Patriot Memory IRIS 32GB SDHC Class 6 Card Review
By: Michael Phrakaysone
Looking back at how far memory technology has advanced over the years, it's been so interesting to see and to experience all the innovations that have been made in regards to portable memory. I can remember using the 5.25" and 3.5" floppy disk drive like it was yesterday; those things were terribly slow. And I remember the very first USB flash memory drives as we know it today back in its infancy, those were game changers and changed the way data was transferred around. Not to mention the release of digital cameras utilizing SD and SDHC cards, there are many memory solutions to choose from.
USB flash memory drives were new and had their fair share of troubles such as premature deaths and being large in physical size, however it seems we are at the pinnacle of portable memory. USB drives are as small as the USB connector themselves, they are speedy, the capacity is at its peak, and the ability to have 128GB of space around your neck the size the size of a pack of gum is literally amazing.
The same goes for SD and now Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) memory cards. With the introduction of digital cameras, pocket camcorders and DSLR's that have the ability to record in 720p or 1080p lines of resolution, there has never been more of a demand for larger memory cards in order to satisfy the customers desire to record longer lengths of videos in high quality and to be able to sustain those demanding speeds.
One of those leading memory manufactures who have been offering storage solutions, memory modules and flash memory solutions is Patriot Memory since 1985. Today I will be reviewing the 32GB version of the Patriot Memory IRIS series of Secure Digital High Capacity memory cards that has been designed with video professionals and power users in general. I will be putting it through its paces and will inform you whether the Class 6 Patriot Memory IRIS 32GB SDHC card should be on your shortlist of considerations for this coming Christmas shopping season.
About Patriot Memory
'Established in 1985, Patriot Memory builds a full range of memory module and flash memory products, offering a perfect blend of quality and value. Patriot products include Extreme Performance (EP), Signature Lines (SL) and Flash Memory solutions (FM).'
'Patriot's development and manufacturing facility are located in Fremont, California USA. Our manufacturing segment is composed of a highly skilled production staff and multiple production lines optimized for modules, giving Patriot the ability and resources necessary to provide a full line of memory module solutions.'
Patriot Memory IRIS 32GB SDHC Card Product Overview
"The Patriot IRIS SDHC memory card is designed for video professionals and power users. With a sustained minimum write speed of 6MB/s, the IRIS SDHC cards are fast enough to capture all your memories as high quality, exceptionally detailed video content. You won’t miss a moment! Their
versatility allows for multiple levels of quality and their large capacities let you capture precious moments of HD while delivering the reliability professionals demand. Available in capacities of 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB the IRIS SDHC cards will record 120 min, 240 min and 480 min of HD video respectively (recording time will differ from device and based on user/device settings). IRIS SDHC cards work with all professional equipment requiring high write speeds for true high definition. If speed and reliability are what you require, the Patriot IRIS SDHC cards are for you."
- Class 6 Speed Designation
- Complies with SDA 2.0 specifications
- High level of copy protection
- Compatible with SDHC slot devices
- Write protection switch to avoid accidental data deletion
- 5 Year Warranty
First Impressions
The Patriot 32GB IRIS SDHC card comes in the usual plastic blister packaging. The plastic product box is simple enough with a white backdrop and information regarding the SDHC card. Opening the box you will find the IRIS SDHC in its own clear SD card box.
The Patriot 32GB IRIS SDHC card is a black colored SDHC card made of hard plastic. It has typical construction among SD cards and doesn't really differentiate itself from other cards in any substantial way. I guess it's not their fault since 95% of other SD cards look the same way. The only SD card that I've ever experienced that is different and has tough as nails construction was my old 256MB KingMax Platinum card.
The Patriot 32GB IRIS SDHC card's only feature is that it contains a lock and unlock switch that provides data from being written or erased from the card.
This card is given the designation of Class 6 and this means the card has a minimum sustained write speed of 6MB/s. The different classes are easy to remember and is as follows...
- Class 10 - Min. 10 MB/s sustained write.
- Class 6 - Min. 6 MB/s sustained write.
- Class 4 - Min. 4 MB/s sustained write.
- Class 2 - Min. 2 MB/s sustained write.
Performance Testing and Long-Term Testing Thoughts
I've had and utilized the Patriot 32GB IRIS SDHC card for about three full months now and have experienced zero reliability issues or anything of that weird nature. The card was in digital cameras, pocket cameras, used as a USB flash drive and the Patriot 32GB IRIS SDHC card has handled everything thrown at it with ease and with zero complaints and no fitment issues. So if three months of utilization says anything, you won't be seeing much of an issue with the Patriot 32GB Class 6 IRIS SDHC card. One interesting thing I have noticed is that the gold contacts have taken some form of wear and tear from all the insertion and removal of the card from various devices. I wonder how it will look like within a year.
In terms of performance, overall we can see through the results that this card, that it offers very good read speed performance and good write speed performance that reaches and sometimes exceeds its claimed 6MB/s sustained write performance. Maximum numbers that have been seen with this card is up to 19MB/s sequential read performance and up to 13MB/s sequential write performance.
Conclusion
You can find this card for about around $74 Canadian dollars online. That's certainly not a bad value considering you're getting a solid all around Class 6 SDHC card that hasn't seen any issues over three months testing within many different devices. This coming Christmas if you're looking for an SDHC card, make this one on your considerations list. Recommended.
