Introduction

We all have products that use the Secure Digital Cards. SD has been adapted by nearly all consumer product makers in one form or another. Which form is another story entirely, as there are so many and within each category there are speed ratings. Some devices need to be able to operate above a certain speed to be able to handle the tasks given. This is where the class structure comes in.

Most storage products are rated at a maximum speed, the highest peak performance possible under ideal conditions. This works out well when everything you are doing is well within specifications, but there can be times when a minimum speed is required. SD products are rated at a minimum speed, the Speed Card Rating. A Class 2 SD card can write at least 2MB/s, a Class 4 SD card can write at least 4MB/s and so on. Devices like HD video recorders require a minimum sustained write throughput. If your device needs to be able to write at 6MB/s but can only write at 4MB/s, then your video will suffer from dropped frames, lost audio or be completely corrupted. Currently Class 10 is the fastest available on the market and it has a minimum speed of 10MB/s.

Today we are looking at the Silicon Power SDHC Class 10 with 32GB of capacity. This capacity size makes it perfect for photographers or those looking to record high definition video. Let's take a look at the specs first up.

Specifications, Pricing and Availability

I have to admit I really like the new class standard that measures the minimum performance and glad they got off of the 'x' standard. Silicon Power has released their new Class 10 SDHC cards in four capacities; 4, 8, 16 and 32GB. To go larger in this format you have to look towards SDXC (eXtended Capacity) standard.

Silicon Power isn't in the US market as heavily as it once was. We were only able to find one US seller of the Silicon Power SDHC Class 10 32GB and it was a specialty shop catering to professional users. All Pro Sound lists the 32GB model like we are reviewing today for 134.99 USD. They also list the rest of the Class 10 SDHC cards; 4GB (17.49), 8GB (32.34) and 16GB (58.06).

I really wish Silicon Power would import more of their products to the US since they are well made and it would bring the costs down. In relation, we went shopping at Newegg and found other 32GB SCHD Class 10 cards for as low as 59.99.

It should also be noted that Silicon Power offers a lifetime warranty with their SDHC products.