The best microSD cards in 2024

Most microSD playing cards are quick sufficient for stashing images, recording video and transferring recordsdata, however some will get you a bit extra bang in your buck than others. When you’re trying to increase the inner storage of your Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, GoPro, Raspberry Pi or another gadget that also has compatibility with microSD playing cards, we can assist. We’ve completely researched the market and put greater than a dozen microSD playing cards via a spread of benchmark exams: Listed here are one of the best that we’ve examined, together with some basic recommendation on what to search for when shopping for a brand new card.

Editor’s word (5/28/24): We’ve examined the most recent iteration of Samsung’s Evo Choose, however we expect the improve isn’t vital sufficient to make it value recommending to most people who simply desire a first rate microSD card for as little cash as doable. We’ve famous the brand new mannequin in our information under. We additionally plan on testing Lexar’s new Professional Silver Plus card, which is about to reach in June and guarantees barely higher speeds than our “quicker possibility” choose.

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 area you want. Trendy playing cards are normally out there in sizes starting from 32GB to 512GB, whereas a handful provide 1TB fashions as properly. 2TB playing cards are theoretically doable however still in the prototype stage.

For many, a 128GB or 256GB mannequin must 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 card may make extra sense and infrequently supplies a greater cost-per-GB ratio. Today, yow will discover a good 128GB card for round $15 or much less, a great 256GB card for lower than $30 and a stable 512GB card for lower than $40 (although many price nearer to $50 or $60). There’s a starker enhance if you go as much as 1TB playing cards, which usually price nearer to $100.

Observe {that a} microSD card’s efficiency might differ relying on what capability you purchase. SanDisk says its 128GB Extreme 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 speak about microSD playing cards as we speak, we normally check with playing cards that use the microSDXC (eXtended Capacity) standard, which have a capability between 32GB and 2TB. Your gadget must help this for it to work with a microSDXC card. This may virtually by no means be a difficulty as of late, however some older units (a Nintendo 3DS, as an 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 normally measured in megabytes per second (MB/s). Usually, most microSD playing cards have quicker learn speeds than write speeds.

These metrics can then be damaged down into sequential and random efficiency. Sequential learn and write speeds matter if you’re making an attempt to entry or save lengthy, fixed streams of knowledge, resembling 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 notably necessary. Random efficiency, in the meantime, is about how shortly a card can learn and write small recordsdata scattered all through the gadget.

Since random learn/write speeds are a lot decrease than sequential ones, storage gadget makers have a tendency to not promote them as loudly. However they’re necessary for those who use a card with a gaming gadget or a single-board laptop just like the Raspberry Pi, the place it typically has to quickly save and entry small bits of knowledge in random areas.

Pace scores

When you take a look at a microSD card, you’ll see a buffet of numbers, letters and symbols. Most of those check with the cardboard’s speed class and efficiency scores, that are decided by the SD Association.

A card’s Video Pace Class, or V-rating, particulars its minimal sequential write pace, which is particularly necessary when recording video from a digicam. 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 pace of at the very least 30 MB/s. This must be sufficient to help as much as 4K video at decrease bitrates. Increased-rated V60 and V90 playing cards are normally higher for capturing 8K, however they arrive at a a lot increased price.

The UHS Pace Class, or U-rating, additionally refers to a card’s minimal sequential write pace. 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 pace. This ranking is much less related these days, however you should still see a “C10” emblem on some playing cards.

The Utility 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, fairly than MB/s. There are two classes right here: A1 playing cards provide a minimal random learn pace of 1,500 IOPS and a minimal random write pace of 500 IOPS, whereas A2 playing cards bump these as much as 4,000 IOPS and a pair of,000 IOPS, respectively. Each scores additionally assure sequential write speeds of at the very least 10 MB/s.

To maintain it easy, most individuals ought to search for a card with V30, U3 and A2 scores. It’s completely doable to get a stable card with out these: A U1 card could be value it for those who simply want an affordable, high-capacity possibility, for instance. V60 and V90 playing cards are value a glance for those who’re severe about taking pictures high-resolution images and video as properly. However general, playing cards with the certifications above ought to present one of the best mix of worth and efficiency as we speak.

It’s necessary to emphasise that these scores are baselines. Most V30 playing cards provide considerably increased write speeds than 30 MB/s, as an example, and a few A1 playing cards can outperform some A2 fashions in observe. The speeds marketed by producers aren’t all the time 100% correct, both: Typically the cardboard will likely be slower in real-world use, different instances it could really be a bit quicker.

UHS bus speeds

The opposite spec to notice is the cardboard’s bus interface. Most microSD playing cards out there as we speak are UHS-I, which have a theoretical most pace of 104 MB/s. There are additionally UHS-II playing cards, which have an additional row of pins on the again and might attain as much as 312 MB/s. (A UHS-III customary exists as properly however hasn’t seen extensive 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, and so they’re normally those with V60 or V90 scores. When you shoot a number of 4K to 8K video or steadily use burst mode to seize extremely high-res images, the efficiency good points of a great UHS-II card can prevent time.

