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We put importantly successful smartphones, drones, action cameras, DSLRs, and akin devices. However, erstwhile it comes to nan retention cards that these devices trust connected for storing photos and videos, galore of america abruptly settee for a low-cost action from a no-name brand.
I dislike being nan bearer of bad news, but nan microSD paper you take for your instrumentality tin make aliases break your experience. That's why I've spent countless hours sifting done nan myriad of options disposable to place what I judge are nan champion cards connected nan market. These are nan retention cards I personally usage successful each my devices, and you tin spot that they've ne'er fto maine down -- because if they did, they simply wouldn't beryllium connected this list!
Also: What do each those microSD and SD paper numbers and letters mean?
What is nan champion microSD paper correct now?
Over nan years, I've conducted hands-on testing connected galore microSD cards, evaluating features for illustration capacity, price, performance, and durability. My extended usage of dozens of microSD cards crossed a assortment of devices, including smartphones, tablets, drones, and action cameras, has fixed maine a broad knowing of their capacity successful real-world scenarios, and nan downfall of trusting mediocre value aliases counterfeit cards.
Based connected this extended testing, present are my apical picks for nan champion microSD cards, pinch nan SanDisk Extreme microSDXC standing retired arsenic nan champion wide prime for its accordant quality, performance, and reasonable price.
The champion microSD cards of 2025
Tell maine you request a microSD card, and chances are, this is nan 1 I'll recommend. I've been utilizing SanDisk microSD cards successful smartphones, tablets, action cams, dashcams and drones for years now, and I've not had 1 fto maine down.
Quality doesn't person to travel astatine a price, either—you tin prime up a 2TB paper for conscionable complete $200, pinch a 1TB paper costing only $92.
This is consistently 1 of nan highest-rated microSD cards successful online reviews. But beryllium observant arsenic location are a batch of mediocre value counterfeits and clones retired there.
SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-I tech specs: Capacity: From 32GB to 2TB | Offload speed: Up to 240MB/s | Write speed: Up to 140MB/s | Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready pinch UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30) | In-app capacity rating: A2 (up to 4000 publication IOPS, 2000 constitute IOPS)
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Lexar, a marque I've trusted for good complete a decade, has released a caller microSD paper -- nan Lexar Professional Silver Plus microSDXC. The retention paper combines professional-grade capacity and reliability astatine a budget-friendly price, and I precocious put it to nan test.
The paper is rated pinch a video people velocity of V30 and a UHS velocity standing of U3, meaning it tin execute a minimum of 30 MB/s. It besides boasts an Application Performance Rating of A2, indicating it tin grip 4000 IOPS minimum random reads, 2000 IOPS minimum random writes, and 10 MB/s minimum sustained sequential writes.
In position of performance, this paper is cleanable for 4K video seizure successful H.265 format, which is much than capable for astir people's needs. It's coagulated and reliable, and it comes pinch a awesome warranty and free betterment package successful lawsuit you accidentally delete important footage.
Review: Lexar Professional Silver Plus microSDXC
For a caller card, nan personification reviews connected online stores are very positive, indeed, which intends this paper is simply a winner.
Lexar Professional Silver Plus microSDXC Memory Card tech specs: Capacity: From 128GB to 1TB | Offload speed: Up to 205MB/s | Write speed: Up to 150MB/s | Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready pinch UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30)
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This is nan paper I urge to those who either are successful emotion pinch nan Amazon Basics brand, aliases who are frightened to bargain different marque for fearfulness of getting a counterfeit card.
I've utilized these cards a batch successful applications wherever velocity is not a interest -- specified arsenic dashcams -- and they've each performed arsenic advertised.
Reviews connected outlets specified arsenic Amazon are highly positive, pinch buyers being amazed that thing connected nan Amazon Basics marque tin beryllium truthful good.
Amazon Basics Micro SDXC Memory Card tech specs: Capacity: From 32GB to 512GB | Offload speed: Up to 100MB/s | Write speed: Up to 60MB/s | Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready pinch UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30)
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If you're going to beryllium doing a batch of penning to a microSD card, these are nan cards for you arsenic they are designed to connection up to 16 years -- an unthinkable 140,160 hours -- of continuous signaling clip for nan 256GB version, while offering publication and constitute speeds of up to 100 megabytes per 2nd (MB/s) and 40 MB/s, respectively.
