Microsd maximum memory capacity. What are memory cards and what types do they come in? Existing card types

With this article, our website continues a whole series of useful materials, the purpose of which is to make it easier to choose any product from the thousands of options offered on the market. Agree, choosing a specific model of a device always takes a lot of time, which can be spent usefully. In today's material we will talk about choosing a memory card for a smartphone, tablet or camera.

Introduction

Flash memory is used in almost every electronic devices- both in personal computers and laptops in the form of SSD drives, and in mobile devices - in the form internal memory and flash cards. The latter will be discussed in this article. By using small map(their sizes have long allowed them to be used in the most compact and thin devices) you can increase the available memory of a smartphone, camera or tablet by many gigabytes, so you can carry more content with you - games, music, videos or books and magazines. In addition, the cost of high-capacity and fast memory cards today is lower than ever.

Memory cards are not as fast as USB flash drives, but their speeds have long reached a level that allows you to easily record 4K video on them, much less view it. But different card models can vary greatly in their data writing and reading speeds - you will learn about this in the section dedicated to their characteristics. But it is worth noting that different devices can support cards of a certain maximum capacity - for example, cheap smartphones sometimes cannot work with microSD cards with a capacity of more than 32 GB. Also, don't expect new speed gains from an old camera by using a card with a higher speed class - it's likely that the card will run in a slower mode to ensure compatibility. To find out about support for specific speeds and memory card sizes, you need to refer to the official user manual of a particular device.

By 2015, the memory card industry had focused on just two types - SD and microSD. The former are more often used in photo and video cameras, sometimes in laptops; the latter are more often used with smartphones and tablets. Once upon a time there were many more types of cards - some of you may probably remember names like MMC, Memory Stick Duo or xD-Picture. Fortunately, this fragmentation is now gone - almost any device supports either SD or microSD cards (or even both formats). We will talk about their differences, as well as other important characteristics below.

Main characteristics of memory cards

As we already reported in the introduction, now almost the entire memory card market is occupied by models of two types - microSD. They are used in all possible electronic devices: cameras, smartphones, tablets, e-readers, GPS navigators and even some game consoles.

SD and microSD cards are divided into four generations. SD 1.0 generation cards supported volumes from 8 MB to 2 GB, SD 1.1 generation cards - up to 4 GB, SDHC - up to 32 GB, SDXC (the most advanced and expensive) - up to 2 TB. SDHC and SDXC cards cannot be used with SD 1.0 / SD 1.1 devices.

The main thing to remember is that a device that can handle a newer SD card standard will be able to handle older cards, but most likely not the other way around (more on this below).

Memory capacity, GB

Memory cards with a capacity of less than 16 GB are hardly worth buying - their cost has already dropped to a very low level, and 16 GB is not so much for high-quality photos and videos. If you plan to get serious about photography or video shooting, you'll probably want to use a card with at least 32GB of memory, or better yet, 128GB. If you just want to increase the memory of your smartphone, then 32 GB will be quite enough in most cases.

Data writing and reading speed

The write speed of a memory card may be a very important parameter for you. The fact is that when taking photos and videos, cameras transfer the received data to the internal memory buffer, and from there the photos and videos are transferred to the card’s memory. If this buffer fills faster than the data can be written to the card (for example, when shooting in burst mode, when the camera takes a series of high-quality images), then it will simply be lost.

Read speed is not that important, but the higher it is, the faster you can work with the data that is recorded on the card. For example, if you want to watch high bitrate video on your tablet in FullHD or higher resolution, then you will need a pretty good card.

You can see examples of maximum and satisfactory card speeds below - in the " 10 best SD and microSD cards".

UHS interface support

UHS is a faster interface that is supported more expensive cards memory standards SD and microSD. UHS-I allows you to transfer information at a speed of 50 MB/s or 104 MB/s, and UHS-II - at a speed of 156 MB/s or 312 MB/s.

Speed ​​class

A designation of the form "Class x" or "Ux", which indicates the minimum standardized data transfer rate of a particular card. Memory cards can have the following speed classes:

• Class 2 - at least 2 MB/s, you can record SD video.
• Class 4 - at least 4 MB/s, you can record HD video or FullHD video.
• Class 6 - at least 6 MB/s, you can record HD video or FullHD video.
• Class 10 - at least 10 MB/s, high-quality FullHD video recording.
• UHS Speed ​​Class 1 (U1) - at least 10 MB/s, high-quality FullHD video recording.
• UHS Speed ​​Class 3 (U3) - at least 30 MB/s, video recording in resolution up to 4K.

