Introduction
Sabrent is a USA based consumer electronics and accessories manufacturer founded in 1998. The company is committed is to offer the latest technology and the highest quality consumer electronic products at an affordable cost to all users. The product range offered by Sabrent includes M.2 type memory and storage items, USB hubs, chargers, cables, camera accessories among other types of products.
Official product link:
http://sabrent.com/products/cr-sdx7
Packaging and accessories
The Sabrent USB 3.2 Type-C and Type-A to SD Express 7.1 Card Reader is packaged in a large and thin cardboard box. The front part has a profile photo of the card reader next to the Sabrent name and logo.
The backside of the box has the technical specifications of the card reader. The left side has the main features of the product in multiple languages.
The card reader and its accessories are protected by a high density foam tray. The card reader is covered by a soft bag while the two included cables are individually packaged into plastic bags.
Accessories
The product comes with the following accessories:
– 1x Manual;
– 1x USB Type-C to Type-C cable.
– 1x USB Type-C to Type-A cable.
Specifications
Series: CR
Model: CR-SDX7
Color: Black
Dimensions (W x D x H): 45.7 x 63.5 x 14.9 mm
Compatibility: SDXC, SD
Ports: USB 3.2 Gen 2, SD Express
Warranty: 1 Year without registration, 2 years with registration.
Features:
– Fully compatible with the SD Express 7.1 specification.
– Backward compatible with standard SD cards at up to 104MBps.
– Aluminum construction for enhanced durability and reliability.
– USB 3.2 Type-C female port.
– Works with Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, and smartphone OS with available OTG functionality.
– Supports PCIe and NVMe features, such as power and thermal management, when applicable.
Visual inspection
The Sabrent USB 3.2 Type-C and Type-A to SD Express 7.1 is a simple card reader that is designed to work with the newer SD Express memory cards. These new cards offer a higher speed and a higher storage capacity.
The Sabrent card reader has a small footprint, with a length of just 63.4mm and a width of just 45.7mm. The small casing of the card reader makes it ideal for travel photography.
The design of the CR-SDX7 card reader is simple, with an all-black metal case and the Sabrent logo and name painted on the front part.
The card reader has only two ports, a single USB USB 3.2 Gen and a single SD Express slot. It is good to know that the SD Express slot is backwards compatible with regular SD cards.
The underside of the CR-SDX7 card reader has the part number and two rubber strips. The beforementioned rubber strips will prevent the card reader from slipping on most surfaces.
Removing the underside metal plate is done with ease, as it is held in place by two Phillips screws which are hidden behind a rubber strip.
The main component of the card reader is the Realtek RTL9211DS chip, this is a USB to SD Express interface. It is widely used on SD card readers as it has a proven record for reliability and performance.
The controller of the card reader is also made by Realtek, and is the model: RTS5261. This SD Express controller is capable of speeds upwards of 1GB/s and supports storage capacities of up to 128TB.
Testing
The following system was used to test the card reader:
– Processor: Intel i9 9900K @ 5GHz
– Motherboard: ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X
– RAM: Neo Forza Faye DDR4 64GB 3600MHz
– GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Suprim X
– SSD: Crucial P2 500GB
– Mass Storage: Neo Forza NFP075 2TB
– CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Master Liquid 240
– PSU: Seasonic Prime TX-1000 Platinum
– Case: be quiet! Silent Base 802 White
The card reader maxes out the Sabrent V90 SD Express card. The software used for testing the card reader is CrystalDiskMark 8.
CrystalDiskMark 8 – Read
CrystalDiskMark 8 – Write
Final thoughts
The Sabrent USB 3.2 Type-C and Type-A to SD Express 7.1 Card Reader is priced at 57 USD. For this price, you get a good performance and good build quality. The internal components are of good quality and it’s the same deal when we look at the quality of the PCB.
The all-metal casing of this card reader is an added bonus, especially when a lot of card readers and adapters are made from cheap plastic.
The performance is good as the card reader will connect through a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port to a native USB type-C port on your PC or notebook. Speaking of connectivity, you can use this card reader on your smartphone, as long as your phone has a USB Type-C port.
The Sabrent USB 3.2 Type-C and Type-A to SD Express 7.1 Card Reader is on part with many Sabrent high end products, from a quality and performance standpoint.
When we talk about the included accessories, you don’t get that much, only two cables. However, this is a good thing as I’d rather pay for a product to be good and deliver the promised performance, than to have more cables included.
The card reader is backwards compatible as well, thus you can use regular SD cards with it and it can be used with any USB type-C cable you want. In addition, a good thing with this card reader is its size, it’s small and will fit with ease in a camera bag next to the SD cards you are using.
In conclusion, the Sabrent CR-SDX7 card reader is a great choice, not only because of its performance but because of the way it’s built and its small footprint. The build quality is great starting with the metal case and the PCB inside which has high quality components.
