PNY Duo Link V3 Review — File transfer with USB, dongle-free

Stop the dongle parade. Finally, a USB drive that gets its life together and sports both ends: trusty USB-A for your legacy gear and sleek USB-C for the modern devices. One drive, two essential connectors—simply flip and connect. Effortless joy for your devices (and you). The PNY Duo Link V3 promises to end the adapter shuffle. So, it handles ports like a dream, but how does it actually handle your files?

The PNY Duo Link V3 isn’t just versatile—it’s quick. While its dual USB-A/USB-C connectors eliminate the adapter shuffle, it delivers where it counts: performance. CrystalDiskMark confirms sustained sequential reads hit a 1019.68 MB/s and writes clock in at an impressive 937.88 MB/s, handily exceeding the drive’s “up to” write claims of 800 MB/s. Even Blackmagic Disk Speed Test, focused on peak large-file transfers, shows strong results at 889.0 MB/s read and 875.0 MB/s write. This isn’t just lab fluff—it’s real-world throughput that means moving 4K video footage or massive archives feels satisfyingly snappy. These tests used the USB-C connector. Testing the USB-A side showed slight variations, but not enough to be noticed during everyday file transfers. But raw speed means little if the drive crumbles under pressure.

The metal body and swivel give it a confident heft and satisfying click when switching connectors. At 1.42 oz and 3″ long, it’s noticeably larger and heavier than the 0.35 oz, 64 GB PNY drive I’ve used for a decade. That extra weight isn’t just for show—it’s built like a tank, surviving drops without flinching. The swivel mechanism feels sturdy enough to handle years of flipping between ports, though it does add a bit more bulk than my old thumb drive. All that armor doesn’t just sit in your pocket; it changes how you actually use it. That durability unlocks behaviors you’d avoid with flimsier drives: leaving it in a backpack, tossing it between workstations, or trusting it through spontaneous photo shoots.

Recently, I had to replace the SSD in my Steam Deck and create a recovery USB drive for reinstalling SteamOS. I only had a traditional USB-A drive handy, which meant taking an unplanned trip to Dongletown—population: me. With the Duo Link’s dual connectors, I wouldn’t have needed adapters; my Steam Deck wouldn’t have resembled those old brick cell phones with comically large external antennas.

The PNY Duo Link V3 delivers where it counts: ending the adapter shuffle without sacrificing speed or durability. This dual-connector drive genuinely eliminates that frustrating moment when you realize your only compatible connector is on the wrong end of the house. With transfer speeds that actually exceed their claims and a build quality that laughs at drops, it means you’ll finally trust a drive to handle both your 4K video projects and the daily commute between old-school laptops and modern workstations. Yes, it’s bulkier than feather-light alternatives, but that extra heft translates to real-world reliability. This is one drive you can actually throw in your bag and forget about until you need it, which, for anyone tired of the connector shuffle, is worth every ounce.

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