Nextorage has revealed two new CFexpress Type A cards at this year's CP+ show. The premium card of the pair, called NX-A2PRO, is special as it's the first Type A card to ever receive VPG800 certification. The Video Performance Guarantee certifies that a card is able to sustain a minimum write speed during video capture - in this case, a minimum 800MB/s. VPG800 certification is exceptionally rare for any memory card, with most CFexpress cards and high-performance UHS-II SD cards 'only' being certified as VPG200 or VPG400, even when their maximum advertised write speed is often far higher.
Read more: The best CFexpress cards
The new A2 Pro Type-A card is built to the CFexpress 4.0 standard, meaning it's capable of transfer speeds twice as fast as the first generation of Type A cards were capable of. Expect read and write speeds of up to 1950MB/s and 1900MB/s, respectively. These are the fastest read/write speeds we've ever seen from a Type A card, making it more than quick enough even for high bit-rate 8K recording.
The A2 Pro is available in three capacities: 160GB, 320GB and 640GB. Prices in Japan will range from 26,990 Yen (approx. $183, £142) for the 160GB card, up to 79,790 Yen (approx. $542, £420) for the 640GB version. Availability is said to start in late April.
Revealed alongside the new A2 Pro is the NX-A2AE card. This is another CFexpress 4.0 Type A card, but where the A2 Pro is focussed on outright speed, the A2 AE represents a balance of high speed and high capacity. 500GB, 1000GB and 2000GB size options are available, with the higher two capacities capable of the same maximum 1950MB/s read and 1900MB/s write speeds as the flagship A2 Pro card. The 500GB model has a slightly slower 1700MB/s write speed.
Where the A2 AE differs from the A2 Pro in the speed stakes is sustained write speed, with the A2 AE having a slower VPG400 rating, though this should still be ample for the vast majority of recording scenarios. Expect to pay 35,980 Yen (approx. $245, £190) for a 500GB A2 AE card, 64,980 Yen (approx. $442, £342) for the 1000GB capacity, and 99,800 Yen (approx. $678, £525) for the range-topping 2000GB model.
These two new cards aren't to be confused with Nextorage's existing CFexpress 4.0 card, the A2 SE. This now serves as an entry-level Type A card, with VPG200 certification and 1900MB/s read and 1700MB/s write speeds.