In addition, manufacturers often designate the speed of their memory cards with a multiplier such as "100x" or "600x" in the name. Several of these multipliers correspond to speed classes (13x - Class 2, 26x - Class 4, 40x - Class 6, 66x - Class 10), and the fastest ones are this moment the cards have a 633x multiplier and can transfer data at speeds of up to 95 MB/s.

Adapters included

Special adapters may be supplied with the memory card for use in devices that do not support its original type. In most cases, this is an SD adapter for microSD cards - a plastic housing for a microSD card that allows you to insert it into a slot for SD cards, which are much larger. If you plan to use one card on several devices that support different types, then the included adapter will definitely not hurt.

USB card reader included

You can transfer captured photo and video files to a PC not only by connecting the camera itself - it is much more convenient and sometimes faster to use a special card reader that is inserted into the USB port of the computer. The presence of such a card reader in the kit is a very nice bonus, which usually does not cost too much.

10 best SD and microSD cards

An SD card that will do an excellent job of recording high-quality FullHD video and taking large photos in burst mode. Those who record 4K video will want to use models that are recommended by their camera manufacturer.

A cheaper SD model, which should also do an excellent job of recording FullHD video and taking high-quality photos.

A very high-speed and quite expensive SD model that can easily cope with recording 4K video and has a large enough capacity for its temporary storage.

A slightly faster SD card than the first two models on this list. It also does an excellent job of recording FullHD video and has twice the capacity.

Let's try to find out what class of memory card you should equip your smartphone, tablet, laptop, camcorder or camera when such a need arises, and which class of memory card is better for each of these devices?

To do this, we will consider in detail what classification of memory cards currently exists, and how one miniature storage device differs from another.

Before you find out what a storage device class means, you should clarify the concept of storage media speed. There are two different values ​​for this parameter: the first is the speed of reading or transferring data, and the second is the speed of writing data. The read speed is almost always faster than the write speed, but it has no direct relation to the class of equipment: it may even turn out that a flash drive labeled “class 4” will be read faster than a class 10 flash drive.

Of the two numbers describing the characteristics of the media, this will be the larger number: the higher the reading speed, the easier and faster you can transfer information to an external device. The recording speed is important for the performance of the equipment, and it is this that allows you to record video in the format high resolution. You can find out whether the manufacturer offers a good high-speed recording mode by looking at reverse side packaging.

Since some unscrupulous manufacturers indicate inflated specifications on their products, it is better to purchase memory cards from well-known brands, but, in any case, it is always possible to check the speed data yourself. It is easy to check the speed using special programs, for example, USB-Flash-Banchmark and Check Flash, which can be downloaded for free, or the H2testw utility.

Existing card types

Modern digital storage media comes in different sizes: mini, micro and full-format, with the smallest dimensions intended for a smartphone, tablet or mobile phone, and those that are larger are used in video cameras and cameras.

For a long time, the main storage medium was CompactFlash, or CF cards, measuring 43 x 36 x 3.3 mm, and although the age of these formats has passed, they are nevertheless still used in some DVRs today.

The most common type of digital storage equipment currently is the SD Card (Secure Digital Memory Card) or SD card.

This device is no larger than postage stamp, with dimensions of 32 x 24 x 2.1 mm, surpassed CF cards in all respects, and almost all modern equipment is compatible with it. Higher-capacity devices are now abbreviated SDHC, and ultra-high-capacity devices are abbreviated SDXC.

Micro SD or micro SD card is simply a miniature version of an SD card, measuring 11 x 15 x 1 mm, which is inserted into devices with limited space, such as phones. However, if necessary, it can even be installed in a laptop if you use a special adapter that exists for this purpose. There is also a mini SD with dimensions of 21.5 x 20 x 1.4 mm, since some types of equipment are equipped with just such slots.

