Patriot EP Series High Endurance MicroSDXC Review

EVGA Z490 FTW – Z490 Chipset
Intel Core i5 10600k (4.1Ghz) Hex Core 6 x 32KB L2 Cache 6 x 256KB L3 Cache 12MB 
Cooler Master ML360 Sub-Zero
1x nVidia GTX 1050 Ti
2x Patriot Viper Blackout Edition PC4-34100 16GB DDR4 (19-21-21-41)
Crucial MX500 500GB SSD
HP dvd1260i Multiformat 24x Writer
Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 1050 Watt PSU
Windows 10 Pro 64bit 

Storage Tested
Patriot EP Series High Endurance MicroSDXC 128GB

Reference Storage
Lexar Professional 1066x microSDXC 256GB
Samsung EVO Plus microSDXC 128GB

For the benchmarks I have chosen to offer synthetic benchmark results that are repeatable and should provide a good basis for comparison.  For an interface I used the Lexar USB 3.1 card reader plugged into a USB 3.2 port on the motherboard.  While it would be fun to run PCMark 10 on SD cards it wouldn't offer a realistic result so, we will be sticking to the traditional transfer benchmarks.

Sandra is a software collection of synthetic benchmarks that will give us a basic idea as to what a system is capable of. It should be noted that SiSoft numbers can change depending on what hardware is being tested.  These were recorded using Sandra Professional Version 30.27.2020.1

ATTO Disk Benchmark is a freeware disk benchmarking utility that can test a variety of storage solutions from single hard drives to multi-level RAID arrays and solid-state disks.  The tests can be broken down to transfer sizes between 512B to 64MB with lengths between 64KB and 32GB.  Testing results are shown on a transfer chart with reads and writes clearly marked.

For our benchmark the 64MB transfer is being recorded even though the 128k range is often quoted as having the fastest transfer speed (range) of any drive.

I am going to include the benchmarks result below that show that after 64KB the drive tops out and transfers at full speed matching what is reported in the other synthetic tests.

Crystal Disk Mark is a widely available disk benchmarking program that can test a variety of different scenarios from Sequential to Random with Multiple and Single queues.

For our tests the Sequential and Random test with multiple queues and threads will be recorded.

External SSD performance depends on a number of factors including cable length, USB chipset and even the type of processor you are using.  The Patriot High Endurance is not the fastest drive but does offer typical V30 based performance from a UHS-1 Class card with numbers that match the specifications from Patriot.  It is difficult and time consuming to test wear levels and performance degradation so the raw performance will have to do.

As with any storage device there is some overhead in processing the data.  Despite this I am surprised to see that Sequential reads and writes are almost dead on when it comes to reporting their transfer rate however when we get to the random writes the cards tend to slow down considerably.  This goes back to the ATTO screenshot showing that only 64KB files and larger have been optimized for this flash storage medium.

When picking a flash memory card, you need to consider the speed and capacity of the card but also how you intend to use it.  In a typical consumer situation such as recording video on a GoPro or expanding the internal storage of your mobile device you will likely replace the device before the card starts to fail.  However, in high demand situations such as video surveillance, security cameras and dash cams the quality of your memory card will translate into long term performance and increase overall stability.  This is where stepping up to an enterprise class memory card really matters and the solution that the Patriot EP Series High Endurance MicroSDXC memory card is designed to deliver.

Long Endurance Life
Extreme Temperature Support
Included Adaptor Card

Small cards can get lost pretty easy.