PNY EliteX-PRO60 SDXC memory card review

PNY offers several classes of SDXC card. This EliteX-PRO60 is the second fastest model in the brand's SD card line-up - the top spot being occupied by the EliteX-PRO90. Naturally, the PRO90 boasts faster read/write speeds than the PRO60 we have here, but the PRO60 is still no slouch, thanks to its rapid UHS-II transfer bus. And the best bit is the PRO60 costs around one third the price of a PRO90 card of the same capacity (at the time of writing), making it potentially terrific value if it performs as advertised.

Key features

Thanks to its fast UHS-II bus interface, The EliteX-PRO60 is capable of a mighty 280MB/s maximum read speed. Write speed isn't quite so clear-cut, as it varies according to the capacity you choose. The PRO60 is available in three capacity options: 128GB, 256GB and 512GB, which have 100MB/s, 180MB/s and 150MB/s max write speeds, respectively (making the 256GB variant the pick of the bunch). However, despite these considerable differences in maximum write speeds, all three cards have the same V60 (Video Speed Class 60MB/s) rating, meaning they will sustain a minimum 60MB/s write speed. This should be sufficient for recording 4K Ultra HD video, as well as high-res RAW stills at fast burst rates.

The EliteX-PRO60 resembles any other SD card and is only distinguished by its label. One noteworthy feature is the two rows of contacts on the back of the card. You'll find these on any UHS-II SD card, as they enables UHS-II cards to operate at around twice the speed of UHS-I SD cards, which only sport a single row of contacts. The EliteX-PRO60 is backed by a limited lifetime warranty in certain regions, for extra peace of mind.

Performance

To accurately verify PNY's speed claims for the EliteX-PRO60 we used the CrystalDiskMark storage benchmark. It revealed a maximum read speed of 259.43MB/s, and a 104.96MB/s write rate - commendably close to PNY's advertised speeds.

These software figures were backed up by real-world file transfer tests, where the EliteX-PRO60 managed a sustained 258MB/s when transferring files to a computer (read speed) and a sustained 101MB/s writing a single large file to the card. Multiple small files will always write slower than a single large file, but even then the EliteX-PRO60 sustained 72.6MB/s when writing 5 gigabytes-worth of JPEG files to the card.

Switching to in-camera testing using our Sony a7R III test camera, we found the EliteX-PRO60 was able to record 4K video at the camera's maximum 100Mbps bit-rate with no dropped frames.

A continuous burst of 31 RAW files shot using the a7R III's maximum Hi+ burst mode took approximately 25 seconds to transfer from the camera's internal buffer over to the memory card. This burst of images totaled 2.47 gigabytes, equating to a transfer speed of 101.17MB/s - right on par with PNY's advertised write speed.

Verdict

Memory cards don't always perform as advertised, but the PNY EliteX-PRO60 consistently impressed us with its reliably high performance. Sure, it's not the fastest SD card on the market, but with the 256GB version costing around USD $62 at the time of writing (Feb 2024), it is one of the least expensive. Considering that the PRO60's read and write speeds are fast enough for the vast majority of shooting scenarios, it makes far more sense to save some cash with this card than blow mega-bucks on something quicker, but which would never be fully utilized.