Deck just came in the mail today and I’ve been agonizing over which card to get. This video was exactly what I was looking for, no frills, no paid ads. Thanks!!
Can you do this the same video but for the internal ssd or do you have any recommendations for specific brands to go with to upgrade the internal ssd of the steam deck?
@@hussainjassim4386 I've only tested a couple of internal storage solutions and both have been excellent. The rocket 1 TB as well as the inland MC 1 TB. The rocket scored a little bit better in benchmarks but the other one was still as fast if not faster than the built-in storage.
Great video. No matter if it's SD cards or anything else (SSD, HDD, USB flash, etc.), all writable media are "consumable products" and WILL eventually stop working in a variety of ways. I love that the Steam Deck does an integrity check as part of the formatting process, but for many other devices and operating systems, you really ought to verify the integrity of your newly purchased media first before you use it. It's much easier to set up a return/replacement when the media is brand new and show a failing test result to back up your claim, rather than doing the same once you "fill up the drive" or when you notice it corrupting your data, because by then you've almost assuredly lost something unreplaceable.
When I was all about the SD card I installed only xbox 360 and ps3 generation games to the SD ram with zero issues. Meaning if a game came out during the years of the 360 and ps3 it's safe to install the PC version on an SD card. Youd need to turn off downloading during gameplay.
For sure .. that would be a more "technical" video .. But I'll add it to the list. MOST people don't care - they just want to know what to buy and why NOT to buy the other thing. :D
SD cards are consumables - regardless of what you use them for (unless it is backup/cold storage). The mere act of USING them decreases their lifespan. Windows WILL cause this process to be ... FASTER ... and while everyone screams about "WINDOWS WILL KILL YOUR CARD", no one has data to back it up. Of course Windows will kill your SD card - so will the Deck - it is a matter of time differential. If you buy a quality card with a lifetime warranty? Buy two? Use one as a daily driver - frequently clones to the other card as a backup - when one dies, you ship it off to SanDisk while you use your backup. When the replacement comes? Wash rinse and repeat. For SPEED and convenience considerations? An external high speed drive (see my review on the Qwiizlabs enclosure) will be BETTER suited.
Sandisk extreme are usually my go tos but... my last card was from lexar. On my country is easier to find sandisk counterfeits than lexar so there was that. I know it is just a matter of time before counterfeit lexar cards start to show up but for now it worked. Edit typo
@@MillerT43 The pro will not net you any greater benefits. Go with the extreme OG. Unless for some reason the pro is cheaper due to some promotion? Then get the pro...
If you're going to use it with something else other than the Deck, probably. But the extra performance of the Pro will likely be lost as the Deck's SD slot is limited to 104MB/s. The Extreme card gets REALLY close. I'll probably buy and bench one just so I can show comparative numbers.
@ thank you so much I actually subscribed because this Is the more detailed video of sd cards I’ve ever seen will go to my local Best Buy to get the extreme 1tb this week! Ty so much for your response as well looking forward to the future videos! 🙏🏻
Hi. I use multiple sd cards with emudeck and everytime I switch between them I need to do like a new install. Is there a way for emudeck to read different sd cards without doing a new installation? Thanks and keep up with the good videos 👍
That's the reason why I bought a 1 TB SD card, to avoid swapping SD cards and having the shader cache be wiped each time. It's worth having a large storage.
Hi Shane. I ended up getting the 1.5tb Sandisk card for my Steam Deck awhile back. But I use my Deck strictly for emulation. However you did mention the extreme is the better overall choice. Is this really because of modern games (their large updates/dlc & the like) or do you still hold firm to this position even if one emulates up to GC/PS2?
Samsung EVO and Pro are good too. If you have 64GB deck, just upgrade internal to 256GB and 512GB, these drives are cheap. Then use 256GB or 512GB SD card. 1TB SD Cards are too rich for my blood.
First of all, this should be a sticky on the Steam Deck subreddit. Second of all, I see that there are how-to's for installing Windows on the SD card, but I can't help thinking that's a recipe for disaster. I'm trying to fight myself against installing Windows altogether, but I know my son is going to want take my deck from behind my back and complain that Fortnite isn't on there. Talk me off the ledge. :)
@@Dr.Sarcasm you know if fortnite is the only thing you're worried about? Just get a high quality extreme card like 256 GB put windows on it put fortnite on it and call it a day.
@@Darkuni is it really worth the effort? More importantly, can I setup a dual boot with everything Windows OS related on the SD Card...but the Deck will still run Steam OS without any interference if I remove it? For the record, I did swap out the 64 GB SSD and replaced it with a 1 TB. Since my Deck was a GameStop refurb, I was less worried about performing open heart surgery. But man, those little screws were a pain!
@Dr.Sarcasm you are correct. DSD card is completely standalone. If it's not in and you don't boot from it? You'll never even know that Windows was ever on that system. I have a tutorial.
Deck just came in the mail today and I’ve been agonizing over which card to get. This video was exactly what I was looking for, no frills, no paid ads. Thanks!!
This is hands down the best video on SD cards ever.
@@AlexgeeYT I really appreciate the kind words. Thank you.
Dude I swear your the best! You've helped me with so many different steam deck related things. Grateful I found your channel, seriously.
Thank you!
Can you do this the same video but for the internal ssd or do you have any recommendations for specific brands to go with to upgrade the internal ssd of the steam deck?
@@hussainjassim4386 I've only tested a couple of internal storage solutions and both have been excellent. The rocket 1 TB as well as the inland MC 1 TB. The rocket scored a little bit better in benchmarks but the other one was still as fast if not faster than the built-in storage.
I'm glad I made a good choice picking up a 1 TB Sandisk Extreme card. I knew the write speed would greatly benefit me.