Classes of SD memory cards

Let's assume that we already know what size the storage device should be, how much of its memory we need for optimal operation. All that remains is to find out what a memory card class is and what this SD card parameter affects in order to select the one you need. It is this characteristic that will determine the speed at which we can transmit or receive the information we are interested in.

So, this is a parameter that determines the speed of the SD memory card, according to which all devices are divided into:

1. Class 2 - speed from 2 Mb/s to 4 Mb/s. Since the writing speed is very low, this class of flash drive should not be used in video cameras or digital cameras. The lack of speed is compensated by the relative cheapness of the card, so it can be safely used to reproduce sound and images, that is, in audio or video players, since in this case high speed is not needed.
2. Class 4 - speed from 4 Mb/s and higher. For amateur home photography with digital cameras, you can use class four. The fourth class, in addition, is installed in the DVR and some inexpensive non-professional video cameras.
3. Class 6 - guaranteed speed of 6 Mb/s and higher. A flash drive of this level can already be installed in semi-professional video cameras and SLR cameras that shoot in RAW format. They allow you to get fairly high quality shooting.
4. Class 10 - speed is 10 Mb/s and higher. A Class 10 flash drive can be equipped with a car recorder, professional video and photo equipment with Full HD recording. Class 10 allows you to take burst photos, shoot in RAW format and save images, which is of great importance for professional photographers. However, such devices are somewhat more expensive, for example, a microsdhc class 10 memory card will cost at least 1000 rubles.
5. SD Class 16 - speed of at least 16 Mb/s, however, it is still very difficult to buy this card in our country, since it has not yet been widely sold.
6. Ultra High Speed ​​(UHS) - such ultra-high speed cards can only be used with devices compatible with them, which is usually written about in the instructions. Class 10 UHS I is a high-speed card, the writing speed of which can reach 50 MB/s or more.

There is a UHS specification that regulates the speed of equipment. According to the UHS-I standard, the data exchange speed must be at least 50 Mb/s and up to 104 Mb/s, according to the UHS-II standard - at least 156 Mb/s and up to 312 Mb/s. The class 10 uhs i card allows you to provide maximum high level record in real time and, in addition, get large-size video in HD format.

How to determine the class of a memory card? You just need to look at it carefully: the circled number on the front of the digital storage medium will be the desired value.

How to choose a flash drive

It should be taken into account that latest formats memory devices may not work with older hardware. For example, if a smartphone supports the micro SD format, this does not mean that it will also support high-speed micro SDXC. Therefore, to find out this possibility, it is better to read the documentation for your smartphone in advance.

Micro SD, like SD media, comes in two formats (SDHC with a capacity of up to 32 GB and SDXC with a capacity of 64 to 512 GB) and are used in all modern smartphones and tablets. The tenth speed class of such information media is no different from their full-size counterparts. Thus, the higher the classes of sdhc memory cards, the faster data transfer occurs, which is the main advantage of those micro cards SD, which are more expensive for the same capacity.

For example, a microsdhc class 10 32GB memory card costs about 1,500 rubles. Ideal for modern digital devices such as phones, camcorders, smartphones, PDAs, audio players and game consoles. If you don’t skimp on the class of equipment, pursuing immediate benefits, you can get long-term excellent results in the further use of the equipment: high-quality pictures and stunning videos, as well as funds from their sale.

Most often, SD cards are used to expand the available memory of smartphones, tablets, drones and other devices, and among all existing species flash drives are especially popular. Although full-fledged SD is still actively used by owners of digital cameras and cameras.

What are SD cards?:

• standard SD: SD (SDSC), SDHC, SDXC, SDIO - 32 x 24 x 2.1-1.4 mm
• miniSD: miniSD, miniSDHC, miniSDIO - 21.5 x 20 x 1.4 mm
• microSD: microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC - 15 x 11 x 1 mm

In addition, relatively recently, the SD Card Association introduced new formats in the SD 7.0 and SD 7.1 specifications: SD Ultra Capacity (SDUC) with support for memory up to 128 TB and SD Express in which the legacy interface is supplemented with PCIe 3.0 and support for NVMe v1.3, which allows you to get speeds up to 985 MB/s while maintaining backward compatibility.

Just imagine a situation in which all your devices will have NVMe solid-state drives instead of outdated slow interfaces. They boast high speeds equivalent to many SSDs, so SD Express cards will be similar in functionality to solid state drives. Additionally, PCI Express and NVMe support allows for faster data transfer speeds while maintaining backward compatibility.

