Memory card speed test

[number41]

I've been using 2 Sandisk Extreme III cards over the past few months. I've read a few articles about how many fakes there are out there so have emailed Sandisk the serial numbers to check if they have them listed!

In the meantime I've been testing the transfer rates using HDTach (which is free!) http://www.simplisoftware.com/Public/index.php?request=HdTach

For my generic memory card it shows 3mb/s.
For the Extreme III i get 5.2mb/s which is a long way off the 20mb/s stated on the packet!
My Sandisk standard SD card gets 9mb/s

I have ordered a new USB adapter for reading the CF cards as the USB slot can easily read over 5mb/s (as proved by the SD card adapter and an external HDD). I have seen that old CF adapters can have a slow transfer rate so thought this was worth a go.

Has anyone else measured their memory transfer speed? What sort of figures do you get? Do you agree the CF reader could be the problem in my case as both cards are 5mb/s so I've either had two fakes (from online retailer) or theyre genuine and the reader is slowing stuff down. The new reader will be here next week so I can report back then, but just wondering in the meantime!

EDIT: I have tried the same Extreme III cards on my housemates PC which has built in reader. They get 3mb/s on his machine so the CF reader could definitely be the bottleneck

EDIT 2: Just tried my other mates CF reader and got 10mb/s!! The CF card readers are all marked USB 2.0 but they all vary greatly which has suprised me . His is twice as fast as mine!! I await my new CF reader now as my current one is 2 years old so may be the issue.

I tried my current CF reader in all 3 machines and obtained the 5mb/s reading so its the card reader itself. I'm happy its up at 10mb/s so as the card looks to be OK externally so probably isnt fake looking at graphs, etc from online. My cheapy CF card only gets 2.5mb/s.

EDIT3: For those not wanting to read the whole thread. I received my new crucial CF reader today and it reads the cards at the proper card speed - 20mb/s. So there you have it! I can now copy across to the PC (and copy to the card) a LOT more quickly than before. Its bliss when dealing with a few gb of data!

 

[number41]

I wouldnt just judge your card by the program alone. As I found out above, the CF reader itself makes a huge difference too which I didnt realise as I assumed as they are marked USB 2.0 they could all run at USB 2.0 speeds. Would be interesting to see other people's results who have an Extreme III card as I know the 20D cant write more than 6mb/s but copying a few GBs to the PC would be less painful if the card ran faster If you get more than 5mb/s could you let me know what USB reader you are using if possible!

 

[number41]

Thats interesting! I have to say, I am pretty suprised about this, I will sort it out with them tomorrow, hopefully it will all go smoothly with minumum fuss.

And @number41, sorry for wrecking your thread mate, you probably have a dart board with my name on it somewhere now

Thats cool, it's been useful to hear other peoples comments as I havent heard back from Sandisk yet regarding my serial numbers. My card looks different to Gords however I have the serial numbers and the front is exactly the same as his, but the back looks like this:

This is Gords:

This site shows a 2GB version which could be slightly different...

http://reviews.ebay.com.au/FAKE-San...lash-Cards-Exposed_W0QQugidZ10000000001449653

I'm just going to wait for Sandisk to get back to me now. Thats the simplest option and avoids the paranoia!!

 

[number41]

Yer, exactly, its not with the bother. I bought these cards for a trip to new york in feb so the last thing I want is these cards to fail, and I suppose that could happen at any moment.

I emailed the shop this morning, now I am waiting for a reply.

I reckon if you rang Sandisk with one of those serial numbers it would show as a Sandisk Extreme III. I bet the original scammers got a genuine serial number and then simply used it over and over again on the fakes!

I phoned Sandisk this morning (took only a few mins - 0207-365-4193) and they said the serial numbers appeared genuine. You could give them a call too? As you have two of the same serial numbers, however, it sounds a bit dodgy. Dont suppose you could post them so anyone else receiving one with the same serial number will know they have a fake? Both of my cards have different serial numbers.

 

[number41]

Any reason why you would buy sandisk? People seem to fake the sandisks so what about other brands like kingston, etc?

 

[number41]

Received my new crucial CF reader. Ran the test. Getting 20mb/s now So that goes to show have varied they are! I'm a happy chap now anyway!

 

[number41]

Sounds good at last

What reader have you bought? Reading this thread has caused me to wonder if I should invest in a new one (for when I manage to get a refund on these fake cards )

Bought this one: