Most microSD playing cards are quick sufficient for enhancing cupboard space and making easy file transfers, however some present just a little extra worth than others. In the event you’ve received a tool that also accepts microSD playing cards — whether or not it’s a gaming handheld, a touch cam, a drone or an Android pill — we’ve scoured the market and put greater than a dozen prime contenders by numerous benchmark assessments. You could find our prime suggestions under, alongside some basic procuring recommendation earlier than you seize one.
What to search for in a microSD card
Capability
The very first thing to determine when shopping for a microSD card is how a lot cupboard space you want. Trendy playing cards are often accessible in sizes starting from 32GB to 512GB, whereas an rising quantity can be found in 1TB as nicely. 2TB playing cards from respected producers are getting nearer however aren’t extensively accessible simply but.
For many, a 128GB or 256GB mannequin ought to be the candy spot between worth and cupboard space. However for those who want extra room — say, for stashing a bunch of video games on a Steam Deck — a 512GB or higher card may make extra sense and infrequently gives a greater cost-per-GB ratio. Today, you could find an honest 128GB card for round $15 or much less, a very good 256GB card for lower than $30 and a strong 512GB card for lower than $40 (although many price nearer to $50 or $60). There’s a starker enhance while you go as much as 1TB playing cards, which generally price nearer to $100.
Observe {that a} microSD card’s efficiency could differ relying on what capability you purchase. SanDisk says its 128GB Excessive card delivers sequential write speeds as much as 90 MB/s, for instance, whereas the higher-capacity fashions in the identical line provide as much as 130 MB/s.
Once we discuss microSD playing cards at the moment, we often check with playing cards that use the microSDXC (eXtended Capability) normal, which have a capability between 32GB and 2TB. Your system must help this for it to work with a microSDXC card. It will virtually by no means be a difficulty lately, however some older units (a Nintendo 3DS, for example) are solely suitable with microSDHC (Excessive Capability) playing cards, which vary from 2GB to 32GB.
Learn and write speeds
MicroSD playing cards are primarily judged on their learn and write speeds, that are often measured in megabytes per second (MB/s). Usually, most microSD playing cards have sooner learn speeds than write speeds.
These metrics can then be damaged down into sequential and random efficiency. Sequential learn and write speeds matter while you’re making an attempt to entry or save lengthy, fixed streams of information, equivalent to opening a big video or copying a giant batch of recordsdata from a PC. If you wish to use a microSD card for media storage, that is significantly vital. Random efficiency, in the meantime, is about how shortly a card can learn and write small recordsdata scattered all through the system.
Since random learn/write speeds are a lot decrease than sequential ones, storage system makers have a tendency to not promote them as loudly. However they’re vital for those who use a card with a gaming system or a single-board laptop just like the Raspberry Pi, the place it usually has to quickly save and entry small bits of information in random places.
Pace rankings
In the event you have a look at a microSD card, you’ll see a buffet of numbers, letters and symbols. Most of those check with the cardboard’s velocity class and efficiency rankings, that are decided by the SD Affiliation.
A card’s Video Pace Class, or V-rating, particulars its minimal sequential write velocity, which is very vital when recording video from a digital camera. It ranges from V6 to V90. A lot of the playing cards we examined had a V30 ranking, in order that they have a sequential write velocity of a minimum of 30 MB/s. This ought to be sufficient to help as much as 4K video at decrease bitrates. Increased-rated V60 and V90 playing cards are often higher for capturing 8K, however they arrive at a a lot greater price.
The UHS Pace Class, or U-rating, additionally refers to a card’s minimal sequential write velocity. It is available in two varieties: U3, which mandates a minimal of 30 MB/s, and U1, which is rated for 10 MB/s.
The older Pace Class ranking overlaps with the opposite two methods. It’s signified by a C image and goes from Class 2 to Class 10, with the quantity (once more) indicating minimal sequential write velocity. This ranking is much less related these days, however you should still see a “C10” brand on some playing cards.