Every year, the cameras used by mobile devices are only getting better, there are more games, and complex desktop programs can already be run on tablets and smartphones. All this means an increase in demand for faster and higher-capacity flash drives. microSD Express cards, which should be available very soon, will have the same or slightly less power than what the options already on the market offer. But they will be able to guarantee that their maximum energy consumption will be at or below what was achieved by previous generations.

It is worth noting that in this guide we will consider microSD cards, but most of the information will help when choosing a flash drive of any other form factor. The SD Association approved the final microSD specification back in July 2005, when their memory capacity did not exceed 128 MB. Later, they managed to get rid of the limitation and more capacious SDHC and SDXC appeared on the market.

• microSD: memory capacity up to 2 GB, data transfer speed from 25 MB/s - use FAT12, FAT16 or FAT16B file systems.
• microSDHC: memory capacity from 4 GB to 32 GB, data transfer speed from 50 MB/s - usually use the FAT32 file system.
• microSDXC: memory capacity from 64 GB to 2 TB, data transfer speed from 50 MB/s - use exFAT file system.

As we have already noted, most of the SD cards available on the market today have the microSD form factor, and the vast majority of them have the microSDXC specification. This means that they are much easier to find and buy.

microSDXC cards can be divided into several categories, depending on their data transfer speed. In the future, this information can be applied to all flash drives of the SD family that we mentioned above.

The SD Association has proposed several different speed classification systems to help determine which cards are best suited for which purposes.

The “Speed ​​Class” column is the most important indicator that reflects the direct data transfer speed of SD cards. Thus, “Class 2” drives (with a speed of 2 MB/s) are best suited for working with standard definition video, and “Class 10” cards (with a speed of 10 MB/s) are capable of recording and playing video in up to 4K format

Additionally, some SDHC and SDXC cards use an additional Ultra High Speed ​​(UHS) classification. There are three UHS classifications (UHS-I, UHS-II and UHS-III). Each introduces various progressive solutions that increase data transfer speeds.

For example, UHS-III v6.0, released in February 2017, includes two new full-duplex specifications. While UHS-I is limited to 104 MB/s and UHS-III theoretically has a maximum throughput of 624 MB/s at full-duplex, UHS-II can transfer data to and from the card up to 156 MB/s using half-duplex or 312 MB/s with full-duplex.

The classification established by the Video Speed ​​organization gives brief information about cards: for example, the “Video Class 10” indicator includes cards with a minimum sequential write speed of 10 MB/s. Video Class 90 cards (V90 at 90 MB/s) support video recording and playback at 60 or 120 frames per second.

Speed ​​class	Minimum speed consistentrecords	UHS speed class	Speed ​​class Video Speed	Optimal
Class 2 (C2)	2 MB/s			Standard Definition Recording and Playback
Class 4 (C4)	4 MB/s			720p/1080p video
Class 6 (C6)	6 MB/s		Video Class 6 (V6)	720p/1080p, and 4K video
Class 10 (C10)	10 MB/s	UHS Class 1 (U1)	Video Class 10 (V10)	720p/1080p/4K video
	30 MB/s	UHS Class 3 (U3)	Video Class 30 (V30)	1080p/4K video at 60/120 fps
	60 MB/s		Video Class 60 (V60)	8K video at 60/120 fps
	90 MB/s		Video Class 90 (V90)	8K video at 60/120 fps

Performance class

The relatively new classification of SD cards “Application Class”, which was not included in the table, has two classes: A1 and A2, which reflect the minimum IOPS performance of the cards. A1 cards are good for 1500 IOPS read and 500 IOPS write, while A2 increases these figures to 4000 IOPS and 2000 IOPS respectively.

In addition, if you see an SD card that is stamped A1 or A2, then you can be sure that this drive is capable of providing stable sequential write speeds of 10 MB/s.

Class	Minimum speed sequential recording	Minimum random read speed	Minimum random write speed
A1	10 MB/s	1500 IOPS	500 IOPS	Not only data storage, but also editing, updating
A2	10 MB/s	4000 IOPS	2000 IOPS	Higher performance and suitable for special applications

Of course, we should not forget that what faster card, the more expensive it is. Therefore, it makes sense to determine your needs in advance. If you're a professional photographer, you'll need a higher-performance card than the average user can afford. If you plan to use it for a banal memory expansion, then you can easily get by with a simpler option.

