Problem with SanDisk Ultra SDHC 8GB 20MB/s


Wizongod

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Nov 25, 2011
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Ok, so I purchased 3 of SanDisk's Ultra SDHC 8GB 20MB/s cards from T K Foto Technic, which I'm sure many of you guys know in Funan. I didn't know about the Vector Magnetics Seal thingy, but the thing is, T K Foto is listed as one of their authorised dealers, so it should be ok right?

Anyway, I'm facing a problem with ONE of the cards, and I don't dare to open the rest up yet, just in case it's all defective.

By right a class 6 card should be able to beat a class 4 card right? But my tests with this SanDisk Ultra SDHC 8GB 20MB/s card prove otherwise. It can't even beat my Toshiba 8GB SDHC Class 4 card in ANY aspect during testing. I first noticed that it wasn't performing up to standard when I loaded it into my camera and fired off using drive mode. I formated both cards using my Canon 450D to give them an even start. I then noticed, that within the same 10 secs, both could only take the same 13 RAW pictures, in bursts of 2 for 2 bursts, followed by single shots for the remaining 9 shots. So there wasn't any noticable difference at all. That's when I decided to plug it into my PC to give it a test.

I tested both cards 3 times with 3 different methods. First was a simple big file transfer test. I sent a 350MB movie file to my SD cards. I have TerraCopy installed in my computer, so it can tell me the transfer speed. The SanDisk Ultra gave a write speed of around 7.5 MB/s, while the Toshiba was doing 10.5 MB/s. That was definitely fishy to begin with. Copying back into my com, both cards performed the same, of around 18.5 MB/s. Since this test was not really very rigourous, I scoured the internet for testing software and found "H2testw", which I tested both cards with.

This is the test for the SanDisk Ultra SDHC 8GB Class 6 20MB/s card:
H2testwSanDiskUltra.jpg


And this is the test for the Toshiba 8GB SDHC Class 4 Card:
H2testwToshiba.jpg

The results show that the SD Ultra card returned write speeds of only 7.5 MB/s, and read speed of 18.4 MB/s, whereas my Toshiba 8GB SDHC Class 4 card returned a write speed of 10.6 MB/s and a read speed of 18.5 MB/s.

After emailing SanDisk, they asked me to use the ATTO software to test their cards, which I did. However, before I could test the cards, when I inserted the SanDisk Ultra card into my card reader in my computer, an alert popped up telling me the card was not formatted. This is rather suspicious. I did not do anything to the card between testing, and I ejected both cards using the usual "safely remove hardware" thing present on Windows XP. Yet, the card has malfunctioned. I had no such problem with my Toshiba 8GB SDHC card however.

This is the test for the SanDisk Ultra SDHC 8GB Class 6 20MB/s card:
ATTOSanDiskUltra.jpg


And this is the test for the Toshiba 8GB SDHC Class 4 Card:
ATTOToshiba.jpg


Again, the SD Ultra card returned write speeds of up to only 8.6 MB/s and read speeds of up to 19.8 MB/s, while the Toshiba 8GB Class 4 card returned a write speed of up to 9.8 MB/s and read speeds of up to 20.1 MB/s.

What is going on here? After emailing my results to SanDisk, it has now been 4 days, and no reply from them. I'm not sure if I can take these cards down to Vector Magnetics or T K Foto to demand a change (of the other two unopened packages) or a refund, because it has no Vector Magnetics Seal, but yet T K Foto IS an authorised dealer as stated on the Vector Magnetics website.

In case you're thinking that the card is working fine, when I emailed SanDisk the first time round, they said "SanDisk Ultra® SDHC cards, which are currently rated for 15MB/s read and 9MB/s write speeds, are recommended for high-megapixel, high-end digital point-and-shoot cameras. ", which is the 15MB/s version. That would follow that the 20MB/s version would have higher speeds, but there's no difference in the write speed, and it's also losing out to my class 4 card.

Anyone can contribute from their experience whether these cards are supposed to perform so slowly?
 

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I don't think the cards I purchased are fake, but here are the pictures of them:
SanDiskUltraPackage.jpg

SanDiskUltraPicture.jpg

SanDiskUltraPictureBack.jpg
 

To be honest, I don't think you have a case here.

The memory card is working properly, unless you tell it can only take 2 - 3 raw shots per burst shot then yes something is wrong with the card.

Different card brands will yield different results for each class.

For example, normal kingston class 6 SD card is slower than nomal sandisk class 6 SD card. Hope you get what I meant
 

One more thing,

the speed stated on packaging is always "exaggerated", it will never reach the stated speed.

