Memory Cards, Part 1: CompactFlash From 8GB To 64GB

SanDisk Extreme Pro 600x (64GB)

The Extreme Pro series by SanDisk is rated at 600x speeds, and it is available in capacities of 16, 32, and 64GB. We received the 64GB flagship for review.

This unit crushes the price scales at almost $900, and even the 16GB model is priced at $335.99. This is steep, even for a premium product. In exchange, you get either a lifetime or 30-year warranty (lifetime warranties aren’t recognized in some areas).

UltraDMA 6 is used by all of the cards in this review, but SanDisk lags in our read test, where it maxes out at only 56 MB/s. At the same time, we measured up to 71.6 MB/s for sequential writes. This is disappointing considering the high price tag, but the write performance is indeed at the top of its class: a 59.8 MB/s minimum. This is what professional photographers will want. Other cards delivered more peak performance but less consistent minimums.

We didn’t have the 16GB or 32GB cards to compare against, but we’re sure that these deliver higher peak performance that what we’ve seen in previous product generations.