Comparison of memory cards explained

This table provides summary of comparison of various flash memory cards, .

Common information

Unless otherwise indicated, all images are to scale.

Physical details

Note that a memory card's dimensions are determined while holding the card with contact pins upwards. The length of cards is often greater than their width. Most cards show a directional arrow to aid insertion; such an arrow should be upward.

CardWidth (mm)Length (mm)Thickness (mm)Volume (mm³)Mass (g)[9]
CompactFlash, Type I43.036.03.35,1083.3
CompactFlash, Type II43.036.05.07,740
SmartMedia37.045.00.761,2652.0
MMC, MMCplus24.032.01.41,0751.3[10]
RS-MMC, MMCmobile24.018.01.46051.3
MMCmicro14.012.01.1185
SD, SDHC, SDXC, SDIO, MicroP224.032.02.11,6132.0
miniSD, miniSDHC, miniSDIO20.021.51.46021.0
microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC11.015.01.01650.27
Memory Stick Standard, PRO21.550.02.83,0104.0
Memory Stick Duo, PRO Duo, PRO-HG, XC20.031.01.69922.0
Memory Stick Micro (M2), XC12.515.01.22252.0
Nano Memory12.3[11] 8.80.776
PS Vita Memory Card1512.51.63000.6
XQD card38.529.83.84,360
xD25.020.01.788902.8
USBvariesvariesvariesvariesvaries

Speed comparison

StandardSDUFS CardCFastXQDCFexpress
Version3.04.06.07.0[12] 1.0/1.13.01.02.01.02.01.0?
Launched2010 Q22011 Q12017 Q1?2016 Q2 / 2018 Q12020 Q42008 Q32012 Q32011 Q42014 Q12017 Q2?
BusUHS-IUHS-IIUHS-IIIPCIeUFS 2.0UFS 3.0SATA-300SATA-600PCIe 2.0 x1PCIe 2.0 x2PCIe 3.0 x2PCIe 3.0 x8
Speed(full-duplex)104 MB/s156 MB/s624 MB/s1970 MB/s (?)600 MB/s1200 MB/s300 MB/s600 MB/s500 MB/s1000 MB/s1970 MB/s7880 MB/s

Technical details

Consumer details

CardWrite protection switch[35] DRM
CompactFlash
SmartMedia, sticker (optional)
MMC, RS-MMC
MMCMobile, secureMMC
SD[36] [37] rowspan="3", CPRM
miniSD
microSD
Memory Stick Standard, PRO, MagicGate
Memory Stick Duo, PRO Duo, MagicGate
Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, MagicGate
Memory Stick Micro (M2), MagicGate
PS Vita Memory Card, Proprietary
xD[38]
USBSometimes

Compatibility

The following chart gives details on availability of adapters to put a given card (horizontal) in a given slot or device (vertical). This table does not take into account protocol issues in communicating with the device.

Following labels are used:

CFCFastSMMMCMemory StickSDSCSDHCSDXCxDXQD
IIIMMCRS-MMC, MMCmobileStdPROPRO DuoMicroSDSCminiSDmicroSDSDHCminiSDHCmicroSDHCSDXCmicroSDXCStdMH
ExpressCardE[39] EE[40] E[41] EEEEE[42] EEEEM
PCI Express Mini CardEM
mSATAXM
PC CardEM[43] EME[44] <-- also 3.5 in floppy -->E[45] EEE
PCMCIAEMEME <-- also 3.5 in floppy -->EEEE
CF I++EE[46] E[47] EE[48] EE[49] EE
CF II+EEEEEEEE
CFast+
SM+X[50] XX
xDE[51] +++
XQD+
MMC+MD[52]
MSX[53] ++MMXXE[54]
SDSCDM+EMEM
miniSD+EM
microSD+
SDHCD[55] EMEM+EMEM
miniSDHCDEM+EM
microSDHCD+
SDXCuscbD[56] EMEMDEMEM+EM
microSDXCDD+
IDE PATAEM[57] EME[58] [59]
Serial ATAE[60] EEM
PCI ExpressEM
USBX[61] XXXXXE[62] EE[63] E[64] XXXX<-- USB 3.0 SuperSpeed -->
FloppyE[65] E<-- JVC Flashpath CUVFM40U -->E + ME<-- Sony MSAC-FD1A/MSAC-FD1B and MSAC-FD2M/MSAC-FD2MA -->E
Nintendo DS Slot-1E[66]
Nintendo DS Slot-2E[67] EE

