Should I buy the SanDisk Extreme or SanDisk Extreme PRO?

SanDisk offer the world’s fastest read and write speeds, so it’s no wonder you’re considering them for your high speed memory card upgrade. If you’re after a reliable, high performance SDXC card, the SanDisk Extreme and SanDisk Extreme PRO won’t disappoint.

But with both versions offering Class 10 rating and available in capacities of up to 256GB, what exactly are the differences? Let’s explore a little deeper.

Read Speed

A card’s read speed relates to how fast data can be retrieved from it, so the read performance can be measured when transferring the card's contents to other devices, such as a computer. The SanDisk Extreme and SanDisk Extreme PRO range vastly exceed the minimum class 10 speed, offering rapid speeds of 90 MB/s and 95 MB/s respectively.

Where improved workflow is of extreme importance, with masses of data needing to be transferred in an instant, the 5 MB per second of added acceleration offered by the Extreme Pro could be reasonably impactful. But in most instances, both will deal with large volumes of photo and video with ease.

Write Speed

A card’s write speed relates to how fast data can be saved on it, so the write performance can be measured when capturing images and video. The write speed is typically slower than the read speed, but for HD and continuous capture, a fast write speed is crucial to prevent dropped frames or card failure.

The SanDisk Extreme offers decent read speeds of 40MB/s for 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, with a jump to a zippy 60MB/s for 128GB and 256GB models. While this performance is more than sufficient for professional photographers, videographers might want to consider the Extreme PRO, which presents a supersonic 90MB/s on all its capacities.

1080p and 4k shooting

With the SanDisk Extreme and SanDisk Extreme PRO, you can feel safe in the knowledge that all capacities will handle HD video with ease. While the Extreme supports 1080p video, this is the moment the Extreme Pro can really shine, as it supports the highest resolution in video capture currently on the market, 4K Ultra HD.

Reliability

Like many high speed memory cards, the SanDisk Extreme and Extreme PRO are an extremely safe bet for storing your important photos and video files, with little to no risk of file corruption.

Price

Both the Extreme and the Extreme PRO are affordable solutions, but you might have guessed that due its nippier read and write speeds and ability to take on 4K video, the Extreme Pro is a slightly larger investment. However, the marginal price difference becomes almost insignificant when considering the performance it offers.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a budding photographer or a seasoned pro, a high-speed memory card is essential. Both the SanDisk Extreme and SanDisk Extreme PRO are high performance options that:

• Mean you never miss a moment  with high-speed write speeds
• Reduce the need to stop and change the cards frequently
• Reduce post-production upload times giving you more time for the important things

But if you’re a 4K shooter or a video producer who wants extra peace of mind that your memory card will take everything you throw at it and perform without fail, the SanDisk Extreme PRO is a worthy investment.

Don't just take our word for it

Read what the experts have to say and browse the work they’ve captured on SanDisk Extreme and Extreme Pro memory cards here. 

Ready to try it for yourself?

You can purchase the SanDisk Extreme and Extreme Pro range at Memory Cow.