Review: Samsung PRO Endurance MicroSDXC Card
I've publication countless reviews connected Reddit and Amazon for these cards, and nan claims of precocious endurance look to construe into real-world usage.
Samsung PRO Endurance MicroSDXC Card tech specs: Capacity: From 32GB to 256GB | Offload speed: Up to 100MB/s | Write speed: Up to 40MB/s | Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready pinch UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30)
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It's intolerable to screen retention media for cameras without including Lexar, arsenic it's 1 of those brands that's been astir since nan dawn of storage-- awesome performance, an fantabulous constricted life warranty, and different marque that's not fto maine down.
Another marque of microSD cards that has tens of hundreds of affirmative reviews connected outlets and Reddit.
Lexar Professional microSDXC UHS-I microSD Card tech specs: Capacity: From 64GB to 1TB | Offload speed: Up to 160MB/s | Write speed: Up to 130MB/s | Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready pinch UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30) | In-app capacity rating: A2 (up to 4000 publication IOPS, 2000 constitute IOPS)
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While nan speeds offered by plain aged microSD cards are bully capable for astir things gaming puts other pressures connected hardware, hence nan request for faster cards that tin leverage nan benignant of information bandwidth that PCI Express/NVMe interfaces has to offer.
PNY has travel retired pinch microSD Express cards that are up to 4.4x faster than modular UHS-I microSD cards. This intends that this mini paper offers up to 890MB/s publication speeds and up to 550MB/s constitute speeds. But fearfulness not, because microSD Express cards are backward compatible pinch UHS-I and UHS-II big devices astatine nan applicable speeds. These are cleanable for nan .
Note that you'll request a circumstantial microSD Express paper scholar to get nan highest imaginable speeds from microSD Express cards erstwhile utilizing a paper reader.
PNY microSD Express microSD Card tech specs: Capacity: From 128GB and 256GB | Offload speed: Up to 890MB/s | Write speed: Up to 550MB/s | Performance rating: 4K and 5K UHD-ready pinch UHS Speed Class 3 (U3), Video Speed Class 30 (V30), and microSD Express compatible. | In-app capacity rating: A1 (up to 1500 publication IOPS, 500 constitute IOPS)
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ZDNET's prime for nan champion wide microSD paper is nan SanDisk Extreme, but narrowing down nan champion microSD paper isn't an easy task. That's because you tin person different cards for different applications. For example, 1 personification mightiness favour performance, while different mightiness want precocious endurance, and different beryllium fund conscious.
Thankfully, location are galore options for other retention that tin scope from conscionable a fewer dollars to complete a hundred, pinch different retention offerings and publication and constitute speeds.
Brand | Price | Capacity | Read velocity (MB/s) | Write velocity (MB/s) |
SanDisk Extreme | $11 to $230 | 32GB - 2TB | 190 | 130 |
Lexar Professional Silver Plus | $27 to $80 | 128GB - 1TB | 205 | 150 |
Amazon Basics | $11 to $70 | 128GB - 1TB | 100 | 60 |
Samsung PRO Endurance | $19 to $29 | 32GB - 256GB | 100 | 40 |
Lexar Professional | $16 to $112 | 64GB - 1TB | 160 | 130 |
PNY microSD Express cards | $45 to $70 | 128GB - 256GB | 890 | 550 |
*MSRP astatine nan clip of writing. Please statement that existent prices whitethorn alteration depending connected disposable sales, deals, discounts, and coupons.
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ZDNET's prime for nan champion wide microSD paper is nan SanDisk Extreme, but narrowing down nan champion microSD paper isn't an easy task. Check retired our different apical picks and spot really they comparison to each other, and to your needs.
Choose this microSD paper brand… | If you… |
SanDisk Extreme | Want a awesome all-rounder suitable for astir applications. |
Lexar Professional Silver Plus | Want a professional, pro-grade paper without nan eye-watering cost. |
Amazon Basics | Are worried astir counterfeit cards pinch much salient brands. |
Samsung PRO Endurance | Are signaling 24/7/365 to nan paper pinch CCTV aliases usage it successful a assemblage cam aliases dash cam. |
Lexar Professional | Are a master and you want a marque that's been astir for ages and a constricted life warranty. |
PNY microSD Express | These cards are aimed astatine devices -- specified arsenic nan Nintendo Switch 2 -- that support microSD Express modular which is 4.4x faster than modular UHS-I microSD cards. |
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ZDNET only recommends products we ourselves person tested aliases researched, a process that's The process is rooted successful rigorous testing, real-world application, and decades of expertise. While location are countless microSD cards disposable connected nan market, not each paper is built nan same.
