First the “raw” news: Other World Computing announced new Atlas Pro and Ultra CFexpress 4.0 memory cards with double the speed of CFexpress 2.0 memory cards and the industry’s first capability of upgrading previous generation Atlas 2.0 memory cards to the new CFA (Compact Flash Association) CFexpress 4.0 specification.
That’s, as Wayne Grayson wrote, “a major new product launch and available update for existing customers” adding “first, we’re launching new Atlas Pro and Atlas Ultra CFexpress 4.0 memory cards, boasting double the speed of CFexpress 2.0 cards” and “second, we’re absolutely stoked to announce a game-changing industry first: if you own our previous generation Atlas Pro Ultra 1TB or 2TB CFexpress cards, you’ll be able to upgrade your cards to the new ultra-fast CFexpress 4.0 speeds free of charge via our Innergize app.”
This explains the “you might not even need to buy them” part from Grayson’s comment. In fact, for over three decades, OWC has provided solutions to extend the use life of technology. The new Atlas CFexpress 4.0 memory cards continue that commitment by utilizing OWC’s Innergize software to upgrade the firmware on previous PCIe Gen3 Atlas Ultra 1TB and 2TB cards to CFexpress 4.0 firmware. Memory card users have never had the opportunity to elevate their card’s performance and prolong its usefulness with field firmware upgrades. This OWC exclusive upgrade almost doubles the current read/write speeds, from 1850 and 1700MB/s read/write speeds to 3650 and 3000MB/s.
In addition, Atlas CFexpress CFA 4.0 memory cards are backward compatible with CFA 2.0 PCIe Gen 3 hosts, providing both flexibility and performance.
“We always want to ensure that our customers can get the most out of our products, which is why we spent considerable time and effort ensuring our latest PCIe Gen 3 CFexpress Ultra 1 and 2 TB cards that launched earlier this year were forward compatible with the latest CFA 4.0 specification”, said Larry O’Connor, founder and CEO at OWC. “Giving existing OWC Atlas memory card owners the flexibility to upgrade their products and take advantage of the latest speeds without having to purchase new cards is a game changer that we are delighted to bring to the table”.
Still, if you’re new to the brand, there are new cards to get, offering unprecedented speed redefining possibilities. The new Atlas Pro 256GB, Atlas Pro 512GB, Atlas Ultra 1TB, and Atlas Ultra 2TB cards leverage PCIe Gen 4 technology to enable mind-blowing 3650MB/s read and 3000MB/s write speeds; a 97% increase from the previous generation cards. These major speed increases make it possible to not only capture stunning 4K, 6K, and 8K+ videos while enabling the next generation of cameras but also access and offload content for editing and distribution like never before.
Atlas Pro CFexpress 256GB and 512GB memory cards will be available in October for $169.99 (256GB) and $199.99 (512GB). Atlas Ultra CFexpress 1TB and 2TB memory cards will be available in October for $579.99 (1TB) and $999.99 (2TB).
Download OWC Innergize software to upgrade Atlas CFexpress 1TB and 2TB memory cards, with 1850MB/s on the card label, to the new CFexpress 4.0 specification.