microSD EX (Express) compatible dashcams on the horizon?

[Augustus]

The price for the Sandisk microSD Express SDSQXFN with 256GB in Germany is around 60€.
This should drop quickly, once more manufacturers offer them.
We had the same thing happening with 256GB U3 micro SD cards.
Maybe we will see a compatible dashcam in 2026. Who knows.

True blue, still waiting for Samsung to offer them but we have Atrix, Lexar, SanDisk (their 512GB card is now up for preorder apparently finally) in the game as well so hopefully more brands jump on the bandwagon.

Might be too soon though for dashcams, being on the Switch is a big boon but need a few more big players on board to drive adoption. DJI, GoPro maybe....

 

[Nigel]

Might be too soon though for dashcams,

Dashcams can already use microSD Express cards, they are backwards compatible.

The dashcams can't write at full microSD Express speed, but dashcams don't have enough data to need that much speed, so the cards will work fine in a dashcam.

We need someone to do some testing to see if they manage to maintain their high speed in high temperatures etc., making them better than normal microSD cards...

 

[Augustus]

Dashcams can already use microSD Express cards, they are backwards compatible.

The dashcams can't write at full microSD Express speed, but dashcams don't have enough data to need that much speed, so the cards will work fine in a dashcam.

We need someone to do some testing to see if they manage to maintain their high speed in high temperatures etc., making them better than normal microSD cards...

Um that's what this thread is already implying Nigel, of course you can use it but it won't utilise the full speeds possible, only at UHS-I speeds. I don't know of any UHS-II speed writing dashcams either.

Again, pointless until a dashcam actually writes at the speeds bought by the microSD Express standard. Because until then they are essentially just what you call normal microSD cards.

 

[Nigel]

Again, pointless until a dashcam actually writes at the speeds bought by the microSD Express standard. Because until then they are essentially just what you call normal microSD cards.

So we need a dashcam that will utilise 600MB/s write speeds, or 4800 Mb/s.
At 60Mb/s per 4K channel, that is an 80 channel dashcam 😎 🔥

 

[Augustus]

So we need a dashcam that will utilise 600MB/s write speeds, or 4800 Mb/s.
At 60Mb/s per 4K channel, that is an 80 channel dashcam 😎 🔥

Higher bitrates, maybe even 8K, more advanced functions that no one has thought of yet.

Regardless,doesn't matter what you want or don't want. It's technology and standards or features will be implemented whether you like it or not. That's the nature of the beast.

 

[Julian23]

Again, pointless until a dashcam actually writes at the speeds bought by the microSD Express standard. Because until then they are essentially just what you call normal microSD cards.

The read speeds can still be useful when transferring several files to the PC.

 

[Augustus]

The read speeds can still be useful when transferring several files to the PC.

Exactly this, I remember being bothered back in the TransFlash days haha and not much has changed since!

 

[lufa6977]

It would be simple enough for a DC manufacturer to use an NVMe/PCIe enabled controller if they wanted to spend the money. UHS-1 is one row of pins and half-duplex, UHS-2 is two rows of pins, and UHS-3 is three rows of pins, with the latter two being full-duplex. With the issues dash cam manufacturers experience with multiple channels, heat, reduced bit rates, and more, I would not expect anything soon. Especially with the number of vanity features that creep in and consume processor time, memory, and developer time.

 

[Nigel]

The read speeds can still be useful when transferring several files to the PC.

Most people read their files off the dashcam using either wifi, which currently doesn't need more than UHS-1 reading speed, or by removing the memory card, which will currently will allow you to use full microSD Express speeds, if you use a microSD Express card and have a suitable card reader.

Putting a microSD Express reader into the camera might benefit USB transfer, but I think that would also need a USB upgrade, and few people use USB transfer anyway. I can't see it being worth the cost for a long time, an 8K dashcam with 40 channels, all at 8K, is really not necessary now, and I suspect never will be, but if people want to use microSD Express cards now, they can, and as you point out, can get the fast reading speeds. However, I suspect the people who will actually benefit from the fast reading speeds, will be the same people who also benefit from multi-terabyte SSDs, so don't need the microSD Express card.

