The Lexar Professional CFexpress SILVER Type B Series is a capable, yet cost effective memory card for photographers, videographers and other creative professionals. With the correct high-end camera, the 512GB card is even capable of shooting 8K video.
The Lexar Professional CFexpress SILVER Type B Series is a capable, yet cost effective memory card for photographers, videographers and other creative professionals. With the correct high-end camera, the 512GB card is even capable of shooting 8K video.
Lexar Professional CFexpress SILVER Type B
This card is ideal for everyday users that have an investment in a high-end camera. Lexar also has the GOLD and DIAMOND memory cards in their extensive portfolio which are levels advanced compared to this card. We did reviews on both cards earlier this year – GOLD and DIAMOND.
While the CFast cards leverage the SATA interface (SanDisk Extreme PRO and Acer CF100), the CFexpress Type B form factor uses the PCIe Gen 3×2 and NVMe high-speed protocols. This means they can easily handle the data transfer rates required for smooth RAW 8K video capture with sustained performance.
The Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Card SILVER Series is a rugged card built to withstand the harshest conditions, featuring shock and vibration-proof certifications and resistance to extreme temperatures. This means it can handle whatever the elements throw at it, making it an essential storage solution for outdoor shoots and other challenging environments.
Moving on to performance, sequential reads and writes go up to 1750MB/s and 1300MB/s respectively which should be more than enough for the target user. of course should you need more, the GOLD and DIAMOND cards are upstream options. The card we are looking at in this review is 512GB, but they also come in 128GB and 256GB capacities.
Paired with the new Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Reader, the card allows you to quickly capture and transfer files with ease, dramatically accelerating your workflow.
The SILVER series is also backed by 10-year limited warranty, giving users confidence in the life of the product. This makes the card a great option for everyday users, and those looking to get into the professional field.
The card will be widely released in August, though some retailers like B&H show it now with a retail price of $170 for the 512GB capacity. For scale, the GOLD carries a retail price of $390 on B&H.
Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Card SILVER Series Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 128GB – 512GB |
| Form Factor | CFexpress Type B |
| Interface | PCIe Gen3x2 |
| Performance | Up to 1750MB/s read, up to 1300MB/s write Min sustained write speed up to 400MB/s |
| Operating Temperature | -10° to 70°C (14°F to 158°F) |
| Storage Temperature | -40° to 85°C (-40°F to 185°F) |
| Dimension (L x W x H) | 38.50mm x 29.60mm x 3.80mm / 1.51” x 1.16” x 0.14” |
| Weight | 7.8g / 0.017lbs |
| Warranty | 10-year limited warranty |
Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Card SILVER Performance
We tested the Lexar SILVER card via a Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Reader.
Our testing starts with the popular Blackmagic Disk Speed Test. The card posted 878.2MB/s read and 708.1MB/s write. It’s important to remember this is a single-threaded test though, the card will show it’s full capabilities as we increase the load in the tests below.
Our second test is IOMeter, where we tested the Lexar SILVER 512GB card in both single-thread and four-thread workloads. Here we’re also showing results from the GOLD and DIAMOND cards, to show scale within the Lexar family. We’re also including the SanDisk Professional PRO-CINEMA CFexpress and the SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress. It’s worth noting that the SanDisk comparables for this review have similar performance specs tot he SILVER but carry retail pricing that’s much higher than the SILVER line. They’re more aligned with pricing of the Lexar GOLD series cards.
Here is how it fared during our 1-thread test:
| IOMeter (1-Thread) | |||||
| Test | Lexar Professional CFexpress SILVER | Lexar Professional DIAMOND CFexpress (512GB) | Lexar Professional CFexpress GOLD (2TB) | SanDisk Professional PRO-CINEMA CFexpress | SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress |
| 2MB sequential write | 622.5MB/s | 1,189MB/s | 1,194MB/s | 871.4MB/s | 965.7MB/s |
| 2MB sequential read | 815.6MB/s | 1,355.1MB/s | 1,064MB/s | 1,091.8MB/s | 1,086MB/s |
| 2MB random write | 612.5MB/s | 1,145.3MB/s | 1,158MBB/s | 341.0MB/s | 397.4MB/s |
| 2MB random read | 741.1MB/s | 1,148.3MB/s | 856.6MB/s | 972.3MB/s | 1,036.7MB/s |
| 4K random write | 12,904 IOPS | 14,572 IOPS | 14,364 IOPS | 2,985 IOPS | 3,145 IOPS |
| 4K random read | 4,732 IOPS | 4,410 IOPS | 4,744 IOPS | 10,785 IOPS | 10,768 IOPS |
As is usually the case, the Lexar Professional SILVER (512GB) card performed the best in the heavier 4-thread workload.
| IOMeter (4-Thread) | |||||
| Test | Lexar Professional CFexpress SILVER | Lexar Professional DIAMOND CFexpress (512GB) | Lexar Professional CFexpress GOLD (2TB) | SanDisk Professional PRO-CINEMA CFexpress | SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress |
| 2MB sequential write | 725.8MB/s | 1,663MB/s | 1,684.1MB/s | 1,276.5MB/s | 1,270.9MB/s |
| 2MB sequential read | 947.3MB/s | 1,783.3MB/s | 1,585.9MB/s | 1,320.9MB/s | 1,223.7MB/s |
| 2MB random write | 712.8MB/s | 1,577.8MB/s | 1,621MB/s | 392.4MB/s | 362.4MB/s |
| 2MB random read | 893.4MB/s | 1,440.1MB/s | 1,050MB/s | 1,306MB/s | 1,213.8MB/s |
| 4K random write | 49,852 IOPS | 53,557 IOPS | 51,876 IOPS | 40,332 IOPS | 40,390 IOPS |
| 4K random read | 22,197 IOPS | 16,800 IOPS | 19,016 IOPS | 8,705 IOPS | 8,289 IOPS |
Final Thoughts
The Lexar Professional CFexpress SILVER Type B Card caters to professionals who need the right blend of capacity, performance and cost. While it may not boast top-of-class speeds like its DIAMOND and GOLD counterparts, that’s clearly not the point. For its role, the SILVER series is a surprisingly peppy alternative with an aggressive price point that starts under $100.
Ultimately, the SILVER Series of CFexpress cards does an excellent job rounding out the extensive Lexar CFexpress portfolio, bringing affordable storage to the market for mainstream creative pro use cases. Coupled with a 10-year warranty, we’re happy with what the SILVER family brings to the table and give it our recommendation.
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