SD cards are only lasting 6-12 months and it's doing my head in!

[Warren Chrol]

i've gone through 4 SD cards in 2 years, all from PC world and all 32gb

1 was samsung, 2 were kingston and 1 was another random brand.

all the top spec/speed, all worked perfectly fine but eventually just stopped saving clips.

i've been through 2 cameras and tried my cars on my dad's dash cam and it's not my cam that has the problem

are they wearing out due to so much use? are they cooking cus the dash cam is on and warm/hot so often? is this normal, or am i buying the wrong cards?

i always get them from PC World, they usually cost me anywhere from £18 0 £30, i go for the best they have at the time

 

[kamkar]

What brand / model of cards do you usually use, and what cameras have you been using.
I did have one camera that seemed to eat memory cards, but then again i had another similar camera and it did not eat cards.
Of course it also depend on how much you drive, memory cards have a expected number of read write cycles, so if you drive 8 hours a day that translate to much more wear than a guy only driving 4 hours a day.
Personally i only average about 4-5 hours a week, 8 if it have been a busy week for me.

The most let down i have seen in memory cards have all been with the expensive U3 cards, some i dident even get to fill up one time before they died, but the replacements have been fine.
Funny though cuz the cheaper U1 cards i have many more of i have never experienced that.

 

[RaybanRJ]

I got 7 months so far out of my 32 GB Kingston class 10 and it’s recording with motion setting in a busy underground Parkade. When I am not driving, so 24 hours a day almost.

But I have read they do fail. I believe there are some specific cards that are designed to be more durable for heavy use like Dashcams. Read about it months ago.

I bought a 32 GB Lexar as a backup but only used it to test it briefly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Warren Chrol]

What brand / model of cards do you usually use, and what cameras have you been using.
I did have one camera that seemed to eat memory cards, but then again i had another similar camera and it did not eat cards.
Of course it also depend on how much you drive, memory cards have a expected number of read write cycles, so if you drive 8 hours a day that translate to much more wear than a guy only driving 4 hours a day.
Personally i only average about 4-5 hours a week, 8 if it have been a busy week for me.

The most let down i have seen in memory cards have all been with the expensive U3 cards, some i dident even get to fill up one time before they died, but the replacements have been fine.
Funny though cuz the cheaper U1 cards i have many more of i have never experienced that.

What brand / model of cards do you usually use, and what cameras have you been using.
- that's in OP

I did have one camera that seemed to eat memory cards, but then again i had another similar camera and it did not eat cards.
- As this is the 3rd time i'm thinking about getting the £200 GD or DG or w.e it is, the 'best one'

Of course it also depend on how much you drive, memory cards have a expected number of read write cycles, so if you drive 8 hours a day that translate to much more wear than a guy only driving 4 hours a day.
- that's the thing, i drive for maybe 2 hours, 3-5 days a week. hardly anything, barely 150 miles a week

 

[Warren Chrol]

I got 7 months so far out of my 32 GB Kingston class 10 and it’s recording with motion setting in a busy underground Parkade. When I am not driving, so 24 hours a day almost.
But I have read they do fail. I believe there are some specific cards that are designed to be more durable for heavy use like Dashcams. Read about it months ago.
I bought a 32 GB Lexar as a backup but only used it to test it briefly.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

yea that's pretty much the card i've used.

as for extra durable cars, yes i made this thread when i saw something about them hoping someone can recommend me a reliable and decent one that can be bought reliably in the UK

 

[RaybanRJ]

yea that's pretty much the card i've used.

as for extra durable cars, yes i made this thread when i saw something about them hoping someone can recommend me a reliable and decent one that can be bought reliably in the UK

Sometimes the card we use goes on sale for like 15 or $20 so for me it’s not worth buying a $200 card


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Warren Chrol]

Sometimes the card we use goes on sale for like 15 or $20 so for me it’s not worth buying a $200 card


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

yeah max i would spend on a card is £40

 

[kamkar]

I saw Samsung and Kingston, the samsung cards i have no experience with as i have "just" added one of those to my test suite of cards.
The Kingston cards i have experience with and they all died on me, a few i even had to RMA several times, which was okay, but in general i cant say they are garbage as all i had at the time was Kingston.

The camera i had that seemed to kill memory cards was one of the 3 test samples of the joovuu X camera, the 2 pre-production cameras died but the production camera lasted fine but did also die in the end ( i did use a modified firmware on it )
Still i cant finger the now dead and gone joovuu X camers as a card eater, just that one pre production one that made me feel that a little.
In total over the past decade i had more memory cards die in a lot of other brand / models of cameras.

18 - 30 pounds should be a just fine 64 Gb card probably even a 128 Gb card too, and i see no reason to spend more than that, though some users in here do favor various endurance models that granted are allowed by make for dashcam use and so will have warranty.

 

[Warren Chrol]

I saw Samsung and Kingston, the samsung cards i have no experience with as i have "just" added one of those to my test suite of cards.
The Kingston cards i have experience with and they all died on me, a few i even had to RMA several times, which was okay, but in general i cant say they are garbage as all i had at the time was Kingston.

The camera i had that seemed to kill memory cards was one of the 3 test samples of the joovuu X camera, the 2 pre-production cameras died but the production camera lasted fine but did also die in the end ( i did use a modified firmware on it )
Still i cant finger the now dead and gone joovuu X camers as a card eater, just that one pre production one that made me feel that a little.
In total over the past decade i had more memory cards die in a lot of other brand / models of cameras.

