How to choose the best SD card that suits your needs? Guide to the parameters to evaluate before making the purchase among the best SD and microSD cards on the market
The scheda SD is a removable memory medium used to expand the space of laptops, smartphones, tablets, camcorders, cameras, etc. Before buying an SD card among the best SD and microSD cards on the market, you must inform yourself well about the characteristics and above all about its intended use. The risk otherwise would be to have a very good SD card that offers excellent performance, but unusable as it does not fit your device.
How to correctly choose the best SD or micro SD card
The choice of SD card must be based on four fundamental points: the classthe speed ratinglo memory space and the physical size of the card. Let’s analyze each of these items in detail to orient ourselves on thepurchase among the best SD and microSD cards.
The class of the SD card | Best SD and microSD cards
There are four types of classes for SD cards: classe 2, classe 4, classe 6 e class 10. Through the class it is possible to know exactly the minimum card write speed.
Specifically, the class number indicates how many MB the transfer takes place: a class 2 card writes at a speed of 2 MB/s, a class 4 card at 4 MB/s, a class 6 card at 6 MB/s and a class 10 card at 10 MB/s. There are also ultra-fast cards (UHS o U3), which are able to transfer from 50 MB/s up to 312 MB/s, and even more.
The speed rating of the SD card | Best SD and microSD cards
The speed rating is equivalent to maximum speed expressed as a multiplier of the writing speed of a CDand is indicated with the symbol X. The unit of measurement for writing CDs (1x) equals 150 KB/sec (0.15 MB/sec), therefore an SD card with a speed rating of 1000x guarantees a speed of 150 MB /sec.
However, this parameter turns out to be less reliable than the speed class, since it indicates only the peak speed. Furthermore it is not certifiedthis means that the speed rating is self-certified by the manufacturer, therefore it is advisable to rely on a well-known and well-known brand on the market.
SD card storage space | Best SD and microSD cards
The SDs have three ranges of memory spaces, to be carefully evaluated based on the intended use.
The SDXC (Secure Digital Extended Capacity) they have a capacity ranging from 64 GB to 2 TB; the SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) they have a capacity ranging from 4 GB to 32 GB; finally the SDSC (Secure Digital Standard Capacity) they have a capacity ranging from 128 MB to 2 GB.
The type of card to purchase should be chosen based on the amount of data, photos, images and files that you intend to save to avoid unnecessary expenses or purchase a product that would be unusable.
The physical size of the SD card | Best SD and microSD cards
The last parameter concerns the physical size of the card, which can be of three formats: standard (32 mm x 24 mm), mini SD (31,5 mm x 20 mm) e micro SD (11mm x 15mm). The mini SD cards can be housed using a special adapter usually also in a PC, which is instead compatible with the standard format.
Best micro SD cards
Best SD Cards
Best SD and microSD cards for smartphones, cameras, tablets, etc.
Doing a summary we can say that: for photos it is advisable to focus on memory space; for camcorders, class 2 is recommended for normal video, classes 4 and 6 for Full HD video, and class 10 for Full HD video and consecutive high definition (HD) image shooting. Finally, for smartphones and tablets, the parameter to consider among the best SD and microSD cards is the write speed.
Good purchase!
I hope this buying guide of best SD and microSD cards has been helpful to you and I remind you that it will be updated monthly. We advise you to also take a look at our guides to the best SLR cameras and the best smartphone.
For any doubt or suggestion, I invite you to use the comment box below.