However these are way more costly than UHS-I playing cards: This 128GB Lexar Professional Gold mannequin, as an example, is a relative discount 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 high 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 mostly spottier. For now, the upper speeds aren’t well worth the worth premium for most individuals, so we caught principally to UHS-I playing cards right here.

We’ll additionally word Samsung’s recent announcement of a brand new 256GB microSD card primarily based on a completely totally different customary known as SD Categorical. That is theoretically a lot quicker 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 around for a number of years however hasn’t seen extensive 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 gadget as soon as it turns into out there, which Samsung says will likely be someday later in 2024.

A word on card readers, the Nintendo Swap and Steam Deck

Whereas the UHS-I spec has a theoretical most of 104 MB/s, some UHS-I playing cards can exceed that pace via proprietary extensions. You want a suitable card reader and host gadget to make the most of that additional efficiency, although. When you discover a UHS-I card promoting speeds increased than 104 MB/s, that is what’s happening. You possibly can see these limits in motion with a Nintendo Swap or Steam Deck: Both of those gaming units help the UHS-I interface and don’t transcend its official pace, flattening any sequential good points some playing cards might 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 restricted warranties, although we’ve seen that “endurance” playing cards marketed to face up to extra hours of writing are normally lined for a a lot shorter time frame.

Avoiding counterfeits

The reminiscence card market has had a specific downside with scammers promoting faux merchandise. To protect towards this, solely purchase from a identified model and a good retailer resembling Greatest Purchase, B&H Photograph or Adorama. When 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 instantly up to now.) Bear in mind: If a worth appears too good to be true, it most likely is. Be cautious of any retailer providing considerably a lower cost than others.

When you obtain a card, examine its packaging for any irregularities. You possibly can run benchmark exams like CrystalDiskMark or BlackMagic Disk Speed Test to confirm its speeds aren’t drastically decrease than what’s marketed (or doable, given its specs). You too can use software program that’s designed to confirm the true capability and efficiency of your card, resembling H2testw and FakeFlashTest.

How we examined

We put 13 microSD playing cards via a collection of exams to confirm their sequential and random efficiency. These included benchmarks like CrystalDiskMark, BlackMagic Disk Speed Test, ATTO Disk Benchmark and AJA System Test, in addition to a number of “real-world” exams. We copied and pasted a small folder of images 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 sorts 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, Metal 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 doable, although for a number of playing cards — SanDisk’s Excessive and Samsung’s Professional Plus and Professional Final — we have been solely capable of check their 256GB fashions. We additionally reformatted every card earlier than testing with the SD Affiliation’s Memory Card Formatter tool.

Greatest microSD playing cards 2024

Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Storage capability: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | Pace courses: U3, V30, A2, Class 10 | Guarantee: 10-year restricted

The Samsung Pro 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 digicam, pill or gaming handheld. Unsurprisingly, it has all of the requisite scores: U3, V30 and A2. Its sequential learn efficiency (round 165 MB/s) isn’t fairly as fast as a number of the different playing cards under, so it is not absolutely the quickest for accessing giant recordsdata saved in your card, however the distinction is small in real-world use. 

The principle motive the Professional Plus tops our record is as a result of it delivers these sturdy speeds at a comparatively inexpensive 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. Both means, the cardboard comes with a 10-year restricted guarantee.

When you choose to purchase the Professional Plus, be sure you get the latest-generation mannequin. Samsung remains to be promoting the prior iteration of the Professional Plus, which seems to be an identical however isn’t as fast. As an alternative, 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 because of inventory points with the 128GB mannequin on the time of testing, however this shouldn’t have a significant affect on real-world efficiency, as Samsung charges each playing cards identically. Proper now the cardboard is on the market as much as 512GB, however the firm says it’ll launch a 1TB mannequin later in 2024.

Professionals

• Constantly fast sequential and random learn/write efficiency
• Nice worth
• Simply out there at trusted retailers

Cons

• Some friends have barely quicker sequential learn speeds
• No 1TB mannequin

$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 Pro Ultimate is a step-up mannequin in Samsung’s microSD lineup and, as anticipated, it’s a bit bit quicker than the Professional Plus throughout the board. Its greatest good points are in sequential learn speeds, which have been the quickest we examined and averaged near Samsung’s marketed price price 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 may very well be value it for those who repeatedly 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 properly, although the margins there are a lot much less vital in comparison with the Professional Plus and the opposite high UHS-I playing cards we examined.

The principle query is price. When you see the Professional Final out there for a similar worth because the Professional Plus, you may as properly seize it as an alternative. It comes with the identical 10-year guarantee and must be equally sturdy. Previous reductions have introduced the 128GB, 256GB and 512GB fashions as little as $15, $25 and $45, respectively; that is nonetheless inexpensive, however the Professional Plus will virtually all the time be a bit bit cheaper — and thus a greater worth for many wants, particularly at increased capacities.

