Hey guys,
I'm interested in getting a 32gb card. I will be watching movies off it and just basically reading books. Is there a huge diff between the two? I googled and I found the diff write and read speeds but my question is how relevant is it to the user? Like will the movies be choppier or books open slower? etc
Julian2103 said:
Hey guys,
I'm interested in getting a 32gb card. I will be watching movies off it and just basically reading books. Is there a huge diff between the two? I googled and I found the diff write and read speeds but my question is how relevant is it to the user? Like will the movies be choppier or books open slower? etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sadly, to throw a wrench in your question, there is authority behind the class markings. Basically, there is nothing stoping makers for marking a card Class 10, even when it can barely do 1MB/s writes. So, how does that answer your question?
It comes down to brand. Sandisk by far makes the best microSD cards, which almost always outperform their rating. I have an 8Gb Class 2, that constantly benches at 5MB/s sustained write, and 12MB/s sustained read. I also have an 8GB Kingston clas4, that can barely hold 2MB/s write, if it is lucky. The other issue few talk about is random reads, where again, the Sandisk is much faster (and random reads are not part of the class specifications)..
So, if you get a decent brand (again, Sandisk), a class 2 should be suitable for all music, and most movies. If you can afford it, class 4 will give you wiggle room.
How about adata? Have you had any experience with them?
Julian2103 said:
How about adata? Have you had any experience with them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
personal experience no, but i haven't heard alot bad (actually, better than Kingston in many cases). I know they have decent prices on their cards.
With what i was saying before, it is fair to mention that while slow, my Kingston does still work. But saving things to it was painful, and so i avoid its use. Even if you don't get the fastest card, i think the biggest pain will be filling it once.. after that, using it should be ok..
I see. What about the performance? Saving stuff to it isnt much of an issue to me I think. Im more concerned on the performance. Like running movies off it and launching programs etc the sandisk sounds awesome but the price is much higher
For the use you are planning(movies) the big factor will be sequential read speeds. The class system is too easy for the manufacturers to game. Check the specs for the card you are looking at...if they don't tell you, it's likely because they suck. Sandisk class 2 cards are, as stated, usually better than the class 2 they are rated.
so you guys would recommend a class 2 32gb sandisk over a class 4 adata card of the same size yeah?
Can't really say one way or the other. From reading reviews at Newegg...seems like Adata tech support might be a bit iffy...then again those reviews are usually posted by those who have issues or feel like they have to defend their purchase(ie...fanboi's).
One thing I can see for myself...Adata is the only manufacturer on Newegg to actually list their full specs. Even on the manufacturers pages...only Adata has manned up and posted specs. otherwise they all just fall back on the SDHC specifications for class...which as stated can be gamed a bit.
At the end of it all..it's your cash...spend it the way you feel like...do some research for yourself first.
I have a scandisk class 4 32GB and it is way slower then a smaller class 6 that I have. For me, I don't think I could stomach anything slower then the class 4 for large files.
Divine_Madcat said:
Sadly, to throw a wrench in your question, there is authority behind the class markings. Basically, there is nothing stoping makers for marking a card Class 10, even when it can barely do 1MB/s writes. So, how does that answer your question?
It comes down to brand. Sandisk by far makes the best microSD cards, which almost always outperform their rating. I have an 8Gb Class 2, that constantly benches at 5MB/s sustained write, and 12MB/s sustained read. I also have an 8GB Kingston clas4, that can barely hold 2MB/s write, if it is lucky. The other issue few talk about is random reads, where again, the Sandisk is much faster (and random reads are not part of the class specifications)..
So, if you get a decent brand (again, Sandisk), a class 2 should be suitable for all music, and most movies. If you can afford it, class 4 will give you wiggle room.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sandisk is great. I was originally running Nookie Froyo from a class 2 Sandisk. It was actually pretty solid. I moved up to a Transcend class 6 and it's been good too. Both seem to perform well over their class specification when I'm transferring files and have been very stable.
On the other hand, my friend has a Kingston class 10 which seems pretty buggy. A lot of force close errors, looping boots, etc. Though these could just be a coincidence. Haven't seen him transfer any files though, so I can't judge the speed.
SD Cards..
You should be aware that Sandisk, Adata and others do not actually manufacture flash memory chips, they mostly package and test it - the big boys in the game are Intel, Samsung, Toshiba and Hynix. Depending on where or from whom Sandisk buys the basic chip the specs may be different.
Divine_Madcat said:
Sadly, to throw a wrench in your question, there is authority behind the class markings. Basically, there is nothing stoping makers for marking a card Class 10, even when it can barely do 1MB/s writes. So, how does that answer your question?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually there is a requirement if you're in the SD Association. But in reality anyone can stamp a C10 on a card, especially no-name brands.
Julian2103 said:
so you guys would recommend a class 2 32gb sandisk over a class 4 adata card of the same size yeah?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely. AData are junk in my experience.
Kingston and SanDisc are the only ones that are reliable for all devices that I've owned. Others are hit and miss, PARTICULARLY Patriot. I've had 3 Patriot cards that were JUNK in most devices. I had two Patriot SD cards for a camera that were fine but couldn't work right in anything else, and I (stupidly) purchased an 8G uSD card a few years ago for a phone and it was junk there, and I've periodically tried it in new devices for giggles and it's been junk in every single one.
I'll bet a SanDisc C4 out classes any other brand C10 in device like a phone or tablet.
Side note: All 3 Patriot's work just fine on my computer. I did tests particuarlly on the 8G uSD over and over and over and it was fast and reliable in my card reader. Every device locks up or goes slow as hell if it's in 'em. My guess is that they didn't follow specs closely.
