Homebrew app Different USB/MTP install speed across installers

[kraussian]

I've always been a big fan of DBI with how easy it is to simply launch MTP Responder mode and drag-drop in the Windows File Explorer.
But recently I was installing a large game and noticed that the install speed is nowhere near what I would expect.

I am using the Nintendo-licensed SanDisk 256GB SD card, which I understand has a maximum read speed of 100MB/s and write speed of 90MB/s.
However the install speed through DBI MTP mode only hovers around 20-25MB/s.

So I've tried experimenting with Tinfoil/NUT, and installing through Tinfoil gives me 40-45MB/s.
What's causing the difference? And that's still only half of what my SD card should be capable of. How do I improve the speed?

In Atmosphere config, I've made sure to enable USB 3.0.
usb30_force_enabled = u8!0x1

For reference, I'm using the latest release of both DBI (v598) and Tinfoil (16.0 v2) / NUT (v3.3).

 

[Freyjadour]

Your cable and usb port matters too. From what I experienced, awoo gives me 100-120MB/s installation speed with usb superspeed cable plugged into usb 3.0 port, and enabled usb3.0 in atmosphere config.

 

[kraussian]

Your cable and usb port matters too. From what I experienced, awoo gives me 100-120MB/s installation speed with usb superspeed cable plugged into usb 3.0 port, and enabled usb3.0 in atmosphere config.

Thanks for the input. What USB cable do you recommend?

I've tried the USB-C cable which came with my External SSD, a "Fast Charge" cable supporting 100W charging, and a USB-A to USB-C cable lying around. But all 3 of them give me 40-45MB/s on both Tinfoil and Awoo and 20MB/s on DBI.

At this point I'm suspecting a software issue with DBI and a hardware limitation for Tinfoil/Awoo.

 

[duckbill007]

You are right. DBI is a bugged russian closed source spyware that intentionally slows down install on all switches outside of Russia. Stop using it immediately. Use only awoo!

 

[abal1000x]

Thanks for the input. What USB cable do you recommend?

I've tried the USB-C cable which came with my External SSD, a "Fast Charge" cable supporting 100W charging, and a USB-A to USB-C cable lying around. But all 3 of them give me 40-45MB/s on both Tinfoil and Awoo and 20MB/s on DBI.

At this point I'm suspecting a software issue with DBI and a hardware limitation for Tinfoil/Awoo.

I still confuse on the unit. 20MB/s is it 20 Mega Bit per seconds or Mega Byte per seconds, cause that huge difference.

 

[duckbill007]

DBI uses 2^20 bytes per second. Awoo uses 10^6 bytes per second.

 

[masagrator]

I still confuse on the unit. 20MB/s is it 20 Mega Bit per seconds or Mega Byte per seconds, cause that huge difference."

"B" is bytes, "b" is bits. If somebody writes it differently, then they are wrong.

And usually to make it more visible for bits people are writing "Mbps" while for bytes "MB/s".

 

[duckbill007]

Just look at awoo sources - it shows spped of writing current block. DBI measures speed by divide total bytes written so far by total time since start. So, it's just a different speeds.

 

[mathew77]

However the install speed through DBI MTP mode only hovers around 20-25MB/s.

FYI, my installation speed with DBI on an average Kingston 256 GB card:

So it's a pretty ~53 MB/s avg. real speed with a proper USB 3.0 cable, which is higher than any tinfoil / awoo / whatever can get to me.

 

[Freyjadour]

Thanks for the input. What USB cable do you recommend?

I've tried the USB-C cable which came with my External SSD, a "Fast Charge" cable supporting 100W charging, and a USB-A to USB-C cable lying around. But all 3 of them give me 40-45MB/s on both Tinfoil and Awoo and 20MB/s on DBI.

At this point I'm suspecting a software issue with DBI and a hardware limitation for Tinfoil/Awoo.

I've been using Aukey cable for a long time but forgot which model, but it's usb A to C.
Anker or others USB 3.0 compatible cable might also works.

I experienced slow installation speed as well when using DBI, the most I can get is around 30-50MB/s when using usb 3.0 cable.

 

[duckbill007]

53MB/sec is not a limit

 

[ghjfdtg]

There are different factors you need to keep in mind.
- The speed of your microSD (duh) which is not always what they advertise it to be.
- The USB connection speed (also obvious).
- Running the installer in game mode (good) instead of applet mode (bad).
- Installing uncompressed .nsp vs compressed .nsz.
- Badly fragmented filesystem on the microSD. This can lower sequential write speed.
- Whatever storage media you use on PC. HDDs are not much faster than the fastest microSDs these days.

