11-19-2006, 11:57 PM
What is a byte?
8 bits; a byte is denoted by an upper case B
What is a bit?
short for binary digit - a bit is a base 2 (binary) digit (meaning that it can have only two possible values: 0 or 1); a bit is denoted by a lower case b
What is a block?
A block is a term used for a chunk of memory without any specific size attached to it. Memory is divided into chunks to make addressing easier.
Nintendo uses blocks to specify memory storage size as well as memory requirements, and there is a specific size associated with them.
What size is a (Nintendo Gamecube) block?
8kB (8 kilobytes = 1024 bytes = 8192 bits)
[Where did you get that from?
GC memory card sizes: 59 blocks (4Mb = 1/2MB), 251 blocks (16Mb = 2MB), 1019 (64Mb = 8MB)
notice that each is 5 blocks less than a power of two (2^6 = 64, 2^8 = 256, 2^10 = 1024); this implies that there is a five block overhead (i.e. 5 blocks of memory that are used by the system and cannot be used to save game data)
512 kB/64, 2048 kB/256, 8192 kB/1024 all equal 8 kB]
How much memory does the Wii have?
512MB
(2163 blocks - these are apparently not the same as Gamecube blocks, and it is hard to estimate the actual size without knowledge of the overhead - the closest power of two larger than 2163 is 4096; at 4096 total blocks, each block would be 128 kB)
How does the 512MB flash memory in the Wii compare to the memory cards available for the Gamecube?
512MB is 64 times larger than the 1019 memory card!
How much space do Wii games take up?
Wii Sports - 2 blocks
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - 1 block
[this is all I have seen so far - any additions/corrections would be appreciated]
What about additional storage space?
The Wii supports SD cards for additional storage. This is probably unnecessary for game saves, but would be useful if you buy many of the Virtual Console games or if you would like to use the custom soundtrack feature available in some games. They can also be used to transfer saves from one console to another (though this probably will not work for games like Animal crossing).
The Official Wii SD cards are expensive! Are there any other options?
Yes! I would never recommend buying them as perfectly good SD cards can be found at much more reasonable prices elsewhere (I recently got a 2GB SD card for under $30). I would recommend the following for finding good deals on SD cards: http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/show...p?t=115920
Hopefully this was interesting at the very least. Let me know if you have any related questions.
8 bits; a byte is denoted by an upper case B
What is a bit?
short for binary digit - a bit is a base 2 (binary) digit (meaning that it can have only two possible values: 0 or 1); a bit is denoted by a lower case b
What is a block?
A block is a term used for a chunk of memory without any specific size attached to it. Memory is divided into chunks to make addressing easier.
Nintendo uses blocks to specify memory storage size as well as memory requirements, and there is a specific size associated with them.
What size is a (Nintendo Gamecube) block?
8kB (8 kilobytes = 1024 bytes = 8192 bits)
[Where did you get that from?
GC memory card sizes: 59 blocks (4Mb = 1/2MB), 251 blocks (16Mb = 2MB), 1019 (64Mb = 8MB)
notice that each is 5 blocks less than a power of two (2^6 = 64, 2^8 = 256, 2^10 = 1024); this implies that there is a five block overhead (i.e. 5 blocks of memory that are used by the system and cannot be used to save game data)
512 kB/64, 2048 kB/256, 8192 kB/1024 all equal 8 kB]
How much memory does the Wii have?
512MB
(2163 blocks - these are apparently not the same as Gamecube blocks, and it is hard to estimate the actual size without knowledge of the overhead - the closest power of two larger than 2163 is 4096; at 4096 total blocks, each block would be 128 kB)
How does the 512MB flash memory in the Wii compare to the memory cards available for the Gamecube?
512MB is 64 times larger than the 1019 memory card!
How much space do Wii games take up?
Wii Sports - 2 blocks
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - 1 block
[this is all I have seen so far - any additions/corrections would be appreciated]
What about additional storage space?
The Wii supports SD cards for additional storage. This is probably unnecessary for game saves, but would be useful if you buy many of the Virtual Console games or if you would like to use the custom soundtrack feature available in some games. They can also be used to transfer saves from one console to another (though this probably will not work for games like Animal crossing).
The Official Wii SD cards are expensive! Are there any other options?
Yes! I would never recommend buying them as perfectly good SD cards can be found at much more reasonable prices elsewhere (I recently got a 2GB SD card for under $30). I would recommend the following for finding good deals on SD cards: http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/show...p?t=115920
Hopefully this was interesting at the very least. Let me know if you have any related questions.
