PNY (Paris New York) has made memory cards for some time and can be considered a trusted brand. The PNY Elite Performance U1 memory card is one of the best cards for the price. It doesn’t perform quite as quick as some of the best cards from brands like Sandisk, but it comes pretty close.
There are a few versions of the Elite Performance card, this is the older one. There is a new U3 PNY memory card that is slightly slower, but sustains a guaranteed 30MB/s write. This U1 version is only guaranteed to sustain 10MB/s.
PNY Elite Performance U1 UHS-I Memory Card Sizes
The PNY U1 card can be found in sizes up to 256GB. To get larger you’ll need to buy the U3 Elite Performance.
The U1 versions are pretty easy to find on Amazon but only one version is available on B&H.
| Memory Card Name | 32GB | 64GB | 128GB | 256GB |
| PNY U1 Memory Card | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
| B&H | — | — | — |
Real World Memory Card Performance
The PNY Elite Performance U1 memory card runs slightly faster than the U3, but you’re not going to get the same guaranteed write speeds of 30MB/s that you get with U3 cards.
For video it’s probably go with U3 memory cards. For casual photography, the U1 cards are great, plus they actually run 5MB/s faster with in-camera write speeds.
PNY was having some issues with some of their cards a few years ago but it seems like it’s pretty much resolved as I haven’t heard any issues lately. Sony shooters should still avoid these cards for now as Sony cameras were typically having the most problems with PNY cards.
While the PNY isn’t considered to be one the best sd memory cards, they give out some of the best bang for the buck and often have some incredible sales.
| Memory Card Name | USB 3.0 Read | USB 3.0 Write |
| PNY U1 SD Memory Card | 96.5 MB/s | 66.5 MB/s |
Compatibility
Speed Class: Class 10 / U1
UHS-I devices
Reliability
Limited Lifetime Warranty