External links

Notes and References

  1. Pictures are given in relative scales; they're sized to be WYSIWYG when viewing using 81 PPI monitor.
  2. http://compactflash.org/2010/cfa-announces-availability-of-cf50/ CompactFlash Association announces CF 5.0 standard supporting up to 128 PiB of storage
  3. Web site: Yordan . Lexar launches 512 GB NM card for Huawei phones . 2024-10-21 . GSMArena.com . en-US.
  4. Web site: 2020-12-11 . Capacity (SD/SDHC/SDXC/SDUC) SD Association . 2022-03-28 . www.sdcard.org . en-US.
  5. Web site: Why Do microSD Cards Have a Maximum 32GB capacity? – Pocketnow. 31 July 2010. 1 October 2014. 6 October 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141006112514/http://pocketnow.com/smartphone-news/why-do-microsd-cards-have-a-maximum-32gb-capacity. dead.
  6. Web site: Kioxia 2 TB micro sd .
  7. Web site: PS Vita Memory Card Instruction Manual . Sony Computer Entertainment Europe . 27 June 2018 . 21 April 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170421155606/https://www.playstation.com/en-ae/content/dam/support/manuals/scee/web-manuals/peripherals/psvita/memory-card/PCH-Z321_161_081_041_PS%20Vita%20MC%20Manual%20EN%20Web.pdf/ . dead .
  8. http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/accessories/card/ FUJIFILM Global | xD-Picture Card and Adapters
  9. http://plex.us/outbursts/dc_memory.html Plexus Outbursts specifications
  10. http://www.apacer.com/en/products/Multimedia_Card.htm Apacer's MMC specifications
  11. Web site: Lexar nCARD NM Card – Lexar . 2021-09-01 . 2021-09-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210901091758/https://www.lexar.com/portfolio_page/ncard/#specifications . dead .
  12. Web site: SD + PCIe/NVMe card New Innovations in SD Cards Lead the Way to Mobile Everything. Pinto. Yosi. Flash Memory Summit.
  13. http://www.allmemorycards.com/glossary/operating-voltage.htm Voltage table at All Memory Cards
  14. Web site: Parked at Loopia. www.allmemorycards.com.
  15. http://compactflash.org/2010/cf-6-0-introduces-industry-leading-performance-and-feature-enhancements/ CompactFlash Specification Rev. 6.0
  16. http://www.acp-ep.com/rs_mmc_card_specs.html ACP-EP Specifications
  17. http://www.acp-ep.com/rs_mmc_card.html ACP-EP RS-MMC card features list
  18. http://www.acp-ep.com/mmcmobile_card.html ACP-EP MMCmobile card features list
  19. http://www.transcend.nl/Products/ModDetail.asp?ModNo=77&LangNo=0 Transcend MMCplus 4 GiB
  20. http://www.mmca.org/technology MMC transferred at up to 52 MiB/s
  21. https://manualzz.com/doc/2560076/transcend-mmcmicro Transcend MMCmicro card (TS128MMCM) datasheet
  22. Maximum transfer speed is not defined by SD standards. Bus speeds are quoted.
  23. Web site: Bus Speed – SD Association . 2014-02-09 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140209080244/https://www.sdcard.org/consumers/speed/bus_speed/ . 2014-02-09.
  24. Web site: Toshiba : Press Releases 22 August, 2007. www.toshiba.co.jp.
  25. http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Item(2318)-SDSDM-4096-SanDisk_miniSDHC_Card_4GB_miniSD_HighCapacity.aspx New 4 GiB miniSDHC card
  26. Web site: PNY Technologies . PNY 512GB Elite Performance Class 10 U3 SDXC Flash Memory Card : Electronics . Amazon . 2022-08-07.
  27. Web site: Capacity (SD/SDHC/SDXC) – SD Association. www.sdcard.org. 11 December 2020 .
  28. Web site: Amazon.com: SanDisk 1TB Extreme MicroSDXC UHS-I Memory Card with Adapter – A2, U3, V30, 4K UHD, Micro SD – SDSQXA1-1T00-GN6MA. www.amazon.com.
  29. Web site: Sony bumps the Memory Stick PRO Duo capacity up to 32GB. Matt. Burns. 2009-10-30. 2009-10-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20091025205430/http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/08/21/sony-bumps-the-memory-stick-pro-duo-capacity-up-to-32gb/. dead.
  30. http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921666322869&tab=featuresTab
  31. http://www.digitalcamerainfo.com/content/Sony-Introduces-Faster-MS-Pro-HG-Duo-Card-.htm Sony Introduces Faster MS Pro HG Duo Card
  32. Web site: Sony Global - News Release - SANDISK AND SONY DEVELOP "MEMORY STICK PRO-HG" FORMAT. www.sony.net.
  33. Web site: SANDISK MOBILE ULTRA MICROSDHC AND MEMORY STICK MICRO (M2) PREMIUM MOBILE MEMORY CARDS INCREASE CAPACITY TO 16 GIGABYTES. SanDisk®. www.sandisk.com.
  34. Web site: Press. Kingston Technology Company.
  35. Web site: Write protection switch at All Memory Cards . https://web.archive.org/web/20160420082221/http://allmemorycards.com/glossary/write-protection-switch.htm . 2016-04-20 . dead .
