Testing (continued):

Real World Testing:

To test the two CompactFlash cards in a real world setting I created a folder which contained 500MB of photos. These files were initially stored on a 500GB Seagate 7200.10 SATA 3Gbps hard drive for write tests to the CompactFlash cards, and were the final location for the files after the read tests. A stop watch was used to measure the time it took to transfer the files, and and the system was rebooted between each test.


The graph above confirms what the benchmarks showed, that the ATP Electronics ProMax II UDMA CompactFlash card is much faster when using the ProMax UDMA card reader than a typical USB 2.0 card reader.

Conclusion:

If you happen to have a device that needs a CompactFlash card, there is no reason not to look at the ATP Electronics ProMax II line. Transferring large amounts of data is best done at high speed, and a UDMA capable card provides the best transfer rates you are going to get at this time . If you do get a ProMax II CompactFlash card, be sure to pick up the ATP Electronics ProMax UDMA card reader.


A search of PriceGrabber did not find the ATP Electronics ProMax II CompactFlash card at any retailers. A 4GB PNY 266X UDMA CompactFlash card sells for approximately $80, while a Lexar 8GB 300X UDMA card sells for approximately $159.99. Searching the Internet shows that some lesser known outlets have this 4GB ATP Electronics card for just under $100 (US). If the ProMax II 4GB CompactFlash card was more widely available for between $75 and $100, it would be worth the money when considering the time you would save when transferring 4GB of data.

Given the impressive performance when used in conjunction with the ProMax UDMA card reader, the ATP Electronics ProMax II CompactFlash card earns the award of "Recommended".


Pros:

» Fast transfer rates when used with UDMA capable devices
» Several sizes available
» UDMA capable multi-format flash card reader available

Cons:

» Availability

Special thanks to ATP Electronics for providing the ATP Electronics ProMax II CompactFlash Card to Bigbruin.com for review!