In this article, a detailed hard switching behavior comparison between a 1700-V silicon carbide metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor and a 1700-V silicon insulated-gate bipolar-transistor module was performed in an identical low inductance commutation circuit for comparable driving conditions. To accomplish this, devices using same module formats were used and carefully selected to match thermal characteristics in the exact same commutation circuit. Furthermore, a simulation of the modules in inverter operation based on the experimental results and complimented by datasheet based on-state values and Foster thermal models has been performed to study losses, junction temperatures, and current utilization. These results are further discussed highlighting advantages and limitations regarding these state-of-the-art SiC devices versus relative cost when contrasted with a comparable Si-based device.