Sd Card Question...

[honeybadger]

I accidentally posted this question in Wiz earlier but don't want to violate the "Don't post the same question in multiple boards rule"...so I am rephrasing...

What speed or "Class" of SD cards can the Pandora use.

I mean, I know that I could buy all the way up to a class 6 but would I be wasting my money?

I am already planning to buy a 32gb card so class 6 will be pricey, but is the Pandora capable of using the bandwidth of a class 6 or does it only have class 4 write throughput ability?

Thanks for your time everyone!

 

[Luftwaffles]

I'm quite sure the Pandora's sd slot is capable of utilising class 6's full speed.

 

[Reyhn]

Well, I take advantage of this topic to ask another question :

Can I just buy a card, put files on it with my windows pc and use it on the pandora ?
What about file format, have I to worry about that ?

 

[Enverex]

Well, I take advantage of this topic to ask another question :

Can I just buy a card, put files on it with my windows pc and use it on the pandora ?
What about file format, have I to worry about that ?

If you're using it in a Windows machine you'll want to format it as FAT32 or NTFS. Linux will recognise many more formats but Windows wont, you'll want NTFS-3G installed on your Pandora if you're going to use NTFS though (I'm assuming it is available...). Or you could get an EXT3 driver for Windows and use EXT3 on the SD.

 

[WizardStan]

Just use FAT32. It's good enough.

 

[dflemstr]

Just use FAT32. It's good enough.

Yeah, using the journaling NTFS on a SD card is memory-cellular suicide.

If you use FAT32, you cannot put files on your SD card that are larger than 2GB (4GB with the "hacked" FAT32 format), however. I for one will be using ext2 or ext4 on the card, and just install a driver for any Windows computers lacking the ability to read ext file systems. It's not like I own any Windows machines, anyways.

 

[WizardStan]

If you use FAT32, you cannot put files on your SD card that are larger than 2GB (4GB with the "hacked" FAT32 format), however. I for one will be using ext2 or ext4 on the card, and just install a driver for any Windows computers lacking the ability to read ext file systems. It's not like I own any Windows machines, anyways.

Another idea that I may give a try to is to dual partition it: make a huge ext2, and a smaller FAT32. Storing text files, source files, or anything else that I may have the desire to access anywhere into the Windows compatible FAT32 section, and games/movies/etc into the more efficient ext2.

 

[Aninhumer]

I think a lot of people will be going with FAT32, so I think the 2GB limit should probably be considered by anyone making games.
If huge files were really needed they could be stored as split files, and mounted as a single file when in use.

That said, unless you're putting hour long HD videos on there I don't see why it would become a problem.

 

[Reyhn]

That said, unless you're putting hour long HD videos on there I don't see why it would become a problem.

Exactly, IMHO the 2GB per file limit is not really annoying for most of the people, the only big files I plan to put on it are PSX isos and they don't reach this weight.
Thanks for you responses, i'll go with FAT32 i think.

 

[Tokiopop]

Why not have one card NTFS and the other FAT32?

 

[amf66]

Why not have one card NTFS and the other FAT32?

You could,(correct me if I'm wrong) but that might cause compatibility problems. That and I think FAT32 is just fine (although ext3 would be better).

 

[Aninhumer]

Why not have one card NTFS and the other FAT32?

You could,(correct me if I'm wrong) but that might cause compatibility problems. That and I think FAT32 is just fine (although ext3 would be better).

The linux NTFS drivers might not be in the Pandora by default, but they probably wouldn't be too difficult to add.

The much bigger problem with NTFS (and ext3, and many other modern filesystems AFAIK) is that journaling isn't good for flash media, which have limited writes:

Yeah, using the journaling NTFS on a SD card is memory-cellular suicide.

ext2 would be fine if you wanted to use that, and there are also some flash specific filesystems, although you'd definitely have to a linux PC to use them.

 

[Gary13579]

Using FAT32 would be a waste. ext2-4 would be faster, more stable... Granted I only use Linux machines these days, but still, the actual device is linux... don't butcher it with FAT32 .

And as said above, NTFS really isn't an option for SD cards. It'd be a worse choice than FAT32.

 

[Tensuke]

I'll have an SD card and a MicroSD card in an SD adapter, so I'll prolly leave the SD card with Ext2 and use FAT32 with the MicroSD so I can use it with other things(phone, USB adapter, DS). I agree, NTFS wouldn't really be a good idea.

 

[Aninhumer]

I'm not entirely sure, but I think ext2 is a much better idea than ext3 for a flash based SD card.

 

[Tokiopop]

So, if NTFS isn't a good idea, but a game is over 4GBs, what would be the best format, ext3? I've always used FAT32, but with games being ported then some of us might need more than a 4GB limit (although ported games aren't probably going to be all in one single file, so... I dunno)

 

[Tensuke]

You are right, I meant to put Ext2.

 

[dflemstr]

So, what about ext4 with journaling turned off? Yes/no?

Otherwise, I'll stick with ext2.

 

[Aninhumer]

So, if NTFS isn't a good idea, but a game is over 4GBs, what would be the best format, ext3? I've always used FAT32, but with games being ported then some of us might need more than a 4GB limit (although ported games aren't probably going to be all in one single file, so... I dunno)

If files larger than 2GB were necessary, they could be stored in a split archive (uncompressed), and mounted while in use.
Or even just regular split files, and the program accesses the right part.

There are probably other similar workarounds for the issue.

 

[guilmon999]

i thought most games were less then two gigs because the either ran cartridges or CDs so why are people worrying and im taking a Computer Repair A+ certification and it all says FAT32 is 4gb isnt that because microsoft made it that way