Benchmarking 16GB SDHC Cards...

T

TheDingo

Veteran
Hi All,

To entertain myself while I wait for B&H to get more stock of the HMC150 ( they had it for 2 days last week, but I did not get my act together ), I thought I would investigate how fast the moderately priced SDHC Class 6 cards are.

According to the SDHC specs, Class 6 cards are supposed to maintain a minimum read speed of 6MB/sec, but little is said about the minimum write speed...

I bought three different brands of cards this weekend, and ran the ATTO Disk Benchmark on them three times. The test results were kind of surprising, as I thought that all three cards would perform pretty much the same.

A-Data SDHC 16GB Class 6 : $40 here in Toronto
http://www.lingodingo.com/hardware/memory/sdhc/AData_16GB_C6.jpg

Transcend SDHC 16GB Class 6 : $52 here in Toronto
http://www.lingodingo.com/hardware/memory/sdhc/Transcend_16GB_C6.jpg

"Mystery Card" SDHC 16GB Class 6 : $40 here in Toronto
http://www.lingodingo.com/hardware/memory/sdhc/Mystery_16GB_C6.jpg

Comparing the A-Data card against the Transcend card, the Transcend card has a slightly faster write speed ( 11 MB/sec vs 10 MB/sec ), while the A-Data card has a slightly faster read speed ( 18 MB/sec vs 16 MB/sec ). This is the kind of comparison I was expecting to see, when I started to benchmark these cards.

...But then I tried the third "Mystery" card, which blew past the first two cards right out of the gate. 17MB/sec Write Speed, 20 MB/sec Read Speed. Amazing performance for a $40 card!

I will reveal which brand the "Mystery" card is in a few days. It's not a common brand here in Toronto, so I first want to secure a few more of these cards before the supply dries up for a while. ( I could only find the one card after checking five local computer stores, but there is one more place that I am going to call Monday morning to see if they have stock )

Just out of curiosity, I tried benchmarking my cheapie 8GB USB Key which I've been using for the past year. I did not realize how good this USB key was until I ran the ATTO benchmark. A read speed of 34 MB/sec for a drive that sells for $30 here in Toronto. ( $19 after a $11 mail-in rebate )

Corsair Flash Voyager (Blue) 8GB USB Flash Drive
http://www.lingodingo.com/hardware/memory/sdhc/Corsair_Flash_Voyager_8GB.jpg

If you would like to test your own cards, here's a link to download the ATTO benchmark tool:

ATTO Disk Benchmark Tool
http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/1137/ATTO_Disk_Benchmark_v2.34.html
 
Thanks for the contribution here, BTW, does the mysterious card work well with your HMC150 (if you have one)? Many people reported problem with A-data, but have overwhelmingly positive review of Transcend.

Cheers!
 
I don't have a HMC150 to try it on, but all three work just fine in my Canon HG21 camera recording at 24Mb/sec.

It would be such a shame if the "Mystery" card doesn't work with the HMC150. ( praying to the gods of Panasonic until I know for sure... )
 
I'm guessing Delkin?

I'm running some benchmarks on my cards, thanks for the link. Ill post my findings.

Here they are ------------------

Transcend 1:
12,330 write and 14,900 read

Transcend 2:
13,390 write and 14,913 read

Delkin Devices/eFilm:
13,100 write and 15,500

Panasonic:
14,750 write and 15,410
 
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TheDingo said:
According to the SDHC specs, Class 6 cards are supposed to maintain a minimum read speed of 6MB/sec, but little is said about the minimum write speed...
Click to expand...
Actually the SDHC speed class doesn't mention write or read speed, it refers to "transfer speed", implying that it encompasses both. So as long as a card can read 6mB/sec and write 6mB/sec, it would qualify as "class 6".
 
Hey Barry,

Does this mean that any SDHC card that can read and write at 10mB/sec would qualify for the new Class 10 designation ?
 
Class 10 didn't exist until recently, but yes, if a card can demonstrate minimum sustained read and write of 10mbps and above, it should qualify as Class 10, as far as I understand the spec.

Tested a Kingston 8GB Class 6 card, got ratings of 13429 write, 19162 read.
 
I have an ancient SanDisk Ultra II here, listed as 1.0GB with no "speed class" rating on it at all. It tests at 9803 write, 10784 read.
 
...One thing to keep in mind when testing these cards, is that manufacturers will use what ever memory chips are available to them at the time of assembly. So one batch of cards might perform much better than another batch will.

I am hoping that I can buy another five of the "Mystery" cards with the same high performance characteristics.
 
I managed to find five more of the "Mystery" cards at $52 each. I should have them in a few days. When they arrive I will test them and post the results, then finally disclose which brand they are. ( I am curiious to see if the five new cards will be as good )
 
Well the 5 mystery cards I ordered arrived today, and I just benchmarked them. Here are the results:

Patriot SDHC Class 6:
13,100 write and 21,100 read

...So the new batch of cards don't write at 17 mB/sec ( my first card must have been from a lucky batch ), but they do read at 20 mB/sec, so I'm still very happy with them.

I ended up buying the cards from TigerDirect, as it was the only place that had these cards in stock.

I also placed the order for my HMC150 this afternoon ( B&H has stock again ), so I have my fingers crossed that these Patriot SD cards are compatable. ( I'll post my findings once I've had a chance to test them )

...Lastly, I added an Impact HG 2x tele lens to my HMC150 order, so I will post my tests of this lens next week. If it works well, this lens is a steal at $150.

Impact 72mm 2.0x High-grade Telephoto Conversion Lens
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/445218-REG/Impact_DVP_TP20_72_DVP_TP20_72_72mm_2_0x_High_grade.html
 
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My HMC150 finally came today, and the Patriot SDHC cards work perfectly. It still feels a little bizzare to shoot on such tiny little memory cards, but the initial results look great.

The Impact 72mm 2.0x high-grade telephoto conversion lens is sharp, but it exhibits way too much vignetting if you don't zoom out all the way, so for me this lens is unusable. ( I am much happier with the Sony HD 1.7x lens I bought for my Canon HG21, so this will have to do until I am ready to spend $600+ on a higher quality telephoto for the HMC150 )
 
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