Samsung PRO+ 64GB SDXC Memory Card Review

Introduction

Samsung upgrades its PRO Series SD cards with the new PRO Plus Series with improved read and write speeds. The PRO+ Series full-size SD cards follow the microSD which was introduced in May 2015. The cards are ideal for demanding photography and 4K Ultra High Definition video recording. Samsung advertises the PRO+ cards with 95MB/s read and 90MB/s write speeds. The cards support UHS-I and are rated UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) for at least 30MB/s continuous video recording. Pro Plus cards are available in 32GB SDHC and microSDHC versions as well as 64GB SDXC and microSDXC. The 64GB SDXC full-size SD card is tested in this review.

The PRO Plus SD cards are designed to operate in extreme temperatures from -25°C to 85°C (-13°F to 185°F). Non-operating temperatures extend the range down to -40°C (-40°F). The cards are designed to withstand shock and X-rays and will maintain data when exposed to magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss which is the range of MRI scanners. Not only are the cards waterproof, they can also endure 72 hours of being submerged in seawater.

PRO plus cards feature a white case. This is offset by black printing on the top side with a red accent stripe. The case design is unique to Samsung. It has eased edges and back has a groove to aid in removing the card from devices. The card is made in Korea and backed by a 10-year warranty.

Performance

The Samsung PRO Plus 64GB SDXC card was in several USB 3.0 card readers. Maximum sequential read speed reached 97.9 MB/s while write speed was 88.9 MB/, close enough to satisfy the speeds quoted on the label. This is an improvement over the Samsung PRO Series 64GB SDXC card that was tested previously at 95.9 MB/s sequential read and 83.9 MB/s sequential write.

Card: Samsung PRO Plus 64GB
Benchmark: CrystalDiskMark 3.0.3 x64
Program settings: 1000 MB, 5 passes, random test data
Operating system: Windows 10 Pro
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H
Processor: Intel Core i7-3770K @ 4.40GHz
RAM: 32GB DDR3 1600

The 64GB PRO Plus SDXC card will be subjected to in-camera testing. Results will be added to the table below. In the Sony A7R II it performed among the upper-level cards, outperforming the previous PRO Series card, but write speed is limited by the camera. The card was not recognized in A7R II as U3.

Cameras tested with this card: Canon 5D Mark IV, Canon 77D, Canon 80D, Canon EOS M5, Canon Rebel T7i, Fuji X-Pro2, Fuji X-T10, Nikon D500, Nikon D7500, Nikon D5600, Olympus E-M1 II, Olympus PEN-F, Panasonic GH5, Sony A7R II, Sony A9, Sony A6300

The following table contains information encoded in the SD card.

Conclusion

Samsung is the world leader in NAND flash memory production although the first Samsung branded consumer memory card dates to only 2009. The PRO Plus card improves on the popular PRO Series and is a competitively-priced high-performance SD card that ranks among the top UHS-I cards.

Available sizes and prices

Compare prices on the Samsung PRO Plus card. The lowest prices are highlighted in the table below. Prices are updated daily.