One of the best microSD playing cards in 2025

Most microSD playing cards are quick sufficient for reinforcing cupboard space and making easy file transfers, however some present a bit extra worth than others. If you happen to’ve obtained a tool that also accepts microSD playing cards — whether or not it’s a gaming handheld, a touch cam, a drone or an Android tablet — we’ve scoured the market and put greater than a dozen high contenders by means of a lot of benchmark assessments. Yow will discover our high suggestions beneath, alongside some normal buying recommendation earlier than you seize one.

Greatest microSD playing cards of 2025

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. Fashionable playing cards are normally out there in sizes starting from 32GB to 512GB, with a number of fashions now out there in 1TB or 1.5TB capacities as effectively. The primary 2TB cards from major brands have began to reach in latest months as effectively, which is thrilling, however these are nonetheless pretty uncommon (and really costly) by comparability.

For many, a 128GB or 256GB mannequin needs to be a candy spot between value 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 or better may make extra sense and infrequently gives a greater cost-per-GB ratio. Today, you will discover an honest 128GB card for round $15 or much less, a superb 256GB card for lower than $30 and a strong 512GB card for lower than $40 (with sooner fashions priced a bit larger). There’s a starker improve while you go as much as 1TB playing cards, which frequently price nearer to $100, although we’ve seen some fall into the $70 to $80 vary inside the final yr. The primary wave of 2TB playing cards are an excellent larger leap: the 2TB SanDisk Excessive, for instance, is priced at $200.

Be aware {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 supply as much as 130 MB/s.

Once we speak about microSD playing cards at present, we normally seek advice from playing cards that use the microSDXC (eXtended Capacity) standard, which have a capability between 32GB and 2TB. Your gadget must assist this for it to work with a microSDXC card. It will nearly by no means be a problem lately, however some older units (a Nintendo 3DS, as an example) are solely appropriate 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 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 attempting to entry or save lengthy, fixed streams of knowledge, akin to opening a big video or copying an enormous batch of information from a PC. If you wish to use a microSD card for media storage, that is significantly necessary. Random efficiency, in the meantime, is about how rapidly a card can learn and write small information 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 usually has to quickly save and entry small bits of knowledge in random places.

Velocity rankings

If you happen to take a look at a microSD card, you’ll see a buffet of numbers, letters and symbols. Most of those seek advice from the cardboard’s speed class and efficiency rankings, that are decided by the SD Association.

A card’s Video Velocity Class, or V-rating, particulars its minimal sequential write pace, which is very 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 not less than 30 MB/s. This needs to be sufficient to assist as much as 4K video at decrease bitrates. Greater-rated V60 and V90 playing cards are normally higher for capturing 8K, however they arrive at a a lot larger price.

The UHS Velocity 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 Velocity Class ranking overlaps with the opposite two programs. 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 Software Efficiency spec, marked by an A logo, is an indicator of random learn/write speeds. That is measured in IOPS, or enter/output operations per second, slightly than MB/s. There are two classes right here: A1 playing cards supply 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 rankings additionally assure sequential write speeds of not less than 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 is perhaps price it for those who simply want an affordable, high-capacity possibility, for instance. V60 and V90 playing cards are price a glance for those who’re critical about capturing high-resolution pictures and video as effectively. However general, playing cards with the certifications above ought to present the perfect mix of value and efficiency at present.

It’s necessary to emphasise that these rankings are baselines. Most V30 playing cards supply considerably larger write speeds than 30 MB/s, as an example, and a few A1 playing cards can outperform some A2 fashions in follow. The speeds marketed by producers aren’t at all times 100% correct, both: Generally the cardboard will likely be slower in real-world use, different instances it might truly be a bit sooner.

UHS bus speeds

The opposite spec to notice is the cardboard’s bus interface. Most microSD playing cards out there at present 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 commonplace technically exists as effectively however hasn’t seen large adoption.) These are labeled on the cardboard with a Roman numeral I or II.

UHS-II playing cards are normally those with these larger V60 or V90 rankings. If you happen to shoot numerous 4K to 8K video or often use burst mode to seize extremely high-res pictures, the efficiency positive factors of a superb UHS-II card can prevent time.

