Or, “Why Did My Dash Cam Suddenly Stop Working?!”
Last update: June 30, 2026
Security cameras include not only dashboard cameras like the ones we review on this site, but also home surveillance cameras, body cams for police officers, and others. If not connected to a closed circuit (CCTV), most security cameras will use a secure digital card, or SD card in short, to store the video footage recorded.
Most security cameras will work fine (for a while) with any class 10 microSD card. You can use either regular or High Endurance cards. Regular cards are cheaper, but due to the fact that security cameras record continuously for long periods of time — often even 24/7 — regular SD cards tend to fail you after a couple of months.
The load that the memory card in a security camera has to be able to bear is very different from that of a card that you’d use in your digital camera or phone, which you would only read from or write to sporadically.
So if your dash cam (or action cam, or other security camera) doesn’t come with an SD card included, make sure to get a memory card that’s designed for heavy use. These cards have labels such as “industrial grade”, “high endurance”, or “pro endurance”.
A great option, though a bit pricey, is this one:
Viofo Industrial Grade 256 GB / 512GB Micro SDXC Card
- Sizes available: 64GB – 512GB
- Video speed class 30 (minimum 30 MB/s write speed)
- Up to 100 MB/s read speed
- Suitable for 4K UHD / multi-channel recording
Viofo are one of our most trusted dashboard camera brands. They have their own line of memory cards that aren’t cheap, but among the most reliable under 24/7 read-write conditions.
If your dash cam supports a 512GB card (most modern cams in 2026 do), consider getting a 512GB SD if it’s within your budget. Larger cards are always better because they record less cycles in any given period of time, so they will last longer.
Of course, there are more affordable alternatives to Viofo’s high-end SD cards. Here’s a few trustworthy examples:
Samsung Pro Endurance 256GB Micro SDXC Cards
- Sizes available: 128GB and 256GB
- Class 10 / UHS-3
- Minimum write speed: 30 MB/s
- Supports Full HD (1080p) and 4K recording
SanDisk 256GB High Endurance Micro SDXC Card
- Sizes available: 64GB – 512GB
- Maximum write speed: 30 MB/s
- Supports Full HD (1080p) and 4K recording
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Some Technical Background
Video surveillance cameras typically write to the SD card continuously for long periods of time. In case of a dash cam, if you drive a lot, your camera may be writing to the memory card for several hours a day, or even 24/7 if you use parking mode.
Not all memory cards are designed to withstand this type of heavy use.
There are several types of SD memory cards, the most common ones being TLC (Triple Level Cell) and MLC (Multi Level Cell). SD cards employ flash memory, which in turn is made up of cells. In TLC cards, each cell stores 3 bits, whereas in MLC cards, each cell can hold only 2 bits.
Now TLC cards are cheaper to produce, which is why they are the most popular, but they also have a considerably lower lifespan. TLC cards typically endure 3,000 to 5,000 write cycles per cell, while MLC cards last for around 10,000 cycles.
There are other types of flash memory as well, such as SLC (Single Level Cell), with just one bit per cell. SLC is even more expensive though, and often only available in small capacities. SLC is typically used in industrial environments and for heavy-load servers.
For use in dash cams and other video surveillance cameras, High Endurance SD cards are ideal. These usually employ MLC technology. There’s more to it, such as the controller on the card that makes sure that all the cells are used evenly, but we don’t want to become too technical here as the article would become too long.
Just remember that video surveillance takes a heavier toll on a memory card than for example using it as extra memory for your phone, and make sure you get a High Endurance card for your dash cam.
Links to vendors are affiliate links, and help to keep this site running