ProGrade Digital Gold CFexpress Type A Cards Tested

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ProGrade Digital’s CFexpress 2.0 Gold Series Type A memory cards have a claimed maximum read speed of 900MB/s, a maximum write speed of 800MB/s, and a sustained write speed of 600MB/s. I tested the 480GB version of this card for months in my Sony a9 III, Sony a1, and, most recently, in my Sony a1 II to see how it performed and compared to ProGrade’s older Cobalt Series Type A card. If the claimed specifications ring true after my test procedures, these new Gold Series cards could offer Cobalt Series performance or better, at Gold Series pricing and in capacity up to 960GB, far exceeding the 160GB maximum of the old Cobalt series. Let’s find out.

ProGrade Digital’s memory cards are delivered in recycled cardboard packaging—top marks for not including what effectively amounts to a single-use plastic card case.

Disclaimer: ProGrade Digital provided the Gold series CFexpress Type A card for testing. No money changed hands, and they were not allowed to see the content before it was published. The ProGrade Type A card reader used for testing was purchased through regular retail channels at full price.

ProGrade Digital Gold Type A CFexpress 2.0 Specifications

The ProGrade Digital Gold Series CFexpress Type A 2.0 cards are available in capacities up to 960GB.
  • Card TypeCFexpress Type A
  • Card Specification – CFexpress 2.0
  • Model # – PGCFXA120GEBH / PGCFXA240GEBH / PGCFXA480GEBH / PGCFXA960GEBH
  • Capacity – 120GB / 240GB / 480GB / 960GB
  • Max Read Speed – 900 MB/s
  • Max Write Speed – 800 MB/s
  • Sustained Write Speed – 600 MB/s
  • Min Write Speed – 200 MB/s
  • VPG Rating – 200
  • Protection – Shock / Vibration / X-Ray Proof
  • Operating Temperature – -12°C to 72°C (10 to 162°F)
  • Storage Temperature – -20°C to 85°C (-4 to 185°F)
  • Features – Laser-Etched Serial Numbers and Refresh Pro ready
  • Warranty – 3-years
  • Price at review time – $129.99 / $199.99 / $299.99 / $439.99 (Check current price)

ProGrade Gold Type A 2.0 Speed Tests

This card’s speed testing was performed using the ProGrade Digital Type A USB4 card reader. Note that if you use a USB 3.2 reader, your card speeds will be slower, and your download times will be longer. I have written about how CFexpress 2.0 cards can still benefit from being used in a CFexpress 4.0 reader. For reference, ProGrade Digital says these cards should reach 900MB/s in maximum read speeds and 800MB/s in maximum write speeds. The write speed shouldn’t drop below 200MB/s in more extended large file writes and should stay around 600MB/s.

Result Discussion – Good or Bad?

Maximum read and write speed results far exceed what ProGrade Digital claims you can achieve. In fact, they exceeded the maximum and read and write results of the old ProGrade Cobalt Type A card that used to sit at the top of the brand’s Type A lineup. That’s great news because the Gold Series cards are much cheaper than the old Cobalt cards were, and they are available in capacities up to 960GB, whereas Cobalt used to top out at just 160 GB. It’s great to see that while CFexpress 4.0 is taking much of the limelight, improvements have still been made to CFexpress 2.0 technology, allowing for improved performance at a lower cost.

Sustained write speeds were a big focus of my attention. ProGrade Claimed 600MB/s was possible, and I certainly saw this achieved up to the 4GB test. Beyond that, the graphs demonstrate some expected thermal throttling effects, though they seem better controlled than the ProGrade Cobalt cards with less variation in test results. Importantly, I’m unaware of any camera with a buffer as big as 4GB, so the test results are likely closer to real-world buffer clearance results. Still, even in the 64GB test, over 600MB/s was achieved in some tests, and when it did dip below that threshold, it was by less than 3%

These are excellent results, and extremely steady sustained read speeds mean this card will also perform well during image offloading. Here, it thoroughly trounced the old top-of-the-line Cobalt card, underlining its position as ProGrade’s best CFexpress Type A 2.0 card despite the Gold Series branding. Essentially, this is Cobalt performance, or better, at Gold pricing.

What Does Sustained Write Speed Do for You?

Sustained write speed is critical because it helps to clear your camera’s buffer. When you shoot a burst of images, these are initially stored in the camera’s on-board memory–the buffer. From there, the camera hands them off to the memory card. Using a card with a low sustained write speed will take longer the buffer offloading. To demonstrate, I timed how long it took to clear a full buffer on a Sony a9 III using various CFexpress Type A 2.0 cards. As you can see, the ProGrade Gold Type A 2.0 card was a clear winner, even amongst cards supposedly from a brand’s higher tiers.

CFexpress CardTime to Clear Buffer
ProGrade Digital Cobalt VPG400 (review)5.10 Seconds
Sony TOUGH G VPG4005.27 Seconds
ProGrade Digital Gold VPG200 – Winner4.95 seconds
Sony TOUGH M VPG20010.21 Seconds
Delkin BLACK VPG400 (review)5.27 seconds

CFexpress 2.0 Vs. 4.0

The ProGrade Digital Gold CFexpress Type A card tested in this review uses the CFexpress 2.0 specification. As the CFexpress card standard continues to evolve, so do the specification and maximum performance attributes. CFexpress 4.0 cards superseded 2.0 cards in 2024. At review time, no cameras support the 4.0 standard. However, photographers and filmmakers can use CFexpress 4.0’s speed by pairing a 4.0 card with a 4.0 card reader–including ProGrade’s own USB4 CFexpress 4.0 reader– resulting in much faster file ingests at the end of a day of shooting.

