SD card usage tips

[johnspack]

Got myself a thumb drive sized sd/hc mini/micro card reader for 2 bucks, and can carry it around. Normally, sd cards are pretty slow, but there is a way to speed them up a bit. The creator of RMPrepUsb has initiated a formatting algorithm for fat32, and apparently ntfs, that will speed up access by 10% or better. http://www.rmprepusb.com/
Using an 8gb class 4 card:

Using an 8gb class 10 card:

[james888]

I thought that second image was the "after" test from the class 4 card. I was dissapointed when I realized it wasn't.

[johnspack]

Heh, no, I wish. But you will still see at least a 10% increase on any sd or flash drive using this format.

[james888]

Originally Posted by johnspack

The creator of RMPrepUsb has initiated a formatting algorithm for fat32

I am not exactly sure what to do. Do I just use this program to repartition the drive to fat32, or are you supposed to checkmark one of the many settings?

I tried formatting with this program with default settings on fat32. I see no major difference on my class 10 8gb sd card using hdtune and the in program speed test.

Before:
I got 19.5 MB/sec read and 13.2 MB/sec write using the in program speed test.
Using hdtune I got a minimum of 16.7 MB/sec, average of 17 MB/sec, a maximum of 19.2 MB/sec, acces time of 0.7, and a burst rate(write?) of 13.9 MB/sec.

After:
I got 19.9 MB/sec read and 13 MB/sec write using the in program speed test.
Using hdtune I got a minimum of 16.6 MB/sec, average of 17 MB/sec, a maximum of 19.2 MB/sec, acces time of 0.7, and a burst rate(write?) of 13.9 MB/sec.

[micropage7]

actually i dont think it would boost much since between class 4 or class 10 limited by their spec, maybe you could optimize it but thats all you can do

[james888]

Originally Posted by micropage7

actually i dont think it would boost much since between class 4 or class 10 limited by their spec, maybe you could optimize it but thats all you can do

I figured I would try it at least. I am not even hitting the 20MB/sec I am rated at so I figured there was room to improve. Johnspack did seem pretty adamant.

Think it would help a usb flashdrive?

[terrastrife]

I think before and afters are what we want. I have a plain jane formatted 8GB class 4 Sandisk which is faster than my Patriot class 10, ~25 read/~18 write vs ~15 read and ~12 write of the Patriot with the same card reader. The Patriot cards were such an epic fail, I wanted to hit my cameras buffer less often but it's worse (RAWs are 10MB @ 4.5fps) :\