MicroSD vs USB thumbdrive
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Is it possible to install RetroPie completely on USB thumbdrive?
And if so will it be any better than running of MicroSD in terms of speed (4K read/write)? -
@panja said in MicroSD vs USB thumbdrive:
Is it possible to install RetroPie completely on USB thumbdrive?
Yes, but it's not straightforward and still requires a SD card for the initial installation - see https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/hardware/raspberrypi/bootmodes/msd.md.
And if so will it be any better than running of MicroSD in terms of speed (4K read/write)?
I don't know for sure, but the biggest limiting factor is the internal USB 2 bus, used by all I/O devices on the Pi (card/network/usb). But reliability for sure would be a factor when considering USB over a SD card.
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I do have a spare SD card, so if it's only for initial installation that wouldn't be a problem.
I'm aware that the USB2 bus it shared but I won't be using LAN much.
Will be using a Bluetooth controller, is that affecting I/O as well if using a USB thumb drive?It won't be getting full USB2 speeds I guess, but hopefully better speeds than MicroSD?!
Reliability, you mean SD corrupts faster right?
Thats a strong point as well. Didn't think about that... -
@panja said in MicroSD vs USB thumbdrive:
I'm aware that the USB2 bus it shared but I won't be using LAN much.
I was referring to the general I/O bus speed.
It won't be getting full USB2 speeds I guess, but hopefully better speeds than MicroSD?!
I can't say for sure, I've not used an USB drive.
Reliability, you mean SD corrupts faster right?
Yes, SD(HC) cards have a shorter lifespan than an USB thumb drive, plus they're less susceptible to power failure corruption. It's a common configuration choice because of reliability and ease of transfer for ROMs: https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Running-ROMs-from-a-USB-drive/.
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Ok, thanks for the info!
Hopefully someone can shed a light on the speed question.
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@panja speed question is answered in the linked docs :)
Speed: USB transfer speeds can be faster than SD card transfer speeds (see http://www.roylongbottom.org.uk/Raspberry Pi Benchmarks.htm#anchor21).
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@dankcushions
Thanks!
Though it's a bit of an overwhelming document...
Need to read it a few times I guess because I don't really get it... ;-) -
An alternative to completely enable usb boot could be to use the SD card just as boot loader and install Retropie on a thumb drive. I did that for testing purposes a while back using PINN. I only had an old 2gb card on which I installed PINN and a 32gb stick I installed different systems on. Can't say anything about the speed difference though but the initial setup should be easier. Especially since the method mentioned by @mitu can't be undone.
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@ectoone said in MicroSD vs USB thumbdrive:
Especially since the method mentioned by @mitu can't be undone.
Yes, the method from the page I linked modifies the boot media selection on the Pi and the new setting cannot be reversed/changed back. However, the modification does not disable booting from the SD card (see the discussion here, linking to a detailed - and technical - description of the boot flow on a RPI).
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@mitu Oh yeah, I wasn't saying that it was a bad thing or might break your Pi, I was just suggesting an alternative. I mean using PINN could also be a bad thing because the Retropie image it installs is not official.
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I still don't know what will be my best bet:
MicroSD or USB stick/thumb drive in terms of speed.
Also does it really matter (usb stick vs microsd) in terms of reliability?
Both are flash memory right?Any one else have tips?
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@panja said in MicroSD vs USB thumbdrive:
@dankcushions
Thanks!
Though it's a bit of an overwhelming document...
Need to read it a few times I guess because I don't really get it... ;-)"The main observations are that the faster drive provides little advantage on reading performance, limited by bus speed and other overheads, but produces the fastest writing speeds, with significant gains using Ext4 format over that using FAT"
so a faster USB drive can be an advantage, but it depends on the SD card and the USB drive's specs, and is mostly limited by bus speed anyway (so yeah, let's say a slight advantage to USB, all things being equal).
Also does it really matter (usb stick vs microsd) in terms of reliability?
again, answered in my link: https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Running-ROMs-from-a-USB-drive/ (first two points)
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Reliability: USB storage can be less sensitive to corruption than SD cards.
I personally can not confirm this. I have more dead USB sticks then SD cards. And I barely even use the sticks on a regular basis while the SD cards are constantly in use. My last stick I bought specifically to use for RetroPie corrupted after 2 days.
But again, this is just my personal experience. -
Thanks guys!
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I just tried my MicroSD card into a USB 2.0 MicroSD card reader and booted into Retropie.
It's giving me faster speeds on 4K random read and write.
WTF?! LOL
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