The Software Efficiency spec, marked by an An emblem, is an indicator of random learn/write speeds. That is measured in IOPS, or enter/output operations per second, moderately than MB/s. There are two classes right here: A1 playing cards provide a minimal random learn velocity of 1,500 IOPS and a minimal random write velocity of 500 IOPS, whereas A2 playing cards bump these as much as 4,000 IOPS and a pair of,000 IOPS, respectively. Each rankings additionally assure sequential write speeds of a minimum of 10 MB/s.
To maintain it easy, most individuals ought to search for a card with V30, U3 and A2 rankings. It’s completely attainable to get a strong card with out these: A U1 card could be value it for those who simply want an inexpensive, high-capacity possibility, for instance. V60 and V90 playing cards are value a glance for those who’re severe about taking pictures high-resolution pictures and video as nicely. However general, playing cards with the certifications above ought to present the most effective mix of worth and efficiency at the moment.
It’s vital to emphasise that these rankings are baselines. Most V30 playing cards provide considerably greater write speeds than 30 MB/s, for example, and a few A1 playing cards can outperform some A2 fashions in apply. The speeds marketed by producers aren’t all the time 100% correct, both: Typically the cardboard might be slower in real-world use, different occasions it might really be a bit sooner.
UHS bus speeds
The opposite spec to notice is the cardboard’s bus interface. Most microSD playing cards accessible at the moment are UHS-I, which have a theoretical most velocity of 104 MB/s. There are additionally UHS-II playing cards, which have an additional row of pins on the again and may attain as much as 312 MB/s. (A UHS-III normal exists as nicely however hasn’t seen broad adoption.) These are labeled on the cardboard with a Roman numeral I or II.
The quickest microSD playing cards you should purchase proper now are UHS-II playing cards, they usually’re often those with V60 or V90 rankings. In the event you shoot plenty of 4K to 8K video or ceaselessly use burst mode to seize extremely high-res pictures, the efficiency good points of a very good UHS-II card can prevent time.
However these are far more costly than UHS-I playing cards: This 128GB Lexar Skilled Gold mannequin, for example, is a relative cut price at $40. Whereas that is lower than many UHS-II fashions we’ve seen up to now, it is nonetheless greater than double the everyday worth of our prime choose talked about under. You want a tool that’s suitable with the UHS-II interface to see any advantages, too, and inventory for UHS-II playing cards is usually spottier. For now, the upper speeds aren’t definitely worth the worth premium for most individuals, so we caught principally to UHS-I playing cards right here.
We’ll additionally word Samsung’s announcement earlier this yr of a brand new 256GB microSD card based mostly on a wholly totally different normal referred to as SD Categorical. That is theoretically a lot sooner than any UHS-I or UHS-II possibility: Samsung claims this particular mannequin can attain sequential learn speeds as much as a whopping 800 MB/s. For context, that’d be faster than some older SSDs. SD Categorical has technically been round for a number of years however hasn’t seen broad adoption, so precisely how this card performs in actuality — and the way a lot it’ll price — stays to be seen. We’ll check the system as soon as it turns into accessible, which Samsung says might be someday later in 2024.
A word on card readers, the Nintendo Change and Steam Deck
Whereas the UHS-I spec has a theoretical most of 104 MB/s, some UHS-I playing cards can exceed that velocity by proprietary extensions. You want a suitable card reader and host system to reap the benefits of that further efficiency, although. In the event you discover a UHS-I card promoting speeds greater than 104 MB/s, that is what’s happening. You possibly can see these limits in motion with a Nintendo Change or Steam Deck: Each of these gaming units help the UHS-I interface and don’t transcend its official velocity, flattening any sequential good points some playing cards could have elsewhere. The broader takeaway: Your microSD card will solely be as quick because the slowest hyperlink in your chain.
Guarantee
Many microSD playing cards are designed to be sturdy, with safety from water, excessive temperatures, X-rays and drops. Nonetheless, in case of disaster, a protracted guarantee is all the time good to have. Many producers provide lifetime or 10-year restricted warranties, although we’ve observed that “endurance” playing cards marketed to face up to extra hours of writing are often lined for a shorter time period. For instance, Samsung’s Professional Endurance, a mannequin aimed toward safety cameras and different monitoring units, comes with a five-year guarantee.