So a Sandisk Class 4, 8GB would be a good pick?
I Am Marino said:
So a Sandisk Class 4, 8GB would be a good pick?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recently bought this on and have found it to be an excellent performer. Loading/watching mp4 movies. The 30 day return window is pretty generous.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Sandisk-32GB-Mi...352023?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item2eb43c6317
SD cards are a complicated topic... not to throw another wrench into the system but you also want to be careful WHERE you buy your card. SanDisk counterfeiting is RAMPANT since a vendor can take a blank card, less than a pennies worth of ink and then charge you some percentage of the SanDisk price while still reaping a huge profit. As unfortunate as it is, real SanDisk cards always seem to just work while the other cheaper cards can be hit or miss. Honestly though the only real problem with off brand cards and the NC I have had is that they don't always boot so good. So I use my SanDisk 8GB C2 (bought from Costco) to boot and my Patriot 16GB C10 to watch movies and store stuff. Buying from Retail, Newegg, or Amazon (Amazon itself, not a sold through vendor on Amazon) should help make sure whatever you buy is the real thing. Good Luck!
Related
Evening XDA!
So... It's time I upgraded my HD2's capacity. 16GB MicroSD's are now reasonably (ish! @ under £30) priced so that's what I want to go for. Most are Class 2 but I've seen a few Class 6s knocking about too.
Is the speed difference, in reality, a massive issue? Stuff I do that perhaps might require speed:
Watching XviDs in TCPMP
Taking photos
TomTom/iGO
Music
Will I notice much of a difference between the two classes of cards?
Any feedback is much appreciated! Thanks!
u just can compare my
kingston sdhc 8gb class 6
to
sandisk sdhc 16gb class 2
i could figure out a speed advantage of the class 6 about 0.8 mb per sec
my 16gb class 2 got 3.8Mb/sec
my 8 gb class 6 got 4.5Mb/sec
copiing the same file....
if somebody got different rates pls post them there.
i never had any problem with the lower data transfer rate of my 16gb sdhc, smooth vids, instant starting apps, nearly same "short" install time for apps
Ps.: i was copiing a 7xx Mb video file to my HD2 in HDD mode
I have a class 2 16gb in my HD2 - I've had no problems with the speed.
watching AVI files with coreplayer is always smooth, tomtom loads up in about 3-4 seconds.
Remember the read speed is a lot higher than the write speed.
Generally you are going to be OK with a lower class. There are however certain things that a lower class memory card will limit, like HD video playback or a high speed game installed on the card (I think Asphalt is a good example of this).
You have to decide what your going to be using the card for and adjust how much you are expecting to spend accordingly.
Be aware that if you are going for a reputable brand then buy from a reputable site. Buying a Kingston or Sandisk from Ebay for a knock down price may mean you getting a cheap knock off. Tread carefully, and give this article a good read, give you a better idea of how easy it is to buy a knock-off card.
http://www.bunniestudios.com/blog/?p=918
Hope this helps
I have been wondering the same because I have been debating on buying the new Kingston Class 10 16GB MicroSDHC card but if the HD2 can't fully utilize the speed, I will probably splurge for the SanDisk 32GB MicroSDHC card and get rid of a few of my 16GB MicroSDHC cards. It is kinda a hassle to carry around a card full of movies, card full of music, and a card full of pictures so I would love to get a 32GB when the price comes down a little more.
Anyone know any reputable sites??? I'm in Australia... So hard to find one to ship Australia and cheap!
I'm after the Kingston 16GB Class 10 card!!!
Thanks a lot for the tip guys. I'll definitely have to have a think about whether I'll need the extra speed, of the top off my head I don't think so but there's a good chance I'll be slapping a few PSX ISO's on the SD card in the future which I guess might be a factor!
@above - unsure of Aus sites, but stay away from ebay as another poster said. 99% of stuff from China (and a lot of the stuff local too) is cheap, low capacity memory hacked to appear to be 16GB and often enough they even include viruses on the damn things too!
UK buyers - Play.com are doing Class2 16GB's for £28 delivered (+Quidco cashback, www.quidco.com)
Jackuuuuu said:
Anyone know any reputable sites??? I'm in Australia... So hard to find one to ship Australia and cheap!
I'm after the Kingston 16GB Class 10 card!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the only place in oz i could find a 16gb card for my hd2 was vodafone. it wasn't cheap ($89aud) but i've not had any issues with it. it says it's a class 2. i'm sure i read here on the forum that the class really isn't an issue with the hd2 anyway.
Jackuuuuu said:
Anyone know any reputable sites??? I'm in Australia... So hard to find one to ship Australia and cheap!
I'm after the Kingston 16GB Class 10 card!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Umart sell the Kingston 16GB Class 2 Micro SD for $55. Unfortunately it's the only one they sell (no class 6 available on the website). Have purchased several times from them with no issues.
I did not even know there was a difference in classes. Glad I read this thread.
Class 10 SD cards
Anything over class 2 (which means it can read at a minimum or 2Mb sec) will be a waste of money on a mobile phone. Class 4 and up to the latest class 10, are designed for the speed needed on high end digital cameras that shoot HD videos.
Save your money, buy a good quality, genuine class 2 card, you will not see any difference on an HD2 with a class 10 card in it.
Some users reported that after changing their bundled class 2 card with class 6, music, album etc are up to 3 times faster in loading.
I just ordered a class 6 card to change it with mine class 2, will report about it.
