Someone stress-tested just under 300 SD cards over three years, and the results are surprising

Published Aug 18, 2026, 1:23 AM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Sign in to your XDA account Summary 284 microSD cards were endurance-tested over 3 years; results show wide durability differences. PNY, Kingston, Delkin, Lexar, and Samsung ranked most durable among consumer cards. SanDisk performed surprisingly badly; many of its cards failed under normal conditions. Not all SD cards are built the same, and it's really common to have a 'go-to' brand when purchasing new cards. But how does your favorite SD card manufacturer perform when put under stress? After all, there are times when speed isn't the best quality, such as when you're using one with a Raspberry Pi. One Redditor has tested just under 300 SD cards to find out, and as it turns out, they listed one of my preferred makes of SD cards as not very reliable. 284 SD cards endured this tinkerer's reliability gauntlet Not all of them made it out unscathed Over on the Raspberry Pi subreddit, user mikaey00 has revealed what they've discovered after three years of SD card testing. They own a total of 351 cards, but 67 of them are still on the sidelines waiting for their turn, meaning we have results for 284 of them right now. To make things easier to understand, mikaey00 put all SD cards into one of three categories: consumer-grade, high endurance, and industrial-grade. You can check out all the results and definitions in the original post, but for the time being, let's take a peek at the consumer-grade results. Mikaey00 listed the following consumer-grade SD card brands as the most durable, with the first being the best: PNY Kingston Delkin Devices Lexar Samsung Amazon Basics (Honorable Mention) Meanwhile, these consumer-grade brands were listed as the least durable, with the first being the worst: onn ADATA Gigastone Micro Center Silicon Power / SP SanDisk (Dishonorable Mention) That SanDisk result surprised me, as I often rely on that brand with zero problems. However, mikaey00 explained that they've tested 28 of SanDisk's cards, and the results weren't great: It's telling that of those 28, only 5 are still going (and one of them is in its death throes) -- especially when cards from so many other brands have far outlasted them. Many of them have died under circumstances any other card would have handled just fine, They even point to their post on their personal blog where they send an open letter to SanDisk asking it to "please do better," alongside the faults they found with the SD cards. Here's hoping SanDisk takes the advice.