An SD or microSD card should broaden the horizons of your device and not become a monument of buyer remorse. The Internet abounds in fake cards, lurking in the cyberspace marketplaces even of trusted sellers such as Amazon. Don’t have one fake card robbing you of data and dollars. Engage in some counterfeiting testing for SD cards, and be sure that what you are paying for is there to the last gigabyte.
Heads up! Your antivirus software might throw some tantrums for some of these tools. Since they do activities that include tinkering under the hood of your device, your antivirus might get triggered and start alarming. However, just so you know, we’ve already checked them against VirusTotal with a negative result.
1. H2testw
Platforms: Windows
H2testw: The Old Faithful of Storage Testers. For years, it had been the main solution to make sure that your SD/microSD card had the claimed capacity and speed. The good news is that the latest update fixed the bugs that caused problems with high-capacity storage.
H2testw is a forensic toolkit created by a German engineer, exactly suited for puke-worthy storage. The software, however, opens and gives a mainly German welcome, but do not be put off! You can go straight ahead and switch to English. Open the program, choose your language, then click onSelect targetand point it toward your suspect SD card. Pick your tests’ strength: full test (write and verify) or quick test (verify only) and expose any act of storage space lying with H2testw.
Headsup! This tool will wipe your drive of any existing data if any. To safeguard your data, make sure to back it up and format your drive prior to beginning the test.
2. FakeFlashTest
Platforms: Windows
Without you realizing it, H2testw might actually be crawling through your SD card. Clash now with FakeFlashTest, the fastest devil in the verification business. Just like H2testw, the utility checks the card size and read/write speed by physically writing and reading data. But here’s the kicker: FakeFlashTest offers a Quick Size Test mode. Rather than scanning the entire card, it smartly samples the card by writing and reading small chunks of data (512 bytes) at random sectors. It’s a much faster way to detect fake SD cards, particularly important when it comes to huge capacity drives.
Speed Test Ready?
Kick things off with a lightningfastQuick Size Test: give your card the fullblown treatment (just a headsup: your data will be wiped clean, so back it up!). Want to play it safe? RunTest Empty Spaceto check out performance without losing a single byte.
3. Novabench
Platforms: Windows | Mac
Want to know if your SD card is a speed demon or a sluggish snail? Novabench, a PC benchmarking powerhouse, does just that and you do not have to go in for an expensive version. While the big daddy version has those advanced goodies, the free agent is just fine to fire a quick bomb artillery on the SD card.
System-wide stress test shall be skipped; hence, stress tests will be run on the storage directly. Near the “Start All Benchmark Tests” button will be a small arrow, which provides access to focused tests. Click it, select “Storage,” specify your SD card, and run the benchmark. Within moments, you’ll have solid figures about read and write speeds for your card.
Is your SD card indeed the genuine one? Dive into the test results! Tiny inconsistency might be acceptable, especially with older cards, but bigger discrepancies could mean life faux or life defective in a memory card. Guard your data-know what you have!
4. Blackmagic Disk Speed Test
Platforms: Windows | Mac
Having for slow SD cards? Blackmagic Disk Speed Test is your payoff for free. Built originally for very large video files, this tool also doubles as a false SD card detector. Check if your card stands up to the claims, whether or not you are way into Hollywood films.
Ahead of a speed test, the app initiates an intensive task; the digital sandcastle is erected first by filling the whole memory space, then it is desecrated and checked for the speed at which the sand dissipates. There goes some waiting while your device sports a hard hat and gets busy! Oh, and by the way, for you Mac users out there who need a clean slate, that’s how you would format the SD card.
It’s the opportunity for Windows users to enhance their video prowess! The most recent version of the Desktop Video software from Blackmagic Design is the ultimate thing to pull off downloading. Inside, lie the Disk Speed Test, which should make sure it is working at maximum capacity.
