Samsung has a reputation for delivering reliable memory products, and the Samsung PRO Ultimate MicroSD doesn’t disappoint. It was designed to surpass the speeds of previous Samsung microSDs, making it a perfect option for creators looking for a speedy, reliable microSD. The memory card is available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.
Samsung has a reputation for delivering reliable memory products, and the Samsung PRO Ultimate MicroSD doesn’t disappoint. It was designed to surpass the speeds of previous Samsung microSDs, making it a perfect option for creators looking for a speedy, reliable microSD. The memory card is available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.
Samsung PRO Ultimate microSD Card
MicroSDs can be found in many tech products, including phones, tablets, and cameras. In today’s era, they can even be located 400 feet in the sky in consumer-grade drones. With users demanding smaller and lighter technology, it’s no surprise that microSDs continue to gain momentum. SD cards are too big for much of today’s technology; hence, they are often abandoned in the smaller options. Their smaller form factor gives them more versatility and use cases.
We reviewed the Samsung PRO Plus microSD Card in August, and based on its performance, we were excited to experience the improvements in the Ultimate microSD.
Samsung claims performance of 180MB/s read and 130MB/s write for the Samsung PRO Plus microSD card. The Samsung PRO Ultimate microSD has documented speeds of 200MB/s read and 130MB/s write, making it a little faster than the PRO Plus.
The Samsung PRO Ultimate microSD has an edge over its predecessors due to the card’s upgraded support of UHS-I (DDR225), surpassing the speeds of previous microSDs, which were limited by the UHS-I (SDR104). The memory card is also equipped with Samsung’s own V-NAND flash memory.
The Samsung PRO Ultimate microSD is going for $59.99 on Amazon as of writing this. A USB reader can be purchased with the product for an additional $7 or so.
Samsung PRO Ultimate microSD Card Specification Sheet
| Attribute | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | microSDXC |
| User Capacity |
|
| Bus Speed Mode | UHS-I SDR1042) / UHS-I DDR2003) with Samsung microSDXC Reader |
| Dimensions | 15 x 11 x 1 (mm) (L x W x H) |
| Weight | Approx. 0.25g (Card only) |
| Speed Class | Class 10, V304) |
| App Perf. Class | Class A25 |
| Speed Grade | Grade 3 (U3) |
| Sequential Read Speed | Up to 200MB/s |
| Sequential Write Speed | Up to 130MB/s |
Longevity is vital to most professionals in the memory card market. Samsung does pretty well with this, with a claimed durability of 10,000 cycles. In addition, Samsung ensures the card is resilient to outdoor elements, including waterproof, temperature-proof, and drop-proof. The memory card comes with a 10-year limited warranty.
| Attribute | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Temperature |
|
| Durability | 10,000 mating cycles |
| 6-Proof Features |
|
| EMC Certifications | FCC (IC), CE (UKCA), VCCI, RCM |
| Warranty | 10-year limited |
Samsung PRO Ultimate microSD Card Performance
We tested the Samsung PRO Plus microSD with the bundled Samsung reader via our Lenovo ThinkStation P520 testbed. We will compare results from the PRO Plus to the SanDisk Extreme PRO microSD, another relevant microSD on the market.
- Samsung PRO Ultimate microSD ($59.99 for 512GB)
- Samsung PRO Plus microSD ($34.99 for 512GB)
- SanDisk Extreme PRO microSD ($52.01 for 512GB)
The Samsung PRO Plus microSD is in a lower class, but we are comparing it to assess the performance difference between it and the more powerful Samsung PRO Ultimate microSD for relative measure.
Starting with the Blackmagic benchmark, the Samsung PRO Ultimate clocked a read speed of 193.1 MB/s and a write speed of 129.1 MB/s, just missing out on the max read speed.
The Samsung PRO Ultimate microSD barely won against the SanDisk Extreme PRO microSD in reads but lost in writes. These wins and losses were by small margins, though the two memory cards performed similarly.
The Samsung PRO Plus did pretty well in the write category but lacked in reads. It held its ground pretty well for being a lower-class drive, considering it is $25 cheaper than the Samsung PRO Ultimate.
| Disk Speed Test | Samsung PRO Ultimate microSD | Samsung PRO Plus microSD | SanDisk Extreme PRO microSD |
| Read | 193.1 MB/s | 158.8 MB/s | 191.1 MB/s |
| Write | 129.1 MB/s | 125.7 MB/s | 133.2 MB/s |
Moving to synthetic testing using IOMeter 1 thread, the Samsung PRO Ultimate came out on top for most of the categories, only beaten by the SanDisk memory card in the Seq 2MB Write test. The Samsung PRO Ultimate crushed in the IOPS categories, topping the SanDisk Extreme PRO by a large margin.
The Samsung PRO Plus microSD got a comfortable second place in the IOPS categories but fell behind in the other metrics. The Samsung PRO Plus performed well against the faster and pricier drives.
| IOMeter (1 Thread) | Samsung PRO Ultimate microSD | Samsung PRO Plus microSD | SanDisk Extreme PRO microSD |
| Seq 2MB Read | 191.2 MB/s | 157.0 MB/s | 191 MB/s |
| Seq 2MB Write | 128.6 MB/s | 125.5 MB/s | 135 MB/s |
| Random 2MB Read | 174.3 MB/s | 149.6 MB/s | 167 MB/s |
| Random 2MB Write | 102.9 MB/s | 101.2 MB/s | 96 MB/s |
| Random 4K Read | 2873 IOPS | 2626 IOPS | 1349 IOPS |
| Random 4K Write | 1802 IOPS | 1645 IOPS | 601 IOPS |
Final Thoughts
MicroSDs are consistently getting more relevant as devices continue to shrink and the demand for more local storage surges. The Samsung PRO Ultimate microSD is one of the many solutions rising to meet this market shift.
The card performed slightly under what Samsung quoted, but this was okay, considering our numbers were not that far off, especially regarding writes. Samsung quoted 200 MB/s and 130 MB/s sequential reads and writes, respectively, and our sequential numbers came close to this with 191.2 MB/s read and 128.6 MB/s write.
At the time of this writing, Amazon had the Samsung PRO Ultimate microSD selling for $59.99, making it the most expensive drive on the list. This isn’t unexpected, given the card has just launched. As launch hype wears down, the price is expected to reach market levels. This drive performed the best in most metrics, although by a slight margin, making it a good purchase for those who need a high-performance microSD card.
Ultimately, the Samsung PRO Ultimate microSD is a solid memory card for its class, earning our recommendation.
Samsung PRO Ultimate microSD Card on Amazon
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