Patriot has upgraded the maximum capacity for their LX Series SDXC to 256GB. The new 256GB model is more or less identical to the smaller capacity models, with the same reported transfer speeds (80 MB/s read and 20MB/s write) and power usage (2.7-3.6V). The LX Series flash cards would be best implemented in demanding use cases by entry-level to professional photographers or videographers leveraging high-level equipment (standard SD Associated 3.0 compliance). With the increased capacity, users have the convenience of clearing space less frequently and can comfortably record in HD 1920×1080 without worrying about running out of space. The cards are backed by a 5-year warranty and carries a price tag of $129.99.
Patriot has upgraded the maximum capacity for their LX Series SDXC to 256GB. The new 256GB model is more or less identical to the smaller capacity models, with the same reported transfer speeds (80 MB/s read and 20MB/s write) and power usage (2.7-3.6V). The LX Series flash cards would be best implemented in demanding use cases by entry-level to professional photographers or videographers leveraging high-level equipment (standard SD Associated 3.0 compliance). With the increased capacity, users have the convenience of clearing space less frequently and can comfortably record in HD 1920×1080 without worrying about running out of space. The cards are backed by a 5-year warranty and carries a price tag of $129.99.
Specifications
- Available capacities:
- 64GB (PSF64GSDXC10)
- 128GB (PSF128GSDXC10)
- 256GB (PSF256GSDXC10)
- Card dimension (DxWxL): 0.08" x 0.93" x 1.25" (0.20cm x 2.4cm x 3.2cm)
- Performance/speed: 80MB/s read, 20MB/s write
- Compatibility: SDXC host devices
- Certifications: CE, FCC, RoHS
- Warranty: 5 years
Design and Build
The LX Series 256GB flash card has a standard SDXC layout. The card itself is completely black with a branded sticker on its face. The write protection switch is on the side, to the left of the sticker.
The back of the card houses the model number, batch information and country of manufacture.
Performance
In this review, we include the following comparables from our database of memory card reviews:
Using our HP Z620 Consumer Testing Platform, we measured transfer speeds from the new Patriot LX Series 256GB Memory Card with IOMeter. The LX card posted a very competitive read performance of 86.55MB/s, vs. 87.4MB/s and 85.89MB/s from the Samsung SD PRO and Toshiba Exceria, respectively. However, it fell somewhat short in terms of write performance with 22.62MB/s (75.8MB/s and 58.63MB/s from Samsung and Toshiba, respectively).
When switching to random large-block transfers, the LX card trailed the other cards in both read and write (though by a smaller margin in the latter); it posted 66.10MB/s in read (81.6MB/s and 84.2MB/s from Samsung and Toshiba, respectively) and 2.35MB/s in write (18.1MB/s and 3.2MB/s from Samsung and Toshiba, respectively).
In a random 4K IOPS benchmark, the Patriot LX posted 936.83 IOPS and 75.69 IOPS in read and write, respectively.
Conclusion
The new 256GB SD card by Patriot is the newest (and largest capacity) card in their LX line. Apart from its improved capacity, it is identical to the pre-existing card in this line, which is geared towards enthusiasts as well as professional media specialists. It can serve both entry- and high-level equipment and carries Patriot's 5-year warranty. It holds up pretty well in terms of performance, achieving similar results to its comparables (the Samsung SD PRO and Toshiba Exceria), both of which have far less storage space. The sequential write performance could be better though, especially for the stream recording emphasis this card targets.
Pros
- High capacity
- Good read performance in both sequential and random
Cons
- Room for improvement in write performance
The Bottom Line
The Patriot LX Series 256GB SD card should be considered by anyone in the market for a large capacity SD that maintains competitive transfer speeds and compatibility across a wide range of equipment levels and use cases.
Patriot LX Series 256GB SDXC at Amazon