That said, this ProGrade Gold card is one of the fastest 2.0 cards on the market, outperforming the older ProGrade Cobalt Type A 2.0 card. In some situations, it may still deliver higher in-camera performance than a low-grade CFexpress 4.0 card. In particular, I am highly impressed by these Gold Series cards’ high sustained write speed. A high sustained write speed helps to clear a camera’s buffer quickly. Some may find that performance benefits in this area may outweigh the benefits of using a more expensive CFexpress Type A 4.0 card purely for speeding up card offloading at the end of a shoot. As it always has been, choosing the right memory card for your needs means finding the right balance of features and price.

Another often-overlooked point is the huge speeds achievable during downloads of a CFexpress 4.0 card are quickly bottlenecked if you’re downloading them onto an SSD that’s incapable of a sustained write speed matching or exceeding the sustained read speed of the card. Many people’s SSDs top out at 800-900MB/s over USB 3.2, making the 1800MB/s download speeds of a 4.0 card entirely moot. You can’t take advantage of CFexpress 4.0 unless you have a 4.0 reader with USB4 or Thunderbolt 4/5 and a USB4/Thunderbolt 4 or 5 SSD.

Alternative CFexpress Type A Options

Compare the ProGrade Digital Gold Series CFexpress 2.0 Type A card to my other recommended card options in 2025.

CFexpress Type A 2.0

Card ModelPrice*Max ReadMax WriteSus WriteVPG Rating
ProGrade Digital Gold CFexpress 2.0 Type A 120/240/480/960GB (review)$130-$440900 MB/s800 MB/s600 MB/s200
Delkin BLACK CFexpress 2.0 Type A 160GB (review)$269.00880 MB/s790 MB/sUnspecified400
* MSRPs correct at review time. However, memory cards are often available at discounted prices. Always check current pricing before making any cost-based buying decision.

CFexpress Type A 4.0

Card ModelPrice*Max ReadMax WriteSus WriteVPG Rating
OWC Atlas Pro CFexpress 4.0 Type A 240GB (review)$1991850 MB/s1700 MB/s400 MB/s200
OWC Atlas Pro CFexpress 4.0 Type A 480GB (review)$319.991850 MB/s1700 MB/s400 MB/s200
OWC Atlas Pro CFexpress 4.0 Type A 960GB (review)$519.991850 MB/s1700 MB/s400 MB/s200
ProGrade Digital CFexpress 4.0 Type A Iridium 480GB (review)$389.991800 MB/s1700 MB/s800 MB/s200
ProGrade Digital CFexpress 4.0 Type A Iridium 960GB$599.991800 MB/s1700 MB/s1450 MB/s200
Exascend Essential Pro 4.0 CFexpress Type A 256GB$279.001800 MB/s1650 MB/s850 MB/s400
Exascend Essential Pro 4.0 CFexpress Type A 512GB$379.001800 MB/s1650 MB/s850 MB/s400
Exascend Essential Pro 4.0 CFexpress Type A 1TB$699.001800 MB/s1650 MB/s1650 MB/s400
Wise Advanced CFexpress 4.0 Type A 256GB$219.991865 MB/s1750 MB/sUnspecified400
Wise Advanced CFexpress 4.0 Type A 512GB$359.991865 MB/s1750 MB/sUnspecified400
Wise Advanced CFexpress 4.0 Type A 1TB$549.991865 MB/s1750 MB/sUnspecified400
* MSRPs correct at review time. However, memory cards are often available at discounted prices. Always check current pricing before making any cost-based buying decision.

Conclusion

Memory card manufacturers often concentrate their marketing on maximum read and write speeds because the numbers look more impressive to ill-informed consumers. In reality, sustained performance metrics usually make more of a difference in the real world. In an industry where theoretically faster CFexpress 4.0 cards are becoming the new normal, ProGrade Digital created the well-priced Gold Series Type A 2.0 cards with one thing in mind: to deliver a high sustained write speed for a price that is lower than its Iridium CFexpress Type A 4.0 cards. In this mission, they succeeded.

The ProGrade Digital Type A 2.0 cards deliver exceptional sustained write speeds that help to clear a camera’s buffer faster than any other Type A 2.0 card I have ever tested, returning you to full-speed shooting before comparable Type A cards. Available in capacities up to 960GB, this card is a fantastic choice for sports and wildlife shooters using capacity-hungry high burst rate cameras like the Sony a9 III, a1 II, or a1. For most, the only question remaining is whether it’s worth spending a little more to take advantage of the increased offloading speed of a CFexpress 4.0 card like ProGrade’s Iridium series.

Where to Buy

As always, using our links is appreciated when making your purchases. Canadian readers should choose to buy from B&H Photo. You’ll get free shipping and pay the duties upfront, so there are no surprises.

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Professional photographer based in Yukon, Canada, and founder of Shutter Muse. His editorial work has been featured in publications all over the world, and his commercial clients include brands such as Nike, Apple, Adobe and Red Bull.

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