And while the main goal of this article is to provide you with all the information you need to buy a micro SD (or full-size SD) card, below we will talk about several flash drives, each of which is ideal for performing certain tasks.

The best ratio of price and quality

• The best value for money is the Evo Select 64GB U3 (about $11), followed by the Samsung Evo Select 128GB U3 (about $20), which has a larger capacity.

If you've recently upgraded your PC and chosen an SSD for it, you've probably noticed that last years A huge number of all kinds of storage devices from Samsung have appeared. Therefore, it is likely that you will decide to install their proprietary microSD into your smartphone. One way or another, you shouldn’t be surprised by the brand’s presence on the market. Moreover, Samsung currently produces the best microSD

For just $11, the 64GB Samsung Evo Select offers speeds of 100MB/s read and 60MB/s write. The card comes with an SD adapter, and at the end of 2018 it became one of the best-selling cards on Amazon. If 64 GB is not enough for you, then pay attention to the Samsung Evo Select with a capacity of 128 GB. The model offers the same reading speed, but more fast speed recording (up to 90 MB/s). Please note that the Samsung Evo Select 128 GB will cost a little more than the 64 GB version, with an average cost of about $20.

Of course, there are a huge number of alternative options in this price segment. But be careful when buying microSD with U1 classification. Most of them have the same read speed as Samsung cards, but lower write speed (around 20-30 MB/s).

The highest performance microSD

• For tablets and smartphones - SanDisk Extreme 128GB U3/V30 A2 (about $30)
• For digital cameras and video recording - Delkin 1900x 64GB UHS-II U3/V60 (about $85)
• Alternative option - Samsung Evo Select 128GB U3 (about $21)

For everyday use In some cases, almost any microSD from the mid-price segment will do. Such cards, as a rule, have a fairly large capacity and high speed of writing and reading data. If you're looking for a microSD to perform some specific tasks (such as recording 4K video), then make sure that the drive meets all the necessary requirements. To do this, do not forget to use the table above.

If you are looking for a memory card for a smartphone or tablet, then you should pay attention to the fact that microSD has fast random access for reading small files. The SanDisk Extreme 128GB (SDSQXA1-128G-GN6MA) boasts sequential write speeds of 90 MB/s and read speeds of 160 MB/s. Of course, we are not talking about constant, but about peak indicators. What's more important is that the SanDisk Extreme 128GB has high random write and read speeds.

To record video using drones or any other video equipment, you will need a card with the highest rating (UHS-II V90). However, they are not available in microSD form factor. Next comes UHS-II V60 drives, providing stable read speeds of 60 MB/s. Delkin MicroSDXC cards (UHS-II U3/V60) boast read speeds of up to 300 MB/s and write speeds of up to 100 MB/s. Lexar Professional from the 1800x and 1000x series are also considered good. To get the most out of these cards, make sure your device's microSD slot supports UHS-II.

Finally, if high card performance is of primary importance to you and the device supports full-size SD cards, then it is better to use a full-size SD card instead of a microSD with an adapter. Lexar also produces the highest-performance SD cards. On average, their read speed can reach 300 MB/s.

The most capacious microSD

• Largest capacity - Kingston Digital Canvas React 512GB U3/V30 A1 (about $150)
• Large capacity and high speed - SanDisk Extreme 400GB U3/V30 A2 (about $110)

Kingston, Micron and Sandisk offer the highest capacity microSD cards available on the market today. Until the second half of 2019, their maximum capacity can reach 1 TB. Kingston's "Digital Canvas React" series boasts cards with capacities up to 512GB. In addition, since their release their cost has dropped significantly and now such a card can be purchased for only $150. PNY also offers an option of similar capacity, although their 512 GB microSD card will cost a little more (about $190).

The maximum capacity of SanDisk cards is 400 GB, while other brands rarely boast 256 GB. Cards microSD memory SanDisk Extreme UHS-I 512GB and 1TB capacities will go on sale in April 2019, with MSRPs expected to be around $200 for the 512GB variant and $450 for the 1TB model.