Professionals

• Quickest microSD card we examined (with acceptable USB reader)
• Simply out there at trusted retailers

Cons

• Professional Plus is best worth for many
• No 1TB mannequin

$24 at Amazon

Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Storage capability: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | Pace courses: U3, V30, A2, Class 10 | Guarantee: Lifetime restricted

If the Samsung Professional Plus ever turns into unavailable, the Kingston Canvas Go Plus is one other sturdy different. 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 Take a look at. It successfully tied with SanDisk’s Excessive and Nintendo Swap-branded playing cards in our giant file switch speeds check. Its 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, too, so it’s nonetheless a great possibility for apps and video games. Nevertheless it’s onerous to justify for those who see it priced increased than the Professional Plus or Final.

Professionals

• Sooner sequential write speeds than Professional Plus for a (usually) lower cost than Professional Final
• Lifetime restricted guarantee

Cons

• Professional Plus is a greater worth for many
• Slower sequential write speeds than picks above
• No 1TB mannequin

$17 at B&H Photo (128GB)

Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Storage capability: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | Pace courses: U3, V30, A2, Class 10 / (64GB) U1, V10, A1, Class 10 | Guarantee: 10-year restricted

The Samsung Evo Select is a transparent step behind our high picks, notably in the case of sequential write speeds (slightly below 70 MB/s on CrystalDiskMark), so it’s not perfect for cameras. Nonetheless, it’s completely usable for a lot of use instances — a Nintendo Swap, as an 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 Ultra, a steadily really useful cheapo card, regardless of the Evo Choose having increased V30, U3 and A2 scores. Whereas the Professional Plus has come near these costs, the Evo Choose tends to take a seat there extra repeatedly. The 512GB variant is a very nice discount for those who simply want a bit of area on a budget. (The Extremely is on the market in 1TB and 1.5TB capacities, although.)

Much like the Professional Plus above, Samsung is now promoting two variations of the Evo Choose: a “customary” mannequin with sequential learn speeds rated at 130 MB/s, and a “new generation” model that bumps that spec as much as 160 MB/s. For this choose, we particularly suggest the previous. The brand new mannequin did certainly ship these improved reads in our benchmarks, however its efficiency is nearly an identical in any other case. As we write this, it prices $4 to $8 additional, relying on what capability you select. That makes it too near the Professional Plus, which pumps out barely quicker reads and considerably higher sequential writes and random speeds. The purpose of this suggestion is to offer you a card that performs properly sufficient for dust low-cost; for now, the older Evo Choose stays a greater instance of that. If the upgraded model drops additional in worth, it’ll be value contemplating, however as we speak most individuals prepared to pay for a pace increase ought to get one in every of our different picks as an alternative.

Professionals

• Typically out there for lower cost than Professional Plus
• Stable efficiency for those who simply need an appropriate card for reasonable

Cons

• Slower than picks above, notably in sequential write and random efficiency benchmarks
• No 1TB mannequin

$15 at Amazon

Different notable microSD playing cards

Delkin Gadgets Energy

We didn’t use it ourselves, however for those who’re prepared to pay for a extra highly effective UHS-II card constructed for heavy-duty video recording, the Delkin Devices Power has tested well elsewhere and may ship considerably quicker sequential write speeds than our picks above. It’s one of many few UHS-II playing cards we may really discover in inventory, nevertheless it prices a ton, with a 128GB mannequin usually priced at $93.

SanDisk Excessive

The SanDisk Extreme successfully matched the Professional Plus in a number of of our sequential write exams and delivered sequential reads about on par with the Canvas Go Plus, however that was partly because of us solely with the ability to safe the cardboard’s 256GB mannequin, which is higher-rated than the 128GB model. It’s a tremendous 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. It does have a 1TB model, although.

SanDisk microSDXC Card for Nintendo Swap

The SanDisk microSDXC Card for Nintendo Switch is one other first rate possibility for those who ever see it out there 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 line with CrystalDiskMark as properly, and it is typically priced increased than our high choose. SanDisk backs the cardboard with a lifetime guarantee, nonetheless, plus it’s out there in a 1TB capacity. Observe that we examined the Apex Legends model of the 128GB card; SanDisk additionally sells a Super Mario model, however we are able to’t converse as to whether that one performs any otherwise.

Lexar Skilled 1066x

Equally, the Lexar Professional 1066x is a good different to the Professional Plus if our important 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 quicker than the Canvas Go Plus and SanDisk Swap 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 seen its speeds peak and dip extra noticeably in our file switch check. Nonetheless, it’s not sluggish, so relying on its worth, it could be a great discount for those who want quick write speeds for video recording and the like. It’s additionally available in 1TB, plus it comes with a lifetime restricted guarantee.

SanDisk Excessive Professional

The SanDisk Extreme Pro 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 wasn’t too far off the random learn/write efficiency of the Professional Plus and Professional Final in CrystalDiskMark, and it typically goes for reasonable, nevertheless it was properly behind in our sequential exams.