Hacking 4GB ROMs = What size card?

[CraddaPoosta]

I have a standard 4GB microSD card, but since they never show the correct data size because they round down the numbers, I am not sure if I can flash the image of, say, DKCR3D, to this card which has something like 3.83GB of usable memory.

Would I still be able to flash the image of a .3DS file that said it was 4GB to this card, or will I need to bite the bullet and buy an 8GB card?

This is all temporary anyway, of course. Once Gateway can handle multi-ROM, I am just going to buy a humongous microSDHC card and never have to worry about it again. Just didn't want to brick or render my microSD card inoperable.

Also, I can confirm as being likely one of the most recent new owners of a Gateway 3DS that the files for their firmware did NOT brick my 3DS, and everything seems to be working flawlessly so far.

All I have done is to boot up Pilotwings Resort to test it, and am backing up my NAND as we speak.

 

[Cartmanuk]

You'll need an 8gb card for 4gb games.

 

[Arras]

I think there is a trim tool out there that slightly shrinks roms. An unmodified 4GB rom will NOT fit on a 4GB card, but if you trim it it'll probably work. I'm not sure whether trimmed roms will actually run though, but it's worth a shot at least.

 

[Hellz92]

You can try to trim the rom, this will make most 4gb roms fit on fat32 format. currently 4 or 8gb sd doesn't really matter because fat32 doesn't support files bigger then 4gb. As for the brick, it's not clear yet exactly when the brick gets triggered (it seems to be random) and if gateway cards are 100% safe or not, eventhough there have been a few reports of gateway users that got a brick, seen two today.

 

[Relenting]

eventhough there have been a few reports of gateway users that got a brick, seen two today.

There also were reports of multiple Frenchies who got bricked by unmodified launchers.

 

[Hellz92]

There also were reports of multiple Frenchies who got bricked by unmodified launchers.

All today?

 

[Relenting]

All today?

Today or recently.

 

[masterzero]

so , to play 4gb games you need to trim them always ? or can they fit into 8gb fat 32?

 

[Reploid]

Just trim them anyway. Saves some space.

 

[Hellz92]

They will fit in an 8gb card as long as they fit inside the size that FAT32 allows, which is around 4GB per individual file, no matter if the card is 4, 8 or 64gb.

 

[CraddaPoosta]

I'd love to use a ROM trimmer. I used one on every last ROM I ever had on my old Acekard. Does anyone have a reliable one for 3DS ROMs?

 

[masterzero]

I recall reading someone having problems with trimmed roms, maybe it was my imagination

 

[Arras]

Just trim them anyway. Saves some space.

There's no point in saving space on a card that can only carry one rom at a time though, unless it won't fit otherwise. Once multirom finally appears trimming everything would probably be a good idea though.

 

[bkifft]

just to chime in: full clean 4GiB rom dumps are exactly one byte bigger than the maximum filesize FAT32 can handle, so one has to always trim them if multirom will use FAT. same goes for 4GB microSD cards, i have yet to see one which is big enough for 4GiB

trimming works just fine for every rom I've tested yet, 3DSGuy wrote a small tool for it (http://gbatemp.net/threads/3ds-rom-tool-rom_tool.349314/) which supports two trimming modes, just remove padding (the unused fluff filling) or also remove the update data. (btw: props to the mt-guys who mention in their manual in small print that 4GB roms need to be trimmed without telling how to do it).

and as all new games contain the updata data they will all be trimable (should nintendo ever introduce a check code if the update data is missing it would have to be patched of course)

 

[redkeyboard]

They will fit in an 8gb card as long as they fit inside the size that FAT32 allows, which is around 4GB per individual file, no matter if the card is 4, 8 or 64gb.

With the way the Gateway currently handles roms there's no FAT32. When you "burn" the image you destroy all formatting.

 

[crazyace2011]

I trimmed my dkcr3d and it was like 2.18 gb and it works flawlessly with no issues.

 

[RowanDDR]

You do NOT need an 8GB microsd card to play an untrimmed 4GB ROM. You can simply use a 6GB microsd card. Cheaper than 8GB.

 

[Reploid]

There's no point in saving space on a card that can only carry one rom at a time though, unless it won't fit otherwise. Once multirom finally appears trimming everything would probably be a good idea though.

You have to storage the roms somewhere, right?

You do NOT need an 8GB microsd card to play an untrimmed 4GB ROM. You can simply use a 6GB microsd card. Cheaper than 8GB.

Why not 4.5gb?

 

[Reploid]

del

 

[tbgtbg]

I've never seen a 6GB SD card. Or USB stick. Or pretty much anything.