SanDisk Extreme PRO CFast 2.0 Memory Card Review

The SanDisk Extreme PRO CFast is a memory card solution designed to meet the intense demands of broadcast, cinema, and photography professionals. While SanDisk has a few CompactFlash lines available, this is their first CFast offering. It leverages 2.0 technology, which allows the Extreme PRO to reach potential speeds very similar to that of SATA SSDs.

The SanDisk Extreme PRO CFast is a memory card solution designed to meet the intense demands of broadcast, cinema, and photography professionals. While SanDisk has a few CompactFlash lines available, this is their first CFast offering. It leverages 2.0 technology, which allows the Extreme PRO to reach potential speeds very similar to that of SATA SSDs.

SanDisk Extreme PRO CFast 2.0

Performance-wise, the PRO CFast card is quoted to deliver speeds up to 525MB/s read and 450MB/s write for the larger capacity models (128GB, 256GB, and 512GB). The 64GB model is specced at the same read speeds though with slightly lower writes at 430MB/s.

Moreover, these CFast cards feature the Performance Guarantee-130 (or VPG-130), a certification that guarantees a minimum sustained write speed of 130MB/s at all times with compatible cameras. This means it can capture 4K video without interruption, which is extremely important for professionals on a tight schedule and who don’t have time for reshoots.

The new SanDisk card is bundled with a RescuePRO Deluxe data recovery software, which allows users to easily recover files that have been accidentally deleted. It’s also backed by a lifetime limited warranty, which means that you will have peace of mind that your purchase will last as long (or more) as your camera.

The SanDisk Extreme PRO CFast 2.0 memory card goes for roughly $100 (64GB), $135 (128GB), $235 (256GB), and $550 (512GB). We will be looking at the 128GB model for this review.

SanDisk Extreme PRO CFast 2.0 Memory Card Specifications

SanDisk Extreme PRO CFast 2.0 Memory Card Design and Build

Measuring in at just under one and a half inches in height and 1.7 inches in length (with 0.14 inches in thickness), the SanDisk Extreme PRO memory card delivers the same performance at half the size of a standard SATA SSD.

The CFast card features a whitish-grey and black design, with the company’s usual red branding at the bottom right. The front side displays the product name, capacity, interface (CFast 2.0), VPG-130 certification, and performance numbers.

Turning the CFast card around reveals the product and serial numbers, certifications and other detailed information.

SanDisk Extreme PRO CFast 2.0 Memory Card Performance

To test the Extreme PRO, we used CFast 2.0 slot of our SanDisk Professional USB 3.2 reader.

First up, is the Blackmagic test, where it was able to hit reads and writes of 497.5MB/s and 426.9MB/s, respectively. Though this was roughly 25MB/s less than what was quoted (for both reads and writes), these were still respectable results from the SanDisk card.

Switching to synthetic testing using IOMeter, we looked at both 1-thread and 4-thread large block activity (2MB sequential and random) as well as 4K random performance.

Sequential read results almost hit the quoted 525MB/s mark during our 4-thread test, while hitting 510.1MB/s for our 1-Thread test. Sequential writes were a bit weaker than what we saw with our Blackmagic test, posting 418.3MB/s (1-thread) and 385.5MB/s (2-thread). Though random write performance was significantly lower, this is expected for a memory card meant for professional photography and video capturing.

SanDisk Extreme PRO performed much better when compared to the Acer CF100 (another CFast 2.0 we recently reviewed), especially in write performance. The Acer card was able to hit 131.9MB/s (1-thread) and 132MB/s (4-thread) and 484.2MB/s  (1-thread) and 480.5MB/s (4-thread) in 2MB sequential write and reads, respectively.

Conclusion

SanDisk Extreme PRO is the company’s first compact flash card that supports the CFast 2.0 interface, meaning that it has roughly the same performance profile as a SATA SSD. These potential speeds make them ideal for professionals working with fast-action photoshoots and 4K RAW ultra-HD videos/images in industries like film, broadcast, and photography. The Extreme PRO CF cards are also VPG-130 certified, which guarantees a minimum sustained write speed of 130MB/s at all times with compatible cameras. They are available in capacities ranging from 64GB to 1TB.

Performance-wise, results were overall very good. Though the Extreme PRO couldn’t quite reach its quoted read and write speeds of 550MB/s and 450MB/s, respectively, it came pretty close at times. In our Blackmagic test, it was able to hit top speeds of 497.5MB/s read and 426.9MB/s write, while reaching only 510.1MB/s and 418.3MB/s for sequential reads and writes in IOMeter (1-Thread). We also tested its random 2MB performance, which showed 403.9MB/s read and 246MB/s write (these weaker results were expected due to the Extreme PRO’s intended use case).

Looking at the more demanding 4-thread test, the SanDisk card was able to reach 522.2MB/s read in sequential performance, though writes clocked in at just 385MB/s. Random speeds posted 417.3MB/s read and 146.6MB/s write. Overall, the Extreme PRO cards were slower by roughly ~40-30MB/s read and ~30-70MB/s write during our benchmarking when compared to their spec sheet.

Those who need to get the most performance out of their compatible, high-end equipment may opt for the CFast 2.0 route. The SanDisk Extreme Pro fits this bill perfectly, offering superior sequential read and write performance and very competitive pricing, reminding us why SanDisk is the popular option for on-set professionals.

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