Apacer UHS-I U3 SDCard Review
and the AM530 Card Reader also..
As part of Apacer’s sponsorship package for my build log, they also agreed to sponsor the camera equipment chronicling the build in the form of one of their new 128GB SDXC/SDHC UHS-I U3 Class 10 SDCards and a USB3.1 multicard reader. This is generous of them, but I would be amiss if I didn’t also get some benchmarks of it in use so here we go.
Card Reader attached to a USB3.0 port)
Looking at CrystalDiskMark these are impressive numbers indeed for a SDCard and way above all the other cards that I have been using. Recently I just upgraded my camera equipment (Lumix G7) so I can create 4k content, and these additional speeds will support me to do my work. Using the card, I’ve already noticed an increase in how quickly files save after shooting and it handles recording in 4k aptly.
Compare this to a Sandisk Ultra UHS-1 card from last year, and you can see how big a jump has taken place.
The UHS-I U3 memory card standard shows how far storage technology has come in such a short time, and the Apacer implementation of this standard is well done.
Of course, SDCard speeds mean nothing without an interface device capable of handling them so enter the AM530 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Card reader. For those who might be confused by the USB 3.1 designation, the USB-IF organisation recently published an article where they announced that USB 3.0 connectors capable of 5Gbps (SuperSpeed) would now be classified as USB 3.1 Gen 1. While the new USB 3.1 connectors, capable of 10Gbps (SuperSpeed+) would now be classified as USB 3.1 Gen 2.
USB 3.0 is now called USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Speed up to 5Gbps)
USB 3.1 is now called USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Speed up to 10Gbps)
A 5Gbps connection to the card reader means it can support the 100MB/s transfer speeds of the highest speed SDCards, and you can get working on your content faster. The AM530 supports all commonly used storage card form factors, so you no longer need multiple card readers. As a content creator that’s now working with 4K files I can tell you this is a major step forward, and lets me get on with the business of creating without bottlenecks.
The Apacer UHS-I U3 memory card gets a Recommended Award from me and a Required Award if you’re a content creator working in 4K.
The Apacer AM530 Card Reader also gets a Recommended Award from me, after using it I don’t know how I lived with USB2.0 speeds for working with my photography files.