Class
Im using the 16 gb kingston class 2 and it works like a sharm... if you are really picky you can go with a higher class card but be prepared to add some extra cash for a tiny bit of quicker preformance
Just so you will understand how the cards are built there is not much diference amongst the classes. This cards all have 16 Gb space whitch cover the tiny sd card. the diference is that on the higher class cards, the bytes will be shared out in a much more constructive way so it makes it easyer for the phone to read the data. we talk up to 2 seconds faster from the lowest class card to the highest class card. I belive thats from class 2 to class 6.
Good luck with your choice
Was out shopping today with sirphunkee and I found a 16GB Class 10 "WINTEC filemate microSDHC Flash Card" for $32.99 at Fry's Electronics.
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw "C10" on the card and had to ask sirphunkee if it was even possible. He assured me it was. So not only did I get an awesome card, but it was $7 cheaper than the class 6 cards in the same section.
I'm currently busy transferring all of my files over, but I'm thinking of going back and grabbing one or two more, just in case
This item is now up on their website. Not sure about the quantities, sorry.
Note: the website says it's class 4. This must be why it's so cheap! The class is actually 10 (as evidenced in the pics). I checked several of the packages behind mine to ensure it was in the right place, they all say "C10".
Attached are pics for proof
I looked up NewEgg for 16GB Class 10, but the reviews were less than favorable due to slower than advertised performance and cards failing. I ended up with an 8GB Class 6.
What's your write rates when you transfer the files over to the card? The class 2 averaged 11.1MB/s, while the class 6 hovered around 17-19MB/s. In terms of read rates, the class 6 averaged around 19.1MB/s. Someday I'll switch to a class 10 once I'm convinced it is reliable and that the read rates exceed 20MB/s. It's just nice for Android
i ordered it online for in store pickup. looked at shelf and they had the class 4 and class 10 for same price. the one they had pulled for me was the class 4, i had the class 10 in my hand. will do some testing and report results.
sandisk 16GB CLASS 2
Test finished without errors.
You can now delete the test files *.h2w or verify them again.
Writing speed: 3.01 MByte/s
Reading speed: 10.9 MByte/s
H2testw v1.4
wintec 16gb class 10
Warning: Only 15798 of 15799 MByte tested.
Test finished without errors.
You can now delete the test files *.h2w or verify them again.
Writing speed: 13.2 MByte/s
Reading speed: 19.8 MByte/s
H2testw v1.4
sandisk 8gb class 4
Warning: Only 7571 of 7572 MByte tested.
Test finished without errors.
You can now delete the test files *.h2w or verify them again.
Writing speed: 5.35 MByte/s
Reading speed: 14.2 MByte/s
H2testw v1.4
kingston 32gb class 4
Warning: Only 30591 of 30592 MByte tested.
Test finished without errors.
You can now delete the test files *.h2w or verify them again.
Writing speed: 4.37 MByte/s
Reading speed: 15.4 MByte/s
H2testw v1.4
Snarksneeze said:
This item is now up on their website. Not sure about the quantities, sorry.
Note: the website says it's class 4. This must be why it's so cheap! The class is actually 10 (as evidenced in the pics). I checked several of the packages behind mine to ensure it was in the right place, they all say "C10".
Attached are pics for proof
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DIGItonium said:
I looked up NewEgg for 16GB Class 10, but the reviews were less than favorable due to slower than advertised performance and cards failing. I ended up with an 8GB Class 6.
What's your write rates when you transfer the files over to the card? The class 2 averaged 11.1MB/s, while the class 6 hovered around 17-19MB/s. In terms of read rates, the class 6 averaged around 19.1MB/s. Someday I'll switch to a class 10 once I'm convinced it is reliable and that the read rates exceed 20MB/s. It's just nice for Android
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't even know Class 10 existed until yesterday, so I can't speak to the rumors.
I immediately formatted (fat32/16ss) the card and dumped Android on there (m-deejay's desire hd 4.3/smartass) and while I'm having some issues with the ROM itself, the card has been stellar.
Please keep in mind that, until I picked up this card, I have only been running the 16gb Class 2. Any improvement over that will impress me, but without first-hand knowledge of the other classes, I can't really say.
Thankfully, tw39515 just reported in that he picked up a Class 4 and Class 10 both and is planning to do some testing
its cheaper on newegg
I can't post links so just go to their website (newegg[dot]com) and search for wintec 16gb second link in the result page... prized at 29.49 with free shipping
no i only picked up the class 10, the link you posted was a class 4 but they did have the class 10. i have a class 4 32gb kingston and transfer rates are all over the place.
Snarksneeze said:
I didn't even know Class 10 existed until yesterday, so I can't speak to the rumors.
I immediately formatted (fat32/16ss) the card and dumped Android on there (m-deejay's desire hd 4.3/smartass) and while I'm having some issues with the ROM itself, the card has been stellar.
Please keep in mind that, until I picked up this card, I have only been running the 16gb Class 2. Any improvement over that will impress me, but without first-hand knowledge of the other classes, I can't really say.
Thankfully, tw39515 just reported in that he picked up a Class 4 and Class 10 both and is planning to do some testing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pablow said:
its cheaper on newegg
I can't post links so just go to their website (newegg[dot]com) and search for wintec 16gb second link in the result page... prized at 29.49 with free shipping
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, pablow! I found it here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161405
It did have a slightly lower customer rating than the other cards, as mentioned by DIGItonium, but I would like to point out that the picture on newegg is not the same as the one I have. Looking closely, you can see that on newegg the (C10) is near the bottom tab, but looking at my picture, the (C10) is near the top of the card.
Yes, I realize that it is one company name, but as mentioned on newegg, the card there appears to be a re-branded Samsung. This tells me that wintec is most likely a batcher as opposed to a producer and thus may have similar cards from two or more producers.