Avoiding counterfeits
The reminiscence card market has had a selected downside with scammers promoting pretend merchandise. To protect towards this, solely purchase from a recognized model and a good retailer equivalent to Greatest Purchase, B&H Photograph or Adorama. In the event you store at Amazon, solely purchase if the shipper and vendor is Amazon.com. (Although a handful of customers have reported receiving counterfeits even from Amazon immediately up to now.) Keep in mind: If a worth appears too good to be true, it in all probability is. Be cautious of any retailer providing considerably a lower cost than others.
When you obtain a card, verify its packaging for any irregularities. You possibly can run benchmark assessments like CrystalDiskMark or BlackMagic Disk Pace Check to confirm its speeds aren’t drastically decrease than what’s marketed (or attainable, given its specs). You may as well use software program that’s designed to confirm the true capability and efficiency of your card, equivalent to H2testw and FakeFlashTest.
How we examined
We put 13 microSD playing cards by a collection of assessments to confirm their sequential and random efficiency. These included benchmarks like CrystalDiskMark, BlackMagic Disk Pace Check, ATTO Disk Benchmark and AJA System Check, in addition to a number of “real-world” assessments. We copied and pasted a small folder of pictures about 1.15GB in measurement to and from every card, then did the identical with a bigger 12.2GB folder containing a number of file varieties and subfolders, timing the method every time. We additionally checked how every card carried out on the Steam Deck, downloading video games of various sizes — together with Stardew Valley, Aperture Desk Job, Steel Gear Rising: Revengeance and Apex Legends — then timing how lengthy it took to launch every sport and cargo save recordsdata.
We used a Kingston USB 3.2 UHS-II reader to check every card on each Home windows 11 and macOS Sonoma. For the previous, we used an Alienware gaming PC with an Intel Core i9-10900F, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. For the latter, we used a 2021 16-inch MacBook Professional with an Apple M1 Professional chip, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. To make use of our card reader on the MacBook, we used Apple’s USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter.
We examined the 128GB model of every card wherever attainable, although for a number of playing cards — SanDisk’s Excessive and Samsung’s Professional Plus and Professional Final — we have been solely in a position to check their 256GB fashions. We additionally reformatted every card earlier than testing with the SD Affiliation’s Reminiscence Card Formatter instrument.
Greatest microSD playing cards of 2024
Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
Storage capability: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | Pace courses: U3, V30, A2, Class 10 | Guarantee: 10-year restricted
The Samsung Professional Plus was practically the quickest card we examined when it comes to sequential write efficiency (round 130 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark) and was an in depth second when it comes to random learn/write speeds, so it ought to work nice whether or not you’re shopping for for a digital camera, Android pill or gaming handheld. Unsurprisingly, it has all of the requisite rankings: U3, V30 and A2. Its sequential learn efficiency (round 165 MB/s) isn’t fairly as fast as a few of the different playing cards under, so it isn’t absolutely the quickest for accessing giant recordsdata saved in your card, however the distinction is small in real-world use.
The primary purpose the Professional Plus tops our listing is as a result of it delivers these sturdy speeds at a comparatively reasonably priced worth. The cardboard initially began at $19 for 128GB, $30 for 256GB and $60 for 512GB, however previous gross sales have introduced these fashions as little as $11, $18 and $29, respectively. When it’s that low-cost, the Professional Plus makes most competing microSD playing cards redundant. Samsung additionally sells the cardboard with a USB reader that’ll assist it attain its most speeds for a number of {dollars} extra. In the event you want extra space, there’s additionally a 1TB mannequin that ought to be simply as quick, although that one is presently far more costly at $110. Both method, the cardboard comes with a 10-year restricted guarantee.
In the event you choose to purchase the Professional Plus, be sure to get the latest-generation mannequin. Samsung remains to be promoting the prior iteration of the Professional Plus, which seems to be similar however isn’t as fast. As a substitute, go for the one with sequential learn speeds rated at 180 MB/s and sequential write speeds rated at 130 MB/s. We examined the 256GB model of the newer Professional Plus as a consequence of inventory points with the 128GB mannequin on the time of testing, however this shouldn’t have a significant influence on real-world efficiency, as Samsung charges each playing cards identically.
