Blackmagic Forum

I just tested a match pack of Angelbird 512GB CFast cards (just purchased) with the Disk Speed Test and got 410 MB/s write and 485 MB/s read. Values should be more like 490 MB/s write and 550 MB/s read.

Has anyone had trouble with the Disk Speed Test? Might I need to do something to get it working better? I am using the Angelbird CFast 2.0 Card Reader. (could maybe be the card reader?)

I have been checking where frames are dropped in the URSA Mini Pro and the pocket 4K and thought I would run the Speed Test on the cards.

Thanks for any help on this.

Did you format the cards in the camera before use?

yep, formatted in camera... still think it might be the reader or the speed test program, but would like to hear from any others.

Does AJA System Test give you similar results?
https://www.aja.com/products/aja-system-test

And the Angelbird card reader comes with a software called SSD manger, which can perform a secure erase on the CFast card.

Two things to consider:
Did you use the usb-c to usb 3.0 adapter that came with the reader? In my case it compromises speed.
Did you do a refresh with the anglebird ssd manager? Does make a difference.

But anyhow, the values you get are ok in my opinion. The reader is nice and solid, but not the fastest.


Regards,
Stephan

Blackmagic gives write: 433.2 read: 477.8
AJA gives: write: 431 read: 483

repeated without C-A connector and in 3.2 C-slot
BMD write: 419.6 read 487.6
AJA write: 435 read 495

And yes these numbers will hardly ever be exactly the same, but Angelbird gives:
write: 490 read: 550

And for comparison my Samsung T5 drive in the same USB port gives:
BMD write: 494.3 read: 513.2
AJA write: 493 read: 513

When have you bought those cards?
When you flip the CFast2.0 card to the back - what is the engraved year?

Over the years Angelbird has up'd the specs when faster flash memory has been available, so if you got an older card it might not match the latest specs.

For example here:
https://www.angelbird.com/prod/av-pro-c ... tegory=235
SUSTAINED READ SPEED 550 MB/s
SUSTAINED WRITE SPEED 450 MB/s

From the PCC6k match pack:
https://www.angelbird.com/prod/match-pa ... tegory=210
SUSTAINED READ SPEED 550 MB/s
SUSTAINED WRITE SPEED 490 MB/s

Which model of the card reader do you have?
Is it this one?
https://www.angelbird.com/prod/cfast-20 ... tegory=241

Delkin has nice article about formatting/deep formatting cards (last paragraph):
https://www.delkindevices.com/learning_ ... explained/

The cards I purchased 1.5 years ago direct from Angelbird (256x2 match pack) have date of 2019. The cards I just purchased from B&H (512x2 match pack) do not have any date on them. But both packages state that these cards are tested to give Sustained 490 write and 550 read. (sequential 498 write and 560 read.)

For card reader I have the one shown in your link purchased 1.5 years ago with the earlier match pack and I'll likely be getting another.

Every time I put the card back into the camera I format it, no matter how full or empty it is. I have not deep formatted, but will give it a try. Keep in mind the new cards I just got have not been used yet. I think likely the real test will be to do a speed test in camera. The 12K should be nice for this as it can generate a multitude of bit-rate scenarios to challenge the cards. I am now awaiting the return of my new 12K which was sent to BMD for the text overlay issue and also what seemed to be a loose USB connection (not surprised at that.) Anyways will test when camera is back. The cards work at all settings on my Pocket 4K and URSA Mini Pro (G1).

Thanks for the info on formatting.

I do have 2x 256 GB cards from AB labelled with 2017 and 2x 1 TB cards labelled with 2019.
Never experienced dropped frames in the time I had them. Neither in the PCC4k nor in the UM46k and UMP G1.

The PCC6k and the UMP12k are another story because of their huge data streams they can produce.