Lexar C1 microSD USB-C Card Reader Review

Introduction

The Lexar C1 is a compact microSD card reader that uses a USB 3.1 Type-C (USB-C) connection. The number of card readers offered with USB-C connections is growing as more laptops and devices adopt the USB-C port. The Lexar C1 works only with microSD, microSDHC and microSDXC cards and supports UHS-I. While faster UHS-II microSD cards can be used in the reader, the cards will revert to UHS-I speed.

The reader is made from smooth gray plastic. On one end there is a USB-C connector, which is reversible so the reader can be used in either orientation. The reader measures 1.3 inches (33mm) in length by 0.7 inches (17mm) wide and 0.3 inches (8mm) tall, including the USB-C connector. There is a tiny card indicator light that shines through the small pinhole in the top of the reader. The bottom of the reader indicates the model number LRWMC-7000 B and states the reader is made in China.

The microSD slot is very deep and when a card is inserted it does not extend beyond the end of the reader. Inserting and removing a card is a slightly fidgety affair. The card needs to be inserted deep into the reader and the last few millimeters require more force. Card removal is aided by using a fingernail or thin object to catch the raised lip on the end of the microSD card.

Performance

In benchmark testing the Lexar C1 microSD reader reached a highest sequential read speed of 97.5 MB/s. The fastest sequential write speed measurement was 92.2 MB/s. This is very good for UHS-I performance. Unfortunately the reader does not support UHS-II so any UHS-II cards used in the reader will be limited to UHS-I speed. The reader supports UHS-I mode SDR104 which can theoretically provide up to 104MB/s transfer rate.

Reader: Lexar C1 USB-C microSD Reader
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

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