Best SD or MMC card?

[Terrell]

I'm thinking about adding an SD or MMC card to my GO 730, but I have absolutely no idea about such cards. What would this community recommend?

My goal would be to add space for more music.

The instructions seem to indicate that adding a card, you then backup the entire contents onto the card instead of the GO's internal memory. But that would not give extra memory, it just swaps memory.

Does a card actually add memory? And which card?

 

[canderson]

Since you are only concerned about music, access speed won't be much of a problem. But I'll bet you find other uses for it as time goes by.

You don't need the hot smokin' fast video capable cards. You'll do fine with any mid-range card. If your unit has recent firmware on it (8.300 or later), you can get as large a card as you like. If your firmware is older, you may wish to upgrade to 8.302 to afford yourself use of cards greater than 4GB without problems. That can be done with your TomTom Home utility.

Many of us do fine with 4GB. I use a Sandisk Ultra II, and frankly, it's a bit of overkill for even my purposes (my maps and POI files are out there). Go with anything rated as a Class 6, whatever you buy, and you'll be in good shape.

 

[Terrell]

Yes, I have the GO 730, and software 8.302.

Is there a difference between SD and MMC cards? (I have no idea what they are, other than the slot they fit in.)

And if the cards are slower than the internal memory, and you're supposed to run everything then off the card, how will that affect the operation of the GO? Will it slow it down?

 

[canderson]

The only difference is one of terminology since nobody I know actually uses the "secure" part of "Secure Digital" anyway -- might as well be ordinary MMC cards. Technically, SD is MMC with a security feature that 99% of the folks out there don't realize even exists, much less take advantage of.

A side note: your larger cards will be called SDHC (high capacity). Those are what your newer firmware thinks is just ducky, so you can stick a 32GB out there if the mood suits you and your library of music is huge. Be aware that there are some limitations on the TomTom "Juke Box" when it comes to the total file count. I'm not an expert in that area, but the issue has been brought up here before. I do not know if some of the more recent firmware releases have addressed that -- TomTom hasn't mentioned it.

Note also that there are alternative players for your TomTom, along with a number of other 3rd party applications. Since I already had Mobilnova running on mine, I use their player for music as well. No problems with large file counts.

 

[canderson]

And if the cards are slower than the internal memory, and you're supposed to run everything then off the card, how will that affect the operation of the GO? Will it slow it down?

As to that question, you should experience no problems with speed. It is possible to keep the entire system out on the SD card (firmware, maps, voices and all) and get normal performance. Like I say, any Class 6 card will be accessed just as quickly as the internal flash seems to be.

 

[Terrell]

Since you are only concerned about music, access speed won't be much of a problem. But I'll bet you find other uses for it as time goes by.

But since the entire GO will run off the card, speed does matter.

If your unit has recent firmware on it (8.300 or later), you can get as large a card as you like. If your firmware is older, you may wish to upgrade to 8.302 to afford yourself use of cards greater than 4GB without problems.

What about SD-HC cards? I read that sometimes HD cards cause issues? Or is that not the case for the GO?

Many of us do fine with 4GB. I use a Sandisk Ultra II, and frankly, it's a bit of overkill for even my purposes (my maps and POI files are out there). Go with anything rated as a Class 6, whatever you buy, and you'll be in good shape.

Hmmm, class 6? I see SanDisk has the Ultra III as class 6...

 

[tukatz]

I have a 920 with 4GB of internal storage and a 4GB SDHC card - a Transcend as I recall. One storage area has my Europe maps and the other has my North America maps. I have MP3s on both. Note that your MP3s MUST be in a folder named mp3 (all in lower case) for the TomTom to recognize them. My 920 creates a jukebox list from MP3s on BOTH storage devices and presents a single list.

 

[Terrell]

So, will this work in the GO 730?

Sandisk 4GB EXTREME III SDHC SD Card

I've read that the SDHC cards will only work in a device made for SDHC.