As a general rule, I tend to stay away from companies that re-brand, since you can never be sure of the quality of the product. I am still happy with my card right now, but I may have just gotten lucky
Snarksneeze said:
It did have a slightly lower customer rating than the other cards, as mentioned by DIGItonium, but I would like to point out that the picture on newegg is not the same as the one I have. Looking closely, you can see that on newegg the (C10) is near the bottom tab, but looking at my picture, the (C10) is near the top of the card.
Yes, I realize that it is one company name, but as mentioned on newegg, the card there appears to be a re-branded Samsung. This tells me that wintec is most likely a batcher as opposed to a producer and thus may have similar cards from two or more producers.
As a general rule, I tend to stay away from companies that re-brand, since you can never be sure of the quality of the product. I am still happy with my card right now, but I may have just gotten lucky
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting, If you go to their website (wintecind[dot]com) and look arround you'll find the same product as on newegg (same picture and exact name). You said your card was named "WINTEC FileMate 16GB SDHC" while the newegg one is named "WINTEC FileMate 16GB Mobile Professional Class 10 microSDHC Card with SDHC Adapter"
Also the validity of comments is questionable, I don't think you can really tell if its rebadged, after all all microsd cards look the same... and we don't know the level of knowledge this guy posses in this topic. Wit that said he might right....
I might buy the newegg one in the next couple of weeks... if of interest to anyone I'll post benchmarks and what not..... (if I buy it lol)
pablow said:
Also the validity of comments is questionable, I don't think you can really tell if its rebadged, after all all microsd cards look the same... and we don't know the level of knowledge this guy posses in this topic. Wit that said he might right....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must agree with you there. But I have to ask: How many actual manufacturers are there? My knowledge is that there are only a handful. This is based on news back in 2007 when power went out at one major facility and the resulting spike in flash drive prices caused some to consider inventing alternative storage.
Of course, 4 years in the tech sector might as well be a decade or more; things change too quickly to keep track.
My point: If there are only a few actual manufacturers, the brands we know are actually resellers (a common practice with batteries, in any case) and thus everything should be relatively equal in terms of good vs bad stock.
As long as your card exceeds the performance of the supplied 16GB Sandisk Class 2 card, you should be alright.
My card is the 8GB Transcend Class 6. I don't have the 16GB card, so here's the CrystalMark 3.0 bench for this card
R/W (MB/s)
SEQ: 18.84/17.63
512K: 18.18/1.008
4K: 2.794/0.009
4K QD32: 2.984/0.009
Got the wintec class 10 16gb. Works as advertised. Very fast card.
HOWEVER!: If ur planning to use the memory card for booting Android off of it, it is not advised. Been having issues with this card when waking up from sleep. Would give me a black screen every so often. My class 2 card never gives me this issue
I'm buying a nook color as a quick entry into the world of tablets. I plan on using it for reading on the bus etc. But I'm also interested in rooting so I can customize it as well. So I'm planning to dual boot CM7 from the SD card but leave it stock otherwise. With that in mind, what do I need to purchase as a first time Nook buyer interested in modding?
Here's my list:
- Nook Color (of course)
- Aegis Series Enclosure System
- rooCASE (would the nook fit in cases like these with the body armor on?)
- Transcend 8 GB microSDHC Class 6 (read that the class is important when modifying)
- Kingston Flash Memory Reader (to read/write to the SD card)
if your flashing to the emmc class isnt as important, ive been using a plain old class 2 from wallyworld for about a month with no issues.
I have a Sandisk 8GB class 2 form walmart which works fine since I installed the ROM on EMMC.
The speed of the memory card can be a factor with things like video playback, transferring data too and from, etc. Honestly, I would recommend just getting a class 10. The price difference is so nominal that you may as well get something with a little speed. Also, a 16gb isn't much more than an 8gb. So my recommendation...16gb class 10. Something I'm picking up today myself to replace my 8gb class 6 card.
16GB Class 10 for $27.99
16GB Class 6 for $29.99
8GB Class 10 for $19.75
8GB Class 6 for $15.50
I thought about that, but the reviews for larger cards weren't that good so I suck with the 8GB.
The bigger issue is, should I buy it now or wait for B&N announcement later this month?
1) The announcement from B&N about a new Nook on the 24th didn't mention if it was color or not; personally, I'm betting on an update to the original, since the color's only been out for 6 months.
2) Please please *PLEASE* heed my advice on this - if you're planning on running off the μSD card, do NOT buy a class 6 or class 10 card unless you've seen small-block write speed benchmarks. Card Class refers to large-block, sequential R/W speeds, which is good when you're transferring big files on and off of the card, but doesn't factor in quick access or small R/W like you need when you're running an OS from it. I bought a Kingston 8GB class 6 the same day as my NC, 10 days ago, and I almost got to the point of wanting to return the device because of how disappointed I was in it. Then I found this thread -
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1005633
and learned about the various card speed tests. I switched to a Sandisk 16GB class 4, and it was like a whole new device. I couldn't be happier with it now.
So, yeah, this is seriously important - read through that thread. And if you live near a RadioShack, they're running a 50% off sale on the good Sandisk cards for the rest of the week.
chinly43 said:
2) Please please *PLEASE* heed my advice on this - if you're planning on running off the μSD card, do NOT buy a class 6 or class 10 card unless you've seen small-block write speed benchmarks. Card Class refers to large-block, sequential R/W speeds, which is good when you're transferring big files on and off of the card, but doesn't factor in quick access or small R/W like you need when you're running an OS from it. I bought a Kingston 8GB class 6 the same day as my NC, 10 days ago, and I almost got to the point of wanting to return the device because of how disappointed I was in it. Then I found this thread -
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1005633
and learned about the various card speed tests. I switched to a Sandisk 16GB class 4, and it was like a whole new device. I couldn't be happier with it now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strongly agree with this. I got the Transcend C6/8Gb, and had a huge amount of problems (forced closes, and erratic launcher behavior) when running cm7 off of the SD that have completely disappeared since switching to the Sandisk C4/8GB on sale at the Shack. Some radioshacks seem to carry the C2 cards, and some the C4 cards. They are the same price, so it might be worth checking out a few stores if there are several in your area.