 

[lufa6977]

By design, the backward compatibility of the microSD Express is at the UHS-1 level, thus, no advantage to using an Express card in a standard reader. The NVMe / PCIe bridge and controller is what gives Express its speed, if not using that then it is back to the standard USH-1 speeds.

 

[Augustus]

Great to see PNY throw their hat in the ring and release their own 128GB and 256GB microSD Express cards at competitive prices. The more vendors that are on board, the merrier!

 

[Augustus]

Looks like we have another couple of players in the microSD Express space which should help to drive prices down even further: the Teamgroup Apex, Integral Gamer's Edge X and Onn (Walmart's in-house brand).

Still have yet to see any other devices apart from the Switch 2 support microSD Express, but one can hope!

 

[DT MI]

Based on my experience with other TeamGroup memory devices (32GB USB flash drives) I would suggest you run, not walk, as far away from them as possible. Read/write speeds fluctuated wildly from one flash drive to another, ran very hot, and 2 out of 5 drives failed within a few weeks. I suspect the chips they're using were factory 'seconds'.

 

[Augustus]

Based on my experience with other TeamGroup memory devices (32GB USB flash drives) I would suggest you run, not walk, as far away from them as possible. Read/write speeds fluctuated wildly from one flash drive to another, ran very hot, and 2 out of 5 drives failed within a few weeks. I suspect the chips they're using were factory 'seconds'.

Dang, well that's scary. I haven't had good experiences with Silicon Power , which is another brand that hasn't had good reviews either. Totally a better idea to stick to known brands like Samsung and Sandisk here...

 

[kamkar]

I have 2 SP cards in my suite, i cant say they are good performers compared to the other ones.

 

[lufa6977]

Based on my experience with other TeamGroup memory devices (32GB USB flash drives) I would suggest you run, not walk, as far away from them as possible. Read/write speeds fluctuated wildly from one flash drive to another, ran very hot, and 2 out of 5 drives failed within a few weeks. I suspect the chips they're using were factory 'seconds'.

Many years ago, we knew to buy Intel CPUs that were 'boxed' CPUs. They were more expensive, with or without a fan, than an unboxed/open stock CPU. The boxed CPUs were from the center of the fabs, and were better 'poured' and had fewer post manufactureing issues. As you moved closer to the edge of the fab, the CPU would tend to have more manufacturing issues. That is why the unboxed CPU were cheaper.

 

[Augustus]

I have 2 SP cards in my suite, i cant say they are good performers compared to the other ones.

SSDs and other flash memory are rubbish though, me and my mates have had silicon power drives before and they have failed on us and are pretty slow.

 

[kamkar]

buy Intel CPUs

I use to look for the stepping / batch of CPUs, CUZ i wanted one i could overclock as much as possible.

THAT have not been the case for the past 2 builds, or the new CPU i got lying around ready to go when the case get released next month.

SO will have to run a unpatched win 10 computer for a few weeks..
The TPM on my 12/24 core threadripper machine will not update to win 11, also it just gobble up power even idling.

 

[lufa6977]

I use to look for the stepping / batch of CPUs, CUZ i wanted one i could overclock as much as possible.

THAT have not been the case for the past 2 builds, or the new CPU i got lying around ready to go when the case get released next month.

SO will have to run a unpatched win 10 computer for a few weeks..
The TPM on my 12/24 core threadripper machine will not update to win 11, also it just gobble up power even idling.

Absolutely, the step number is very important. On dual CPU boards, we always wanted the same step and suffix processor if at all possible.

 

[Augustus]

Looks like we have another couple of players in the microSD Express space which should help to drive prices down even further: the Teamgroup Apex, Integral Gamer's Edge X and Onn (Walmart's in-house brand).

Still have yet to see any other devices apart from the Switch 2 support microSD Express, but one can hope!


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Looks like we have three more players in the market: AGI, Adata and GameStop.

Now we just need more devices to support microSD Express!