Performance:
The test system used in this review is equipped with an Intel Core i7-6700K CPU, GIGABYTE GA-Z170X-UD3 motherboard, 32GB (16GB x 2) of Crucial Ballistix Sport LT DDR4 memory, Samsung 960 PRO 512GB SSD, GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1060 WINDFORCE OC 6G graphics card and a Transcend TS-RDF5K USB 3.0 card reader. For the operating system, I installed a fresh copy of Windows 10 Enterprise.
To test the performance of Samsung's 128GB PRO Endurance microSDXC card, I ran a series of benchmarks using CrystalDiskMark and ATTO Disk Benchmark. To get a feel for the "real world" performance, I also copied and pasted 1GB of random files and directories as well as a single 4GB ISO file in Windows Explorer.
CrystalDiskMark 5.1.2:
First, I ran a few quick tests using CrystalDiskMark. This benchmark tool measures the performance of a storage device by testing its sequential read and write speeds as well as its random read and write speeds using blocks 512K and 4K in size.
 Samsung PRO Endurance 128GB microSDXC |
 Samsung EVO Plus 128GB microSDXC |
According to Samsung, the 128GB version of their PRO Endurance microSDXC card is capable of reading at 100 MB/s and writing at 30 MB/s. While the card performed better than expected when writing, it came up a bit short in CrystalDiskMark's sequential read test.
ATTO Disk Benchmark 2.46:
I also used ATTO Disk Benchmark to test the PRO Endurance microSDXC card's sequential read and write speeds. The test was run using blocks ranging in size from 0.5KB to 8192KB and the total length set to 256MB.
 Samsung PRO Endurance 128GB microSDXC |
 Samsung EVO Plus 128GB microSDXC |
When tested with ATTO, the PRO Endurance microSDXC card's read speeds topped out at about 92 MB/s and its write speeds at 45 MB/s.
"Real World" Benchmark:
To test the "real world" performance of Samsung's PRO Endurance microSDXC memory card, I copied and pasted 1GB worth of randomly generated files and directories. All of the files are between 1KB and 95MB in size and no more than five directories deep. To see how well the card handled large files, I also copied and pasted a 4GB ISO file.
| 1GB of Files | 4GB ISO File | |
| Write: | 37 seconds | 1:23 |
| Read: | 14 seconds | 48 seconds |
Samsung's new card performed fairly well here, taking 37 seconds to write 1GB worth of test data and 14 seconds to read it back.
Final Thoughts:
Samsung's new PRO Endurance microSD card is a great addition to the company's already impressive line of flash memory cards. Designed for continual use in surveillance and security cameras, body cameras and dash cams, the PRO Endurance is built to last. As well as being water, temperature, X-ray and magnet proof, the card offers best-in-class endurance with up to 43,800 hours of continuous video recording. The big trade off here is that the PRO Endurance isn't as fast as many speed-focused cards. Nevertheless, it is Class 10 rated and is more than capable of recording and playing back video in 4K and Full HD.
Samsung's PRO Endurance memory cards are available now in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities. Prices on Amazon.com currently range from $19 up to $60 for the 128GB version reviewed here.
Highs:
- Large storage capacity
- Industry-leading endurance rating
- Good read and write speeds
- Water, temperature, x-ray and magnet proof
- Includes SD adapter
Lows:
- More expensive than normal memory cards
- Not as fast as speed-focused cards
- Warranty varies depending on capacity
