Review: SanDisk ImageMate Pro Multi-card Reader/Writer SDDR-489

Introduction

The SanDisk ImageMate Pro (SDDR-489) offers Secure Digital and CompactFlash cards. It supports the latest high-speed UHS-II SD cards as well as UDMA-7 CF cards. Unlike the previous ImageMate reader, the new reader has a traditional horizontal design.

Upon handling the ImageMate Pro, the weight and solid build quality are immediately apparent. The textured black plastic case with gloss edge has a sleek, streamlined shape. Three memory card slots are aligned on the front of the reader, eached labeled with an icon. There is a single card access light on the top of the reader above the SanDisk logo. Four rubber pads on the bottom of the reader prevent it from sliding.

The Compact Flash slot fits only Type I CF cards. It supports high speed cards including UDMA-7. The slot has a close tolerance and is deep enough to prevent bent pins. The full-size SD card slot has a similar close fit and has a notably secure grip on the card. It supports SD, SDHC and SDXC, UHS-I and UHS-II cards. The microSD slot has a push-to-release mechanism which is necessary as microSD cards insert almost entirely into the reader. The microSD slot accepts microSDHC and microSDXC cards and UHS-I and UHS-II. The microSD slot has the contacts required to interface UHS-II microSD cards.

The included USB 3.0 cable included is rather short, measuring just under 16 inches (44mm) in legnth between connectors. The USB cable connects to the back of the reader with a USB 3.0 micro-B connector. The reader is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0, although transfer speeds will be slower.

Performance

The ImageMate PRO has been tested with several CompactFlash and Secure Digital cards. The fastest CF card reached 154.2MB/s sequential read and 139.8MB/s sequential write. SD cards reached up to 305MB/s read and 257MB/s write speed. The microSD card slot supports buth UHS-I and UHS-II microSD cards.

Reader: SanDisk ImageMate Pro Multi-Card Reader/Writer
Benchmark: CrystalDiskMark 3.0.3 x64
Program settings: 1000 MB, 5 passes, random test data
Operating system: Windows 10 Pro
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H
Processor: Intel Core i7-3770K @ 4.40GHz
RAM: 32GB DDR3 1600

Compatibility: Mac OS 10.5+, Windows 8 and adfter. SanDisk covers this reader with a 2 year warranty.

Made in China. The ImageMate Pro is sold with different part numbers depending on the region. Global packaging is SDDR-489-G47, while packaging for the Americas has part number SDDR-489-A47 with UPC 619659163136.

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