Lexar Professional Silver Plus microSDXC UHS-I Card review

Lexar Professional Silver Plus MicroSD: One-minute review

Lexar is one of the leading manufacturers of flash memory and has been a trusted name for photographers and videographers in the creative sector for years. The Silver Plus line of SD and MicroSD cards are positioned as the mid to high-end storage option. 

In this review, we've looked at the 128GB MicroSD, which boasts impressive transfer rates of up to 205MB/s, which, considering that this is a UHS-I card rather than the newer UHS-II card, is even more impressive. We've tested all the best microSD cards and best SD cards, and this card has been designed to work with the latest tech, including cameras, drones, as well as phones and gaming consoles. The speed and price of this card mean that it's an ideal solution for professional use, with the premium price boosting some of the features, especially the transfer rates above what most consumer electronics need.

As the card itself follows the usual MicroSD/TF format, it fits neatly and with ease into any device that accepts the format, although, as ever, the small size of the card will inevitably make it fiddly to handle for anyone with larger hands. Likewise, the dual-tone black and silver colour can be a pain to locate if you drop it on the forest floor, such as when using a GoPro or doing the dust test for this review. Although once in situ within a device, the large capacity means there's unlikely to be any need to swap it out for a replacement.

Performance-wise, the card demonstrates impressive transfer rates close to, and in most cases exceeding, the transfer speeds quoted by Lexar and more than fast enough to meet the U3, V30, and A2 speed classes awarded to it.

Overall, the Silver Plus microSDXC performs well and is a great solution for extending the storage capacity of your mobile phone, action camera, drone, or any other device that needs a boost in storage capacity. However, do be aware that if you need to switch between cards, the black and silver colouring may not be the best option if you're using this in an action camera where it could easily be lost, especially amongst the leaves, twigs and dirt.

Lexar Professional Silver Plus MicroSDXC: Pricing and availability

• How much does it cost? $19
• When is it available? Now
• Where can you get it? It is available for sale in the US, UK and Australia

The Lexar Silver Plus microSDXC UHS-I Card is available in different capacities, including 1TB, 512GB, 256GB, 128G and 64 GB. The 128GB version looked at in this review is ideal for gaming devices, smartphones, and tablets and is available for purchase at Amazon. 

The card is widely available, but the price may vary. It can be purchased from retailers such as Amazon, Target, B & H Photo, or directly on the Lexar website.

Lexar Professional Silver Plus MicroSDXC: Benchmark

Using AJA System Test Light, the Silver Plus MicroSDXC achieved impressive transfer speeds with a max read speed of 205.54MB/s and a write speed of 182.21MB/s; this actually exceeds the stated write speed from the manufacturer. These speeds show the drive's capability to handle large files and demanding applications.

Lexar Professional Silver Plus MicroSDXC: Specs

Lexar Professional Silver Plus MicroSDXC: Build and Handling

The Lexar Professional Silver Plus microSDXC UHS-I Card meets the form factor requirements for the MicroSD format and fits perfectly into the GoPro Hero 12, DJI Mavic Pro 3, and, with the adapter, the Sony Alpha 7 IV. In addition to imaging devices, the card was also tested on various mobile phones, including the Doogee VMAX Plus. In all devices, from cameras to smartphones and tablets, the Lexar Silver Plus fitted without issue.

As with all microSD cards, it is small and can be tricky to handle. Thankfully, Lexar has included an SD card adapter for microSD in the package, making it compatible with any device that accepts SD cards. This is particularly useful for many laptops and computers that might feature an SD card slot but not a microSD card slot.

The Silver Plus microSD card's build quality is excellent, aligning with Lexar's reputation for high-quality products. One point to note about this card is the colour scheme, with its duo tone being black and silver. While aesthetically pleasing, it can be slightly tricky to locate if dropped outdoors. However, once inside a device, the 128GB capacity means you are very unlikely to have to remove it frequently.

The microSD card conforms to all usual standards in terms of build, handling, and design, ensuring compatibility with most devices. While UHS-I technology might not be the latest, Lexar's choice ensures absolute compatibility with both the latest tech and slightly older devices.

Lexar Professional Silver Plus MicroSD: Features

When it comes to features, the main focus here is the high transfer speeds, reaching up to 205MB/s read and 150MB/s write. This is very similar to the standard Silver cards, which come in at 205MB/s read and 140MB/s write. These are the maximum transfer rates achievable in certain devices.

These transfer rates mean that if your smartphone, action camera, or drone shoots 4K video at a high bit rate, this card will keep up with the demand. The card is awarded V30 class, indicating a minimum write speed of 30MB/s, making it suitable for high-resolution video recording.

