Using the DJ Drive Tool, we and others have tested and compiled real-world media performance data. Having this data makes buying decisions for your media needs easier.
| Media Type | Manufacturer / Model | Capacity | Read Speed | Write Speed | Latest Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internal SSD |
Lexar NM790 4TB
Test performed on a NVMe reader |
4,096.8GB | 5,755.4MB/sec | 5,068.3MB/sec | $ 239.99 | ||
| Internal SSD |
Western Digital SN850X 2TB
Test performed on a NVMe reader |
2,000.4GB | 5,442.2MB/sec | 1,351.3MB/sec | $ 150.89 | ||
| Internal SSD |
XPG Gammix S70 Blade
Test performed on a NVMe reader |
2,048.4GB | 5,767.8MB/sec | 875.1MB/sec | $ 169.99 | ||
| Internal SSD |
Samsung 980 Pro 2TB
Test performed on a NVMe reader |
2,000.4GB | 4,237.1MB/sec | 1,589.0MB/sec | $ 190.92 | ||
| Internal SSD |
Lexar NM790 4TB
Test performed on a NVMe reader |
4,096.8GB | 4,861.9MB/sec | 199.8MB/sec | $ 239.99 | ||
| Portable SSD |
Western Digital SN850X 2TB
Test performed on a ORICO M.2 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 NVMe 20Gbps Enclosure reader |
2,000.4GB | 1,866.7MB/sec | 1,280.3MB/sec | $ 150.89 | ||
| Internal SSD |
Samsung 990 Pro 2TB
Test performed on a NVMe reader |
2,000.4GB | 1,484.4MB/sec | 1,265.4MB/sec | $ 149.99 | ||
| Portable SSD |
Samsung 980 Pro 2TB
Test performed on a ORICO M.2 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 NVMe 20Gbps Enclosure reader |
2,000.4GB | 1,878.9MB/sec | 1,415.9MB/sec | $ 190.92 | ||
| Portable SSD |
Samsung 990 Pro 2TB
Test performed on a ORICO M.2 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 NVMe 20Gbps Enclosure reader |
2,000.4GB | 1,787.3MB/sec | 948.0MB/sec | $ 149.99 | ||
| Portable SSD |
Western Digital SN850X 2TB
Test performed on a ASMT ASM236X NVME SCSI Disk Device reader |
2,000.4GB | 1,024.2MB/sec | 963.8MB/sec | $ 150.89 | ||
| Portable SSD |
Samsung 990 Pro 2TB
Test performed on a NewQ USB4 M.2 SSD Enclosure 40Gbps reader |
2,000.4GB | 3,064.8MB/sec | 445.1MB/sec | $ 149.99 | ||
| Portable SSD |
Crucial X10 2TB Portable SSD
Test performed on a USB C 3.2 Gen 2 reader |
2,000.4GB | 977.2MB/sec | 910.4MB/sec | $ 149.99 | ||
| Portable SSD |
Samsung 990 Pro 2TB
Test performed on a NewQ USB4 M.2 SSD Enclosure 40Gbps reader |
2,000.4GB | 2,554.4MB/sec | 452.2MB/sec | $ 149.99 | ||
| Portable SSD |
Samsung 990 Pro 2TB
Test performed on a Sabrent USB-C to NVMe Enclosure reader |
2,000.4GB | 950.4MB/sec | 846.1MB/sec | $ 149.99 | ||
| Portable SSD | Crucial X6 1TB Portable SSD | 1,000.2GB | 883.5MB/sec | 875.1MB/sec | $ 79.59 | ||
| Portable SSD |
Western Digital SN850X 2TB
Test performed on a Sabrent USB-C to NVMe Enclosure reader |
2,000.4GB | 981.0MB/sec | 750.7MB/sec | $ 150.89 | ||
| Portable SSD |
Samsung 980 Pro 2TB
Test performed on a Sabrent USB-C to NVMe Enclosure reader |
2,000.4GB | 1,014.0MB/sec | 777.7MB/sec | $ 190.92 | ||
| Portable SSD |
Samsung 970 EVO Plus
Test performed on a ORICO M.2 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 NVMe 20Gbps Enclosure reader |
1,000.2GB | 1,538.1MB/sec | 1,075.4MB/sec | $ 137.90 | ||
| Portable SSD | Crucial X8 2TB Portable SSD | 2,000.4GB | 947.0MB/sec | 961.4MB/sec | $ 229.00 | ||
| Portable SSD | SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD 2TB | 2,000.4GB | 1,024.4MB/sec | 626.9MB/sec | $ 199.99 |
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Manufacturers of SD, Compact Flash, CFast, and other media don't often advertise the write speeds of their cards. But in the video production world, sustained write speed is the most important metric. We need to know that cards are going to be able to write data as fast as our cameras and other recorders generate it.
Short answer? Get a card as fast as your budget allows, as long as it is fast enough for your production workflow.
Longer answer? Get cards with write speeds in the above table higher than your recorder's or camera's required minimums. You can enter a minimum write speed in the search criteria to limit which cards are shown.
Data rates vary quite a bit, based on the codec, resolution, frame rate, and even image quality of the camera. For example, at DJP we use the Hyperdeck Studio Mini from Blackmagic Design for most of our recording needs, and shoot in formats from 1080p24 up through 2160p30, usually in ProRes. Cards which are capable of writing at rates of 100MB/sec usually work well for this. Our cameras needs are more modest, where 40 MB/sec is plenty for 2160p30 in XAVC-S.
For general use, when you have to copy data from multiple cards at a time, the StarTech 4-Slot SD Card Reader is our preferred device. We use it on every event when we need to copy footage from our master HyperDeck recorders and the isolated camera feeds with the minimum amount of hassle. With USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectivity for both Type A and C, this unit gives the highest standard UHS-I and UHS-II speeds we've seen, at up to 10 Gigabits per second, giving the speed to read four cards at 250 MB/second simultaneously.
For the highest perfomance for SD and microSD, we like this 2-in-1 reader from Lexar. For cards which offer performance boosts above normal UHS-I speeds (speeds greater than 104 MB/sec), this reader has proven to be the best we've tried. It not only accelerates reads from Lexar cards, it also speeds up reads and writes from cards from other manufacturers as well, often more than readers from the same manufacturer. We've had great luck with these readers, and they're quite inexpensive.
Use the DJ Drive Tool to perform disk testing and submit card performance data to this site.
We recommend using the 'Refresh' mode to perform both read and write testing.