SD Cards

When looking to buy individual and bulk SD cards, spend a few moments considering some options so you stand to get the most out of your purchases. You should ask yourself the following questions:

Answering these questions can help you identify which SD card(s) you need for specific purposes.

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Main Considerations When Purchasing Bulk SD Cards

When buying a card for your Nikon DSLR camera or a digital camcorder, you’ll need a faster card compared with merely using an SD card in an MP3 player or digital picture frame, for example. Manufacturers and various tech companies using cards are strict on their requirements in utilizing proper write speeds and supported sizes. Performance is key.

The following guide includes much more information about SD cards to help steer your purchasing decision.

What Is an SD Card?

An SD card, short for secure digital card, is a compact, lightweight and removable flash memory card offering high-capacity storage. While it is one of several types of memory card available, the SD card is among the most popular.

Measuring 1.25 by 0.95 inches and weighing 2 grams, SD cards are used in computers and many electronic devices such as digital video camcorders, digital cameras, digital picture frames, cell phones, game consoles and MP3 players.

In recent years, a smaller form of SD cards called micro SD cards have emerged to help meet the needs of smaller devices such as cell phones.

A Brief History of SD Cards

SD cards hit the market in 1999 and helped transform storage for electronic devices. As their storage capacities ballooned, these devices became ever more powerful.

SD cards have become capable of storing as many as tens of thousands of images and songs along with hours of HD video on a single card. Users can store numerous program files in a variety of file formats for convenience and security.

What’s the Difference Between SD and Micro SD Memory Cards?

SD cards are available in three sizes: standard, mini and micro. The standard SD card is the largest.

Micro SD cards have become popular because they are small and fit easily into portable devices such as cell phones. While the connection, port required, and physical size of the cards are different, they both work in devices that accept full size SD cards.

The micro SD cards offer a lower storage capacity than regular SD cards, but they are available in a wider range of storage capacities than miniSD cards.

SD cards are generally used in devices that have a larger form factor, while micro SD cards are used in smaller devices. Both SD and microSD cards have the same dimensions, but micro SD cards are about one-third the size of an SD card.

Many newer devices, like cell phones and digital cameras, use micro SD cards instead of regular SD cards because they’re smaller. Because of this, mobile phone manufacturers are more likely to place a bulk micro SD card order rather than purchasing smaller amounts or opting for SD cards.

Size Difference between SD Card and Micro SD Card

SD cards are about twice the size of a postage stamp. They’re available in capacities up to 1TB. Micro SD cards are about the size of a fingernail, and are also available in capacities up to 1TB.

Top SD Card Brand Names

Everything But Stromboli carries several top SD card brand names, including Kingston, PNY and SanDisk. We also carry Lexar cards and our very own branded SD cards.

Everything But Stromboli sells top SD cards individually and at special wholesale prices.

When you purchase Everything But Stromboli SD cards, you’ll save a lot of money compared with buying cards from name-brand competitors while still getting high-quality products.

Uses for SD Cards

SD cards have a wide variety of uses, due to their small size, large storage capacity and high speed. Some common uses include:

  • Storing digital photos, especially in professional cameras
  • Storing digital videos
  • Playing music
  • Running operating systems in portable devices such as netbooks
  • Backing up files on computers
  • Storing data for GPS devices
  • Storing map information on portable devices
  • Storing contact information on cell phones
  • Playing video games
  • Loading software onto portable devices
  • Image and video storage for dash cameras
  • Collecting and storing footage on a card for video doorbell or similar surveillance system
  • Downloading files from the Internet

Who Uses Bulk SD Cards

Individuals and organizations in a range of industries can benefit from the purchase and use of memory cards in bulk. A professional photographer or videographer might use SD cards in digital video cameras or provide their clients with their own SD cards full of photographs and video footage.