- Constantly fast sequential and random learn/write efficiency
- Nice worth
- Available at trusted retailers
- Has a 1TB possibility
- Some friends have barely sooner sequential learn speeds
$21 at Amazon (128GB)
Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
Storage capability: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | Pace courses: U3, V30, A2, Class 10 | Guarantee: 10-year restricted
The Samsung Professional Final is a step-up mannequin in Samsung’s microSD lineup and, as anticipated, it’s just a little bit sooner than the Professional Plus throughout the board. Its largest good points are in sequential learn speeds, which have been the quickest we examined and averaged near Samsung’s marketed charge charge of 200 MB/s throughout our varied benchmarks. You’ll want to purchase the cardboard with Samsung’s USB reader to attain that efficiency, however that could possibly be value it for those who recurrently transfer recordsdata out of your microSD card to a PC. The Professional Final technically led the pack when it got here to sequential write and random learn/write speeds as nicely, although the margins there are a lot much less vital in comparison with the Professional Plus and the opposite prime UHS-I playing cards we examined.
The primary query is price. In the event you see the Professional Final accessible for a similar worth because the Professional Plus, you may as nicely seize it as an alternative. It comes with the identical 10-year guarantee and ought to be equally sturdy. Previous reductions have introduced the 128GB, 256GB and 512GB fashions as little as $15, $25 and $45, respectively; that is nonetheless reasonably priced, however the Professional Plus will virtually all the time be just a little bit cheaper — and thus a greater worth for many wants, particularly at greater capacities. There is no 1TB possibility right here, both.
- Quickest microSD card we examined (with acceptable USB reader)
- Simply accessible at trusted retailers
- Professional Plus is best worth for many
- No 1TB mannequin
$22 at Samsung Electronics
Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
Storage capability: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | Pace courses: U3, V30, A2, Class 10 | Guarantee: Lifetime restricted
If the Samsung Professional Plus ever jumps too excessive in worth or turns into unavailable, the Kingston Canvas Go Plus is one other sturdy various. This can be a U3-, V30- and A2-rated card backed by a lifetime restricted guarantee. Its sequential learn speeds trailed solely the Samsung Professional Final throughout CrystalDiskMark, ATTO and the BlackMagic Disk Pace Check. It successfully tied with SanDisk’s Excessive and Nintendo Change-branded playing cards in our giant file switch speeds check. Sequential write speeds (simply over 100 MB/s on CrystalDiskMark) are the place it lags behind the Professional Plus, however they need to nonetheless be fast sufficient for a lot of makes use of. Its random learn/write speeds have been solely bested by Samsung’s Professional playing cards in benchmarks, so it’s nonetheless a very good possibility for apps and video games. The 1TB model can also be $20 cheaper than the equal Professional Plus, so it ought to be an honest worth for those who want plenty of house and wish to save money. However the different fashions are laborious to justify for those who see them hovering in the identical worth vary as our picks above.
- Sooner sequential write speeds than Professional Plus for a (usually) lower cost than Professional Final
- Lifetime restricted guarantee
- Has a 1TB possibility
- Professional Plus is often a greater worth for many
- Slower sequential write speeds than picks above
$17 at B&H Photograph (128GB)
Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
Storage capability: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB (“new era” mannequin solely) | Pace courses: U3, V30, A2, Class 10 / (64GB) U1, V10, A1, Class 10 | Guarantee: 10-year restricted
The Samsung Evo Choose is a transparent step behind our prime picks, significantly in relation to sequential write speeds (just below 70 MB/s on CrystalDiskMark), so it’s not ideally suited for cameras. Nonetheless, it’s completely usable for a lot of use instances — a Nintendo Change, for example — and we have beforehand seen its 128GB, 256GB and 512GB fashions fall as little as $10, $14 and $25, respectively. All of these are about on par with the SanDisk Extremely, an oft-recommended cheapo card, regardless of the Evo Choose having greater V30, U3 and A2 rankings. Whereas the Professional Plus has come near these costs, the Evo Choose virtually all the time retails for much less.
