Charles Liu
Mar 17, 2023
Along with the design and branding method, we frequently get enquiries about the different GB sizes of our promotional USB drives and how to choose the best one. This post will explain the differences between the various GB sizes, provide the details you need to choose wisely, and recommend the ideal GB for various uses.
Why MB-Sized USB Drive is Obsolete
There was a time when we could get by on a 512MB flash drive. But the era of MB-sized USBs ended a long ago, and your specifications for the USB's size need also be upgraded. Yes, you could still keep 1,000 word files in it, but people use USB sticks these days to store presentations, videos, images, and even songs. One of these "people" may end up being one of your recipients; therefore, it's important to prioritise their requirements over your own.
So, the safest and ideal choice is GB-sized USB flash drives, which we will discuss next.
How Much Can You Store on a Gigabyte USB Stick?
USB drives typically range in capacity from 2 GB to 128 GB, with some devices supporting capacities up to 1 TB (terabyte). Here is a list of the most common GB sizes for thumb drives:
A 1GB storage space can accommodate 640 photos, 240 MP3 files, 19200 Word pages, or 320 minutes of video.
A 2GB storage space may accommodate about 1280 photos, 480 MP3 files, 38400 Word pages, or 640 minutes of video.
4GB can store roughly 2560 photos, 960 MP3 files, 76800 Word pages, or 1280 minutes of video.
8GB can store approximately 5120 pictures, 1920 MP3 files, 153600 Word pages, or 2560 minutes of video.
The storage capacity of 16GB is roughly 10240 photos, 3840 MP3 files, 300,000+ pages of Word documents, or 5120 minutes of video.
32GB can accommodate 10240 minutes of video, 7680 MP3 songs, almost 600,000 pages of Word documents, and about 20480 photos.
About 40960 photos, 15360 MP3 songs, 1.2 million+ pages of Word documents, or 20480 minutes of video can be stored on a 64GB device.
81920 photos, 30720 MP3 songs, 2.4 million or more pages of Word documents, or 40960 minutes of video can all fit on a 128GB storage device.
256GB can store up to 163,000+ photos, 61440 MP3 files, 4.8+ million+ Word pages, or 81920 minutes of video.
How to Pick The Right USB Flash Drive Size
Ideally, you must identify the recipient of the thumb drive to avoid your promotional giveaway ending in the trash. For example, small data like business cards, resumes, and simple presentations are perfect for storing and transferring on a 2GB USB. Meanwhile, the 4GB capacity is suitable for students who need to save their work and presentations. If you're giving it away to colleagues or conference attendees, an 8GB USB stick is enough to store reports, client presentations, and multimedia files. Finally, larger-capacity flash drives like 16GB and up are great freebies for creative professionals, photographers, and videographers.
Be aware that the higher the storage capacity of a USB flash drive, the more it will cost. Therefore, carefully analyse your selections and remember to include other factors like branding and design since these two should be considered when choosing the best promotional USB drive for your campaign.