Other professionals who work with AV equipment, mobile phones, computers, and more can also benefit from bulk SD card purchases. Drivers, especially those who cover great distances or need to keep accurate records of their journeys, can also use SD cards in a dash cam to help them track and monitor their travels.

Common Card Sizes

In scoping out SD cards, zoom in on card capacity. Small and large card sizes are available on Everything But Stromboli, carrying capacities up to 1TB. These common SD card sizes meet most people’s needs, although it’s worth noting that the most common sizes are 16GB and 32GB.

If you intend to record lots of HD video and take thousands of RAW or high-megapixel images at a wedding or other event or while on vacation, for example, you’ll benefit from investing in high-capacity cards such as 64 GB, 128 GB or even 256 GB.

With bulk purchases, although 8GB is a common size, this storage capacity is giving way to higher capacity cards. Cards offering 16 GB and 32 GB of storage capacity are overtaking 4 GB to 8 GB cards in popularity.

Years ago, the larger a card’s internal storage size meant a slower write speed, but this is no longer the case. As write speeds increased from 48 MB to 80 MB per second, larger-capacity cards have soared in popularity.

Class 10 cards write at minimum 10MB/s sustained, making the 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB SD cards more appealing to move files, especially 4K video files, which are very large files. In time, we’ll see terabytes become available on these cards, and we have already seen a video speed class emerge.

SD Card Specs: What Does Each SD Card Terminology Indicate?

The Everything But Stromboli team has produced this handy guide breaking down SD card specs. These cards have a lot of terminologies, making it confusing for consumers to understand what kind of card(s) they need.

Note that each brand, format, size and class of SD card is different. It’s recommended to note the range of sizes and speeds suitable for the lowest and maximum efficiency and outputs possible for your given purpose.

  • SDHC: Secure Digital High Capacity, which generally covers card sizes between 4 GB and 32 GB.
  • SDXC: Secure Digital eXtended Capacity, optimized for full-HD (1920×1080 resolution) recording and is compatible with only SDXC devices, commonly media devices.
  • Class or series: The class is the rated classification for a card’s write speed. Class indicates how fast information is uploaded and written onto the device. Cards have been made as Class 2, Class 4, Class 6 and Class 10, with the latter writing at a speed of at least 10 MB per second.
  • UHS: Ultra High Speed is another designation of write speed, a drive with a U1 symbol writes at 10 MB per second and a U3 writes at 30 MB per second.
  • V: A “V” designation represents a video-oriented card with the video class speed of V6 (6 MB per second), V10 (10 MB per second), V30 (30 MB per second), V60 (60 MB per second) and V90 (90 MB per second). Video requires a certain write speed to record a given quality of video. The higher the quality, the higher the necessary write speed.

SanDisk, for example, labels its card classes with the names Ultra, Extreme and Extreme Pro, with each tier operating at higher read speeds than the previous and much faster write speeds. The Ultra is a step up from a standard SD card, and the Extreme variety is better still. The Extreme Pro card performs the fastest read, write and transfer speeds and may be the card for you if you intend to record lots of 4K video.

Bulk SD Cards

When you purchase bulk SD cards, the larger the order, the cheaper the price. Buying bulk SD cards enables prices per card to be the most affordable compared to purchasing them individually.

Lots of companies buy bulk SD cards for use by their employees in business equipment as well as in packaging with electronic devices.

Digital photographers and videographers may also purchase wholesale SD cards to send files to clients.

If you need effective data storage for different projects or products, buying in bulk will help you get SD cards at the most affordable prices.

How Long Do SD Cards Last?

This is a difficult question to answer because it depends on how often the card is used and what type of files are stored on it. The average lifespan of an SD card can be anywhere from two to 10 years.

To get the most out of your SD cards, it’s important to keep them clean and store them in a safe place when they’re not in use.

Where to Buy SD Cards

Everything But Stromboli makes it easy for you to buy bulk SD cards. You’ll save a tremendous amount of money when purchasing wholesale SD cards directly from us. Our products are high-quality and affordable, especially if you want to buy bulk SD cards.