Here are immoderate different factors I considered erstwhile testing and curating my apical selections.
- Real-world use: When I trial microSD cards, I usage them successful a assortment of systems from cameras and drones to CCTV systems nether some easy and harsh conditions, to get a consciousness for really they really activity successful nan existent world. This hands-on attack ensures that nan cards recommended are not only accelerated connected insubstantial but besides dependable successful real-world applications.
- Brand trust: I've been a photographer and videographer for a mates of decades, and a drone usability for adjacent to 10 years, and during that clip I've had nan chance to usage each these microSD cards successful real-world situations. These are nan brands of cards that I usage and trust.
- Benchmarks: I'm besides rather a nerd, and person carried retired some existent world and synthetic benchmarks connected these retention cards. For benchmarking I usage AmorphousDiskMark and BlackMagic Disk Speed Test.
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The main quality betwixt an SD paper and a microSD paper is size. SD cards are larger, measuring 32mm x 24mm x 2.1mm, while microSD cards measurement 15mm x 11mm x 1mm.
Both types of cards travel successful akin capacity ranges and capacity classes.
Due to their larger size, SD cards are commonly utilized successful devices pinch much abstraction to accommodate them, specified arsenic integer cameras, camcorders, and older laptops. These devices often person dedicated SD paper slots, making nan larger shape facet a non-issue.
microSD cards connected nan different manus are perfect for smaller, much portable devices for illustration smartphones, tablets, drones, action cameras, and moreover immoderate gaming consoles. Their mini footprint allows manufacturers to prevention abstraction successful compact devices while still providing expandable storage.
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No. In fact, I've seen group tally into troubles and suffer a batch of information doing this, not truthful overmuch because of nan microSD card, but because of their ain bad practices. A terabyte microSD paper tin clasp a batch of data, but that tin lead to problem if you don't regularly quiet it and 1 time your camera falls into nan oversea aliases your drone flies distant ne'er to beryllium seen again.
This is why I for illustration having a fistful of smaller cards. This measurement I alteration them regularly, and if nan worst happens and I do suffer data, nan nonaccomplishment is limited.
The different logic is money -- you usually salary a premium for nan highest capacity cards, and nan saccharine spot successful position of value versus capacity is usually location successful nan middle.
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microSD Express is simply a next-generation flash representation paper modular that focuses connected performance. These cards are tin of up to 880 MB/s and constitute speeds of up to 650 MB/s, and hitting sustained constitute speeds astir 210 MB/s, a immense betterment complete accepted microSD cards, which trust connected older UHS-I aliases UHS-II interfaces.
microSD Express cards are backward compatible pinch devices that support microSD UHS-I, though they will run astatine reduced speeds successful specified devices. The astir mainstream instrumentality to support microSD Express is nan caller Nintendo Switch 2, which require these high-speed cards.
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Very robust!
I've been utilizing microSD cards for person to 2 decades now, and they're incredibly durable. MicroSD cards are built to withstand utmost upwind conditions, and are temperature-proof, waterproof, drop-proof, shockproof, and moreover X-ray proof.
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It tin beryllium difficult to do this. The measurement galore find retired is that their paper either dies aliases doesn't person anyplace adjacent nan stated capacity.
Other, much subtle giveaways see nan printing connected nan paper being mediocre quality, blurry, aliases moreover containing typos. The packaging itself besides usually feels cheap.
Windows users tin besides usage package devices to cheque nan validity of their microSD cards, devices specified arsenic h2testw, USB Flash Drive Tester, and ChipGenius.
Another measurement it to transportation retired a velocity cheque trial utilizing a instrumentality specified arsenic BlackMagic Disk Speed Test aliases CrystalDiskMark and checking your results against nan specs connected nan card's packaging aliases nan internet. If they are dramatically different -- opportunity by 20% aliases much -- past you could person a clone paper (or thing is incorrect pinch your trial strategy aliases paper reader).
The champion measurement to debar counterfeits is to bargain from a reputable outlet.
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Other microSD cards worthy considering
Looking for nan adjacent champion product? Get master reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.
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