*EDITED*

Hi guys, I just purchased a M3 Real to replace my R4DS but I've noticed some intresting loading slow-downs. We all know the menus on the Real are slow(unless your using the new Sakura OS), but it looks like loading in-game is slower too!

Note: I'm not concerned about a second or 2 in loading times, but rather that the access speed between the M3 cart and the DS is slower(than the R4). 2 Seconds might not seem allot in terms of time but in terms of transfer speed its probably about 1MB/s.


I have tested this side by side with 2 DS's, one with the R4(kernel 1.18) and one with the M3Real(Sakura GBAtemp English). Both carts have a 2GB SanDisk card, ROM's and are defraged.

The game that its easiest to see on is Diddy Kong Racing DS, go to the New Game button and then press "A" at the same time.


(Left: R4 | Right: M3 Real)


I just want to know what everyone else's experience has been.
I haven't tried a SDHC card yet, mine should be here in a few days. Its a Transcend 4GB SDHC Class 6 Card .



(Going a little off topic now.)

The back of the M3 Rumble Expansion PCB kind looks like it was sanded and causes the DS screen to flicker when it rumbles.

​

The M3 GBA Expansions RAM is slower than a standard GBA cart(or the M3 Perfect), I've tried it with Quake2 DS(Simon Halls Version) and memtestARM v0.03 and neither want to run the RAM Pack at full (GBA) speed. Memtest fails at anything but "Slow but safe(4,2)" and Quake 2 DS will only run it on the slowest setting. For Comparison, my M3DS Lite Perfect runs at all speeds just fine.

​

Also, both carts are too big, they stick out of the DS by about 1mm (I had to sand mine to get it to fit flush).

(Left: Stock | Right: Sanded)​

-Quad

 

Two seconds!? Does it really matter?

Anyway, just use the Sakura firmware, it's faster and easier to use.

 

Sakura is a Beautifull peice of software, but when it comes to loading data in-game, the R4 is still faster.


Sorry for the huge post guys, I just wanted to get all that off my chest.

 

really?

out of interest, loading of what? the OS? games (seems unlikely)?

 

with an expansion m3sakura should do all in-firmware processing faster.
m3sakura can't run without 16MB of expansion RAM.
to fix that, they make use of virtual memory, which writes/reads to the microSD.

if you use a RAM expansion, it will use that for memory, which works faster than writing and reading from and to a microSD.

 

sounds awesome. i haven't heard of any other loader utilizing an expansion pack for general functions.

but how do you know this is the case?
i have heard about the virtual memory usage before but i haven't heard that it can utilize the expansion in it's place.

 

just checked, i think in general use m3sakura needs 5MB ram.(just menu, nothing else)
4 from the DS, 1 from swapfile(only 1 out of 16MB of the swapfile is actually in use)

 

OMG... 2 Seconds... I have an M3 Real, so I know what you mean, but can you really complain about loading time against an R4 when the M3 Real has soooo many more features...?

As for the insert, the team is Chinese (I think), I bet if you wrote something in a language not your own, you would have trouble as well....

And M3 Sakura's gonna kick butt, I'm using the GBAtemp translated one, and I think it's awesome, for those of you having trouble with Homebrew not working, get FlashCartOS because every homebrew I have tried works flawlessly when booted up through this app!