SanDisk Extreme PLUS 64 GB microSDXC Memory Card + SD Adapter with A2 App Performance up to 170 MB/s, Class 10, U3, V30

Product Information

In this article, we will compare two popular SD Cards from SanDisk that are used by most photographers and camera owners.

SanDisk Extreme Plus 32 GB MicroSDHC Memory Card, SD Adapter

Now, you may say that I would not be needing fast saving times when taking pictures, why would I need the Pro model? Currently, it is available at about the same price as the Extreme Pro, so it makes no sense to buy the Extreme Plus over the Pro. It is also significantly more expensive than the otherwise very similar Extreme. But, memory card prices can fluctuate widely according to supply and demand, meaning that prices can also vary by large margins from week to week. Real world testing puts the maximum write speed for the PNY 32GB Elite Performance SD card at about 70MB/s, which is significantly less than the Sandisk Extreme Pro. This is still a very good speed, and if your camera cannot support write speeds above this, you would see no speed difference in using this card over the Sandisk.

The difference between Sandisk Ultra and Extreme is apparent in all aspects of the test, with the write speeds of the Extreme about 100% greater than the Ultra in both sequential and random write speed tests. The read speed tests of the SD Extreme vs Ultra show about 50% faster speeds for the Extreme. If you use your camera for taking pictures, the data collected is stored on the camera’s buffer. Buffer is the temporary storage of the camera like RAM (Random Access Memory) on Computers. The camera then sends this data to the storage which is the SD Card. This is where SD Card’s write speeds are important. Faster write speeds mean the camera can capture another shot faster.

SANDISK Extreme Pro Class 10 SDXC Memory Card - 128 GB - Currys SANDISK Extreme Pro Class 10 SDXC Memory Card - 128 GB - Currys

This is the number of photos and video files you can store on the memory card. It is always worth buying the highest capacity you can afford. Bear in mind though, that having fewer, higher capacity cards puts your photos more at risk of being lost if there was a catastrophic failure of one card. If you want to know whether to get the Sandisk Extreme or Ultra, you can directly compare the Sandisk Extreme vs Ultra in the table below. Looking at the stats, it’s clear that of the Sandisk Ultra vs Sandisk Extreme, the Extreme is the better card. The Extreme Plus offers better performance than the SanDisk Mobile Extreme, but at these levels, we're not seeing the huge jumps in performance that we did with previous generations of cards. For one thing, the Galaxy Note 3 seems to max out at Extreme levels of performance—and remember, this is a phone that records 4K video at 30 frames per second. But even in the PCs, we're seeing incremental steps rather than the huge leaps in write speeds we saw, say, between the Mobile Ultra and Mobile Extreme. That makes me hesitant to recommend this more expensive card over the Mobile Extreme. If you require rapid read speeds that can help you deal with files such as pictures and videos that are of high quality and resolution (such as 4K or 8K), then opting for higher read speeds can be ideal.This can then make it easier for you to move on to the next shots that you need to take without encountering buffering in your camera, or dropped frames in your videos. SanDisk Extreme Pro has a max write speed of 90 MB per second, on the other hand, the SanDisk Extreme Plus has a max write speed of 60 MB per second. If you mostly use your camera to capture photos from outdoor activities or action photography, you should consider getting an SD Card with higher maximum write speeds. The SanDisk Ultra offers a wider range of capacities than the Pro Plus, with lower prices across the board. This is partly owing to its lower U1 speed class, meaning its write speeds aren’t as fast as U3 models, but that’s more of a concern for videographers needing a microSD card for their camera. Where games performance is concerned, read speed is king, and the affordable Ultra can keep pace with pricier cards.

Sandisk Extreme Pro vs Extreme Plus (SD Card Comparison) Sandisk Extreme Pro vs Extreme Plus (SD Card Comparison)

The SanDisk Extreme Plus is another great choice for recording and storing high-resolution images and videos. There are various memory storage options that generally range from 64 GB to 1 TB, allowing you to opt for a capacity that can suit your requirements well. If you are a professional who needs immediate transfer of photos and videos for post-processing, you will need an SD Card with fast read speeds.But, looking at the Sandisk Ultra vs Extreme vs Extreme Pro, the Sandisk Extreme Pro write speed is between 133 – 176 MB / sec and the read speed is between 54 – 99 MB/ sec, meaning there is a significant difference between the Sandisk Extreme Pro and Ultra, and this even beats the non-Pro Extreme. Therefore, the write speeds of the memory card determine how many photos you can take in a burst before the buffer fills up and you must stop shooting. You would really feel the difference when you are taking multiple burst photos. The SanDisk Extreme Pro will just be faster on taking in the data from the camera’s buffer. Photos cannot be written to the memory card as fast as they can to the buffer, and once the buffer is full, you cannot take any more photos, until space has been freed up on the buffer. Personally, If I am going to get an SD Card for my camera, I would definitely go with the SanDisk Extreme Pro. It may be a little expensive compared to the Extreme Plus but, the upgrade that you get is worth it.