In terms of price and data read/write speed (100 MB/s read and 80 MB/s write), the Kingston memory card falls right between the alternative recommendations, while the SanDisk Extreme 400 GB can be called the best option for those who really care about speed. This is almost the same card as the option above, but with more capacity and peak write speeds of 160 MB/s, read speeds of 90 MB/s and a unique A2 rating.

If you want to choose the best card memory for a camera or smartphone, but are having trouble choosing, then you have come to the right address. In this material, we talk about how the memory cards on the market differ from each other, and give a practical answer to the question of which specific memory card can perform better in certain operating scenarios.

In 2018, memory cards are ubiquitous. They are used in many types of consumer electronics, from phones and cameras to laptops, drones and dash cams. The high-quality operation of all such gadgets directly depends on how appropriate the memory card is selected for them. And it’s not just about capacity: the performance of memory cards, as well as their price, can vary significantly, and different gadgets have completely different requirements for the speed of the storage media they use. If the memory card is chosen incorrectly, this can directly affect the operation of the gadget, to the point where it refuses to perform its functions at all. Therefore, studying the practical characteristics of memory cards under different types of loads is a very important study, which allows you to find the most suitable option for each case, without overpaying for redundant characteristics.

The main general conclusion from the testing is this: the performance of microSD memory cards is not always directly dependent on their cost. Finding a good speed memory card at a low price today is quite possible.

However, do this without additional research turns out not so easy. Just looking at the speed class logos on the map is clearly not enough. Manufacturers are extremely careless when it comes to labeling, and by and large, a declaration that a card belongs to a particular speed class means absolutely nothing. In most cases, the performance of current microSD card models significantly exceeds the levels declared by the manufacturer. For example, the formally fastest cards that took part in testing were labeled only as U3 and V30 classes, but in practice, some tested samples were able to demonstrate a write speed of an impressive 90 MB/s, which is three times better.

Even greater difficulties arise if the card is selected for an Android device. In most cases, manufacturers do not describe the speeds that are important in this case for small-block loads at all, and there is a complete information vacuum in this area.

Fortunately, the tests carried out allow us to answer basic questions about the real speed characteristics of memory cards and give specific recommendations. In order to present a generalized picture of the domestic card market microSD capacity 64 GB, we have compiled traditional price-performance maps, which combine the speed of memory cards according to the results of testing and their average cost according to Yandex.Market (for Moscow as of 09/07/18).

The first chart takes into account the speeds of memory cards under linear load. It should be used as a guide when it comes to choosing a microSD card for recording photo or video content with the appropriate device.

The second chart takes into account performance for both linear loads and random operations with small blocks. This illustration should be used as a guide when choosing a mobile storage medium for an Android device in which the memory card is planned to be used, among other things, for installing programs and storing work files.

The presented data hardly needs any additional comments. Therefore, all we can do is provide a list of models recommended for purchase.

SamsungEVOPlus64 GB. Base map Samsung's memory is the undisputed favorite in today's test. While the EVO Plus falls into the ultra-low-cost card category, it is able to offer levels of performance found in options that cost twice as much. This rarely happens, but in this case we are dealing with a product that will appeal to almost everyone and is suitable for almost everything. In other words, Samsung EVO Plus is our clear choice.

SanDiskExtremePro64 GB. We were unable to find alternatives that could be compared with the Samsung EVO Plus in terms of price and performance. However, it would still be wrong to leave a list of recommendations from only one model. Therefore, if you have nothing against high-priced memory cards, then we would advise you to pay attention to the SanDisk Extreme Pro. This card is interesting because it offers the highest possible serial speeds for the interface used. When buying it, you can be sure that it was impossible to find anything better for a photo or video camera among UHS-I cards.

SanDiskExtreme64 GB. The third alternative that I would like to mention in this material is the SanDisk Extreme card. True, it makes sense to purchase such a microSD card only if the Samsung EVO Plus for some reason does not suit you at all. It is more expensive, and its performance is slightly better only under occasional load. However, compared to other proposals, it looks quite good, which allows us to include it among the acceptable options, especially when it comes to choosing a mobile storage medium for a smartphone or tablet.