If you are just using this as a normal SD card and will be running CM7, froyo, nooter, whatever off of the emmc, then the Transcend is perfectly fine.
hoteladriano said:
Strongly agree with this. I got the Transcend C6/8Gb, and had a huge amount of problems (forced closes, and erratic launcher behavior) when running cm7 off of the SD that have completely disappeared since switching to the Sandisk C4/8GB on sale at the Shack. Some radioshacks seem to carry the C2 cards, and some the C4 cards. They are the same price, so it might be worth checking out a few stores if there are several in your area.
If you are just using this as a normal SD card and will be running CM7, froyo, nooter, whatever off of the emmc, then the Transcend is perfectly fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also strongly agree about SD cards. I just bought NC, used a PNY 4gb class 4 to boot off CM7 and it worked but not well, just like hoteladriano - forced closes, erratic behavoir. Will try again with the recommended Sandisks.
I've been using a Patriot 8GB class 10 for a month or so without any problems. Must have gotten lucky. Bought mine at Newegg after being told that a lot of the SD cards at Amazon are fakes, for whatever that's worth.
I"m using a 16 gig class 2 with no issues
I'm using a C6 8 GB Transcend. Saw lots of people rave about them. I'm running the Phiremod/Honeycomb dualboot and see pretty good success with it. Certain apps don't work right and cause force closes (Android Comic Viewer, Pulse) and once those crash I need to reboot to get everything work again. Other than that, its worked fine for me.
That being said, I would agree with everyone here that the Sandisk is your best bet. I may run out to radioshack tomorrow to grab myself another card, just to see how improved my experience would be!
chinly43 said:
1) The announcement from B&N about a new Nook on the 24th didn't mention if it was color or not; personally, I'm betting on an update to the original, since the color's only been out for 6 months.
2) Please please *PLEASE* heed my advice on this - if you're planning on running off the μSD card, do NOT buy a class 6 or class 10 card unless you've seen small-block write speed benchmarks. Card Class refers to large-block, sequential R/W speeds, which is good when you're transferring big files on and off of the card, but doesn't factor in quick access or small R/W like you need when you're running an OS from it. I bought a Kingston 8GB class 6 the same day as my NC, 10 days ago, and I almost got to the point of wanting to return the device because of how disappointed I was in it. Then I found this thread -
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1005633
and learned about the various card speed tests. I switched to a Sandisk 16GB class 4, and it was like a whole new device. I couldn't be happier with it now.
So, yeah, this is seriously important - read through that thread. And if you live near a RadioShack, they're running a 50% off sale on the good Sandisk cards for the rest of the week.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After reading what you suggested and hearing from others I think I'll take your advice. Question is, is it the lower the class the better the performance when running an OS? I'm look at a SanDisk 16 GB Class 2. What do you think?
If I recall, from everything I've read a class 2 Sandisk should be okay, but a class 4 Sandisk would be ideal. If you try radioshack, look through the cards to find a class 4 one. They're not very careful, so they mix the class 2 and class 4 together.
rnp614 said:
I"m using a 16 gig class 2 with no issues
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.
I have a 16gb Sansisk uSD class 2 and everything is good. No FC with apps installed on uSD. I don't store movies on it because I can stream it with CifsManagers and MoboPlayer. I recommend 16gb over 8gb. A lot of games required extra downloads which can range up to 100MB+. Backups can take up space as well.
Midgets... and lots of them
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For_the_moves said:
Question is, is it the lower the class the better the performance when running an OS?
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That ends up really generally being true, because the small-block write speed is precisely what's sacrificed to get better large-block speed, but things can vary so much that I'd stick with either something that's been tested or something from a store with a good return policy.
Without extra details or benchmarks, I would buy a class 2 before I bought a 6 or 10.
ebubar said:
I'm using a C6 8 GB Transcend. Saw lots of people rave about them. I'm running the Phiremod/Honeycomb dualboot and see pretty good success with it. Certain apps don't work right and cause force closes (Android Comic Viewer, Pulse) and once those crash I need to reboot to get everything work again. Other than that, its worked fine for me.
That being said, I would agree with everyone here that the Sandisk is your best bet. I may run out to radioshack tomorrow to grab myself another card, just to see how improved my experience would be!
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I'll love to hear your experience with the new card once you test it.
Yeah, this thread schooled me. I bought a Patriot class 10 card 16gb and OMFG the speed was dismal. It's going back and I think I'm going to order a cheaper Sandisk class 2 for close to half the cost.
For_the_moves said:
After reading what you suggested and hearing from others I think I'll take your advice. Question is, is it the lower the class the better the performance when running an OS? I'm look at a SanDisk 16 GB Class 2. What do you think?
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Read the linked thread and you'll learn all you need to know. It's the small-block random writes that are important for running an OS, and while it's generally poor in higher-class cards, it varies considerably between models at the class 2/4 level. Also, be sure you're not buying from Joe Blow in Beijing--there are a lot of counterfeit cards out there.
For_the_moves said:
I'm buying a nook color as a quick entry into the world of tablets. I plan on using it for reading on the bus etc. But I'm also interested in rooting so I can customize it as well. So I'm planning to dual boot CM7 from the SD card but leave it stock otherwise. With that in mind, what do I need to purchase as a first time Nook buyer interested in modding?