18 - 30 pounds should be a just fine 64 Gb card probably even a 128 Gb card too, and i see no reason to spend more than that, though some users in here do favor various endurance models that granted are allowed by make for dashcam use and so will have warranty.

im thinking of changing my entire set up to be honest (i only use frontal cam) what could you recommend for general good quality and high reliability? my budget is up to £150 for the cam, and whatever for the card

 

[Nigel]

6 months of 24/7 recording is about right for a 32GB standard card, after that it will be worn out.

If you double the size it will last twice as long, if you go for high endurance (MLC) then it will also last twice as long.

For £150 I would look at the Viofo A129, you could also use the Viofo MLC memory cards, although I would go for double the size standard cards for around the same price. www.viofo.com

PC world is expensive for memory cards, try Amazon and their Samsung Select cards.

 

[Warren Chrol]

6 months of 24/7 recording is about right for a 32GB standard card, after that it will be worn out.
If you double the size it will last twice as long, if you go for high endurance (MLC) then it will also last twice as long.
For £150 I would look at the Viofo A129, you could also use the Viofo MLC memory cards, although I would go for double the size standard cards for around the same price. www.viofo.com

that's the thing, i drive for maybe 2 hours, 3-5 days a week. hardly anything, barely 150 miles a week

 

[Nigel]

that's the thing, i drive for maybe 2 hours, 3-5 days a week. hardly anything, barely 150 miles a week

Do you turn the camera off when not driving?

 

[Warren Chrol]

Do you turn the camera off when not driving?

it's on/off with ignition but records for 1 minute after turning off ignition, also records for 1 minute when car takes a bump (g-sensor)

 

[Nigel]

it's on/off with ignition but records for 1 minute after turning off ignition, also records for 1 minute when car takes a bump (g-sensor)

What camera is it? It is possible for a camera to cause excessive ware unnecessarily.

You should always format the card in the camera before using it, not doing so could possibly cause extra ware.

 

[Warren Chrol]

What camera is it? It is possible for a camera to cause excessive ware unnecessarily.

You should always format the card in the camera before using it, not doing so could possibly cause extra ware.

it's the MINI 0801S it's my second camera, i know all about formatting and the formatting types, it's been treated well.

i take the card out and put it in a card reader into my PC about once a month to check over clips, always being careful with it pysically.

the issue is with the mini 0801s you can't have anything larger than a 32gb card

 

[Nigel]

I don't know much bout the 0801S, and there are not enough people here using it to know if it might be causing the card issues. It does use a different processor to most so it is possible.

You shouldn't need to be particularly careful with the cards, and UK temperatures are not likely the cause.

 

[Warren Chrol]

I don't know much bout the 0801S, and there are not enough people here using it to know if it might be causing the card issues. It does use a different processor to most so it is possible.

You shouldn't need to be particularly careful with the cards, and UK temperatures are not likely the cause.

exactly. this is what's quizzing me, been buying top quality (kek) stuff from PC World only, full price, brand new, and had nonstop issues. what would you say is the best brand to go for then? kingston, sandisk, samsung, pny, etc

 

[Nigel]

exactly. this is what's quizzing me, been buying top quality (kek) stuff from PC World only, full price, brand new, and had nonstop issues. what would you say is the best brand to go for then? kingston, sandisk, samsung, pny, etc

Samsung and Sandisk (only A1 version) are the most popular.

 

[Module 79L]

I have a 32GB CL10 Kingston that's been used as the working card in 3 different cameras and as a testing card (formatted more often than in normal use) in 3 other cameras. I bought it in March 2015 (4 years due in 2 months), I record an average of 10-12GB a day and it doesn't show any signs of wear. Despite the problems some people had with the brand (not with the same card model, I must emphasize), I can't recommend it enough.
I agree with @Nigel, so many cards from different brands in the same camera, it would have to be an enormous coincidence that the problem is in the cards. Or maybe the camera "likes" simpler cards better than the top of the range ones.

 

[SawMaster]

My experience is with 64GB Transcend 400X and Samsung EVO Plus (or Select- same card different names), plus one old 32GB Samsung EVO. These have all been great performers in several different cams. Of the 400X cards, one went approximately 1200X before it finally failed, and the two others I still use are beyond 400X now. I can't even estimate what the old Samsung 32GB card has done, but it's been in almost continuous service for over 4 years. Of the newer 64GB Samsung's one has probably reached 400X at this point. I've physically broken one card and wore one out in my 4+ years of using (and abusing) multiple dasghcams, some of which record 24/7/365.

Now let me say I'm not a card expert, but I've read these forums well about cards and which ones are best for dashcams. From what I gather, your best results with nearly every cam will be with a class 10 U1 card, as these have higher write speeds than the U3 'endurance' types which some here claim are an absolute must, all the while apparently ignoring the great results many others report when using U1 cards. I'm not saying they are wrong- just that they cannot be right unless many many other people are lying. You decide who you want to believe. There's a thread here discussing MLC cards and how they differ and are probably better for dashcams than TLC cards- lots of interesting info on there about all the card types with much from people who seem to know their stuff. It's a "must-read" thread if you really want to deeply understand how things work. The simpler approach is to use only the exact cards which have been reported to give good service to numerous owners of the exact same cam here on DCT.

All I know for certain is that dashcams are write-intensive to the cards, far moreso than almost every other device using micro-SD cards, and that write speed is the most important card parameter to be watching for with dashcams. Using a larger card means fewer write cycles in a given time versus a smaller one. And last, bitrate and recording format determine how much data will be written in a given time.

I won't argue my points beyond pointing out that user experiences always trump differing technical expectations; it's what actually happens that matters, not what is supposed to happen.

Phil