Review on 📷 High-Speed SAMSUNG PRO Plus + Adapter 256GB microSDXC - UHS-I, U3, A2, V30, Full HD & 4K UHD - Up to 160MB/s (MB-MD256KA/AM) by Tiger Carpani

If you look closely at the description of this Samsung microSD card, you'll see in the fine print that "speed may vary by capacity". This is an understatement. After running numerous tests on several different devices, the closest I got to Samsung speeds was 61% on a Gigabyte Aorus gaming laptop. That's fast for a microSD card, but the 256GB version doesn't even come close to the advertised speeds. PACKAGING: Be careful: the drive comes in standard SD packaging, which is incredibly difficult to open. The only way to get to the device was with a pair of scissors, which I never had on hand. It also includes a standard SD adapter for larger card readers. The card itself is beautifully blue with white writing. TESTING: I have tested this on several different systems and different interfaces including Note 20 5G, desktop and laptop PCs with USB 3.2 Type A; USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C Thunderbolt 4 with adapter; built-in USB 3.1 card reader for laptop and external USB 3.1 card reader. The highest speeds I got were around 97-98 MB/s reading and around 84 MB/s writing (photos attached) via Crystal Disk Mark. A real world test copying a 1GB video file from the internal NVMe SSD to this microSD card shows a maximum write speed of around 70-75MB/s, which is a little less than half the advertised speed when using the 512GB version is. MY THOUGHTS: Overall, it's not bad. There aren't many classes of microSD card that are this fast, but unless you buy the most expensive card -- well over $100 -- don't expect to get the advertised speeds. I'd still recommend it, but like most Samsung products, you're only paying more for a well-known brand. You can get more from a lesser-known SD card manufacturer. However, if you can find value and have peace of mind buying from a trusted name like Samsung, then go for it. It's not a bad deal. PHOTO SUBSCRIPTIONS: First photo: Speed tested with Crystal Disk Mark (64 bit) on Gigabyte Aorus laptop with 10750h/16 GB 2999 MHz DDR4 RAM processor. Second photo: Tested with Crystal Disk Mark (64bit) on Dell Inspiron 11800h/16GB 3200MHz DDR4 RAM. Third photo: Real speed test in Windows 10 Pro copying a 1GB video file from a Gen 3X4 NVMe SSD to an SD card.