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HOW TO: Speed Up Memory Stick

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Acid_Snake
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HOW TO: Speed Up Memory Stick

Post by Acid_Snake »

If (like me) you have ever experienced slow read/write operations on your Memory Stick, here are good advices to speed up your MS.

1. Filesystem
The standard formatting for MS is FAT16 for upto 2GB and FAT32 for anything beyond. (This trick is for 4GB and up, if your MS is 2GB or less and still experience slowlyness, skip this). The PSP can read FAT16 faster than FAT32, the problem is the PSP will format in FAT32 anything with more than 2GB, so you have to manually format it with a PC:
- Windows: insert your MS in you PC (with your PS or an adaptor). Go to your "Computer" folder, right click on the MS and select "format", under formatting choose FAT16.
- Linux (CLI): the command to format in FAT16 is "sudo mkdosfs -F 16 /dev/sdx", change sdx with your MS device number.
- Linux (GUI): install and run GParted, select your MS, right click on the primary partition (there should only be one anyway), select "format as" and "fat16", click on "apply".
- Mac: you can use Disc Utility. Sorry but I don't know how, don't use Mac.
Ok, after formatting with a PC you need to reconstruct all folders used by the PSP (PSP, VIDEO, PICTURE, ISO, etc).
It's a pain in the *** but I created a script to ease things a bit: http://sourceforge.net/projects/pspdirf ... z/download

2. CFW hack
Another option is to use a CFW that supports the "Speed up MS" hack, available in the latest ME, PRO and M33.
To enable open up the recovery menu: hold R-trigger when booting up, or enter by means of VSH menu (ME/PRO). The "speed up MS" option is usually under "Configuration".

3. ISO vs CSO
Most of the time using a CSO (Compressed ISO) slows down the system when reading from the Stick. CSOs can save up some space, but it really isn't worth saving some Megabytes if that means slowing down the system. Consider using uncompressed ISOs instead.

4. Defragmenting your MS
Although I don't really recommend this one you can defragment your MS for constant file reading, specially large files like ISOs or PSX games, again, I don't recommend it since fragmentation seem to affect HDDs more than flash memories.

5. Avoid too many files
Just like the title says, avoid putting too many files in your stick. This happens mostly on emulators, since ROMs are small in size people often download ROM packs with many ROMs just to end up playing a few. Consider deleting them and leaving only the ones you actually play.

6. CPU/BUS speed
This is a no-brainer but some people seem to forget about this. Setting the CPU speed to it's max capacity won't result in read/write speed up but will result in faster decompression of CSOs. Press select button to open the vsh menu where you can change the CPU/BUS speed.

Mixing all the above will give the best results.

7. Better MS and Fake MS
This is the last resource but is usually the best option. If none of the above works, or the results aren't what you expected you can consider buying a new Stick. The new HG Pro Duo are cheap and give an excellent performance in read/write. Also make sure the MS is not Fake, the best way too identify a Fake MS is by inserting it on your PSP, press triagle and select information. It should tell you if it's MagicGate supported or not, Fake MSs are not.
Here are some guides for telling if a stick is fake, take a look before buying anything, if you can I suggest to print them and take them to the store with you.
http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/324446
http://www.elotrolado.net/hilo_como-dif ... ir_1002821
http://www.videogames.net.au/how-to-spo ... ory-stick/
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Last edited by Acid_Snake on Tue Jun 19, 2012 9:19 pm, edited 3 times in total.
toBsucht
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Re: HOW TO: Speed Up Memory Stick

Post by toBsucht »

Nice i think you forget nothing.

Maybe you link / call some benchmark tools. I know i got one for cfw @ my webfloder.
And i sure a hg pro duo cann´t be much faster as a littel slower once since psp read and writte speed isn´t very fast. Yeah very old sticks maybe a littel.
I used an old ~528mb with magic gate and now a pro duo dual slot adapter with micro sd card. The only differnts between both the one with mmg load the game section a littel faster. If i copy files from pc to psp the adapter is much fast becouse the full read&writte speed can used.. (usb speed).
I think a littel speed can be reached if you copy less files to your stick .. maybe it´s helpfull to keep some free space ;)
not sure how much speed up you get if copy all your files in one to your ms ... or if it is good to format ms befor you do it .

Plugins can slow down psp. Setting cpu to max. can speed up a psp.
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Last edited by toBsucht on Tue May 08, 2012 3:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Acid_Snake
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Re: HOW TO: Speed Up Memory Stick

Post by Acid_Snake »

I used to have a Sandisc MS and a Sony Pro Duo, both 4Gb and I can tell you Hg Pro Duo are faster, without even using the "speed up MS" option that I had to use on the other two. I get about 10 Mbs write, 20 Mbs read
toBsucht
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Re: HOW TO: Speed Up Memory Stick

Post by toBsucht »

..cann´t be much faster
what is it 0.5 sec to load the game section in xmb? idk about the game perfomance difference but i´m sure it is similar probatly a lil more ;) but i´m fine without mmg. A micro sd is much more compatible to other devices and they are cheaper.
and btw if you use a fast micro sd the missing of mmg should get less recognizable.
Acid_Snake
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Re: HOW TO: Speed Up Memory Stick

Post by Acid_Snake »

never really tried microSD on PSP so I can't tell, I do have one (Sony) and it seems fast, but again, I haven't used one on a PSP.
But anyways, this tut is for people with a laggy MS, most common on Sandisk an Fake MS
Casavult
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Re: HOW TO: Speed Up Memory Stick

Post by Casavult »

Acid_Snake wrote:I used to have a Sandisc MS and a Sony Pro Duo, both 4Gb and I can tell you Hg Pro Duo are faster, without even using the "speed up MS" option that I had to use on the other two. I get about 10 Mbs write, 20 Mbs read
I have to agree, all my Sony HG Pro Duo's are extremely fast and I get about 17/mbs write and 38/mbs read on mine. Also, nice guide. This should be helpful for people. :)
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toBsucht
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Re: HOW TO: Speed Up Memory Stick

Post by toBsucht »

as i wrote such a high read/writte speed is just importend if you copy files via usb.

and i doubt that the use of ms speedup makes any different if you copyfiles^^

.. i had a look around idk if you can get micro sdhc with a r/w speed much more than 20mbs ^atm^
Acid_Snake
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Re: HOW TO: Speed Up Memory Stick

Post by Acid_Snake »

toBsucht wrote:as i wrote such a high read/writte speed is just importend if you copy files via usb.

and i doubt that the use of ms speedup makes any different if you copyfiles^^

.. i had a look around idk if you can get micro sdhc with a r/w speed much more than 20mbs ^atm^
I dont trust micro sd anyway, I've had bad luck with them getting corrupted and unreadable, but maybe it was the first models.
stevealexanderames
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Re: HOW TO: Speed Up Memory Stick

Post by stevealexanderames »

i just tried your script after formatting my MS to fat16, but that's the terminal output

File "F:\DirFix_pc.py", line 102

log.write("F:/SEPLUGINS/version.txt missing...fixed/n")
Syntax Error: invalid syntax
PSP 3004 3G 6.20 LME / PRO(MOD)-C
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Acid_Snake
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Re: HOW TO: Speed Up Memory Stick

Post by Acid_Snake »

yes, it was a bug I discovered after uploading it. It is fixed in later versions found within psp-tools, I just forgot to update it in the standalone version. You can redownload it now or fix it yourself:
open the script and find the following text

target:1:WorldWide
""")

make sure the underlined symbol is there.
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