Lexar Gold CFExpress Type-B Memory Card Review

The Lexar Gold Professional CFexpress Type-B cards are Lexar’s mid-tier offering, crafted to tackle challenging requirements with ease. With great read and write speeds, they are perfectly suited for handling high-resolution content and delivering reliable and fluid performance.

Key Features:

The Lexar Gold Professional CFexpress Type-B cards come in two capacity ranges, each with distinct specifications that primarily influence read and sustained write speeds. However, these differences are minimal when it comes to practical, everyday usage.

Note For Videographers: Some cameras like the Nikon Z8 and Z9 do a handshake with the cards when first initialized and they can limit the maximum bitrate recorded with ProRes or NRAW as a safety precaution. However, I do not see any video bitrate throttling with the Lexar Gold Cards. You will get the full 722MB/s when recording to NRAW with these cards.

The Rated Specs

The Lexar Gold Professional cards are available in two specification ranges. The 128GB to 512GB cards feature a read speed of 1750 MB/s and a sustained write speed of 1000 MB/s. Meanwhile, the larger 1TB to 2TB cards offer a read speed of 1900 MB/s and a sustained write speed of 1300 MB/s. However, in practical terms, these variations in speed do not significantly impact the in-camera performance with modern cameras.

Benchmarks – USB-C Speed Tests

I use the AJA System Test to emulate various video codecs, but currently use 16-bit RGBA. My testing involves 4GB files to capture peak performance scores, reflecting the common buffer size of many of today’s cameras. To accurately measure sustained speed, I perform several continuous tests with 64GB files, noting the minimum speed achieved.

These evaluations are conducted using the Lexar USB 3.2 2×2 CFExpress Type-B reader. Below are the results.

Card Tested	Write Speed	Read Speed	Sustain Speeds
Lexar Gold CFeB 128GB	1410 MB/s	1525 MB/s	1382 MB/s
Lexar Gold CFeB 2TB	1642 MB/s	1695 MB/s	1582 MB/s

Compare to other CFepxress Type-B memory cards.

Sustained Disk Writes

The Lexar Gold does not have the VGP-400 rating like the Lexar Diamond CFexpress Type-B card does, meaning it lacks the certification to guarantee a minimum sustained speed of 400MB/s. However, when testing the card, performance is very stable and I am able to continuously record NRAW 8k60p at 722MB/s to both capacity sets.

Lexar Gold 128GB Sustained Disk Writes

Using the AJA System Test, we can see the 128GB card has an average write speed of around 1400MB/s with a peak of around 1600MB/s and a low of around 1100MB/s.

Lexar Gold 2TB Sustained Disk Writes

With the 2TB card, we can see a bouncing performance from 1000MB/s to 1700MB/s. With the consistency, it would seem there is a fast buffer that fills and then dumps.

Compatibility:

The Lexar Gold cards, ranging from 128GB to 2TB, offer remarkable performance at their price point. They nearly match the speed and capabilities of the higher-tier Lexar Diamond series, with the only notable exceptions being the absence of VGP-400 certification and XQD backward compatibility—features that many photographers and videographers may find non-essential.

Durability:

Lexar Gold CFexpress memory cards feature a durable construction that offers enhanced resistance to the elements. This includes protection from extreme temperatures, shocks, and vibrations. With operating temperature ratings that are superior to many competing CFexpress Type-B cards, Lexar Gold Professional cards are an excellent choice for photographers who frequently work in harsh conditions.

Operating Temperature: 14 to 158°F / -10 to 70°C

Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty.

Conclusion:

Lexar Gold CFexpress Type B cards are an excellent choice for photographers seeking reliable midrange memory solutions. They offer superb value and are well-suited for daily use, ensuring consistent performance for both photography and videography.