Nevertheless, 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 prior to now, it is nonetheless greater than double the standard value of our high choose talked about beneath. You want a tool that’s appropriate 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 value premium for most individuals, so we caught largely to UHS-I playing cards with our suggestions.

Absolutely the quickest microSD playing cards you should buy proper now, although, are primarily based on a distinct interface known as SD Express. This has technically been around for a number of years and now includes its personal subset of speed classes, however the gist is that it is a lot sooner than UHS-I or UHS-II: SanDisk’s just lately launched microSD Express card, which is the primary commercially out there mannequin we’ve examined, advertises sequential learn speeds as much as 880MB/s. For context, that’s faster than some older SSDs.

It’s a considerable improve that — spoiler alert — has largely held up in our testing, however nearly zero standard units natively assist SD Categorical proper now, and once more, SanDisk’s card prices way more than the perfect UHS-I choices. It’s nonetheless attainable to reap the benefits of the boosted efficiency with a devoted SD Categorical card reader, however that provides much more to the ultimate price. It’s additionally price noting that SD Categorical playing cards are usually not backwards appropriate with UHS-II (or UHS-III), so for those who attempt to plug one into a tool with a UHS-II slot, it’ll be restricted to UHS-I speeds. Nonetheless, the tech ought to have loads of enchantment if extra devices that assist the interface do arrive. Apart from SanDisk, Samsung has said it plans to launch an SD Categorical card as effectively.

A be aware on card readers and reaching marketed speeds

Whereas the UHS-I interface has a theoretical most of 104 MB/s, some UHS-I playing cards can exceed that pace by means of proprietary extensions. Nevertheless, you want a appropriate card reader and host gadget to reap the benefits of that additional efficiency. If you happen to discover a UHS-I card promoting speeds larger than 104 MB/s, that is what’s happening. You’ll be able to see these limits in motion with a Nintendo Swap or Steam Deck: Both of those gaming units assist the UHS-I interface however don’t transcend its official pace, flattening any sequential positive factors some playing cards might have elsewhere. (Variations in random learn and write speeds can nonetheless matter, although.) The identical factor will occur for those who plug a extra highly effective UHS-II or SD Categorical card into a tool that doesn’t settle for these interfaces.

The 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, an extended guarantee is at all times good to have. Many producers supply lifetime or 10-year restricted warranties, although we’ve observed that “endurance” playing cards marketed to face up to extra hours of writing are normally lined for a shorter time period. For instance, Samsung’s Pro Endurance, a mannequin geared 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 in opposition to this, solely purchase from a recognized model and a good retailer akin to Greatest Purchase, B&H Picture or Adorama. If you happen to store at Amazon, solely purchase if the shipper and vendor is Amazon.com. (That mentioned, a handful of customers have reported receiving counterfeits even from Amazon straight prior to now.) Keep in mind: If a value 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, test its packaging for any irregularities. You’ll be able to run benchmark assessments like CrystalDiskMark or BlackMagic Disk Speed Test to confirm its speeds aren’t drastically decrease than what’s marketed (or attainable, given its specs). It’s also possible to use software program that’s designed to confirm the true capability and efficiency of your card, akin to H2testw and FakeFlashTest.

How we take a look at microSD playing cards

We have put shut to twenty microSD playing cards by means of a sequence of assessments 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 just a few “real-world” assessments. We copied and pasted a small folder of pictures about 1.15GB in dimension 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 information.

The place relevant, we used a Kingston USB 3.2 UHS-II reader to check every card on each Home windows 11 and macOS Sonoma. Nevertheless, if a card could possibly be bundled with (or is particularly marketed to make use of) a proprietary reader, we primarily examined with that, since we determine that’s the one most patrons will find yourself utilizing. For Home windows testing, 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 macOS, we used a 2021 16-inch MacBook Professional with an Apple M1 Professional chip, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. If a reader couldn’t join over USB-C, we used CalDigit’s TS4 dock to check the corresponding card on the MacBook.

We examined the 128GB model of every card wherever attainable, although for just a few playing cards — SanDisk’s Excessive and Samsung’s Professional Plus and Professional Final — we have been solely in a position to take a look at higher-capacity fashions. We additionally reformatted every card earlier than testing with the SD Affiliation’s Memory Card Formatter tool.

