Review on 📸 Rocketek USB3.0 XQD Card Reader - High-Speed XQD Memory Card Reader, Compatible with Sony G/M Series, Lexar 2933x/1400x USB Mark XQD Card Adapter, for Windows/Mac OS by Scott Ward

TL;DR: Rocketek makes great USB 3.0 card readers! Rocketek makes several card readers that look the same but don't necessarily behave the same. The models I will cover are the RT-CR2, RT-CR3A, RT-CR5, and RT-CR6 USB 3.0 memory card readers. If you read the Q&A sections for these card readers, you will see that more than one person asked if they could use 2 cards at the same time and the answers were yes no yes no yes no.? So here is information on these models that will clear up the confusion. RT-CR2, CR3A and CR6 look almost the same. They all have a rotating USB cover and a door at the end, covering a couple of MicroSD slots and a full-size SD card. CR2 has an extra pair of slits on the side (total 4 slits on CR2). All three models are a bit clunky and will most likely block adjacent USB ports if they are close together. Rocketek RT-CR2: The RT-CR2 allows you to use 2 cards at the same time by inserting one in the side slot and the other in the rear slot (under the flap). It will appear as 2 card readers on your computer and Windows will assign a different drive letter to each card. Although it has 4 slots in total, you cannot use more than 2 cards at a time. Think of each pair of SD + MicroSD slots as one slot, which accepts either a full-size SD card or a micro SD card. CR2 is the most versatile because you can use any combination of two cards without additional adapters (SD+SD, SD+Micro, Micro+Micro). Rocketek RT-CR3A: The RT-CR3A looks like a CR2 with rounded shoulders and no additional side vents. It has a pair of SD + MicroSD slots under the door, but you can only use 1 card (slot) at a time. As with the CR2, both slots are wired in parallel, so it's really just one slot that can accommodate cards of any size. Your computer only recognizes one card reader and assigns only one drive letter to it. Rocketek RT-CR6: The RT-CR6 looks the same as the CR3A, but the slots aren't paralleled, so you can use both at the same time. Your computer recognizes 2 card readers and Windows assigns each card a different drive letter. It's not as versatile as CR2 as it can only pair one full size SD card and one MicroSD card or 2 MicroSD cards with one card in a full size SD adapter. The CR2 also supports 2 full-size SD cards and does not require an adapter for a second MicroSD card. The advantage of CR6 over CR2 is that it is slightly thinner (10mm/0.4in vs 15mm/0.6in). ) and slightly cheaper (at the time of writing, the price difference was only 30 cents). Rocketek RT-CR5: The RT-CR5 is a smaller card reader that works like the CR3A. It has a full-size SD card slot on the side and a microSD card slot on the back under the door. Like the CR3A, you can only use one card at a time, but the CR5 is much thinner than other cards, allowing it to fit into closely spaced USB ports without blocking access to nearby ports. Please note that you can only install a MicroSD card under the cover. A full sized SD card sticks out on one side, so if you use a full sized card it may interfere with the other USB port on that side (of course this isn't a problem if you put a CR5 in that port) . I personally own the RT-CR2 and RT-CR5 and they are both great card readers. They have very high read/write speeds that only seem to be limited by the SD card itself. Of course you need a fast SD card, to see high speeds (no card reader can miraculously make a slow card fast). When I used CrystalDiskMark to test the Samsung Pro MicroSD card at Rocketek, I got read speeds close to 90MB/s. and a write speed of almost 80 MB/s. That's how the manufacturer rates the card, so I've yet to find an SD card fast enough to see Rocketek's limit. In fact, the results with a Samsung Pro card in a Rocketek USB 3.0 reader were slightly higher than with the same card in my computer's built-in SD card slot! Even when used with USB 2.0 ports, these card readers work well and are faster than any USB 2.0 card readers I've tested. Aside from the RT-CR2's somewhat bulky size (necessary for its versatility), my only gripe is that the rotating USB cover is too loose and doesn't provide adequate protection. The rotating lid on the smaller RT-CR5 is much sturdier and has stronger latches, so it offers some protection. When I