ADATA has recently launched the world’s first memory card compliant with the SD Express 8.0 standard, named the Premier Extreme SD 8.0 Express. This memory card boasts a read speed of up to 1.6 GB/s and a write speed of 1.2 GB/s, with a capacity of 512 GB. Its astonishing speed is 12 times faster than traditional UHS-I memory cards, making it an ideal choice for professional photography and 4K video demands.
The ADATA Premier Extreme SD 8.0 Express memory card utilizes a PCIe Gen3 x2 interface and NVMe transfer protocol, achieving read speeds of 1,600 MB/s and write speeds of 1,200 MB/s. This performance significantly outpaces UHS-I memory cards, is four times faster than UHS-II cards, and even rivals some entry-level NVMe SSDs. The card supports U3 and V30 video speed classes, ensuring a minimum continuous write speed of 30 MB/s, making it highly suitable for high-resolution image processing and multitasking. Additionally, the built-in LDPC ECC error correction technology, along with waterproof, shockproof, anti-static, and extreme temperature resistance testing, guarantees the safety of user data.
Since the release of the SD 7.0 standard in 2018, SD Express technology has not gained wide adoption due to compatibility and cost issues. By 2025, the demand for high-speed storage driven by the Nintendo Switch 2 has accelerated the commercialization of this technology. The SD 8.0 standard supports PCIe 4.0 x2, offering a theoretical speed of up to 4 GB/s, significantly surpassing the 985 MB/s of SD 7.0. However, memory cards are currently primarily used in the Switch 2 and professional photography equipment. Meanwhile, smartphones have abandoned expandable storage, reducing the likelihood of widespread adoption in the short term. In addition, the cost per GB of MicroSD Express cards is approximately $0.25 (about HK$1.94), notably higher than mainstream SSDs, which range from $0.05 to $0.06 per GB (about HK$0.39–0.47), posing a major obstacle to its promotion.
ADATA has yet to announce the pricing or release date for the Premier Extreme SD 8.0 Express memory card. However, more information is expected to be unveiled at the Computex exhibition in May 2025. As the cost of NAND flash memory technology continues to decrease, the price of SD Express memory cards is likely to drop gradually, potentially expanding their application to drones, surveillance systems, and other fields.
