OWC Atlas Ultra CFexpress 2.0 Type B Card Tested

OWC’s flagship CFexpress Type B card lineup, Atlas Ultra, contains a pair of CFexpress 2.0 cards (325GB and 650GB) with claimed maximum read speeds of up to 1700MB/s and write speeds of 1500MB/s. However, maximum speeds don’t tell the whole story, and OWC also claims a high average sustained write speed of 1300MB/s. If these numbers are accurate, it would make it one of the market’s highest-performing 2.0 Type B cards, so I was keen to test it out.

In this review, having used the card in my Nikon Z8 and Z6 III for some weeks, I’ll run the card through my usual battery of speed tests and compare it to other top-performing CFexpress 2.0 Type B cards from companies like ProGrade Digital, Lexar, and Sony. Then we’ll discuss the elephant in the room: should you even bother buying a CFexpress 2.0 card when newer CFexpress 4.0 cards are already on the market?

Disclaimer: OWC provided the Atlas Ultra CFexpress Type B for testing. No money changed hands, and they were not allowed to see the content before it was published.

OWC Atlas Ultra CFexpress 2.0 Type B Specifications

The current (2024) OWC Atlas Utra Range consists of two CFexpress 2.0 cards with 325GB and 650GB capacities and two CFexpress 4.0 cards with 1TB and 2TB capacities. The newer, faster, larger-capacity CFexpress 4.0 are reviewed separately. This review concentrates on the Atlas Ultra CFexpress 2.0 cards.

• Memory Card Specification – CFexpress 2.0
• Memory Card Type – CFexpress Type B
• Capacity – 325GB or 650GB
• Sequential Read (Max) – Up to 1700 MB/s
• Sequential Write (Max) – Up to 1500 MB/s
• Sequential Write (Average) – 1300MB/s
• Dimensions
  • Height – 0.2 cm (0.1 in)
  • Length – 3.2 cm (1.3 in)
  • Width – 2.4 cm (0.9 in)
• Country of Origin – Taiwan
• TAA Compliance – Yes
• Ambient Temperature
  • Operating: 14°F to 185°F (-10°C to 85°C)
  • Non-Operating: -4°F to 185°F (-20°C to 85°C)
• Price – $289 (325GB) or $449 (650GB) at review time. Check current pricing*discounts available*.
  

Atlas Ultra CFexpress 2.0 Speed Tests

Speed testing was performed using the OWC Atlas CFexpress USB4 card reader. I performed my usual selection of speed tests using AJA and Blackmagic’s speed testing tools at various file sizes to test maximum and sustained read and write speeds. If you click the images, you can get a closer view of the read and write speed graphs for the duration of each test. For reference, OWC claims this card’s maximum read speed is 1700MB/s, and the maximum write speed is 1500MB/s. Sustained write speed is claimed to be 1300MB/s. Let’s see how close we get.

Test Result Discussion – Good or Bad?

In the AJA small file test, the card far exceeded OWC’s quoted maximum read and write speeds. That’s always a good start. Write speeds slightly dip but stabilize just above 1300MB/s, where the average sustained write speed is claimed. There is some write speed fluctuation, but it doesn’t dip too low, and even though this card isn’t VPG400-rated, there shouldn’t be any issues with dropped frames during 4K or even 8K recordings. These are fantastic speeds for a CFexpress Type B 2.0 card.

Compared to Other Brands

I’m including a few other popular card test scores below for comparison. Although the Sony TOUGH G card is popular, it is far slower than it has any right to be at the prices Sony charges for it. The Lexar Diamond and ProGrade Digital Cobalt cards are both on top of their respective CFexpress 2.0 lines and deliver exceptional performance, albeit in slightly different ways.

The Lexar Diamond has the highest read speeds on a 2.0 card but delivers slightly less write speed performance. The ProGrade Cobalt has always been, in my eyes, the gold standard for CFexpress 2.0 cards because it strikes a great balance between read and write speed while delivering the highest write speeds of any CFexpress 2.0 card I have tested. Looking at the OWC Atlas Ultra results, we can see it slots neatly amongst the Lexar and ProGrade cards. Read speed is slightly faster than the ProGrade, but write speed is slightly slower.

From a pure performance perspective, I’d be hard-pressed to recommend a winner between the OWC Atlas Ultra, ProGrade Digital Cobalt, and Lexar Diamond in the battle for the best CFexpress 2.0 Type B card. If you consider price, the OWC Atlas Ultra CFexpress 2.0 cards offer better dollar-per-gigabyte ratios by a wide enough margin to probably make most people’s decisions for them.

Should You Still Be Buying CFexpress 2.0 Cards?

The remaining question will be whether it’s worthwhile buying a CFexpress 2.0 card when faster CFexpress 4.0 cards are on the market. Sticking with the 4GB file test as a comparative example, the new OWC Atlas Ultra 4.0 card delivered sustained write speeds of 1500MB/s and read speeds of 3000MB/s in my review. This isn’t a huge change in write speed from a top-shelf 2.0 card, but the twice-as-fast read speeds on a 4.0 card help you to download your cards in a much shorter time at the end of a shoot.

CFexpress Type B 2.0 Alternatives

As card manufacturers transition to producing CFexpress Type B cards with the newer, faster 4.0 standard, the question remains as to whether you should bother buying a CFexpress 2.0 card at this time. At review time, no cameras support CFexpress 4.0 card speeds. However, the cards will work fine with a CFexpress 2.0 camera, and they offer significant workflow advantages when paired with a compatible CFexpress 4.0 card reader like the OWC Atlas USB4 reader.

On the other hand, high-grade CFexpress 2.0 Type B cards like the Atlas Ultra offer similar sustained write performance to CFexpress 4.0 cards. The 2.0 Atlas Ultra has a sustained write of 1300MB/s, while the 4.0 is slightly faster at 1500MB/s—moreover, many of the older CFexpress 2.0 cards can now be had at huge discounts compared to their launch prices. For this reason, I’m including some alternative options for both CFexpress Type B 2.0 and 4.0 in the attached tables.

CFexpress 2.0 Type B

Due to the wave of newer CFexpress 4.0 cards, almost every 2.0 card on this list is currently discounted. The real price is likely much less than is shown in the chart.

CFexpress 4.0 Type B