Here's my list:
- Nook Color (of course)
- Aegis Series Enclosure System
- rooCASE (would the nook fit in cases like these with the body armor on?)
- Transcend 8 GB microSDHC Class 6 (read that the class is important when modifying)
- Kingston Flash Memory Reader (to read/write to the SD card)
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I have the Aegis case for Nook Color, and it's awesome. I've never taken mine off as you have access to all ports including the SD slot, and I've heard that repeatedly taking it off and putting it on again stretches it out and results in a poorer fit. Unfortunately, I bought an Aalto case from B&N thinking it would fit with the Aegis still on, and it doesn't. I don't know about the rooCases, but I've been told that the Rocketfish "Case for Most eReaders" will fit the NC inside the Aegis case, and have ordered one from ebay for $6.99 after shipping.
It's been well covered in general, and you should read the SD card thread everyone's mentioning, but in particular, if you're booting from SD, buy a SanDisk card with a good general rep for fast random small-block writes, then benchmark it yourself with CrystalDiskMark before using it.
Just got NC for early Father's Day! I luv ma fam!
Everything I been finding here talks about 2,4, or 8 gigs SD cards.
NC says it can use up to 32gig.
Anyone tried this? I figure SDHC 32 G class 6 would work.
MrGeek said:
Just got NC for early Father's Day! I luv ma fam!
Everything I been finding here talks about 2,4, or 8 gigs SD cards.
NC says it can use up to 32gig.
Anyone tried this? I figure SDHC 32 G class 6 would work.
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Everything I've read states the higher capacity cards don't do well running ROMs. Like you I'm new to the nook so I"m sure someone else with more experience will chime in.
I have a 32 gig card installed right now. Works just fine as a data card.
If you want to run custom ROMS off the card, make sure its a sandisk. That flapping sound about larger sized card being bad for Roms is a buncha crap in my opinion (and I have the benchmarks on this card to prove it), but the BRAND of card makes a huge difference when running Roms. Avoid transcend and PNY like the plague.
That said, if you just want the card for data, then yes, the NC can handle them just fine.
skwalas said:
I have a 32 gig card installed right now. Works just fine as a data card.
If you want to run custom ROMS off the card, make sure its a sandisk. That flapping sound about larger sized card being bad for Roms is a buncha crap in my opinion (and I have the benchmarks on this card to prove it), but the BRAND of card makes a huge difference when running Roms. Avoid transcend and PNY like the plague.
That said, if you just want the card for data, then yes, the NC can handle them just fine.
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What size Sandisk card do you recommend for running custom ROMs? I've read 8 but I really would like to run a 16.
With a sandisk, I can't see any reason why a 16 or even 32 gig card would give you trouble on roms.
Using the card to run your "operating system" seems to require a higher small-block read/write speed than most cards have. Two things seem to affect it: 1) brand (sandisk is currently the only way to go), and 2)it seems that higher classed cards sacrifice the small block performance a bit. This makes sense to me, since the classification related to large block sequential read/writes (iirc), so some trade-iffs are always expected.
See this thread for useful things.
And I think most people are buying the smaller card mostly because of price, and partly due to a herd mentality on threads like the above.
Sandisk 16gb is just fine for running the Rom off the sd card; that is my current setup.
LBN1 said:
Sandisk 16gb is just fine for running the Rom off the sd card; that is my current setup.
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What class? I'm having a hard time finding class 4.
skwalas said:
I have a 32 gig card installed right now. Works just fine as a data card.
If you want to run custom ROMS off the card, make sure its a sandisk. That flapping sound about larger sized card being bad for Roms is a buncha crap in my opinion (and I have the benchmarks on this card to prove it), but the BRAND of card makes a huge difference when running Roms. Avoid transcend and PNY like the plague.
That said, if you just want the card for data, then yes, the NC can handle them just fine.
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Funny how all the Transcend cards in all 3 Nooks in my house are brilliant. I've used Transcend for years and have never had a problem, be it in my cameras to my phones.
Nburnes said:
Funny how all the Transcend cards in all 3 Nooks in my house are brilliant. I've used Transcend for years and have never had a problem, be it in my cameras to my phones.
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I was referring to the specific instance of using transcend for running cm7 for example. I understand transcend and patriot are decent when used for data, and I have PNY cards in our cameras, so they seem to work fine for data.
I have a wintec SDCH 16g class 4 and it works fine, but I only use it for data.
I've been looking into this, and here's what it boils down to:
Most MicroSD cards are set up for data transfer aimed at large files, such as video or high resolution pictures. The majority of the market these cards are manufactured for are digital camcorders, cameras, and smart phones with cameras.
They've gotten great at streaming media to and from the cards, and using them as storage mediums.
Running an operating system from the card requires a whole lot of small data transfers, which is not a specification that manufacterers pay much attention to. Most people would never notice improvement in this area of the manufacturing process, so the companies don't waste money on it.
Different manufacturers have different ideas of what their product should be capable of.
SanDisk is the brand that has consistently tested better for small data transfer then other card makers.
Running programs/operating systems from a MicroSD card is a new animal, something that hasn't really been done before now, and the tablet market is still in it's infancy.
I'm sure this issue will be addressed by the hardware makers of memory cards over the next year or so, but for now we are stuck with the task of trying to figure out what works for our purpose given what's available on the market right now.
All this being said, out of a handful of cards I own, my 16 gig SanDisk class 2 MicroSD card is my highest performing card - more then twice as fast as even 4 out of 5 of the 8 gig SanDisk cards I have.
