Speed class when working with applications to which the memory card corresponds.
When working with applications that use a memory card (for example, mobile games), information is written and read not in a continuous stream, as when recording video or copying data, but in separate small fragments, and from random areas in the drive’s memory (the so-called random write/read). So a high-class video recording (see above) does not always mean good flow Rate when working with demanding games and other resource-intensive programs. Therefore, the characteristics of memory cards began to separately indicate the speed class for applications.
The key indicator for assigning a particular class is the minimum number of IOPS (input/output operations per second) that the media can provide in random write and read mode. Nowadays, the following classes are relevant:
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A1 — at least 1500 IOPS for reading and 500 IOPS for writing;
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A2 — at least 4000 IOPS and 2000 IOPS, respectively.
The continuous recording speed (for example, when recording video) in both cases must be at least 10 MB/s (often it is higher - see “Speed class”, “Video recording class”).
In the future, we can expect the emergence of new, more productive classes for applications. We also note that this parameter significantly affects the price of the card.
The maximum speed of reading data from a memory card.
Any modern memory card provides sufficient reading speed for simple everyday tasks — like copying photos from a camera to a laptop. Therefore, it makes sense to pay attention to this parameter mainly in cases where the card is purchased for professional use, or if high speed is critical for you — for example, if you often have to copy photos from the camera in a hurry. In doing so, two points should be taken into account. Firstly, the corresponding speed must be supported by the card reader where the card is used. Secondly, this paragraph indicates the theoretical maximum — in perfect conditions; the actual reading speed may be lower (if we are talking about cards with UHS, this speed can be estimated by the UHS class, see above about it). Nevertheless, it is quite possible to compare different models of cards by this indicator: differences in theoretical speed usually quite correspond to the difference in actual speed.
