Difference between SDHC vs SDXC SD Cards Specifications and Speed

If you are confused between SDHC vs SDXC SD Cards then let us help you out. These standards are defined by the SD Card Association. The organization started with just 3 members, Panasonic, Sandisk, and Toshiba. Currently, there are over a thousand members in the association. There are 3 different standards which are based on its storage capacity. They are as follows:

• SDSC – Secure Digital Standard Capacity (Up to 2 GB)
• SDHC – Secure Digital High Capacity (Between 2 – 32 GB)
• SDXC – Secure Digital eXtended Capacity (Between 32GB – 2 TB)

There are two different types of SD (Secure Digital) Cards available in the market:

• SD – Dimensions of “32 x 24 x 2.1 mm,” and Approx weight of 2 grams
• microSD – Dimensions of “11 x 15 x 1.0 mm,” and Approx weight of 0.5 grams

Since there are many vendors who offer SD Cards, which uses different internals NAND chips. It can make it difficult for end users to predict the actual performance of the SD Card before buying it. So, the SD Card Association defined a set of standard which makes the life of an average consumer easy. See the image below:

Source: http://sdcard.org

These SD cards with only give you peak performance when the bus speed is matched to the host device. So, when you buy an SD UHS II card, make sure your laptop or camera supports the high-speed standard. Currently, the SD cards operates in the following modes:

• SDHC/SHXC High-Speed Mode: C10 (Class 10)
• SDHC/SHXC U1 SDR50
• SDHC/SHXC U3 Mode: DDR50 or faster
• SDHC/SHXC V60 or V90: UHS-II or faster

SDHC vs SDXC SD Cards

Currently, the market is flooded with SD cards at different price brackets with a variety of specs. Typically when you buy them, you would want the fastest card available. However, sometimes higher capacity cards are slower than lower capacity cards. For example, see below:

Also Read: Top SD Cards for Capturing 4K Videos

Both are Sandisk branded Extreme Pro Series Cards, with one minor difference. The 64 GB card is a UHS II card, whereas the 512 GB is a UHS I card. So, as you can see, the difference is in the card type which translates to the interface speeds. UHS stands for “Ultra High Speed” and uses faster NAND flash drives when compared to a standard Class 6 or Class 10 SD Cards.

Now that we are clear about the various SD Card standard let us talk about the new Video Speed Class.

What is “V6, V10, V30, V60, V90” Video Speed Class

Streaming Video content has become a part of our digital lifestyle. Almost all of the today’s cameras come with an Android or iOS app to transfer videos and images over WiFi. To get predictable performance from the system, and a better user experience, the SD Card Association have defined the new Video Speed Class.

To capture 8K videos, you would need at least a V90 SDXC II card for a smoother operation. It means that the SD Card should give a minimum of 90 MB/s sequential write speed, to capture 8K videos. On the other hand, 4K videos can be captured with a card with minimum 60 MB/s sequential write speed.

The image below clearly explains the minimum speed requirements for a specified SD Card class:

Source: www.sdcard.org

Now that you understand the video speed class standard let us list out the best V60 and V90 cards currently available in the market.

Top V60 SD Cards for 8K and 4K Video Capturing

With a minimum speed requirement of 60 MBPS, these cards are suitable for 4K video capture. Most manufacturers have them as a part of their product lineup. Check them out below.

1. Sandisk 128 GB Extreme Pro (HS-I/U3)

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• Shot burst speeds up to “90MBPS” & transfer speeds up to 95 MBPS
• Engineered to take 4K UHD Ultra High Definition
• UHS (Ultra High-Speed) Speed Class 3 (U3)
• Temperature, water, shock, and x-ray proof

2. Delkin 128 GB UHS-I & UHS-II

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• Compatible with All devices & Cameras with an SD Card slot
• Engineered for HD, 4K & RAW Burst
• Specialized to Record & Store Multiple Files Simultaneously (RAW, JPEG, Videos)
• Read-Write Speeds of up to 285-100 MB/s
• UHS-I-UHS-II Video Speed Class V60

Top V90 SD Cards for 8K and 4K Video Capturing

The V90 standard requires manufacturers to ensure a minimum of 90 MBPS sequential read speeds on their SD Cards. Currently, there are plenty of SD Cards that meets the minimum specifications. If you are planning to capture and store videos in 8K, these are the ones that you need to go for.

1. ADATA “Premier ONE” V90 SDXC II for 4k & 8K Videos

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The ADATA 128 GB V90 card supports the current 4k & 8K standard for top quality video capturing.

• Supports UHS-II (SD 4.0) standard and V90 “Video Speed Class.”
• Lastest “3D MLC” NAND Flash which ensures extended durability and reliability
• Read Speeds of up to 290MBPS
• Support 4K UHD 8K, 4K, and 3D/VR
• Comes with a Life time warranty

2. Delkin “Cinema” V90 SDXC II for 4k & 8K Videos

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This is also a UHS-II high-speed memory card capable of capturing 8k, HDR10, 4K UHD videos with ease.

• UHS-II video speed Class 90 (V90)
• Read/write speeds: 280/250 MB/s
• Uninterrupted 4K UHD, 8K, 3D, HDR10, & 360º high-speed recording

Conclusion

As we go forward, we expect to see more V90 and V60 video cards from top manufacturers as on when these standards become mainstream.

We hope this post was helpful. For any questions or concerns, do drop us a comment below in the comment section below.