Hacking SD Card speeds for installing CIA

[Disco]

So, I had a liitle time, and I have more than one 4.5 3DS, so I made a test.
In one there is some cheap ass 32gb SD class4, and in the other one there is a little bit better TDK 32gb SD class10.
First I tested them on my computer, read speed average for both is aroun 19mb/s.
Write speed for cl4 one is 5mb/s, and for cl10 one is 11mb/s. Now thats twice as fast!
They are both mSD put in adapter.
I copied the same 2 CIAs on both.
On both 3DS i go to BBM (on both BBM installed, I don't like to use .3DS version), put them one alongside the other and pressed install at the exact same time.

And which one was faster?
None, they both finished at the exact same time!

So, for old 3DS don't waste money on expensive SD card, because 3DS can't take advantage of their improved speeds.

But I suspect the N3DS is having much faster card slot, and that is where the ''improved download speeds'' comes from, I assume it's not the download speed that is faster, but rather the SD slot.
I will test this as soon as GW releases update.
Also Nintendo recommends SanDisk extreme cards for N3DS, that's also one of the reasons I think N3DS has much faster SD slot.

Well, that's it, I only wanted to share this info with you

 

[Disco]

I also now timed installation of Link Between Worlds which is 714mb, it took 12:40mins.
And that translate to atrocious 0.9-1mb/s of write speed. Thats super slow.

According to mathematics, that would take cca 1h to install RE:Revelations which is cca 3,4gb

 

[Deleted member 333767]

When you download items from the eshop, i swear 20% of the progress bar is actually just downloading the software, the other 80% is installation, if the dev menu installer is anything to go by.....

 

[MrJason005]

interesting find
so, did i waste money buying samsung 32gb evo cards? i got 2 of them, one for 3ds and another for red card

 

[StriderVM]

Darn, and I bought a high speed Class 10 32GB as well.

Thank you for the information.

 

[MelonGx]

I have a Sandisk Extreme Pro 95M write SD.
The CIA installation is really faster but less than twice of original Samsung Class 4.

 

[gamesquest1]

i think its just how the 3ds installs them, not that the SD cant read/write faster, i think its basically loaded up and written in small chunks, similar to how the original ncch decryptor worked

but basically yeah for cia install the install speed is severely capped it seems

 

[tony_2018]

i think its just how the 3ds installs them, not that the SD cant read/write faster, i think its basically loaded up and written in small chunks, similar to how the original ncch decryptor worked

but basically yeah for cia install the install speed is severely capped it seems

I was thinking the same thing.

Darn, and I bought a high speed Class 10 32GB as well.

Thank you for the information.

Don't feel bad for buying a class 10 SD card though. They seem to be on sale alot these days and purchasing one shouldn't be an issue. I found another 64GB SD card, class 10, for sale at 20 bucks legit. Since I already have 2 I'm aiming for a 128GB SD class 10.

 

[Disco]

I have a Sandisk Extreme Pro 95M write SD.
The CIA installation is really faster but less than twice of original Samsung Class 4.

I can't see how this can be true!?
As stated above I tested both cards at the same time, and there is not even 1sec difference in install time.

 

[ImYoungxD]

First I tested them on my computer, read speed average for both is aroun 19mb/s.
Read speed for cl4 one is 5mb/s, and for cl10 one is 11mb/s. Now thats twice as fast!

Two reading speed tests? I doubt it. The second line has to be writing speed.

BTW, the 3DS uses read speed to install CIA. Since you said average speed for both is 19mb which is very slow for 10 speed. Please let us know the EXACT speed for both by using multiple tests and also different programs to test the speed.

I've never heard of TDK brand so I am guessing their SD card brand is no good since you said the writing speed for both is slow. It could be fake or defective for a class 10. If you bought it on eBay, high chance it could be fake. Next time, test with Samsung or Sandisk class 10 against a lower class.

 

[Disco]

Two reading speed tests? I doubt it. The second line has to be writing speed.

BTW, the 3DS uses read speed to install CIA. Since you said average speed for both is 19mb which is very slow for 10 speed. Please let us know the EXACT speed for both by using multiple tests and also different programs to test the speed.

I've never heard of TDK brand so I am guessing their SD card brand is no good since you said the writing speed for both is slow. It could be fake or defective for a class 10. If you bought it on eBay, high chance it could be fake. Next time, test with Samsung or Sandisk class 10 against a lower class.

Yeah you are right, I wrote read and meant write It's fixed now.
I don't have any of faster/more expensive ones. TDK are cheap.
Class number is referring to minimum write speeds note read, and max reading speed would be somewhere between 29-31mb/s as that's the max of USB 2.0.
If someone can test SanDisk Extreme series or SAMSUNG Evo, please do try, also try link between the worlds and time it, so we can compare the results.

 

[gamesquest1]

i might do a few tests later on a few cards, but from what i have noticed, cia installation is slow on any card

 

[Disco]

I tried now multiple cards, and seems that 19/20 mb/s is the limit of my card reader.
I also tried same mSD cards in my other readers, one was slower with 16mb cap, while the other was slightly faster with 22-23 mb/s.

 

[uk3dsannoyeduser]

The old 3DS SD only supports speeds up to class 6. So the difference is not going to be as pronounced as going from a class 4 to a class 10 in a class 10 enabled device.

But as others have said the CIA loader is slow and the amount of time it takes to install a CIA file does not accurately reflect the speed of the SD card.

Frankly with 64GB class 10 micro SD cards at the price they currently are I wouldn't buy a class 6.
All the 32GB cards I can see on amazon are the same price. So you might as well get the class 10 anyway.

I set up my bros gateway with my old class 4 spare cards and just coping the data to the cards took three times as long as it did with my class 10 cards.
So that's one solid reason I prefer to use my class 10.

 

[Pado]

I haven't tried the installation speed of CIA's, but the write/read speed on PC can be slower due to using a USB 2.0 card reader.

An USB 3.0 card reader is needed if you want to take benefit of class 10 cards that support high read speeds, which is great when backing-up stuff or putting files on it from your PC.

Samsung EVO 64GB (filled with 17GB) with a Transcend USB 3.0 card reader.

And yeah, the price difference between class 4 and 10 is not that big to not choose a class 10 card...

 

[Disco]

I know about transfer speeds, but I was only interested in CIA install speed. Other things IMHO don't mater that much.
I really do hope that the install speed will be improved on N3DS

 

[MelonGx]

I can't see how this can be true!?
As stated above I tested both cards at the same time, and there is not even 1sec difference in install time.

The result was tested from installing a 2.3GB CIA.
Faster SD cards has not only faster installing speed, but less lags at initializing CIA installation.

 

[StriderVM]

Wait.... Does this mean a 3DS XL has faster CIA installation and SD card access ?

 

[DarkKaine]

I measured a CIA install of Ocarina of Time on my (regular) 3DS with a Samsung Evo 64GB card to be roughly 1.08MB/s

 

[Disco]

I also did one more test.
I put big file (600mb) on SD class4.
From PC HDD to SD transfer rate is 7-8mb/s.
Then I made new folder on SD card and copied that same file from the SD root to the new directory on that same SD (copy NOT move/cut).
So it's sort of like emulating installation of CIA which is installing on the same card and it's slowing it down.
Well transfer rate was slower but still OK, it was 5mb/s.