Just like the Professional Plus, now you can discover two variations of the Evo Choose: a “normal” mannequin with sequential learn speeds rated at 130 MB/s, and a “new era” mannequin that bumps that spec as much as 160 MB/s. Because the level of this advice is to present you a card that performs nicely sufficient for as little as attainable, it’s best to get whichever one is cheaper within the capability you need. The brand new mannequin did certainly ship these improved reads in our benchmarks, however it performs nearly identically in any other case, so you will not lose a lot by saving a couple of bucks with the older era.
The one huge distinction is that the up to date mannequin is the one one accessible in a 1TB capability; we have not examined that particular mannequin, however at $80-ish it ought to be value a glance if pricing is your solely concern.
- Usually accessible for lower cost than Professional Plus
- Stable efficiency for those who simply need a suitable card for affordable
- Has a 1TB possibility
- Slower than picks above, significantly in sequential write and random efficiency benchmarks
$15 at Amazon
Different notable microSD playing cards
Delkin Units Energy
We didn’t use it ourselves, however for those who’re keen to pay for a extra highly effective UHS-II card constructed for heavy-duty video recording, the Delkin Units Energy has examined nicely elsewhere and may ship considerably sooner sequential write speeds than our picks above. It’s one of many few UHS-II playing cards we may really discover in inventory, however it prices a ton, with a 128GB mannequin usually priced round $90.
SanDisk Excessive
The SanDisk Excessive successfully matched the Professional Plus in a number of of our sequential write assessments and delivered sequential reads about on par with the Canvas Go Plus, however that was partly as a consequence of us solely having the ability to safe the cardboard’s 256GB mannequin, which is higher-rated than the 128GB model. It’s a fantastic selection for those who see it on sale at a good vendor, however its random efficiency lagged behind the Samsung Professional and Kingston playing cards, and it usually prices extra.
SanDisk microSDXC Card for Nintendo Change
The SanDisk microSDXC Card for Nintendo Change is one other respectable possibility for those who ever see it accessible for lower than the Professional Plus and Canvas Go Plus. Its sequential learn speeds have been about the identical because the latter in our benchmarks, however its sequential writes have been barely slower (and farther behind the Professional Plus). Its random learn/writes have been a bit behind in accordance with CrystalDiskMark as nicely, and it is usually priced greater than our prime choose. SanDisk backs the cardboard with a lifetime guarantee, nevertheless, plus it’s accessible in a 1TB capability. Observe that we examined the Apex Legends model of the 128GB card; SanDisk additionally sells a Tremendous Mario mannequin, however we won’t say if that one performs any in another way.
Lexar Skilled 1066x
Equally, the Lexar Skilled 1066x is an honest various to the Professional Plus if our major picks are unavailable. It’s one other V30, U3 and A2 mannequin, and like Samsung’s card, its sequential write speeds have been a bit sooner than the Canvas Go Plus and SanDisk Change card in our benchmarks. These write speeds weren’t as fast because the Professional Plus, and its sequential reads trailed all three playing cards. Random learn/writes additionally lagged behind the Professional Plus and Canvas Go Plus, and we observed its speeds peak and dip extra noticeably in our file switch check. Nonetheless, it’s not gradual, so relying on its worth, it could be a very good cut price for those who want quick write speeds for video recording and the like. It’s additionally accessible in 1TB, plus it comes with a lifetime restricted guarantee.
SanDisk Excessive Professional
The SanDisk Excessive Professional is a rival to the Samsung Professional Final however, as of this writing, is both unavailable at most trusted retailers or priced too excessive by comparability.
PNY Elite-X
The PNY Elite-X usually goes for affordable and wasn’t too far off the random learn/write efficiency of Samsung’s Professional playing cards in CrystalDiskMark, however it was nicely behind in our sequential assessments.
Latest updates
November 2024: We have checked again with this information to make sure our suggestions are nonetheless correct and made gentle edits for readability.
August 2024: We’ve up to date this information to notice the not too long ago launched 1TB fashions for 3 of our prime picks: the Samsung Professional Plus, the Kingston Canvas Go Plus and the Samsung Evo Choose. We’ve additionally made certain all pricing particulars are as updated as they are often.
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