diff --git a/v2/content/posts/2024/testing-aliexpress-sdcards/index.md b/v2/content/posts/2024/testing-aliexpress-sdcards/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d003d64 --- /dev/null +++ b/v2/content/posts/2024/testing-aliexpress-sdcards/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,152 @@ ++++ +title = "Testing a $4 Micro SD Card From AliExpress" +date = 2024-04-07T15:06:25+10:00 + +#[extra] +#updated = 2024-02-21T10:05:19+10:00 ++++ + +I needed three low capacity micro SD cards for an upcoming project. There's +plenty of these available on AliExpress but its very difficult to know if you +if the actual capacity will match the packaging. I did some research and came +across [this interesting video][video] that tested 16 different cards. Their +recommendation was the Lexar ones. So I found [some 32Gb ones for +AU$4.13][mycards] and placed an order[^1]. + +{{ figure(image="posts/2024/testing-aliexpress-sdcards/lexar-32gb-micro-sd-card.jpg", link="posts/2024/testing-aliexpress-sdcards/lexar-32gb-micro-sd-card.jpg", alt="Photo of the micro SD card in its packaging.", caption="The card being tested.", resize_width=880, width=440) }} + +As per the video's suggestion I tested one with an open-source tool called +[F3 (Fight Flash Fraud)][f3] when they arrived. F3 verifies the capacity against +what the drive advertises and verifies that that amount of data can be written +and read back without error. + + + +The card passed all tests. The packaging said up to 100MB/s read and is marked +C10/U1/V10, which is minimum 10MB/s sequential write. The tests showed a +write speed of 30.7MB/s and a read speed of 90.9MB/s, which feels within the +values advertised. + +No idea what the endurance of the flash memory will end up being but I intend +to use them in a low-write environment, where failure doesn't really matter. If +the data the cards was storing was not easily replaced, such as photos, I +would still purchase from a repeatable local seller. However, for holding an +operating system image for a non-critical single board computer these seem +fine. + +### Full Results + +``` +$ doas f3probe --destructive --time-ops /dev/sde +F3 probe 8.0 +Copyright (C) 2010 Digirati Internet LTDA. +This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. + +WARNING: Probing normally takes from a few seconds to 15 minutes, but + it can take longer. Please be patient. + +Good news: The device `/dev/sde' is the real thing + +Device geometry: + *Usable* size: 29.54 GB (61952000 blocks) + Announced size: 29.54 GB (61952000 blocks) + Module: 32.00 GB (2^35 Bytes) + Approximate cache size: 0.00 Byte (0 blocks), need-reset=no + Physical block size: 512.00 Byte (2^9 Bytes) + +Probe time: 1'02" + Operation: total time / count = avg time + Read: 347.8ms / 4815 = 72us + Write: 1'02" / 4192321 = 14us + Reset: 0us / 1 = 0us + +$ f3write /run/media/wmoore/8BF0-E09E/ +F3 write 8.0 +Copyright (C) 2010 Digirati Internet LTDA. +This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. + +Free space: 29.53 GB +Creating file 1.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 2.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 3.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 4.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 5.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 6.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 7.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 8.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 9.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 10.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 11.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 12.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 13.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 14.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 15.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 16.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 17.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 18.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 19.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 20.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 21.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 22.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 23.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 24.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 25.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 26.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 27.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 28.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 29.h2w ... OK! +Creating file 30.h2w ... OK! +Free space: 0.00 Byte +Average writing speed: 30.71 MB/s + +$ f3read /run/media/wmoore/8BF0-E09E/ +F3 read 8.0 +Copyright (C) 2010 Digirati Internet LTDA. +This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. + + SECTORS ok/corrupted/changed/overwritten +Validating file 1.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 2.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 3.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 4.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 5.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 6.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 7.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 8.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 9.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 10.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 11.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 12.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 13.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 14.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 15.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 16.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 17.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 18.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 19.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 20.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 21.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 22.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 23.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 24.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 25.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 26.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 27.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 28.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 29.h2w ... 2097152/ 0/ 0/ 0 +Validating file 30.h2w ... 1102208/ 0/ 0/ 0 + + Data OK: 29.53 GB (61919616 sectors) +Data LOST: 0.00 Byte (0 sectors) + Corrupted: 0.00 Byte (0 sectors) + Slightly changed: 0.00 Byte (0 sectors) + Overwritten: 0.00 Byte (0 sectors) +Average reading speed: 90.93 MB/s +``` + +[^1]: While these were branded Lexar there's really no way to know when ordering if they are +genuine or not. The main thing I care about is whether they hold as much data as they say. + +[f3]: https://github.com/AltraMayor/f3 +[video]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efwDleEJY2w +[mycards]: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005956657740.html diff --git a/v2/content/posts/2024/testing-aliexpress-sdcards/lexar-32gb-micro-sd-card.jpg b/v2/content/posts/2024/testing-aliexpress-sdcards/lexar-32gb-micro-sd-card.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7ca7791 Binary files /dev/null and b/v2/content/posts/2024/testing-aliexpress-sdcards/lexar-32gb-micro-sd-card.jpg differ