Lexar Professional CFexpress SILVER Type B Memory Card Review (512GB)

The Lexar Professional CFexpress SILVER Type B Series is a capable, yet cost effective memory card for photographers, videographers and other creative professionals. With the correct high-end camera, the 512GB card is even capable of shooting 8K video.

Lexar Professional CFexpress SILVER Type B

This card is ideal for everyday users that have an investment in a high-end camera. Lexar also has the GOLD and DIAMOND memory cards in their extensive portfolio which are levels advanced compared to this card. We did reviews on both cards earlier this year – GOLD and DIAMOND.

While the CFast cards leverage the SATA interface (SanDisk Extreme PRO and Acer CF100), the CFexpress Type B form factor uses the PCIe Gen 3×2 and NVMe high-speed protocols. This means they can easily handle the data transfer rates required for smooth RAW 8K video capture with sustained performance.

The Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Card SILVER Series is a rugged card built to withstand the harshest conditions, featuring shock and vibration-proof certifications and resistance to extreme temperatures. This means it can handle whatever the elements throw at it, making it an essential storage solution for outdoor shoots and other challenging environments.

Moving on to performance, sequential reads and writes go up to 1750MB/s and 1300MB/s respectively which should be more than enough for the target user. of course should you need more, the GOLD and DIAMOND cards are upstream options. The card we are looking at in this review is 512GB, but they also come in 128GB and 256GB capacities.

Paired with the new Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Reader, the card allows you to quickly capture and transfer files with ease, dramatically accelerating your workflow.

The SILVER series is also backed by 10-year limited warranty, giving users confidence in the life of the product. This makes the card a great option for everyday users, and those looking to get into the professional field.

The card will be widely released in August, though some retailers like B&H show it now with a retail price of $170 for the 512GB capacity. For scale, the GOLD carries a retail price of $390 on B&H.

Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Card SILVER Series Specifications

Specification	Details
Capacity	128GB – 512GB
Form Factor	CFexpress Type B
Interface	PCIe Gen3x2
Performance	Up to 1750MB/s read, up to 1300MB/s write Min sustained write speed up to 400MB/s
Operating Temperature	-10° to 70°C (14°F to 158°F)
Storage Temperature	-40° to 85°C (-40°F to 185°F)
Dimension (L x W x H)	38.50mm x 29.60mm x 3.80mm / 1.51” x 1.16” x 0.14”
Weight	7.8g / 0.017lbs
Warranty	10-year limited warranty

Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Card SILVER Performance

We tested the Lexar SILVER card via a Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Reader.

Our testing starts with the popular Blackmagic Disk Speed Test. The card posted 878.2MB/s read and 708.1MB/s write. It’s important to remember this is a single-threaded test though, the card will show it’s full capabilities as we increase the load in the tests below.

Our second test is IOMeter, where we tested the Lexar SILVER 512GB card in both single-thread and four-thread workloads. Here we’re also showing results from the GOLD and DIAMOND cards, to show scale within the Lexar family. We’re also including the SanDisk Professional PRO-CINEMA CFexpress and the SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress. It’s worth noting that the SanDisk comparables for this review have similar performance specs tot he SILVER but carry retail pricing that’s much higher than the SILVER line. They’re more aligned with pricing of the Lexar GOLD series cards.

Here is how it fared during our 1-thread test:

IOMeter (1-Thread)
Test	Lexar Professional CFexpress SILVER	Lexar Professional DIAMOND CFexpress (512GB)	Lexar Professional CFexpress GOLD (2TB)	SanDisk Professional PRO-CINEMA CFexpress	SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress
2MB sequential write	622.5MB/s	1,189MB/s	1,194MB/s	871.4MB/s	965.7MB/s
2MB sequential read	815.6MB/s	1,355.1MB/s	1,064MB/s	1,091.8MB/s	1,086MB/s
2MB random write	612.5MB/s	1,145.3MB/s	1,158MBB/s	341.0MB/s	397.4MB/s
2MB random read	741.1MB/s	1,148.3MB/s	856.6MB/s	972.3MB/s	1,036.7MB/s
4K random write	12,904 IOPS	14,572 IOPS	14,364 IOPS	2,985 IOPS	3,145 IOPS
4K random read	4,732 IOPS	4,410 IOPS	4,744 IOPS	10,785 IOPS	10,768 IOPS

As is usually the case, the Lexar Professional SILVER (512GB) card performed the best in the heavier 4-thread workload.

IOMeter (4-Thread)
Test	Lexar Professional CFexpress SILVER	Lexar Professional DIAMOND CFexpress (512GB)	Lexar Professional CFexpress GOLD (2TB)	SanDisk Professional PRO-CINEMA CFexpress	SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress
2MB sequential write	725.8MB/s	1,663MB/s	1,684.1MB/s	1,276.5MB/s	1,270.9MB/s
2MB sequential read	947.3MB/s	1,783.3MB/s	1,585.9MB/s	1,320.9MB/s	1,223.7MB/s
2MB random write	712.8MB/s	1,577.8MB/s	1,621MB/s	392.4MB/s	362.4MB/s
2MB random read	893.4MB/s	1,440.1MB/s	1,050MB/s	1,306MB/s	1,213.8MB/s
4K random write	49,852 IOPS	53,557 IOPS	51,876 IOPS	40,332 IOPS	40,390 IOPS
4K random read	22,197 IOPS	16,800 IOPS	19,016 IOPS	8,705 IOPS	8,289 IOPS

Final Thoughts

The Lexar Professional CFexpress SILVER Type B Card caters to professionals who need the right blend of capacity, performance and cost. While it may not boast top-of-class speeds like its DIAMOND and GOLD counterparts, that’s clearly not the point. For its role, the SILVER series is a surprisingly peppy alternative with an aggressive price point that starts under $100.

Ultimately, the SILVER Series of CFexpress cards does an excellent job rounding out the extensive Lexar CFexpress portfolio, bringing affordable storage to the market for mainstream creative pro use cases. Coupled with a 10-year warranty, we’re happy with what the SILVER family brings to the table and give it our recommendation.

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10 months ago

Ethan Beeler

Ethan Beeler is a Business Economics student at Miami University who possesses an unwavering love for technology. With a particular interest in the inner workings of cloud computing and the applications we utilize on a daily basis, Ethan is driven by a deep curiosity to understand the IT infrastructure that powers our digital world. He combines his passion for technology with a strong analytical mindset and a desire to explore the intersection of technology and business. Eager to stay ahead of the curve, Ethan actively engages with the latest tech advancements and seeks opportunities to apply his knowledge in real-world settings.