Higher Speed Rated Memory Cards; When Do I Need Them?

You might have come across reviews referring to the speed rating of a CompactFlash? card as 8X, 12X, or 40X. But what do X speed ratings mean and should they play a significant role in your decision to purchase one card over another?

The X Factor
The speed rating system used on CompactFlash cards is the same rating system used in the CD-ROM industry. A data transfer rate of 1X means that the card can transfer data at 150 kilobytes (KB) per second.

If you consider the speed of the card itself, and not the capabilities of the input device (a camera for example) nor the output device (a flash card reader for example) theoretically, the higher the speed rating, the faster your memory card can store images.

For example, let's say you've taken 30 high-resolution pictures and each one is 3.5 megabytes in size. Here is the theoretical speed at which your flash card reads/writes data at the following speed ratings:

The memory card is only part of the equation.
Very few people actually benefit from high-speed cards (typically only professionals who use expensive, specialized products designed for this technology). In fact, most people won't notice a difference because the actual performance of a flash card has more to do with the limitations of your device than the flash card itself.

You see, not only does your flash card have a maximum speed rating, but your camera also has its own speed rating. When these products are combined, they'll work at the "slowest common denominator." For example, if you use a 12X flash card in a camera designed to work at 8X speed, you'll be transferring data at the slower 8X speed.

Determining the speed of your camera can be tricky. Most camera manuals don't tell you what speed of flash card you should buy, just that you should buy their brand, which isn't much help. A general rule of thumb: If your camera has a pixel count (resolution) of less than five megapixels, the speed rating of the flash card doesn't matter much. The improvement you're likely to see in a higher rated card will be minimal-just fractions of seconds, virtually undetectable by most of us.

So who really needs high-speed flash memory?
Professional photographers using professional-grade cameras should use high-speed flash. If you own a camera with a pixel rate above five megapixels, you will benefit from a flash card with a higher speed rating. But if you're like most of us, and your camera has a resolution between two and five magapixels, you'll still get great performance from cards rated between 8X and 12X.

 

Don't settle for cheap products or service.
While flash cards are extremely durable, it's best to buy from someone you trust just in case. You wouldn't want to lose that prized photo or that once-in-a-lifetime shot, would you? Buy your flash cards from a reputable dealer that stands behind its product with a lifetime warranty and accessible support.

All Crucial high-quality flash memory cards are rated 8X or higher and are backed by Crucial's renowned, service, support, and limited lifetime warrant.

To find the right flash memory for your specific camera or electronic device; please send us an email with the product brand name, model number from the label on the product. Our own computer technology engineer will research your product with Micro and return an answer with price and availability.

Micron, Crucial and Crucial Technology are trademarks of Micron Technology, Inc. Micron Technology, Inc. is an authorized licensee of the CompactFlash? and CF logo? trademarks. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Information provided by Micro Technology.