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Accessories Class 2 or class 6 microsdhc?

I don't think you ever will REALLY know unless you have the engineering details of the phone's MicroSD controller chip, the bus speed of the CPU etc etc. This has been an ongoing discussion since I got my first Smartphone well over 10 years ago (Kyocera 6135 I think was the model). The GENERAL consensus was that for use IN THE PHONE it makes very little difference. For copying files to the card on your PC while the card is in a card reader it WOULD make a noticeable difference.

Even POINT & SHOOT cameras have the same issue. At a certain point the speed of a card is meaningless. It all comes down to the controller. Most DSLR's are another story as they are spec'd to support the hi-speed cards.


PERSONALLY, I'd get a 6X. Why? Because I can. Will it matter. I highly doubt it.
 
I found a 16 gig class 2 for 31 bucks after this promotion code it was 34.99. But my 8 gig now is a class 4 so maybe I'll wait and see what comes with the phone. I wish the slot wasn't under the battery though.
 
Fazz said:
Evo = top of the line, I'm going with a top of the line card

I'm going with a Class 6 card, soon you will be able to run apps off the SD card (2.2)
Click to expand...
I does not look like it is needs, but hey it is your money. I doubt any app on the market will use more then 10Mbs/sec of information.
 
Evo = top of the line, I'm going with a top of the line card

I'm going with a Class 6 card, soon you will be able to run apps off the SD card (2.2)
Click to expand...
I does not look like it is needs, but hey it is your money. I doubt any app on the market will use more then 10Mbs/sec of information.
Click to expand...

Never said it would either. But top of the line is top of the line lol. And when syncing a lot of data to and from pc on a regular basis, 10mbps can be a big time saver.

Tapatalk. Samsung Moment. Yep.
 
IOWA said:
Never said it would either. But top of the line is top of the line lol. And when syncing a lot of data to and from pc on a regular basis, 10mbps can be a big time saver.

Tapatalk. Samsung Moment. Yep.
Click to expand...
It is?

Ok then, get the class 2 to card, it can do 16mbps.

Already posted the results of the speed test above.
 
RiverOfIce has the best points on this thread.

1.) 720p video recording won't be an issue. You are NOT recording at 2MB's a second. your vid would be 30MB after just 15 seconds.....******s.

2.) Opening ANYTHING won't be an issue. These Class 2,4,6,10 are all minimum Write speeds. Read speeds are quadruple or more then that.

3.) It would be beneficial when copying files from PC to phone or moving large files within the phone to SD. The problem is unless we get specs for the Class of the internal reader or someone does a very good test then we cannot be certain.

Thanks for your tests you provided RiverofIce. What did you use to move around Avatar? An Incredible? You have an EVO?
 
RiverOfIce said:
Unless you want the faster pc to card write speeds, do not bother with a class 4 6 or 10. You are wasting your money.



That is 62KB/s.

A class 2 card can transfer 2MB/s

Getting a class 4,6,10 card will not help you record video, if what gizomodo says is true.

Sorry.
Click to expand...

The gizmodo article states 5 megabits per second which is 640KBps.
 
The only reason I can think of for purchasing any card more than a class 2 is taking full 720p videos on the Evo in an extended amount of time (more than 5 minutes at a time).

I'd go get a 32 GB class 2 once my 8GB is filled up. I don't need my entire music library on the phone anyways, I don't listen to most of it... LOL
 
I posted this in another thread, but it applies here as well:

I was going to wait for a class 6 16GB Micro SD, but I got such a great deal on a Sandisk 16GB Micro SD (Class 2) that I could not pass it up. I got it from Office Depot for $23.76 out the door.

They have it on their website for about $32, but it's delivery only. They carry the same model in store, but its a different SKU and priced at $99. I asked them to price match their website which they did with no problem, which surprised me since the SKU was different. I will mention that they are the exact same model though (SDSQ-016G-A11M) regardless of the SKU.

Anyways, I used THIS office depot to get $10 off my purchase. It may not be super fast, but it should be very reliable being that it's a Sandisk and it was dirt cheap.

Tested it with Crystal Disk Mark on my PC with a card reader and got about 18mb read and 9mb write on the sequential and 512k runs which isn't too bad for a $23 16GB MicroSD

The 4k weren't as great, but still I can work with this card. Below are the benchmark details.

EDIT: I added benchmarks for my 8gb Kingston Class 4 that I use in my TP2. The benchmarks on the 16gb Class 2 actually look better. That is odd.

EDIT 2: I added some more test results to ensure my results are accurate.

