The company needs to include the file system mentioned above, and it takes up some space.
The tricky bit, however, is that you won’t get a full 256GB of available storage on a 256GB card. This one is pretty straightforward: Companies offer a number that represents the total capacity of the memory on the card. So, Sandisk’s Extreme 400GB card, for example, is a MicroSDXC, which uses the specific file system that allows for all that capacity. The HC and XC designations apply with MicroSD as well. It’s important to note that not all cameras will support SDXC, especially if they’re a generation or more old, so it’s worth checking before making the jump. SDXC cards use the exFAT file system, which pushes their capacity to a range of 64GB to 2TB. SD cards cap out at 2 GB, while SDHC cards can handle between 4GB and 32GB thanks to a file system called FAT 32. The key difference is the file system the cards use, and it affects the amount of storage it can hold. It’s unlikely that you’ll want to buy regular SD cards anymore, but you’ll find plenty of SDHC and SDXC cards on the market, which look the same from a hardware standpoint, but have much different capabilities. This is one of SanDisk’s high-end cards that can record 4K video. Smartphones and other devices like GoPro cameras, drones, and the Nintendo Switch however, rely on MicroSD cards, which are considerably smaller-hence the “micro” in the name.Įach number and letter on the card indicates something about its performance and compatibility. Most current digital cameras rely on SD cards-sometimes two in high-end cameras, so photographers can back up their shots in real time. For the purpose of this article, however, we’re going to concentrate mostly on Secure Digital (SD) and MicrosSD. There are a ton of different memory card types out there, from the high-end performance of XQD, to the old-fashioned ruggedness of Compact Flash. Here are some terms and tips to help you sort through all the jargon that surrounds these little cards that act like buckets for our digital content. There’s a lot of complicated stuff on that card considering that it fits on the face of a dime. Just last week, Sandisk (which is owned by storage mega-giant, Western Digital) introduced a super-fast version of its 400 GB MicroSD card.
With memory cards, however, things are rarely that exciting.Įvery new card is a tiny little chip covered in a seemingly random collection of letters and numbers. Lots of gadgets, like TVs and cars, have exciting announcement events where companies point out impressive new features and stand-out specs. The new version of SanDisk’s 400GB MicroSD card is the fastest around.