You've probably seen a lot different cards memory and wondered: how are they all different? Many characteristics and the device manufacturer are perhaps the most important data about drives of this type. This article will discuss in detail such a property as speed class. Let's get started!

A class is a parameter that indicates the speed of information exchange between the memory card and the device in which it is installed. The higher the speed of the drive, the faster photo and video files will be recorded on it, and there will be fewer delays when opening and playing them. Since today there are as many as 3 classes, each of which can also have a different multiplier, the international organization SD Card Association (hereinafter referred to as SDA) proposed marking certain characteristics of SD memory cards directly on their case. The classes were given the name SD Speed ​​Class and currently include: SD Class, UHS and Video Class.

Thanks to this solution, anyone who wants to buy a miniature drive can simply look at its packaging in the store and get comprehensive information about its operating speed. But you must always be on guard, because some unscrupulous manufacturers, when labeling a card, may mean the speed of reading from the device, rather than writing to it, which is contrary to the SDA decision and is misleading. Before purchasing, look for test results on the Internet or check the drive directly in the store by asking a sales assistant about it. Using a special software, you can check already purchased cards on your computer.

Write speed classes

SD Class, UHS, and Video Class are standards for recording on a memory card. The number indicated next to the abbreviation is the value of the minimum possible data writing speed to the device under the worst testing conditions. This indicator is measured in MB/s. The most popular is the SD Class standard and its variations, with a multiplier from 2 to 16 (2, 4, 6, 10, 16). On devices it is indicated as a letter of the Latin alphabet “C”, inside of which there is a number. This value will indicate the recording speed.

So, if you have the number 10 in the letter “C” on your card, then the speed should be at least 10 MB/s. The next stage in the development of recording speed standards is UHS. On memory cards it is designated as the letter “U” containing the Roman numeral I or III or their Arabic equivalents. Only now, unlike SD Class, the number in the symbol should be multiplied by 10 - this way you will find out the necessary characteristic.

In 2016, SDA introduced its fastest specification to date - V Class. It has speeds from 6 to 90 MB/s, depending on the multiplier. Cards that support this standard are marked with the letter “V” followed by a number. We multiply this value by 10 and voila - now we know the minimum write speed for this drive.

Important: One memory card can support several, up to all 3, speed standards, but not every device is capable of working with standards faster than SD Class.

SD Classes (C)

SD classes increase in an arithmetic progression, the step of which is 2. This is how it looks on the card body.

• SD Class 2 provides speeds of at least 2 MB/s and is designed for recording video with a resolution of 720 by 576 pixels. This format video is called SD (standard definition, not to be confused with Secure Digital - this is the name of the memory card format itself) and is used as a standard on television.
• SD Class 4 and 6 make it possible to record at least 4 and 6 MB/s, respectively, which will allow you to deal with HD and FullHD video quality. This class is intended for entry-level cameras, smartphones, game consoles and other devices.

All subsequent classes, up to UHS V Class, about which information will be given below, allow you to write data to the drive faster and more efficiently.

UHS(U)

UHS is an acronym English words“Ultra High Speed”, which can be translated into Russian as “Ultra high speed”. To find out the minimum possible data writing speed on drives with this speed class, you need to multiply the number indicated on their case by 10.

• UHS 1 was created for high-quality video shooting in FullHD format and recording streams in real time. The promised speed of saving information to the card is at least 10 MB/s.
• UHS 3 is designed for recording 4K (UHD) video files. Used in SLR and mirrorless cameras for shooting video in UltraHD and 2K.

Video Class (V)

Abbreviated as V Class, it was introduced by the SD Card Association to designate cards optimized for recording 3D video and files with resolutions of 8K and higher. The number after the letter “V” indicates the number of MB/s written. The minimum speed for cards with this speed class is 6 MB/s, which corresponds to class V6, and the maximum class at the moment is V90 — 90 MB/s.

Conclusion

This article examined 3 speed classes that memory cards can have - SD Class, UHS and Video Class. SD Class is designed for wide application in various equipment, while other classes are intended for a narrower range of tasks. UHS will allow you to efficiently record FullHD to 4K video and live streams in real time, making it the standard for low-cost cameras. Video Class was created in order to save huge video files with 8K resolution, as well as 360° video, which predetermined the scope of its application - professional and expensive video equipment.