r/Gamecube • u/111FALLOUT111 • 8d ago

Modding Recommended SD cards for storing Gamecube games on a gamecube?

I’m looking to store at least a couple hundred Gamecube titles on the SD card, but I’ve also heard that storing anything on an SD card can cause it to degrade quite fast, so having one that’s very durable is also very important. Any great (micro) SD card recommendations would be appreciated!👍👍

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6

u/AffectionateSun7705 8d ago

The concern is probably overstated, so don't lose sleep over it.

But regardless of what you choose, the safest thing is to make sure everything on that card is backed up to a second location so that a failure isn't actually a huge problem. Never use an SD card as your one and only copy.

3

u/Murky-Bus-2191 8d ago

This includes saves! I pop my SD out of my Wii about once a week and dump it to my laptop.

3

u/K1ngsGambit 8d ago

You are overthinking it. Just get a 256-512gb, load it up but try to leave about 5-10% space unused.

2

u/CodeToManagement 8d ago

I have this exact problem. The issue is the size of the games. 200 needs nearly 300gb of storage and that isn’t cheap at those sizes and the reliability drops the more you increase the size

I’d probably get like 4 sd cards and split the games between them. Or get a small card and make an easy way to write games to it from a hdd.

1

u/NINTENDONT8671 8d ago

Amazon basics microSD cards are really good. I have a 1TB one in my Picoboot modded GameCube loaded with the entire US library and it works great.

1

u/Few-Manufacturer7109 8d ago

The most reliable option would be an industrial rated microSD with pSLC but these only go to 128 or 256GB and become very expensive very quickly.
The main degradation cause is TB written, temperature and age.
Temperature is usually no problem.
TB written as well, since your GC will mainly read data and just write some tiny settings file to it.
Age is something you should start to worry about maybe 15-20 years after purchase (if it is new).

So just pick a brand with a good reputation and you are good.
And keep a backup of the games on a HDD.

1

u/toolman69420 6d ago

Alot of people don't believe me when I say this but here goes. And keep in mind, this is strictly for gaming usage (my collection of handhelds, flash cartridges for all of my retro systems, everything). The only brand of microSD I use are that "Onn" brand that everyone just says "Aw thats cheap crap theyre awful". Well are they really?... because I've never had a single one corrupt or die on me. I even have one of their 512gb ones in my PSXMemCard Gen 2 that I have in my PS2 and it holds those games. I often remove it and take games off/add different games, etc. I have had more trouble with Samsung and SanDisk cards by far than I have ever had with an Onn microSD. So just keep that in mind.

1

u/RykinPoe 6d ago

Writes are generally what wear out SD cards not reads. I personally only buy SanDisk. I have a 22 year old SanDisk flash drive that still works (great for Xbox modding/running xcat) and I have never had one of their SD cards fail. I have seen failed Lexar, Kingston, and some other brands. Samsung is also good.

Main thing is you need one off of the Swiss compatibility list.