When you purchase Everything But Stromboli-branded SD cards, you’ll discover an easy shopping experience, unlike what you’ll find on Amazon or eBay. These retailers require you to contact the seller directly to negotiate bulk pricing discounts and confirm whether their inventory supply is enough to fulfill your order quantity. With Amazon and eBay, you may find packages for three, five or 10 SD cards, but if you need 100, 500, 1,000, or even 10,000 cards, your options quickly narrow.

Keep in mind these factors when exploring where to buy bulk SD cards:

  • Are you looking for a specific branded SD card?
  • What size memory card storage do you want?
  • Will your needs require the highest write speed and SD card class?
  • How many SD memory cards do you need?

These are the main factors to consider when it comes time for you to purchase wholesale SD cards. It’s worthwhile to note that finding the cheapest SD cards shouldn’t be your primary driver but rather ensuring the cards you purchase will work best for your needs.

Everything But Stromboli ships to all 50 states in the United States as well as throughout Canada. Email or call us for quotes on shipping estimates to other countries around the world.

How Do SD Cards Work

SD cards are a type of flash memory storage device. They are used in a variety of consumer electronics devices, including digital cameras, smartphones, camcorders, tablets and laptops. Devices that use SD cards have a slot on the side or back of the unit into which the card is inserted.

The SD card has three parts: the controller, the memory, and the bus. The controller is what tells the device how to use the card. The memory is where the data is stored, and the bus is what transfers the data between the controller and memory.

How to Format SD Card

SD cards usually are formatted and work when you use them initially. There may come a time when you wish to format your SD cards, to remove any hidden files, for example, and this tip sheet offers instructions on how to format SD cards on Windows 10 and how to format SD cards on Mac.

How to Format SD Card on Windows 10/Windows 11

To format an SD card on Windows 10, open Windows Explorer and find the drive letter for your card. Right-click on this drive letter and click “format” when the menu pops up.

On the Format screen, the file system defaults to FAT32. This is an older format and acceptable for use with smaller cards. Just note that the max individual file size for FAT32 is 4GB. You may want to choose exFAT for its cross compatibility and lack of file size limitations. Next, you will input a name for the formatted drive by typing it into the volume label. Click on the “start” button. Your card will then be formatted correctly.

How to Format SD Card on Mac

To format an SD card on Mac computers, launch Disk Utility inside the Applications folder. Find the card in the left-side column and click the “erase” button at the top of the screen. Select the format you desire and click “erase.”

Different File Format Options

There are a number of Format options on Windows 10/11 and Mac. They all have different pros and cons that you will want to consider.

  • FAT32
    • It’s age has made it the default standard for off the shelf flash drives
    • Maximum of 4GB for individual file size
    • Maximum of 8TB partition sizes
    • Works with practically anything with a USB port
  • exFAT
    • No file size limitations like FAT32
    • Mac and Windows both have Read/Write permissions
    • Can work with Linux after installing the correct software
    • Might not work on an older operating system
  • NTFS
    • Windows Only (Mac can read but not write)
    • Default Windows file system
    • Packed with features not included in FAT32 or exFAT
    • Supports file permissions and security
    • Offers a change journal
    • Many other features
  • APFS
    • The current Mac standard for SSDs (MacOS 10.13 and later)
    • Offers encrypted and case sensetive versions
    • Strong encryption
    • Space sharing
    • Snapshots
    • Fast directory sizing
    • Many other features
  • MacOS Extended Journaled
    • The former Mac standard for HDDs
    • Offers encrypted and case sensetive versions

How to Remove Write Protection from SD Card

A lot of people want to know exactly how to remove write protection from an SD card because they’ve unwittingly locked themselves out of writing to the card.

The simplest solution is to unlock the memory card. Make sure the lock switch on the left side of the card is up, in the unlock position.