  36. Some early SD cards may not have a write protection switch.
  37. The write protect switch signals to the host, which is responsible for write protection. The write protect switch is not connected to the internal circuitry of the card. (SD Card Simplified Physical Layer Specification)
  38. Web site: Fujifilm accessories xD-Picture Card . https://web.archive.org/web/20070711173526/http://fujifilm.ie/digital/digital/accessories/xdcard/index.htm . July 11, 2007 . dead .
  39. Web site: DataFab Systems Inc. – The Leader of Innovative Technology in Portable Storage Systems. www.datafab.com.
  40. http://www.datafab.com/product/flash_card_adapter_express_12in2.asp DataFab EXP 12 in 2
  41. http://www.datafab.com/product/flash_card_adapter_express_8in1.asp DataFab exp 12 in 1
  42. http://www.datafab.com/product/flash_card_adapter_express_M2microSD.asp DataFab exp M2+microSD
  43. Web site: Loading.... www.transcendusa.com.
  44. Web site: Loading.... www.transcendusa.com.
  45. Web site: Loading.... www.transcendusa.com.
  46. Web site: Minolta SD-CF1 SD-to-CompactFlash adapter . 2007-01-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060616141535/http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/other-memory-adapters/minolta-sd-cf1-compactflash-card-adapter/ . 2006-06-16 . dead .
  47. Web site: Transcend MemoryStick-to-CompactFlash adapter . 2007-01-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070224135029/http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/other-memory-adapters/transcend-card-adapter-memory-stick/ . 2007-02-24 . dead .
  48. Web site: Shortage everywhere! Sony MSAC-MCF1N Memory Stick Duo Adaptor for CompactFlash Slot. www.camerahacker.com.
  49. http://www.olympus-europa.com/consumer/198_MACF-10.htm Olympus MACF-10 xD-to-CompactFlash adapter
  50. Web site: Hama xD-to-SM adapter . 2007-01-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070930181419/http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/other-memory-adapters/hama-xd-sm-adapter/ . 2007-09-30 . dead .
  51. In March 2008, Olympus started shipping the MASD-1 microSD-to-xD adapter along with its latest compact digital cameras, with a shape designed to fit only in those latest cameras . The physical adapter is in fact purely electromechanical, although the xD and SD protocols are completely incompatible. This demonstrates that the cameras themselves must understand the SD protocol, and thus the adapter is more properly termed an electronic adapter, with the electronic logic contained in the camera rather than the physical accessory.
  52. SD cards are usually thicker than MMC ones, and although it uses perfectly compatible pins, not every MMC slot may allow thick SD card to be inserted
  53. Web site: PSP Expand Memory Converter. Amazon.
  54. http://www.kingmaxdigi.com/news/box/combo_b.jpg KingMax microSD to MS PRO Duo Adapter
  55. SDHC devices are backward-compatible with normal SD cards (Web site: About Compatibility with Host Devices – SD Association . 2012-01-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111121065335/https://www.sdcard.org/consumers/compatibility/ . 2011-11-21 .)
  56. SDXC devices are backward-compatible with SD and SDHC cards. (Web site: About Compatibility with Host Devices – SD Association . 2012-01-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111121065335/https://www.sdcard.org/consumers/compatibility/ . 2011-11-21 .)
  57. Web site: PC Engines flash storage solutions. www.pcengines.ch.
  58. http://www.shentech.com/stemptsdcato.html Star Empery PT110 SD Card To ATA IDE 3.5 inch Hard Drive Adapter
  59. Web site: The do-it-yourself SSD adapter. 19 February 2007 .
  60. Web site: Tom's Hardware Articles – Find and Filter Our Latest Articles. Tom's Hardware.
  61. There are many USB-connected "n-in-1" memory card readers, for example Belkin's "Hi-Speed USB 2.0 15-in-1 Media Reader & Writer".
  62. MS Duo and M2 adapters have appeared in the last 12 months which look like USB memory sticks
  63. Web site: SanDisk @ CES – SD card with built-in USB adapter. 6 January 2005 .
  64. http://www.adata.com.tw/adata_en/product_show.php?ProductNo=AMCSRZZZGH A-Data microSD to USB Adapter
  65. http://www.dcresource.com/FlashPath/index.html DCRP Special Report: FlashPath Adapter
  66. http://www.r4ds.com/index-en.htm R4 microSD to NDS Slot-1 Adapter
  67. http://eng.supercard.cn/products.htm Supercard to NDS Slot-2 Adapter