There are different types of memory cards, as many manufacturers use their own formats for their devices. Cameras from Olympus store on the XD Picture Card, which was developed in cooperation with Fujifilm, while Sony devices use the Memory Stick (MS). SanDisk, on the other hand, developed the MultiMediaCard (MMC), from which the most common memory card can be found today: the universally applicable Secure Digital Memory Card (SD). COMPUTER BILD has tested the latest SD card reader - you will find it in the following product overview. Do you contrast cards with different storage formats, the purchase of a recommended multi-card reader (also multi-card reader named), to read all the media on a PC, format, or to update.
Comparison of good and bad SD card reader
Although the test candidates are close to each other in price terms, there are considerable differences in speed. In the case of modern UHS II cards, the chaff separates from the wheat: Only the models StarTech 2SD4FCRU3C (place 1), V.TOP U3 Ultra (place 2) and Hama USB card reader (place 3) tempt the tempo. Large files, such as movies, are written with at least 177 megabytes per second (MB / s), while reading such files the testers measured over 230 MB / s. For comparison: the final test ( Transcend RDF9 , Kingston MobileLite G4 ) write at a maximum of just 80 MB / s, reading they create nearly 92 MB / s with large files.
In the test: The fastest SD card reader
With medium-sized and small files, the card readers speed up "slowly" - until they have reached their maximum speed, the files are already finished. The following measured values are correspondingly lower. For the top 3 COMPUTER PICTURE scores were found to be between 105 and 112 MB / s for medium-sized files, while 4 MB / s remained for small ones. When reading, between 160 and 200 MB / s (medium-sized files) and between 26 and 28 MB / s (small files). There were no differences that could be felt in everyday life in the tests of the UHS-I maps. In this discipline, the test candidates were able to write at a rate of 60 MB / s (large files), while on average it was 90 MB / s - this applies to all eight card readers.
When is a card reader useful?
An SD card reader is standard equipment for most PCs and notebooks. It is more difficult to read a memory card with the slim devices: Flat ultrabooks and tablets are limited to the essential connections because of their minimalist design. Here, the addition of an external card reader can be useful. Basically, there are three types: a variant which is structurally similar to a USB stick, a version in the form of a small box and models for the installation in desktop PCs.
Card reader with USB 2.0 and 3.0
As with SD card readers, the transmission standard is the most important purchase criterion for multi-card readers. Many models only support USB 2.0, which rarely transmits more than 35 megabytes per second (MB / s) in practice. USB 3.0 is a multiple of what has been found in the devices tested. Anyone who frequently transfers large amounts of memory cards should choose the higher standard. Please note that the USB input of your computer is also equipped with USB 3.0. Devices with the "Hot Swapping" feature are particularly handy: it allows you to exchange between memory cards without having to connect the card reader to a computer.
Internal and external variants in comparison
Installers are faster? No! Only the space requirement is an advantage. If you are looking for an external card reader in the stick format, you should pay attention to the equipment of your device. Because of the compact design, you can transport it more conveniently, but often only support the most common memory card formats. You should also pay attention to the space conditions on your PC when selecting the card reader, since USB sticks may block the connections that are next to it. An external model with cable connection is more suitable in these cases.