Here is the link to the software we are using to test the cards: Crystal Disk Mark
Post 5 in this thread has a link that takes you to the one that has become our communal benchmark thread, and has a lot of info on this topic.
I would surmise that a 32 gig SanDisk brand card would probably be pretty good given that:
-Sandisk 8 gig cards (in class 2 and 4) are the general recommendation
-SanDisk 16 gig cards consistently test to a higher performance level then the 8 gig cards.
If this is the beginning of a pattern, and the larger capacity SanDisk cards are inherently manufactered to a higher small data standard, then theoretically the 32 gig card would be better.
But, this is only a theory. A 32 gig card is more then just a couple of bucks, and I don't think we have enough benchmarks on them yet to say one way or another.
Even with the SanDisk 8 gig cards, there is a wide range of what you could end up with on small data transfer speed. It's kind of pot luck. Even the slowest ones are many orders of magnitude faster then most other manufacturers, though.
This would be a good thread for people who do have 32 gig cards of any brand to chime in on, so we could keep the discussion about the largest supported capacity card on the Nook seperate from the other threads on this topic.
I saw a thread a week or so ago regarding testing class 4 cards and which were better. I just ordered a NC the other day. Anyone know the thread?
Blue6IX said:
I've been looking into this, and here's what it boils down to:
Most MicroSD cards are set up for data transfer aimed at large files, such as video or high resolution pictures. The majority of the market these cards are manufactured for are digital camcorders, cameras, and smart phones with cameras.
They've gotten great at streaming media to and from the cards, and using them as storage mediums.
Running an operating system from the card requires a whole lot of small data transfers, which is not a specification that manufacterers pay much attention to. Most people would never notice improvement in this area of the manufacturing process, so the companies don't waste money on it.
Different manufacturers have different ideas of what their product should be capable of.
SanDisk is the brand that has consistently tested better for small data transfer then other card makers.
Running programs/operating systems from a MicroSD card is a new animal, something that hasn't really been done before now, and the tablet market is still in it's infancy.
I'm sure this issue will be addressed by the hardware makers of memory cards over the next year or so, but for now we are stuck with the task of trying to figure out what works for our purpose given what's available on the market right now.
All this being said, out of a handful of cards I own, my 16 gig SanDisk class 2 MicroSD card is my highest performing card - more then twice as fast as even 4 out of 5 of the 8 gig SanDisk cards I have.
Here is the link to the software we are using to test the cards: Crystal Disk Mark
Post 5 in this thread has a link that takes you to the one that has become our communal benchmark thread, and has a lot of info on this topic.
I would surmise that a 32 gig SanDisk brand card would probably be pretty good given that:
-Sandisk 8 gig cards (in class 2 and 4) are the general recommendation
-SanDisk 16 gig cards consistently test to a higher performance level then the 8 gig cards.
If this is the beginning of a pattern, and the larger capacity SanDisk cards are inherently manufactered to a higher small data standard, then theoretically the 32 gig card would be better.
But, this is only a theory. A 32 gig card is more then just a couple of bucks, and I don't think we have enough benchmarks on them yet to say one way or another.
Even with the SanDisk 8 gig cards, there is a wide range of what you could end up with on small data transfer speed. It's kind of pot luck. Even the slowest ones are many orders of magnitude faster then most other manufacturers, though.
This would be a good thread for people who do have 32 gig cards of any brand to chime in on, so we could keep the discussion about the largest supported capacity card on the Nook seperate from the other threads on this topic.
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Thank you for a very informative post. As I mentioned earlier I'm new to the NC and your post has helped me considerably.
androidmonkey said:
I saw a thread a week or so ago regarding testing class 4 cards and which were better. I just ordered a NC the other day. Anyone know the thread?
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You might mean my thread on comparing speed results between different readers using the benchmark software.
It's more a look at the testing software and methods of doing so then the actual cards themselves.
The more people who post benchmark results in the thread skwalas linked to back in post 5, the better of an idea we'll have of what works for us.
The amount of information we've collected so far in such a short time is astonishing - this is a great community.
harpo1 said:
What class? I'm having a hard time finding class 4.
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Sandisk 16gb, Class 4; Got it from Radio Shack a month or so ago on sale for like $25.
32 Gig
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004G7D0IW
Bought this one about a month ago. Transferred my 16G class 2 from Radio Shack to the 32G then expanded the partition. I run CM7 off the SD. Works GREAT!. I run movies, apps from the card with tons of room.
Thanks for all the replies! They been very helpful!
However...
Here is the link to the software we are using to test the cards: Crystal Disk Mark
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I tried downloading that and it got flagged as malware by Microsoft Security Essentials.
Rocking a 32 Lexar Class 10 here. Just download SD Tools from the market and its running 11 MB/s write and 25 MB/s read.
lucas993 said:
Rocking a 32 Lexar Class 10 here. Just download SD Tools from the market and its running 11 MB/s write and 25 MB/s read.
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IIRC, Lexar splits their Class X cards into two more classifications, a regular and an Ultra class. Which one was yours?
Also, Radio Shack currently has 8gb Sandisk C4 cards for sale at 14.99. Perfect for playing with an SD install. With Crystal mark and a cheapie USB reader I got 2.5mb/s read, 1.5 mb/s write (both of the small block ones). I believe these are the important ones for an SD card based ROM?
I suspect the main reason there's not much info out there on 32GB cards is that people are less willing to drop $50-80 on something that may not work (IF they're trying to run a custom ROM from the card). If you're not trying to set up a custom ROM install on the SD, get any card you want--you may appreciate that higher sequential read/write in the higher class cards when you're moving multiple GB of movies or music to and from the card.
