Staples: SanDisk Ultra II SDHC 8GB Class 4 $29.92

[chex]

I figured this is a warm deal since Staples is accessible to most people. Regular price is $79.92.

http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/cat_sku.asp?webid=733715&AffixedCode=WW

[Bishop8]

Strange -- BB has the Ultra II @ $72.99 so I thought there was a PM opportunity....

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10096935&catid=20093

Unfortunately, it's only a class 2 -- didn't realise the Ultra IIs came in 2 flavours?

[^gUrU]

Unfortunately, it's only a class 2 -- didn't realise the Ultra IIs came in 2 flavours?

If you checkout the one review on BB he/she states it's a class 4. I think the Ultra IIs initially came under-rated as class 2's when the class system first came out, they've since switched to class-4 ratings (no difference in the card).

Sandisk's own press release (http://www.sandisk.com/Corporate/PressRoom/PressReleases/PressRelease.aspx?ID=3726) states the card is a class 4, while the picture - just like BB - shows a card labelled C2... wtf?! You'd think they would fix that.

Thought we lived in a classless society? :D

[agent86]

Successfully PM'ed at BB for $25.62. Thanks OP.

[chex]

Glad I could help!
I checked the FS and BB sites as well for a PM opportunity and noticed the Class 2 card from BB... congrats on the PM!

I'm just wondering how fast the card is exactly. Does your laptop have a SD card reader, or are you using an adapter through USB? If it's not too much to ask, could you test out the read and write speeds?

Just click on Start/All Programs/Accessories, then right-click on Command Prompt and select "Run as Administrator".

A black window will pop up. Just copy&paste (using right-click) this command into the window and press enter. [Substitute <drive_letter> with your drive letter where the SD card is inserted, without the colon. So D: would be D]:

winsat disk –read –ran –ransize 4096 –drive <drive_letter>

You'll get results in a few seconds. Then do the same thing with this command:

winsat disk –write –ran –ransize 524288 –drive <drive_letter>

This one might take a few minutes.
If you could post the results, that would be really helpful, thanks!

[newtonian]

Is this available in-stores?

If not, I don't get how you can price match it.

BestBuy.ca states:
"Advertised prices must be in Canadian dollars, and will be calculated as including all charges applicable for next day delivery to your home address."

Stooples charges $15 to deliver items under $50. So the PM would be against $44.92 and not $29.92.

[agent86]

Yes, it is available in-store. At least in the GTA.

[JackyTheBeaver]

Thanks for posting this. I was able to price match @ Bestbuy, Southeast Edmonton store.

When I was paying for it I noticed a coupon for 5$ off 10$ purchase exclusive to Edmonton Bestbuy's laying on the counter. This brings the price down to approx. $21 before tax.

[Nammo]

Successful PM today at BB. This deal is in last week's Staples flyer (ends tomorrow). All the cards at BB are labeled C2.

The numbers below are using a 150X SDHC reader bought from DX. The numbers from my laptop's (Lenovo 3000 N200) built in SD reader were slower.

C:\>winsat disk -read -ran -ransize 4096 -drive d
Windows System Assessment Tool
> Running: Feature Enumeration v1.0.0.0 ''
> Run Time 00:00:00.44
> Running: Storage Performance Assessment via Profiling v1.0.0.0 '-read -ran -ransize 4096 -drive d'
> Run Time 00:00:04.52
> Disk Performance 3.45 MB/s
> Total Run Time 00:00:05.38

C:\>winsat disk -write -ran -ransize 524288 -drive d
Windows System Assessment Tool
> Running: Feature Enumeration v1.0.0.0 ''
> Run Time 00:00:00.42
> Running: Storage Performance Assessment via Profiling v1.0.0.0 '-write -ran -ransize 524288 -drive d'
> Run Time 00:07:03.89
> Disk Performance 2.19 MB/s
> Total Run Time 00:07:04.81

[chex]

^Thanks for the info!
How much slower were your results with your built-in SD reader? I have a regular Kingston SD card that performs at 2.53MB/s read, and 1.03MB/s write, using my built-in SD reader on my Sony Vaio TZ. So I'm wondering if this Sandisk will be noticeably faster at all. With an adapter via USB, I get 3.46MB/s read and 2.59MB/s write but I hate plugging/unplugging my fat adapter all the time...

[JackyTheBeaver]

For comparison, this is what a generic SD card benchmarked on my HP Pavalion A6040N.

C2Tech 2GB SD card, rated 66X, Made in Taiwan

C:\>winsat disk -read -ran -ransize 4096 -drive g
Windows System Assessment Tool
> Running: Feature Enumeration v1.0.0.0 ''
> Run Time 00:00:00.72
> Running: Storage Performance Assessment via Profiling v1.0.0.0 '-read -ran -ra
nsize 4096 -drive g'
> Run Time 00:00:03.49
> Disk Performance 5.07 MB/s
> Total Run Time 00:00:04.62

C:\>winsat disk -write -ran -ransize 524288 -drive g
Windows System Assessment Tool
> Running: Feature Enumeration v1.0.0.0 ''
> Run Time 00:00:00.75
> Running: Storage Performance Assessment via Profiling v1.0.0.0 '-write -ran -r
ansize 524288 -drive g'
> Run Time 00:07:01.12
> Disk Performance 2.73 MB/s
> Total Run Time 00:07:02.30

