ProGrade Digital announce new CFexpress 4.0 card with 2,800MB/s sustained write speed

Started by former SanDisk and Lexar executives ProGrade Digital is relatively a new and promising company so halo products like this are interesting on several levels (and not just from a marketing perspective).

The key takeaway here is the extremely high sustained write speed of 2,800MB/s, which is crucial to know when looking to buy for 8/4K and high-frame-rate (slow-mo) video. However, that all-important key message has been fudged by saying “up to 2800MB/s.” Surely a sustained write speed is a minimum, not a maximum implied by the “up to.” Makes no sense from a marketing perspective.

A high sustained write speed is not really important for stills photography, even when shooting at high fps, as even the slowest CFexpress are as fast or in most cases faster than the fastest SD UHS-II cards.

I’ve reached out to ProGrade Digital for comment, but reading between the lines it’s likely there’s some speed hit from thermal throttling; that’s to say if the card heats up to a certain temperature, they reserve the right to reduce the sustained write speed. And it’s that, that’s likely behind the VPG400 rating you see on some cards, such as the SanDisk Pro-Cinema 256GB card [affiliate link].

Transparency in the marketing of memory cards has always been poor. Besides the caveat in the marketing message, the 1.3TB card comes in at a hefty price ($1495) but hopefully, we will see smaller capacity cards with lower prices.

There’s also no mention of support; current cameras are not likely to be fully compatible but they may still see some benefit in stills burst depth and 8K and high frame rate capture. As yet unreleased cameras are likely to feature the new standard and take advantage of it but that will time and feature on high-end cameras to begin with. Given that’s not always the case though, it’s important to check.

CFexpress cards are also tied to their respective makers’ card readers for compatibility with firmware upgrades and memory ‘refreshing’ software. Fortunately, ProGrade Digital also announced a new Thunderbolt 4 compatible reader with the new spec card.

PROGRADE DIGITAL ANNOUNCES 3rd GENERATION CFEXPRESS 4.0 TYPE B 1.3TB MEMORY CARD

The CFexpress 4.0 1.3TB Cobalt Memory Card Provides the Optimal Capacity for RAW Cinema- Cinema-level video Shooting Applications with New Higher Performance Read/Write Speed Capability

San Jose, CA September 5, 2023, 8:00 am ET — ProGrade Digital, Inc., founded with a mission to provide the highest quality professional grade digital memory cards and workflow solutions, announces the 3rd generation of its CFexpressTM Type B Cobalt-class memory card in a new 1.3TB capacity. This new generation features the same industry-leading quality of ProGrade current 2nd generation 325GB and 650GB capacity cards, but now leverages PCIe Gen 4 interconnect with NVMe 1.4c host controller interface. ProGrade Digital’s 3rd generation CFexpress Cobalt cards are fully compliant with the just released CFexpress 4.0 specification, and provide read speeds of up to 3,400MB/s, burst write speeds of up to 3,000MB/s, and sustained write speeds of up to 2,800MB/s – ideally suited for the highest-resolution cinema-grade video capture applications. As in past Cobalt-class memory card generations, the highest endurance and reliability memory technology is utilized – ensuring years of trouble-free, high-performance capture.

“The introduction of our 3rd generation CFexpress Cobalt card at the 1.3TB capacity point provides the extra space and unparalleled performance needed for the very highest resolution video capture needs,” said Wes Brewer, Founder and CEO of ProGrade Digital. “Our inclusion of PCIe Gen 4 controller technology, coupled with upcoming USB 4.0 high-speed readers will allow offloading speeds 3x greater than previously possible, providing a dramatic reduction in workflow processing time.”

ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type B 1.3TB Cobalt Memory Card:

• Maximum read speed up to 3,400MB/s
• Burst write speed up to 3,000MB/s
• Minimum sustained write speed up to 2,800MB/s
• CFexpress 4.0
• Capacity: 1.3TB
• MSRP: $1,459.99CFexpress Type B 1.3TB Cobalt Delivers:
• Fully compliant with CompactFlashTM Association 4.0 specification and backward compatible with 2.0 specification
• NVMe host interface with PCIe Gen4 X2 interconnect
• Low standby power through NVMe PS0 – PS4 support enabling extended battery life
• Metal enclosure for improved durability and heat dissipation
• Thermal throttling protects the card from overheating
• Laser-etched unique serial numbering for the tracking of key components and manufacturing data for the highest quality control
• Temperature ranges: operating 14°F to 158°F/ -10°C to 70°C; storage -4°F to 185°F/ -20°C to 85°C
• Packaging: Biodegradable fibre tray
• Refresh Pro ready*
• SLC (Single Level Cell) memory technology for the highest endurance and reliability
• RED V-Raptor and Komodo X-approved
• X-ray-proof and shock-proof
• 3-year warranty

Customers may purchase ProGrade Digital products on www.progradedigital.com, Amazon, B&H Photo and Video, or Adorama websites along with many other retailers around the globe. Customers in select regions may purchase on Amazon.com with Prime shipping.