bought the RT-CR2 a few years ago, I was mostly dealing with full-size SD cards and only occasionally with microSD cards. The RT-CR2 was the best choice because of its versatility. Now I'm in the opposite situation. I deal almost exclusively with MicroSD cards and rarely with full-size SD cards. So I bought the slimmer RT-CR5 and I like the smaller form factor. It fits into closely spaced USB ports, even when the other ports are filled with USB cables, wireless adapters, and more. I still use the CR2 when I need to copy data from one card to another, but the Rocketek RT-CR5 is my new favorite card reader! Rocketek RT-CR5 USB 3.0 Memory Card Reader Rocketek RT-CR2 USB 3.0 Memory Card Reader (4 slots, 2 cards) One final note on compatibility. I have used these card readers on several Intel x86/x86-64 Windows and Linux computers with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports and USB 2.0 ports on an ARM based Raspberry Pi. with Raspbian Linux and even on my Samsung Galaxy Note. 4 with a small OTG adapter (Rocketek even sells the RT-CR5A for a dollar more, so CR5 with OTG adapter included). They seem to work with everything. 0 Rocketek RT-CR2 memory card reader USB 3.0 memory card reader (4 slots, 2 cards) One final note on compatibility. I have used these card readers on several Intel x86/x86-64 Windows and Linux computers with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports and USB 2.0 ports on an ARM based Raspberry Pi running Raspbian Linux and even on my Samsung Galaxy Note . 4 with a small OTG adapter (Rocketek even sells the RT-CR5A for a dollar more, so CR5 with OTG adapter included). They seem to work with everything. 0 Rocketek RT-CR2 memory card reader USB 3.0 memory card reader (4 slots, 2 cards) One final note on compatibility. I have these card readers on several Intel x86/x86-64 Windows and Linux computers with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports and USB 2. 0 ports on an ARM-based Raspberry Pi running Raspbian Linux and even on my Samsung Galaxy Note. 4 with a small OTG adapter (Rocketek even sells the RT-CR5A for a dollar more, so CR5 with OTG adapter included). They seem to work with everything. with Raspbian Linux and even on my Samsung Galaxy Note. 4 with a small OTG adapter (Rocketek even sells the RT-CR5A for a dollar more, so CR5 with OTG adapter included). They seem to work with everything. with Raspbian Linux and even on my Samsung Galaxy Note. 4 with a small OTG adapter (Rocketek even sells the RT-CR5A for a dollar more, so CR5 with OTG adapter included). They seem to work with everything. 4 with a small OTG adapter (Rocketek even sells the RT-CR5A for a dollar more, so CR5 with OTG adapter included). They seem to work with everything. with Raspbian Linux and even on my Samsung Galaxy Note. 4 with a small OTG adapter (Rocketek even sells the RT-CR5A for a dollar more, so CR5 with OTG adapter included). They seem to work with everything. with Raspbian Linux and even on my Samsung Galaxy Note. 4 with a small OTG adapter (Rocketek even sells the RT-CR5A for a dollar more, so CR5 with OTG adapter included). They seem to work with everything. 4 with a small OTG adapter (Rocketek even sells the RT-CR5A for a dollar more, so CR5 with OTG adapter included). They seem to work with everything. with Raspbian Linux and even on my Samsung Galaxy Note. 4 with a small OTG adapter (Rocketek even sells the RT-CR5A for a dollar more, so CR5 with OTG adapter included). They seem to work with everything. with Raspbian Linux and even on my Samsung Galaxy Note. 4 with a small OTG adapter (Rocketek even sells the RT-CR5A for a dollar more, so CR5 with OTG adapter included). They seem to work with everything. 4 with a small OTG adapter (Rocketek even sells the RT-CR5A for a dollar more, so CR5 with OTG adapter included). They seem to work with everything. with Raspbian Linux and even on my Samsung Galaxy Note. 4 with a small OTG adapter (Rocketek even sells the RT-CR5A for a dollar more, so CR5 with OTG adapter included). They seem to work with everything. 4 with a small OTG adapter (Rocketek even sells the RT-CR5A for a dollar more, so CR5 with OTG adapter included). They seem to work with everything. with Raspbian Linux and even on my Samsung Galaxy Note. 4 with a small OTG adapter (Rocketek even sells the RT-CR5A for a dollar more, so CR5 with OTG adapter included). They seem to work with everything.