Different notable microSD playing cards

Samsung's Pro Ultimate microSD card. — The Samsung Professional Final.

Samsung Professional Final

The Samsung Pro Ultimate was the closest competitor to the Lexar Skilled Silver Plus throughout our benchmark assessments, however it’s tangible worse when it comes to sequential write speeds, sometimes prices extra and doesn’t supply a 1TB possibility. The Samsung Professional Plus is a bit slower for sequential reads, however it’s shut sufficient in any other case and normally simpler to search out at a lower cost.

Kingston Canvas Go Plus

The Kingston Canvas Go Plus is a high quality card and price shopping for over the Samsung Evo Choose if the 2 are ever out there for a similar value, however its sequential write speeds lagged effectively behind the Lexar Silver Plus and, to a barely lesser extent, Samsung Professional Plus.

The SanDisk Extreme and PNY Elite-X microSD cards. — The SanDisk Excessive and PNY Elite-X.

Delkin Units Energy

We have not used 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 will ship considerably sooner sequential write speeds than our picks above. It’s one of many few UHS-II playing cards we may truly discover in inventory, however it prices a ton, with a 128GB mannequin usually priced round $80.

SanDisk Excessive

The SanDisk Extreme successfully matched the Professional Plus in just a few of our sequential assessments, however that was partly because of us solely with the ability to safe the 256GB mannequin, which is higher-rated than the 128GB model. It’s a high quality alternative for those who see it on sale at a good vendor, however it’s broadly slower than our high choose and infrequently prices extra.

SanDisk GamePlay

The SanDisk GamePlay performs equally to the SanDisk Excessive however prices a superb bit additional as of our newest replace. We couldn’t get it to achieve its marketed speeds with the corporate’s personal “Professional” card reader or different third-party choices, so it fell in need of our high picks.

SanDisk Pokémon

The SanDisk Pokémon does outperform its marketed learn and write speeds, however not by sufficient to outpace the Lexar Silver Plus or Samsung Professional Plus. It basically prices additional for having an image of Pikachu (or Gengar, or Snorlax) on a product you’ll by no means take a look at.

A silver and black Lexar Professional 1066x microSD card and its black SD card adapter rest on top of a brown wooden shelf above a white window sill. — The Lexar Skilled 1066x.

Lexar Skilled 1066x

The Lexar Professional 1066x is one other OK different to the Samsung Professional Plus if our important picks are unavailable, however its sequential reads and random speeds aren’t on par with both Samsung’s card or Lexar’s personal Silver Plus. That mentioned, it’s price getting over the Samsung Evo Choose for those who see it for a lower cost, as its sequential write speeds are a lot sooner. It additionally comes with a lifetime restricted guarantee.

SanDisk Excessive Professional

The SanDisk Extreme Pro is a detailed analog to the Samsung Professional Final however, as of this writing, is both unavailable at most trusted retailers or priced too excessive by comparability. The Lexar Skilled Silver Plus has sooner sequential write speeds as effectively.

PNY Elite-X

The PNY Elite-X usually goes for reasonable and wasn’t too far off the random learn/write efficiency of Samsung’s Professional Plus in CrystalDiskMark, however its sequential speeds have been effectively behind our high picks.

Latest updates

February 2025: We’ve up to date this information with a brand new high choose: the Lexar Skilled Silver Plus. The Samsung Professional Plus, our earlier advice, stays as a runner-up. We’ve additionally added SanDisk’s just lately launched microSD Categorical card as a choose for many who need absolutely the quickest card attainable, albeit with heavy caveats. This is without doubt one of the first microSD playing cards to make use of the SD Categorical bus interface, so we’ve included extra particulars on what that entails in our “what to search for in a microSD card” part. Lastly, we’ve eliminated our write-up for SanDisk’s Apex Legends card, because it seems to have been discontinued, and included testing notes for a few the corporate’s more moderen releases.

November 2024: We have checked again with this information to make sure our suggestions are nonetheless correct and made mild edits for readability.

August 2024: We’ve up to date this information to notice the just lately launched 1TB fashions for 3 of our high 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.

This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/equipment/best-microsd-card-130038282.html?src=rss

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