EDIT 3: Added some info about cluster size and performance
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CrystalDiskMark 3.0 x64 (C) 2007-2010 hiyohiyo
Crystal Dew World : Crystal Dew World
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
* MB/s = 1,000,000 byte/s [SATA/300 = 300,000,000 byte/s]
OS : Windows 7 [6.1 Build 7600] (x64)

Here is my Sandisk 16GB Class 2 Micro SDHC

Test 1: 50 MB [L: 6.7% (1.0/14.8 GB)] (x1)

Sequential Read : 17.957 MB/s
Sequential Write : 8.971 MB/s
Random Read 512KB : 17.961 MB/s
Random Write 512KB : 2.092 MB/s
Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 4.004 MB/s [ 977.5 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 0.022 MB/s [ 5.3 IOPS]
Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 4.061 MB/s [ 991.4 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 0.033 MB/s [ 8.1 IOPS]
-------------
Test 2: 100 MB [L: 6.6% (1.0/14.8 GB)] (x5)

Sequential Read : 17.914 MB/s
Sequential Write : 9.358 MB/s
Random Read 512KB : 17.922 MB/s
Random Write 512KB : 2.131 MB/s
Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 4.020 MB/s [ 981.4 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 0.020 MB/s [ 4.9 IOPS]
Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 4.096 MB/s [ 1000.0 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 0.027 MB/s [ 6.6 IOPS]
-------------
Test 3: 500 MB [L: 6.6% (1.0/14.8 GB)] (x2)

Sequential Read : 17.921 MB/s
Sequential Write : 9.434 MB/s
Random Read 512KB : 17.816 MB/s
Random Write 512KB : 1.950 MB/s
Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 3.555 MB/s [ 867.9 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 0.019 MB/s [ 4.7 IOPS]
Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 3.868 MB/s [ 944.3 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 0.020 MB/s [ 4.9 IOPS]
---------------------------

Here is my Kingston 8GB Class 4 MicroSDHC (currently used in my TP2)

Test 1: 50 MB [L: 46.5% (3532.5/7592.0 MB)] (x1)

Sequential Read : 18.550 MB/s
Sequential Write : 8.953 MB/s
Random Read 512KB : 18.553 MB/s
Random Write 512KB : 1.620 MB/s
Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 4.011 MB/s [ 979.2 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 0.017 MB/s [ 4.2 IOPS]
Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 3.901 MB/s [ 952.4 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 0.030 MB/s [ 7.3 IOPS]
----------------

Test 2: 100 MB [L: 46.5% (3532.5/7592.0 MB)] (x5)

Sequential Read : 18.505 MB/s
Sequential Write : 9.547 MB/s
Random Read 512KB : 18.479 MB/s
Random Write 512KB : 1.978 MB/s
Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 3.860 MB/s [ 942.4 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 0.017 MB/s [ 4.2 IOPS]
Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 3.865 MB/s [ 943.6 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 0.024 MB/s [ 5.8 IOPS]
--------------

Test 3 : 500 MB [L: 46.5% (3532.5/7592.0 MB)] (x2)

Sequential Read : 18.512 MB/s
Sequential Write : 10.413 MB/s
Random Read 512KB : 18.181 MB/s
Random Write 512KB : 1.724 MB/s
Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 3.942 MB/s [ 962.3 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 0.017 MB/s [ 4.2 IOPS]
Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 3.891 MB/s [ 949.9 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 0.018 MB/s [ 4.4 IOPS]
-------------------
Here is a Kingston 8GB Class 4 regular size SDHC (not micro)

Test 1 : 50 MB [L: 0.0% (0.1/7592.0 MB)] (x1)

Sequential Read : 16.853 MB/s
Sequential Write : 9.397 MB/s
Random Read 512KB : 16.826 MB/s
Random Write 512KB : 1.681 MB/s
Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 4.074 MB/s [ 994.6 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 0.039 MB/s [ 9.6 IOPS]
Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 4.089 MB/s [ 998.3 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 0.063 MB/s [ 15.3 IOPS]

-------------------------

Another thing I should mention is that cluster size can make a difference in how the card responds. The smaller the cluster size, the less wasted space you have. However, it also slows the responsiveness of the card down overall. A larger cluster size (i.e. 32k) will make your card more responsive, but will also waste more space. For example, a 1k file will take up the full 32k in the latter scenario. If you had 4k clusters, you would only be using 4k for that same file.

If you have a lot of files less than 32k then you might be better off formatting the card with 4k clusters. Otherwise, I would suggest the larger cluster size of 32k to get a better response out of your card.

I have done this in the past with slow SD cards to get a better response. For example, on my hacked GPS unit with all the maps on the SD I used the larger 32k clusters from the default 4k. After doing that and copying my files back over, I had next to no lag. With the 4k clusters, I would regularly get lag as the GPS software was reading the map files.

I have also done this on my media server, but I used 64k clusters there. This was suggested over at the SageTV forums (which is what I run on my media center). This got rid of stuttering I was experiencing on HD movies and tv shows.