Just like our home broadband, local telcos will always use "up to blah blah blah", but in reality it will never reach the stated bandwidth.
 

I understand that, but when SanDisk replied ""SanDisk Ultra® SDHC cards, which are currently rated for 15MB/s read and 9MB/s write speeds, are recommended for high-megapixel, high-end digital point-and-shoot cameras.", I had much higher hopes for the 20MB/s cards. Surely, the speeds that they stated in their email can't be exaggerated.
 

From what i see it is just a standard template reply used by the CSO. Or he/she just copy and paste from the specification of the card from their website.
 

The cards are working perfectly up to spec, I dont think you have a case for RMA.

It's just that your toshiba is overperforming, not that the sandisk is underperforming...
 

Wow... really? The Toshiba is more than 1 year old. And my Kingston Class 4 shows roughly the same advantage over the SanDisk too. It's ALSO at least a year old by now. But anyway, I did a live chat with SanDisk, and they said they'll try to verify whether the card's real, from their RMA department. The serial number that you see on the back of the card (in that picture) is the same for all 3 cards! I think that's quite a big red-flag to me. I can't find any other serial numbers around. I'll continue to update this thread I guess.... Might be interesting to other members too.
 

Serial numbers on the back of the cards should not be the same. Why don't you make a trip down to vector magnetics and verify?
 

There should be a 'Vector' sticker pasted in front of the box/package. At least it appears in all the sd cards (ultra and extreme) I purchase, as well as thumbdrive.
 

From me to Vector Magnetics:
Subject: SanDisk Ultra cards without Vector Magnetics Seal

Hi,

I recently bought from T K Foto Technic 3x SanDisk SDHC 8GB Class 6 20MB/s
cards, but they were without the Vector Magnetics Seal.
According to the Vector Magnetics website, T K Foto Technic Pte Ltd is an
authorised dealer appointed by Vector Magnetics, but these cards here have
no seal. Are they still covered by you?

I have attached a picture of the packaging of these cards in the email.


Thank You,

And they replied first thing the next morning:
Hello,

Just now I've checked if TK Foto bought some SDHC cards from us, and
apparently yes, so what I suggest you is to keep the receipt of TK Foto so
that you will still avail of the warranty. And also the packaging even
without the warranty sticker so that we would know the batch number of the
item. Hope this helps.

Sincerely Yours,

Seems like it's covered, and if it's not, at least I can take it to T K Foto and demand a refund for fake cards, and raise it up to CASE if they refuse. I still got the receipts and original packaging.
 

There should be a 'Vector' sticker pasted in front of the box/package. At least it appears in all the sd cards (ultra and extreme) I purchase, as well as thumbdrive.

Actually, not all their products come with the sticker. I have bought some before without the sticker and turned out to be from Vector Magnetics. I usually buy my Sandisk cards from Mustafa.. they are the only shop open 24 hours... LOL.
 

And thanks Oberon, for the links! It is useful, but because the product I've been sold is slightly different (they don't list this particular product on the SanDisk website itself, but Vector Magnetics lists it instead), it doesn't really apply here. Although it does get me more and more suspicious because the serial numbers are the same, and there's no hologram sticker on the package, neither is there a Vector Magentics seal. But Vector Magnetics seem to have told me that they will cover the warranty. I'll just have to wait for the RMA department of SanDisk to return correspondance on whether the card is genuine or not.
 

For SDHC/SDXC

The marketing practise that most all manufacturer/brands used or quote:
The Class 4, 6 or 10 (on memory card): means guaranteed at least you will get the minimum write speed of 4MB/s. 6MB/s, 10MB/s for this memory device.
While the speed stated in the box/package usually refers to read speed, and always up to that speed that can be achieved.
Normally, you shall able to reach near/close to the up to maximum stated read speed based on similar to manufacturer testing.

But NOT for write speed: stated between "minimum write speed stated" to "up to the maximum write speed stated".
In real practise, near/close to maximum write speed stated cannot be achieved by end user.
Normally, you get far from the maximum stated write speed due to many factors.




