a dent, but I imagine the drive would crumble like any other.

I would feel ripped off after buying this drive - in fact, I felt like I was cheated into reading the article - the heading should have read: Corsair Flash Survivor GT 8GB escapes torture test unscathed while stored inside a watertight aluminium tube.

[Durandal @ May 25th 2007 10:03AM]

I secret agent could hide that in their ass for months!