To format to a new cluster size, simply right click on the drive in Windows and choose format. Choose quick format, FAT32, pick your cluster size and I would suggest you check the "quick format" unless you have a lot of time to burn. WARNING: A format will wipe all data from the card, so backup anything you need. If you don't have a way of mounting the card on a PC, you might google to see what other options you have for formatting.

If your want to see your current cluster size in WIndows, go to a command prompt and type "Chkdsk X:" (without quotes) where X is your MicroSD drive letter. You will get some outpul that will include something like mine 32,768 bytes in each allocation unit. This means mine is currently at 32k (32,768 bytes).

There's lots of literature you can read online about this and its pretty common. Below is a quote I pulled from one site that explains why larger clusters can increase performance.

What is an issue is how fast your system can read and write files from the hard drive. The larger the cluster size - the larger "chunks" that are fetched from the drive. This speeds up performance. For example, many drives were formatted with 4k clusters. This means to read 32k of data, the system must perform eight fetches - 4k per fetch. If you had instead formatted the same drive using 32k clusters, the system would only have to perform one fetch.
Click to expand...
 
16. I've already filled up the stock 8Gig one, and I still have a stack of 20 unripped CD's on my desk. I'd like to still have some space for a couple of HD movies.
 
RiverOfIce said:
To be honest get the fastest you can afford.

At 2MB/s transfer rate. Then you take a standard 720x480 movie and use handbrake to convert it to about 800 MB file.

That is only 400 secs of load time. The move is 5400 secs long.

To full bore the 2MB/s transfer rate, you would have to do a file size of
7,200MB. Or a standard uncompressed dvd.

Then at 4MB/s you would need 14,400 mb file, or the size of a blue-ray.

To max out a 6MB/s card you can go with a 21,000MB file. Larger then any movie file.

But if you are using any kind of good compression, a class two will handle most media you can throw at it.

To be safe I go with the class 4 cards. Class 6 and class 10 are nice, when you are using them for os's. But for media it is really not that needed.

I have class 2, 4 and 6 cards. And to be honest watching the standard compressed video you really do not see any difference.


If you want to record video from the phone then I would say the min. would be a class 4. But class 6 cards are really pointless. You would have to move more then 11 GB/hour to make it worth it.

Since you are watching only movies and music. There is no way you can watch 11 GB/hour on a phone.

If you like to play video games off the sd and listen to music, then get the class 4. If you like to run a video game, watch a movie, and listen to music, then get some professional help, but a class 6 will cover you until the pills kick in.
Click to expand...
You seem legit. How can I tell the difference, and where can I buy a Class 4 32GB microSDHC card on the cheap?
 
I just received my long awaited RiData 16GB Class6 MicroSD card in the mail. This is the second card of that size and speed that I have purchased. I returned the first on (from a different maker) due to the test results I received from CrystalMark software. The new one faire a bit better, although not as fast as I would have hoped.

I would like to know what numbers I should be expecting from this card (I may have my sights set too high). The data follows:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CrystalDiskMark 3.0 (C) 2007-2010 hiyohiyo
Crystal Dew World : Crystal Dew World
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
* MB/s = 1,000,000 byte/s [SATA/300 = 300,000,000 byte/s]
Sequential Read : 15.669 MB/s
Sequential Write : 8.901 MB/s
Random Read 512KB : 15.476 MB/s
Random Write 512KB : 1.671 MB/s
Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 3.135 MB/s [ 765.4 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 0.016 MB/s [ 3.9 IOPS]
Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 3.244 MB/s [ 792.0 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 0.017 MB/s [ 4.1 IOPS]
Test : 50 MB [F: 0.0% (0.0/14.9 GB)] (x5)
Date : 2010/10/28 8:20:38
OS : Windows XP Professional SP3 [5.1 Build 2600] (x86)

Thanks.
 
thelonewizard said:
You seem legit. How can I tell the difference, and where can I buy a Class 4 32GB microSDHC card on the cheap?
Click to expand...

Notwithstanding River's technical points, the only reason to buy other than class 2 is for hi-def recording (writing). Evo's the wrong device for that because it's never going to fully capture true hi-def video because the lens and other components aren't built for that. As to playback, the screen isn't capable of reproducing a hi-def image that makes a difference. It's very hard to get your money's worth on hi-def video on a screen of only 4.3", and using Evo as a video source just isn't worth it. Putting up some decent-quality impromptu video and snapshots is what Evo's good for. Small devices work best with compressed video and audio because they lack the components to provide a real audio-/video-phile experience.

I don't think Class 4 is worth it - not enough of a speed bump anywhere to be worthwhile. That's why they're not so easy to find. Your best bet will be eBay, but beware of faux cards.

There are standalone digital cameras that make more sense for Class 6 and 10 cards.

Just making sure you really want to spend the money for something you're going to use.
 
I recently went from a class 6 card to a class 4 card. I started noticing a lag when playing Angry Birds so I had to move the app to phone and off of the SD card.
 
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