 

[dhn]

That card will work fine in a 730 and for your model you do NOT have to put everything on a sdhc. The Go models use the sdhc storage **in addition** to internal storage. So, using a 40-gig sdhc will give the unit the equivalent to 6 gigs of storage.

For my 720, I just run my map on a SnDisk Ultra II and that is rated as class 4, but the speed is still fine. I have had no issues.

 

[pianoCM]

This should clear out the confusion

MMC vs SD Card - Difference and Comparison - Diffen

 

[Terrell]

That card will work fine in a 730 and for your model you do NOT have to put everything on a sdhc. The Go models use the sdhc storage **in addition** to internal storage. So, using a 40-gig sdhc will give the unit the equivalent to 6 gigs of storage.

Thanks! That is very useful info.

I ordered through Amazon the Sandisk 4GB EXTREME III SDHC SD Card (SDSDX3-4096, Static Pack) Sold by: ChiTek for $14.46 plus shipping $18.96.

Then I was reading and discovered this:

Steve's Digicams - Main Menu which linked to PriceGrabber.com (never used them before) which linked to ConsumerDepot.com (never heard of them before either). They have the SANDISK Extreme III 4GB SD Card SDHC with a MicroMate Card Reader for just $9.99. With shipping it was $13.98 total. There is a limit of two per customer.

This is listed as "new" (ConsumerDepot is a liquidator). They also list the same thing as "Refurbished - Tested and Repackaged" for $16.99. I wonder why the "new" ones are cheaper? Maybe because they have not been tested?

So I've ordered from both places. Maybe others here might be interested in this card. I have not yet received it nor tried it out, but at that price, with a card reader, I figure why not?

 

[canderson]

But since the entire GO will run off the card, speed does matter.

ONLY if you choose to put all of your system on the card. Like I say, I have my maps over there on SD, but the firmware sits on internal at present.

What about SD-HC cards? I read that sometimes HD cards cause issues? Or is that not the case for the GO?

As I said above, your 8.302 firmware will have no issues with SDHC as big as you can find them.

Hmmm, class 6? I see SanDisk has the Ultra III as class 6...

I'd thought that their Ultra II is also a Class 6. DHN says otherwise, above, and as I think about it, he's probably right. Whichever. In case you want to run your unit off the SD someday, including having POI files and maps out there, I'd hesitate to use a Class 2. A Class 4 device is certainly fast enough if that's the Ultra II that many of us use. You certainly have no need for the Extreme III on a TomTom, but you got a great deal on it!

 

[mikealder]

I use the 8GB and 16GB SDHC cards manufactured by "Peak" they are both class 6 and don't have an issue running maps, music or even the application from them, these are not a very well known make but work very well in the devices and don't cost as much as the Extreme III - Mike

 

[dhn]

To canderson.....

It is NOT easy to find on the package (for me, anyway) but it definitely does say class 4 for the Ultra II 4-gig card by SanDisk. Looking at it right now as I hunt and peck this message .......

 

[Terrell]

The SanDisk 4GB Extreme III SDHC Memory Card package arrived today from Consumer Depot. Inside was a brand new sealed package with the SanDisk Extreme III SDHD 4 GB card, class 6.

With it are a SanDisk SD/SDHD card reader and travel case, plus a mini-CD with SanDisk RescuePRO v3.3 (data recovery software for Mac or Windows). Everything is brand new, as advertised. Total cost with shipping: $13.98. I am very pleased with their service (this is the first time I have ordered from Consumer Depot), and I'm happy with the product. As noted by others, they have a less than stellar reputation, but my experience was very positive.

The 4GB card works well, and allows me to upload a lot of mp3 files to it. I'm including mp3 versions of books I own as well.

And now the same SDHD card arrived, ordered through Amazon, shipped by ChiTek (I never ordered from them before). It is the SD card only (no reader) and with shipping was a total of $18.96.

So these cards seem to be very inexpensive.

I had no idea what to get, but you gave me great advice! So thanks for everyone's help here.

Terrell