FYI:
#SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC/SDXC UHS-1 [Up to Read]:95MB/s [Up to Write]:90MB/s Class10
#SanDisk Extreme SDHC 30MB/s [Up to Read/Write] Class10 {Any Error: Rated for 30MB/s read and ??MB/s write speeds}
#SanDisk Ultra SDHC 20MB/s [Up to Read/Write] Class4 or Class6?? {Error_refer to quote below: Rated for 20MB/s read and 9MB/s write speeds??}
#SanDisk Ultra MS PRO-HG Duo [up to 30MB/s Read/Write speeds]
#Sony Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo [Read up to]:50MB/s [min Write of]:15MB/s




if using best USB2.0 reader in market: you may able to transfer up to 20MB/s to 33MB/s and also depends on memory card speed, etc
but
if using USB3.0 reader + USB3.0 cable to USB3.0 on computer: the transfer speed can up to 500MB/s and also depends on memory card speed, etc

===============
Note: For local warranty purchase, look for a 'Vector' sticker pasted in front of the box/package. Keep the box/package & receipt; just in case.


In case you're thinking that the card is working fine, when I emailed SanDisk the first time round, they said "SanDisk Ultra® SDHC cards, which are currently rated for 15MB/s read and 9MB/s write speeds, are recommended for high-megapixel, high-end digital point-and-shoot cameras. ", which is the 15MB/s version. That would follow that the 20MB/s version would have higher speeds, but there's no difference in the write speed, and it's .....
 

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And thanks Oberon, for the links! It is useful, but because the product I've been sold is slightly different (they don't list this particular product on the SanDisk website itself, but Vector Magnetics lists it instead), it doesn't really apply here. Although it does get me more and more suspicious because the serial numbers are the same, and there's no hologram sticker on the package, neither is there a Vector Magentics seal. But Vector Magnetics seem to have told me that they will cover the warranty. I'll just have to wait for the RMA department of SanDisk to return correspondance on whether the card is genuine or not.

Vector Mag did not promise warranty coverage for the cards you bought. They say that it is wise to keep the receipts and packaging just in case. If you bring the cards in, and they turn out to be parallel imports or fakes, they will still not honor the warranty. The best thing you should do now, is to either go to Vector Magnetic and let them verify the cards, or go back to TK and ask them why the serial numbers are all the same.

Going on and on here will not help you any more. You need to take action to verify the cards, or make a decision to live with them.
 

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TS, did you test the other 2 sandisk card you bought? did all 3 memory have the same result?
 

Yea, I decided to open up he other 2 cards. Both are giving the same result more or less. One of them had a reading speed of 20.1 MB/s though. But both of them had slower writing speeds. SanDisk still hasn't replied. They're awfully slow.
 

Yea, I decided to open up he other 2 cards. Both are giving the same result more or less. One of them had a reading speed of 20.1 MB/s though. But both of them had slower writing speeds. SanDisk still hasn't replied. They're awfully slow.

What you should have done is to just take all 3 cards, and walk into the authorized sole agent, Vector Mag. The mystery will be solved right away. That is what local agents are for. Going around the globe and emailing corporate HQ will only get you into the general support system... You will not get immediate answers, and will be slowly passed around the chain from 1 level support and slowly go up.

Want to know fast, don't be lazy, just take a trip into Vector and find out right there and then. Drag this too long, your chance for a refund etc, might get lower and lower. Whack the metal while it is hot dude. Don't know why you want to stay behind the keyboard to try to solve problems and make it so long and drama, while you can end nicely it in one or two days.

And where is Vector Magnetics located? At Middle Road. One office at Fortune Centre, and the other across the street at Prime Centre. If you found out the cards are fake and want to return them, all you need to do is to travel to Funan, which is 2 bus stops away. You can even walk.
 

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BTW, Just read that the numbers at the back of Sandisk Memory Cards are NOT serial numbers. They are Batch Numbers... meaning all the cards from the same batch will bear the same number.

So it is perfectly possible that 3 cards bought at the same time will bear the same batch number.

Also with regards to speed testing on computers, I read that many things that can affect the actual speed. This includes, USB connection type (USB1, 2 or 3), if you computer is multitasking and doing some other I/O activity, and anti-virus programs, the card reader used, the size of the data blocks being written, the way it is formatted, etc... all have a bearing on how the read or write speeds returned in a test.

And knowing for a fact that some genuine products from Vector Magnetics are distributed without stickers sometimes, it seems most likely your cards are Genuine. But I still encourage you to take a trip down to Vector Magnetics to verify. And usually fake cards perform way way way below stated speeds, because the chips used are really far apart... as that is the only way the profit gain can justify the risk taken. By making fake class 6 cards with class 4 chips, the profit gained will be minimal, and will not be worth it for counterfeiters to take the risk. And seriously, you are getting very good read speeds from the cards, indicating that they are real cards.
 

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