Great video. No matter if it's SD cards or anything else (SSD, HDD, USB flash, etc.), all writable media are "consumable products" and WILL eventually stop working in a variety of ways. I love that the Steam Deck does an integrity check as part of the formatting process, but for many other devices and operating systems, you really ought to verify the integrity of your newly purchased media first before you use it. It's much easier to set up a return/replacement when the media is brand new and show a failing test result to back up your claim, rather than doing the same once you "fill up the drive" or when you notice it corrupting your data, because by then you've almost assuredly lost something unreplaceable.
Very informative. Do you have videos or will you make a video about how to properly back up your Steam Deck?
one of those magic moments when you find a new wonderful source of information, earned my sub :)
When I was all about the SD card I installed only xbox 360 and ps3 generation games to the SD ram with zero issues. Meaning if a game came out during the years of the 360 and ps3 it's safe to install the PC version on an SD card. Youd need to turn off downloading during gameplay.
Good video. I would’ve liked to see a quick rundown on what all those symbols and markings on the SD card mean.
For sure .. that would be a more "technical" video .. But I'll add it to the list. MOST people don't care - they just want to know what to buy and why NOT to buy the other thing. :D
Does running windows off an SD card destroy the card??
Would it be better to install windows on an external Samsung T5 for example???
SD cards are consumables - regardless of what you use them for (unless it is backup/cold storage). The mere act of USING them decreases their lifespan.
Windows WILL cause this process to be ... FASTER ... and while everyone screams about "WINDOWS WILL KILL YOUR CARD", no one has data to back it up.
Of course Windows will kill your SD card - so will the Deck - it is a matter of time differential. If you buy a quality card with a lifetime warranty? Buy two? Use one as a daily driver - frequently clones to the other card as a backup - when one dies, you ship it off to SanDisk while you use your backup. When the replacement comes? Wash rinse and repeat.
For SPEED and convenience considerations? An external high speed drive (see my review on the Qwiizlabs enclosure) will be BETTER suited.
@Darkuni thank you 🙏🙏
Sandisk extreme are usually my go tos but... my last card was from lexar. On my country is easier to find sandisk counterfeits than lexar so there was that. I know it is just a matter of time before counterfeit lexar cards start to show up but for now it worked. Edit typo
Sandisk extreme or extreme pro?
@@MillerT43 The pro will not net you any greater benefits. Go with the extreme OG. Unless for some reason the pro is cheaper due to some promotion? Then get the pro...
@ thank you!
What about the extreme pro Is that a better buy?
If you're going to use it with something else other than the Deck, probably. But the extra performance of the Pro will likely be lost as the Deck's SD slot is limited to 104MB/s. The Extreme card gets REALLY close. I'll probably buy and bench one just so I can show comparative numbers.
@ thank you so much I actually subscribed because this Is the more detailed video of sd cards I’ve ever seen will go to my local Best Buy to get the extreme 1tb this week! Ty so much for your response as well looking forward to the future videos! 🙏🏻
@@kraneotribe4315 Very pleased it was helpful!
Just got my card 2 days ago, glad I went with the extreme pro
@@Natsocenis I need to buy one of those in bench it so I can add it to my results
Hi. I use multiple sd cards with emudeck and everytime I switch between them I need to do like a new install. Is there a way for emudeck to read different sd cards without doing a new installation? Thanks and keep up with the good videos 👍
That's the reason why I bought a 1 TB SD card, to avoid swapping SD cards and having the shader cache be wiped each time. It's worth having a large storage.
Hi Shane.
I ended up getting the 1.5tb Sandisk card for my Steam Deck awhile back. But I use my Deck strictly for emulation. However you did mention the extreme is the better overall choice. Is this really because of modern games (their large updates/dlc & the like) or do you still hold firm to this position even if one emulates up to GC/PS2?
@@spiritualED for only emulation, you're probably fine. But I still recommend backups...
@ Yes. Thanks Shane. All my games are indeed backed up.
@spiritualED remember though. It isn't just binaries. It is saves, config, artwork and more!
Samsung EVO and Pro are good too. If you have 64GB deck, just upgrade internal to 256GB and 512GB, these drives are cheap. Then use 256GB or 512GB SD card. 1TB SD Cards are too rich for my blood.
Awesome video. Sub
First of all, this should be a sticky on the Steam Deck subreddit. Second of all, I see that there are how-to's for installing Windows on the SD card, but I can't help thinking that's a recipe for disaster. I'm trying to fight myself against installing Windows altogether, but I know my son is going to want take my deck from behind my back and complain that Fortnite isn't on there. Talk me off the ledge. :)
@@Dr.Sarcasm you know if fortnite is the only thing you're worried about? Just get a high quality extreme card like 256 GB put windows on it put fortnite on it and call it a day.
@@Darkuni is it really worth the effort? More importantly, can I setup a dual boot with everything Windows OS related on the SD Card...but the Deck will still run Steam OS without any interference if I remove it? For the record, I did swap out the 64 GB SSD and replaced it with a 1 TB. Since my Deck was a GameStop refurb, I was less worried about performing open heart surgery. But man, those little screws were a pain!
@Dr.Sarcasm you are correct. DSD card is completely standalone. If it's not in and you don't boot from it? You'll never even know that Windows was ever on that system. I have a tutorial.
@@Darkuni Cool. I might treat that like a Windows "Cartridge".
@@Dr.Sarcasm Exactly!
hey Monroe, I just bought a new larger microSD Card, how do I clone my old smaller microSD to the newer one?
ruclips.net/video/HFD5UTph11g/видео.html
@Darkuni lol, I watched that video last year but totally forgot about it
@@MrQuay03 LOL ... RIGHT? I forget half the videos I've done LOL
Giggity 🥳
1:18
ROFL... unsubbed.
@paparansen Brilliant feedback there, champ. See ya 👋