5. AJA System Test
Platforms: Windows | Mac
Is your SD card meeting its own expectations? AJA System Test cuts through the marketing jargon by providing a free and simple way to benchmark your card’s actual speed on Windows and Mac. Forget those cryptic numbers; AJA offers easy-to-understand graphs that let you visually assess whether your card is running smooth or rough. A rollercoaster of fluctuating speed is a major no-go and big red flag for card-related problems. While older cards can definitely show their age, AJA will help you pinpoint whether your beloved storage is in its death throes.
Just got a shinynew SD card eager to go to work? Well, back it up or not, let me see if it really is worth what they say it is! The fine print says they have “neartotal” speeds anyway. And tiny tiny hiccups are normalwrangles with files, to be blamed. Finally, you are ready to test! Insert that card (empty is better just in case!), hit the “Start” button, select a data size, and let the test begin!
When installing this, you don’t need to install all components and drivers. Just the core app.
6. Speed Out
Platforms: Windows | Mac
Enough with guessing your SD card speed! Speed Out really clears the air of confusion. This lightweight tool has no install processthey just download and launch it! Speed Out throws a barrage of temporary files at your SD card and ruthlessly beats out the read and write speed measurement. Pick your drive then clickStartand BAM! It’s immediately on to the speed stats. With that, no slow transfer rates. Just straight, raw data flow.
Want to run a fast-and-dirty speed test on any SD? Then it’s your portable pal. Not a 100% accurate measure, but fine for portability checks which is any machine is allowed to conduct. USB 2.0 ports will really screw up your results. Speed Out needs a USB 3.0 reader for accurate readings. Do you have a USB-C device? Then, in order to maintain compatibility, an adapter for the card reader is recommended.
7. USBDeview
Platforms : Windows
Use USBDeview, Nirsoft’s handy portable software, to unlock the mystic world of your SD card. Never fumble it instantly detects every USB and SD device once it is plugged into your PC! Will you actually see how fast your SD card is? You just have to rightclick to open the “Speed test” window, make sure the drive letter is correct, and finally click “Start test“.
Throw away those uselessly bloated benchmarks. This tool goes for the jugular: pure, raw speed. It sends a 100MB file to your drive, and then measures the reading and writing speeds. Simple? Absolutely. Works? Undeniably. See your storage working in the real world.
8. True SD Card Capacity & Speed
Platforms: Android
True SD Card Capacity & Speed: one of those no-nonsense Android apps clearing up the confusion. No PC? No problem. This app becomes your very own pocket dog gone detective, quickly laying bare the capacity and speed truth. Its dead-simple design guides you through the testing process, step-by-step, so you’ll know exactly what you’re getting.
First off, heed all warnings, followed by your own hand selection of an SD card. Walk the steps now, exactly. The app will demand that the screen remain awake during testing. Format the card, for it is a must in the true sense. Still struggling? These tips could very well be your savior.
How can I be sure I’m buying a real SD card?
Want to snag a sweet deal on an SD card? Smart move. But before you pounce, remember these golden rules: Stick to names you know and trust the big brands and reputed stores. So, if the deal seems to say, “Too good to be true,” that most certainly means it is. Unless it is Black Friday or a massive sale of any kind, an SD card advertised at 50 percent discount is a warning; and such a 256GB card for $5 on Wish.com? Run. Just run. Your data deserves better.
Ideally, stick with the following brands:
- Samsung
- SanDisk
- Kingston
- Lexar
- PNY
- Transcend
Steer clear of the third-party jungle! When browsing at Amazon, pick items sold by Amazon itself or by the brand’s own store (like the SD card maker’s Amazon shop, for example). Counterfeit goods abound and so use reviews like a shield and a sword- scrutinizing these thoroughly before purchase!
Another option is to buy from a brick-and-mortar store. While you’ll find the occasional damaged card, most are legitimate.
Gone are the days of refurbished SD cards. There is always an element of chance with digital items: for example, used goods, used technology, and malware in some cases. To put your data on the line-would they really worth anything?
Thanks for reading Free Tools to Check SD Card Speed and Capacity