[JackyTheBeaver]

And here are the numbers for the Sandisk Ultra II 8GB SDHC Class 2:

C:\>winsat disk -read -ran -ransize 4096 -drive g
Windows System Assessment Tool
> Running: Feature Enumeration v1.0.0.0 ''
> Run Time 00:00:00.70
> Running: Storage Performance Assessment via Profiling v1.0.0.0 '-read -ran -ra
nsize 4096 -drive g'
> Run Time 00:00:04.04
> Disk Performance 2.70 MB/s
> Total Run Time 00:00:05.18

C:\>winsat disk -write -ran -ransize 524288 -drive g
Windows System Assessment Tool
> Running: Feature Enumeration v1.0.0.0 ''
> Run Time 00:00:00.73
> Running: Storage Performance Assessment via Profiling v1.0.0.0 '-write -ran -r
ansize 524288 -drive g'
> Run Time 00:07:35.54
> Disk Performance 2.87 MB/s
> Total Run Time 00:07:36.68


My numbers are a bit different than Nammo's, with write speed faster than read speed. This is the exact opposite from Nammo's results.

[Nammo]

^Thanks for the info!
How much slower were your results with your built-in SD reader? I have a regular Kingston SD card that performs at 2.53MB/s read, and 1.03MB/s write, using my built-in SD reader on my Sony Vaio TZ. So I'm wondering if this Sandisk will be noticeably faster at all. With an adapter via USB, I get 3.46MB/s read and 2.59MB/s write but I hate plugging/unplugging my fat adapter all the time...

My built in reader got about the same numbers as yours. I have a regular Sandisk 2GB SD card labeled C2 (those blue ones) and it benched slower then the Ultra II labeled C2.

[crispwolf]

BB has it on sale the week before last for $19.99

[JackyTheBeaver]

BB has it on sale the week before last for $19.99

Are you sure it wasn't the 4GB version?

[MS MSP]

Oos

[newtonian]

Yes, it is available in-store. At least in the GTA.

Thanks, found it at my local Bureau en Gros in Montreal. They have plenty of stock over there.

[M.D.]

BB has it on sale the week before last for $19.99

Are you sure it wasn't the 4GB version?

it was the 4gb version.

[nedjel]

the Source has the Silicon Power 8GB Class 6 for $19.99 . Much better deal

[JackyTheBeaver]

the Source has the Silicon Power 8GB Class 6 for $19.99 . Much better deal

I'd bet Sandisk is easier to deal with for warranty though.

[mrfollowfollow]

just got denied from bestbuy at cambie, vancouver, the cashier refused to price match because the data transfer rates on the staples website and the back of the box didn't match......

would this be the different between the class 2 and class 4?

[agent86]

Last day of the sale was yesterday anyway.

[ymlccc]

just got denied from bestbuy at cambie, vancouver, the cashier refused to price match because the data transfer rates on the staples website and the back of the box didn't match......

would this be the different between the class 2 and class 4?
I have both ULTRA II 8GB class 2 and class 4 (old), to be honest with you, the newer version of C2 is faster than OLD C4 slightly, i done the test twice and seriously that's the result. I believe SanDisk drop the ULTRA II from C4 to C2 due to it's own speed category fastest C6 30MB+/s, C4 20MB+/s, C2 15MB+/s but the good thing is they're all speedy and accurate for what they advertised!

new C2: write/read: 18MB/s and 18MB/s
old C4: write/read: 15MB/s and 18MB/s

According to fastest 150X SDHC DX reader and ATTO benchmark (32MB long test).

well, some cards are good writing small files (<5mb) some cards are fast writing large files (>10MB). I find out Sandisk is one of the fastest in both.

I bought the first Ultra II C4 8GB for $32.xx after PM at Staples (got refused the first time)... and another Ultra II C2 8GB 2008 Christmas for $19.xx+tax (boxing day)...

Hope this helps!

[Inno]

Last day of the sale was yesterday anyway.

Do you mean the Source's 8 GIg at $19.99? Actually today is the last day.

One left at TSCC Cumberland Mall, T.O.

[ZipSpeed]

I have both ULTRA II 8GB class 2 and class 4 (old), to be honest with you, the newer version of C2 is faster than OLD C4 slightly, i done the test twice and seriously that's the result. I believe SanDisk drop the ULTRA II from C4 to C2 due to it's own speed category fatest C6 30MB+/s, C4 20MB+/s, C2 15MB+/s but the good thing is they're all speedy and accurate for what they advertised!

new C2: write/read: 18MB/s and 18MB/s
old C4: write/read: 15MB/s and 18MB/s

According to fastest 150X SDHC DX reader and ATTO benchmark (32MB long test).

well, some cards are good writing small files (<5mb) some cards are fast writing large files (>10MB). I find out Sandisk is one of the fastest in both.

I bought the first Ultra II C4 8GB for $32.xx after PM at Staples (got refused the first time)... and another Ultra II C2 8GB 2008 Christmas for $19.xx+tax (boxing day)...

Hope this helps!

I also did my own test and I too, achieved 18 MB/s on both the write and read for the class 2 Ultra II.