Introduction

Most people know OCZ for their performance memory modules, but the company does actually produce several other things. Besides the traditional memory for PC enthusiasts they also provide performance memory modules based on USB 2.0 or SD standards for use in cameras and MP3 players.

Not long ago I did a review of the OCZ Secure Digital Dual card, a card which could both function as an SD-card and a USB memory stick. Today I will be taking a look at an even more versatile card than the "Secure Digital Dual" namely the "Secure Digital Trifecta". The Trifecta card is special in so many ways. It's compliant with both the SD and microSD standard. Besides that it also has a USB-connector which means that you don't need any card reader in order to get data on or off the card. This feature is really neat if you are on the go and don't have time to mess around with a card reader.

Specifications from OCZ Technology:

• Available in 66X Speeds
• Dimensions: 32 x 24 x 2.1 mm (L x W x H)
• Official Secure Digital™ (SD)Compliant
• microSD™ Compliant
• High-Speed USB 2.0
• 5 Year Warranty

The Package

As with most of the OCZ SD-Cards, the Trifecta comes in a blister package. On the front of the package you can see the card and get an idea about all of its unique features. It states that the card is 66x speed, most people don't really know what this means, but can probably guess that the higher number the better. The x factor was first introduced when the CD-drive came on the market. 1x means that the drive (or memory card) is capable of producing a read bandwidth of 150KB/s. In other words the theoretical maximum read speed of this microSD card is 9.9 MB/s ([150KB/s * 66] /[1000 KB/MB]= 9.9 MB/s).



The OCZ Trifecta is supplied with a little carrying case. Inside the case you find a microSD card, a microSD to USB or SD adapter. The adapter can be used with any microSD compliant card on the market, so far I have tested it with the OCZ microSD-card and a Nokia microSD-card, both worked perfectly.

Closer Examination

One of the interesting aspects of the OCZ Trifecta is the way the adapter is constructed. Besides being a SD-card it also houses a USB connector which makes it ver easy to connect the card to ones PC.



The two pieces slide apart and reveal a standard USB connector. The only part it lacks in order to be a standard full sized USB connector is the metal guardrails ensuring that you can't insert it incorrectly. So you have to be careful when inserting this card because the design isn't fool proof. However, nothing bad will happen if you insert the card incorrectly, Windows will just not recognize the card, it can not be damaged.

The Trifecta is assembled like this. First you have the microSD-card. This goes into the side of the SD-card (SD / USB adapter). Once you have it in you can split the SD-card in half, this reveals a USB connector.



Some of you might not be familiar with the microSD standard. It's the sort of storage card often used in mobile phones and some micro cameras. Basically in all devices where you need a removable mass storage device, but can't fit a standard SD-card or miniSD-card. One of the downsides of using the microSD-cards is that they are quite expensive considering the performance level they offer.



The microSD form factor rather different compared to traditional SD or miniSD cards. The only thing the microSD standard shares with its bigger brothers (miniSD and SD) is the amount of gold plated connectors on the back of the card.



The Trifecta SD housing looks just like an ordinary SD-card.



One of the things that I was a bit surprised by when I first saw a microSD-card was the size. When compared to a SD-card it looks absolutely tiny. Besides having a small surface area, the microSD-cards are also very thin, so you have to be careful not to bend them.

When you connect the card to a PC via the adapter a little blue diode lights up.