Hacking R4 V3 using SDHC and 1.21 kernel

[the_rhino_uk]

Hi all,

Well I have been a happy user of a V2 R4 card I bought a while back (using a Kingston 2GB Micro SD card) and all has been well and good. I ended up buying (what I thought) was another V2 R4 card from the same place but instead I recived a V3 R4 which "apparently supports bigger SDHC cards".

Now I am a bit miffed 'cos I bought another 2GB Micro SD card ready for its arrival and although it appears to work ok in the V3 R4 the games take longer to load and I think I have seen a bit of lag appear (only been using it a couple of days so I can't be sure).

I am using the latest Kernel (ver 1.21) which I downloaded from the R4 site (as this one didn't come with a disk) and the normal SD card so I was wondering if:

a) Is it normal for the games to take longer to load on the V3 (as they loaded much much faster on my V2 R4)
b) Does it work with the Micro SD card or should I use the SDHC with the V3?
c) I have read that the V3 R4 isn't actaully compatiable with the higher SDHC cards (like the 8GB or 32GB). Is this true? What's the hightest it can use?
d) Is game lag normal / expected with the newer V3 / kernel?

Sorry for all the questions but I know that the folk on here know their stuff. I spend a while reading reviews and posts when I was looking to get a R4 and this site is very very useful but at the mo I can't find much info about the new V3 (apart from people saying that there are a lot of fakes out there).

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help?

 

[Sephi]

Well, most R4 clones are lower quality parts than the original, so lag and faults can be expected. I've heard that the R4 III upgrade thing doesn't actually support SDHC, though I'm not entirely sure.

 

[KDH]

The V2 and V3 R4s ARE fakes. The real one is just R4 and doesn't support SDHC at all.

 

[InuYasha]

If you want something that can hold more space then buy a legit cart that can do it instead of those rip off carts......Honestly this is coming from an R4 user,but you should avoid it at all cost esp. with all the clones and such around......

 

[the_rhino_uk]

Ok that is odd because the one I got the first time around I "thought" was an original? It certainlly looked and performed like one (bought it from mxconsoles). Plus the first one I have works fine and is perfect so I had no reason to suspect they would send me a clone version.

I just found it odd the same place I bought my first one suddenly sells me this "new" one (which is only about a month on from when I bought my first).

If the V3 doesn't exist and doesn't support SDHC why is is shown on their site?

http://www.r4new.com/download-en.htm

And if I do have fakes then where can I get an original?

 

[Sephi]

They gave it fake SDHC just to get more customers and do less real work.

Also, the R4 team is dead, so no more (official) firmware updates. It's best to get either, a DSTT, an Acekard 2/RPG, or a CycloDS Evo.

dealextreme.com is a good place to get the ak2/rpg and dstt. As for the CycloDS Evo, I'm not really sure.

 

[the_rhino_uk]

Ok let me get this right, this one below:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14778

Is no good because that it what I now have? What are the problems with these (reliablity, speed, card support)?

It works ok but does this mean that the R4 is no longer the one to get? After reading the review on this site I thought the R4 was the one to get and I have to say I was happy with my first one.

Sorry for all the questions but now I am a bit stuck on what I need to do next?

 

[Sephi]

The R4 was the best, now it's slowly turning into the DS-X, except it doesn't have LED's.

I recommend you buy a different card if you want good firmware support.

 

[the_rhino_uk]

Ok, so my next question is where can I get one of these cars in England or do I have to look to a worldwide shipping to get one?

Is the DS-X the one to get, and what puts it above all the others (like the R4)? Is it just firmware support to allow the ability to play all games (new and old) or is it more like speed / quality etc?

 

[Sephi]

You seem to have misunderstood me, the DS-x sucks a lot, and the R4 is starting to get like that slowly.

dealextreme is cheap and has free worldwide shipping. There are other uk based stores, but they aren't too cheap.

 

[the_rhino_uk]

Ahhh I see now, soz having a thick moment there!

Just been looking at that site now and it they do free worldwide shipping then I may look at that.

OK final question, but which is the best to get?

Also is the best a fixed mem card because I already have a 8GB Kingston SDHC card (not like it matters all that much if I am starting again I wouldn't mind getting a decent card this time around).

If you can answer that then I can stop with the questions

 

[Sephi]

Best card? CycloDS Evo, then SuperCard DS 1 v3 (I think), then Acekard 2/rpg.

8GB MicroSDHC is fine.

 

[the_rhino_uk]

Thank you kindly, been doing a LOT more reading and like what I am seeing so I have found a place that sells them in the UK and will be getting a CycloDS Evolution I think and will partner it up with the 8GB Micro SD card I have got coming.

I was wondering though, would I be able to use all the save games that have been created on my current memory card by the R4 with the CycloDS or does it create its own type of .sav files which means my current save games can't be transfered across and anything I have been playing I will have to start again with?

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Sephi]

The savs will work with each other.

 

[ozzymud]

The R4-III does support SDHC... but only upto 4GB... it will corrupt an 8GB card once it is filled to over 4GB, dunno bout the other R4 knockoffs, I'm gathering info here