From everything I've read, the size of the card makes no difference whatsoever. The only reason people harp on the 8GB and 16GB Sandisk cards is because those specific models (both class 2 and 4 in those sizes) have been tested many times and return both reliably high small-block random writes and positive anecdotal reports for running ROMs. The size, manufacturer and class are irrelevant in and of themselves: they just let us identify specific models identified as most consistently working well.
Also, CrystalDiskMark is not malware: just do a custom install and choose not to install whatever is bundled with it (do this always for all software, I'd say). It's whatever program they use to suggest other software that triggers the false positives in security programs.
Hi guys, I am about to purchase my galaxy note next week and I was wondering if anyone could shed some light into the matter..
Which class of micro sd card should I buy? (minimum) I was hoping to get a 64gb but if that would underperform, there would not be much of a sense to it.
The maximum reading/writing I will be doing in the note is probably playing 1080p playback + mirroring it to the tv. maybe some hi definition video recording as well straight to the memory card.. but most often than not, I would play a 720p mkv movie.
Would a class 4 suffice? Any suggestions on which brands I should look at / stay away from?
Class 4 of any decent brand should suffice.
Class 2 cards from Sandisk will also suffice (their read/write speeds are enough for 1080p encoding and decoding). May be a hassle if you regularly transfer a lot of data to and from the card since thats the time when the slower R/W speeds will come into play.
Why get anything less than class 10? If you can afford a Note, you should be able to spare another $20 for a fast sdcard...
class 10 cards can cost upwards of $80 for an 8gig card.
keithleyson said:
class 10 cards can cost upwards of $80 for an 8gig card.
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i picked up my class 10 a-ram 32gb microsd for $49.95AU + shipping.
it really depends on what you plan to use your note for. if youre filming 1080p video at the default 17mbps, thats about 2mb/s that you'd want minimum for just filming. so any speed should be fine as long as its above class 2. i just prefer faster cards since theyre getting cheaper.
Souai said:
i picked up my class 10 a-ram 32gb microsd for $49.95AU + shipping.
it really depends on what you plan to use your note for. if youre filming 1080p video at the default 17mbps, thats about 2mb/s that you'd want minimum for just filming. so any speed should be fine as long as its above class 2. i just prefer faster cards since theyre getting cheaper.
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Where did you get it from? Does it even have a brand?
RashaMatt said:
Why get anything less than class 10? If you can afford a Note, you should be able to spare another $20 for a fast sdcard...
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I've read class 10 doesn't always mean fastest read speed or something to that effect. Not always beneficial to get a class 10 since it writes faster but doesn't always means it reads faster. Someone else can probably elaborate for me.
DMax99 said:
Where did you get it from? Does it even have a brand?
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A-RAM is the brand. i bench'd it. write speeds are 11mb/s, read speeds are 14mb/s.
it was one of the random daily specials they had at www.shoppingsquare.com.au a week or so ago.
right now, the next best deal they have is http://www.shoppingsquare.com.au/p_276323_Kingston_32GB_Class_10_Micro_SDHC_Memory_Card
phungn said:
I've read class 10 doesn't always mean fastest read speed or something to that effect. Not always beneficial to get a class 10 since it writes faster but doesn't always means it reads faster. Someone else can probably elaborate for me.
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normally read speeds of class 10 are still higher than write speeds. but the read speeds dont really vary much between classes. my kingston class 10 reads at 12mb/s, my a-ram class 10 reads at 14mb/s, my sandisk class 2 reads at 10mb/s. so if all you need is read speed, then any card will do.
even class 2 or 4 on Sandisk it will work fine. i believe just buy a good make one ( not a fake from China ) , but i bought mine Lexar class 10 and work great , i couldnt be happier.
phungn said:
I've read class 10 doesn't always mean fastest read speed or something to that effect. Not always beneficial to get a class 10 since it writes faster but doesn't always means it reads faster. Someone else can probably elaborate for me.
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It doesn't necessarily write faster either!
All the class indicates is the minimum sustained write speed under optimal (i.e. unfragmented) conditions. It says nothing about the read speed, which is what is generally important in mobile devices since they are usually used for content consumption rather than creation.
As NZtechfreak has already mentioned, Sandisk Class 2 cards almost always well exceed the class minimums - I've been using 16gb Sandisk Class 2 cards in my phones for a long time now, and I've yet to get one that had a write speed less than the Class 6 minimum of 6MB/s, and the read speed has always been 20MB/s or above.
Regards,
Dave
A good read why Class 4 cards are the best ones to use for your smartphone: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=14456360&postcount=42
I started out with a Kingston Class 2 32GB I had laying around, and then switched to a Class 10 32GB made by PNY that I got from Microcenter for $59.95.
There was a very noticeable difference in photo taking lag and the media scanner, plus app access on the card. Now there is almost no photo lag, from snap to saving. Haven't messed with the video much yet...
I've Samsung class 10 32 gb. It's really good, but my device started rebooting because of it. "System Process has stopped working."
What I found out is that after removing my micro sd my device is a hell FASTER than before!!!
Maybe a faulty micro sd, no since it works fine in my pc and other devices.
I want to check does any of you have the same problem???
Sorry but your data is at least a year old
Samsung 16GB class 10 card plus adapter at Amazon for $15-$20... mine arrived yesterday
keithleyson said:
class 10 cards can cost upwards of $80 for an 8gig card.
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Mystic38 said:
Sorry but your data is at least a year old
Samsung 16GB class 10 card plus adapter at Amazon for $15-$20... mine arrived yesterday
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Errhh, more like your post is 5 months late!
Regards,
Dave
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