 

[masagrator]

There are different factors you need to keep in mind.
- The speed of your microSD (duh) which is not always what they advertise it to be.
- The USB connection speed (also obvious).
- Running the installer in game mode (good) instead of applet mode (bad).
- Installing uncompressed .nsp vs compressed .nsz.
- Badly fragmented filesystem on the microSD. This can lower sequential write speed.
- Whatever storage media you use on PC. HDDs are not much faster than the fastest microSDs these days.

And quality of USB cable + connectors on both sides.

 

[kraussian]

There are different factors you need to keep in mind.
- The speed of your microSD (duh) which is not always what they advertise it to be.
- The USB connection speed (also obvious).
- Running the installer in game mode (good) instead of applet mode (bad).
- Installing uncompressed .nsp vs compressed .nsz.
- Badly fragmented filesystem on the microSD. This can lower sequential write speed.
- Whatever storage media you use on PC. HDDs are not much faster than the fastest microSDs these days.

Thanks, but I think I've checked off most of them.

• Speed of microSD card; agree, but SanDisk has always been reliable with their more premium lineups. While I don't expect the advertised 90MB/s, I wouldn't expect only half of that either. Thought I'd see at least 70-80MB/s.
• USB connection speed; PC-side port is USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, and USB 3.0 is enabled on Switch
• Game vs. Applet mode: I'm making sure to use Game mode
• NSZ vs. NSP: All my files are NSP, so decompression time shouldn't be a factor
• Badly fragmented microSD: My understanding is that defrag is not recommended for solid state media, but nevertheless I went ahead and did it but no discernible difference in speed
• PC storage media: I'm using a NVMe with 5,000MB/s read speed, so shouldn't be a factor

 

[Visntse]

Thanks, but I think I've checked off most of them.

• Speed of microSD card; agree, but SanDisk has always been reliable with their more premium lineups. While I don't expect the advertised 90MB/s, I wouldn't expect only half of that either. Thought I'd see at least 70-80MB/s.
• USB connection speed; PC-side port is USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, and USB 3.0 is enabled on Switch
• Game vs. Applet mode: I'm making sure to use Game mode
• NSZ vs. NSP: All my files are NSP, so decompression time shouldn't be a factor
• Badly fragmented microSD: My understanding is that defrag is not recommended for solid state media, but nevertheless I went ahead and did it but no discernible difference in speed
• PC storage media: I'm using a NVMe with 5,000MB/s read speed, so shouldn't be a factor

i had same problem, install nsp from game mode, but speed is max to 40MB/S, i use type-c 3.2 gen 2 port and cable.
when i use 2.0 cable, that max speed is 30MB/S, but many time is 20MB/S.

i use samsung 120M/S tf card, dbi is latest 598 version. win10 system with 2600M/S nvme ssd.

btw, i use atmo sd partition type, create that partition with hekate. why another guys dbi speed so fast, but i don't know what hell for this shit speed with me!

 

[abal1000x]

i had same problem, install nsp from game mode, but speed is max to 40MB/S, i use type-c 3.2 gen 2 port and cable.
when i use 2.0 cable, that max speed is 30MB/S, but many time is 20MB/S.

i use samsung 120M/S tf card, dbi is latest 598 version. win10 system with 2600M/S nvme ssd.

btw, i use atmo sd partition type, create that partition with hekate. why another guys dbi speed so fast, but i don't know what hell for this shit speed with me!

The ss use russian version of dbi, who knows

 

[Visntse]

The ss use russian version of dbi, who knows

you mean we need russian system region and language, then use ru dbi? just kiding me!C

 

[duckbill007]

you mean we need russian system region and language, then use ru dbi?

Also account registered in RU and console with SN range sold in Russia. And absolutetely NO signs of other regions in all system logs. And white IP of russian ISP.

Post automatically merged: Jul 28, 2023

The ss use russian version of dbi

That screenshot from some ukrainian console fyi.

Post automatically merged: Jul 28, 2023

And seriously, in the 77 MB/sec screenshot, the installation is going to NAND, not a memory card.

 

[lostdotfish]

getting 35ish MB/sec to emunand on this cable.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-PowerLine-Durability-Devices-Including/dp/B01GN0M6NE/

Detects as USB 3.0 Super Speed

 

[Azuuuma]

FYI, my installation speed with DBI on an average Kingston 256 GB card:

View attachment 385430

So it's a pretty ~53 MB/s avg. real speed with a proper USB 3.0 cable, which is higher than any tinfoil / awoo / whatever can get to me.

In Atmosphere, does the format of the SD card affect the transfer speed (FAT32 vs exFAT)? I've enabled USB 3.0, but the transfer speed is at most 36MB per second