A newish speed class that features on the card is the A2 app performance class, this essentially highlights suitability for smartphone and tablet Apps. Alongside the launch of this card, Lexar has also released the Lexar RW310X reader, a USB Type-C or Type-A memory stick designed to match the transfer rates of the Silver Plus microSD as well as other memory cards in the Lexar line-up. When using this reader, the card does achieve its full potential when it comes to those transfer speeds, although it remains fast with other readers as well.

The Silver Plus microSD card is also built tough, with certifications for IPX7 waterproofing, temperature proofing, x-ray proofing, vibration resistance, magnetic proofing, shock proofing, and drop-proofing. This ensures durability in various environments.

The card includes the Lexar Recovery Tool, which helps recover accidentally deleted files, adding peace of mind. As always, all Lexar products undergo the company's own testing in the Lexar Quality Labs, and this all helps to reassure you on the performance, quality, compatibility, and reliability.

The Silver Plus microSD card features an impressive set of features considering its ultra compact size, including high capacities, excellent transfer speeds considering UHS-I technology, broad compatibility, and robust durability.

Lexar Professional Silver Plus MicroSD: Performance

To fully test the Silver Plus microSD card, it was installed into a variety of devices, including the GoPro Hero 12, DJI Mavic Pro 3, and our recently reviewed Doogee V MAX Plus rugged phone. When it came to storing data in those devices, it handled maximum resolution recordings without issue in the GoPro Hero 12 and DJI Mavic Pro 3, storing raw and high-bitrate video files without issue. The 128GB capacity was sufficient for capturing 4K video at all high-resolution options, and even when shooting in the GP-Log and D-Log, which are REC 709 colour modes for each card, the card kept up with the flow of data.

Compared to the GoPro Hero12 Black and the DJI Mavic Pro 3, the Doogee VMAX Plus's microSD card demands are relatively light. However, even here, the card expanded internal storage easily, being instantly recognised and storing video and other files without any problems.

With the card passing the real-world tests, it was time to subject the cards to the benchmarking performance tests, which were equally impressive. Using the Lexar RW310X reader, the card achieved its full potential, meeting and surpassing the speeds quoted by Lexar. The tests were carried out on the Geekcom AX8 Pro mini PC and showed the card's capability to maintain high transfer rates under prolonged sustained writing.

Once all the basic tests were complete, the card was then subjected to a few more physical tests, starting with being dropped from a height of 1.5 m onto a hard floor. In this test, there was little effect on the card. The 1 g weight meant that there wasn't even a mark on the exterior, and when speed checks were retested, the results reflected the original.

In the next test, the card was dropped on the dusty forest floor and covered in dust and leaves. Again, once the card was located, dusted down well, and rechecked, the performance remained the same. Likewise, in the water test, the card was dropped into a glass of water and left for 30 minutes, dried for a couple of days, and then rechecked—again, the care worked and performed to the same standard as before the physical checks.

Should I buy the Lexar Professional Silver Plus MicroSDXC?

At the end of the test, the Lexar Professional Silver Plus microSDXC UHS-I Card proved to be an excellent storage option for smartphones, tablets, drones, and action cameras. It may only feature the older UHS-I technology rather than UHS-II, but this if anything just helps to ensure that it's fully compatible with almost any compatible device you wish to try it in. The 128GB capacity will also be more than enough for most professional uses. 

Through use in the Mavic 3 and GoPro, the card performed well, with more than enough capacity and speed for extended use when capturing video. Checking out that performance in the benchmark tests just confirmed the abilities of this card, maintaining high transfer rates even under sustained usage.

Our only reservation with the card is the dual black and silver colour on the front, which can be difficult to locate if dropped, say on a forest floor. However, for professional use where performance and reliability are of course key, the Lexar Silver Plus offers a great choice considering its price, capacity, and transfer speeds.

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How I tested the Lexar Professional Silver Plus MicroSDXC

For this test the card was used in several different devices all of which support exFAT. Before starting this test the card was reformated to give the greatest compatibility for the real world tests and also for testing through the benchmarking software.

The softare used included the latest versions of CrystalDiskMark, Atto, AS SSD and AJA benchmarks, noting the best scores achieved in each. They are all free and can be downloaded by anyone. After the standard benchmarks I then use the card in a variety of tech, including a GoPro Hero12 Black, Insta360 Ace Pro, DJI Mavic 3 Pro and DJI Mini 4 Pro to ensure compatibility and performance over a sustained period. I then transfer a folder of files, roughly 10GB in size, to get a rough idea of real life performance. 

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