Boasting 1950MB/s read and 1900MB/s write speeds, the Nextorage B1 Pro easily beats Lexar, ProGrade and SanDisk
(Image credit: Nextorage, Future)
The CFexpress Type B speed race continues, and we now have a new speed king: the Nextorage B1 Pro. Boasting a maximum read speed of 1950MB/s, it narrowly beats the previous fastest Type B card, the 1900MB/s Lexar Professional Diamond Series. However it's write speed where the new Nextorage B1 Pro really stretches its legs. Whereas the Lexar card could 'only' manage a 1700MB/s write rate, the B1 Pro is capable of up to 1900MB/s - impressive stuff. Equally impressive is the B1 Pro's minimum sustained write speed of 1800MB/s, which marks a third Type B speed record, and easily earns the card VPG400 certification.
Another neat feature of the B1 Pro is Dynamic Auto Power Save, a unique system developed by Nextorage for low power consumption during video recording. Nextorage claim up to a 68% power saving relative to non-pSLC-equipped CFexpress cards, saving both camera battery life and also helping prevent thermal throttling from triggering by reducing card temperature.
As we've come to expect from high-performance Type B cards, available capacities are a little unusual, with 165GB, 330GB, 660GB and 1330GB versions available. All capacity options operate at the full 1950/1900MB/s and carry a 5-year warranty. Inevitably, this much performance doesn't come cheap, with even the lowest capacity 165GB B1 Pro coming in at $199.99. Prices the double in line with capacity, reaching $1599.99 for the 1330GB card.
If you'd rather save some cash, Nextorage is also launching a second range of Type B cards: the B1 SE series. Available in 128GB and 256GB capacities, they're priced at a more palatable $99.99 and $139.99, respectively. Go for the 256GB card and you even get the same 1950MB/s max read speed as the B1 Pro, however the 128GB capacity tops out at a more mundane 1100MB/s. Write speeds also differ between the two capacities: 1100MB/s for the 256GB card and 550MB/s for the 128GB. Minimum sustained write speeds are 200MB/s (256GB) and 100MB/s (128GB).
Both ranges are scheduled for availability in late December from Amazon.
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Ben is the Imaging Labs manager, responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. Whether he's in the lab testing the sharpness of new lenses, the resolution of the latest image sensors, the zoom range of monster bridge cameras or even the latest camera phones, Ben is our go-to guy for technical insight. He's also the team's man-at-arms when it comes to camera bags, filters, memory cards, and all manner of camera accessories – his lab is a bit like the Batcave of photography! With years of experience trialling and testing kit, he's a human encyclopedia of benchmarks when it comes to recommending the best buys.
