MagicLink: Purportedly the fastest multi-card reader at up to 2,790 MB/s

Memory cards come in a wide variety of forms, and depending on their specific design and the supported standard — as well as the specific model — they can reach data transfer rates significantly higher than those of traditional magnetic hard drives and can even come close to SSDs. That said, the MagicLink 4-in-1 is a new card reader that is claimed to be fastest memory card reader for multiple memory cards. A maximum data transfer rate of 2,790 MB/s is advertised, which should allow, for example, high-resolution video recordings to be transferred quickly.

The aforementioned data transfer rate should be treated with a grain of salt, as it represents the maximum cumulative speed across all ports; no single port can reach this speed. CFexpress Type B is said to achieve speeds of up to 2 GB/s via a PCIe connection. CFexpress Type A memory cards are said to be half as fast, while microSD cards (UHS-II SD 4.0) can transfer up to 300 MB/s. The same data transfer rate (300 MB/s) applies to SD cards.

Measuring 105 x 50 x 30 millimetres and weighing 165 grams, the memory card reader is connected via Thunderbolt or USB-C and is said to feature active cooling; the cooling fins for the simultaneous passive cooling are clearly visible. The crowdfunding campaign is calling for a base price of $119, with delivery scheduled for November. As usual, the risks associated with crowdfunding campaigns should be carefully considered, including the eventuality that the product may never make it to market.