what SD card do you recommend?

[iceColdgin]

what SD card do you recommend for the nuvi 205W? which brand works best on this device? what GB size is best?

i would appreciate some recommendations

thanks

[oj88]

AFAIK, it doesn't matter what SD/SDHC brand you use. In fact, you may never need the extra memory card at all if all your maps can fit the Nuvi's built-in memory.

2GB SD cards are dirt-cheap and is in fact, already overkill to just store the roadguide map.

But FWIW...

From the Garmin website:

Question: What is the largest Secure Digital (SD) card that my nuvi, zumo, or Streetpilot can accept?

Answer:
As long as the unit has the latest version of software, your unit can use the following maximum card size from the table below. You can use the WebUpdater program to download the latest unit software.

Unit Series Maximum Size of SD card
nuvi - 16 GB
zumo - 16 GB
Streetpilot c500 - 2 GB
Streetpilot c300* - 2 GB
Streetpilot i-series* - 2 GB
Streetpilot 7200 / 7500 - 2 GB

Depending on the model of your unit, it may use either a full size SD card or a microSD card. If you are not sure which your unit requires, please refer to its documentation.

[iceColdgin]

unit is a nuvi 205W

[oj88]

unit is a nuvi 205W

How is it different from the other Nuvi's with SD card slots?

[iceColdgin]

How is it different from the other Nuvi's with SD card slots?

most likely its all the same. i just wanted to know what is most recommended in terms of speed, durability and reliability. every SD card has its own speed and reliability rating so i would like to know the experience of the actual users here

[oj88]

Maybe it's not for me to really understand why you're very particular on this. But do know this, Garmins are NOT digital cameras where speed, capacity and reliability are factors to consider.

That said, there's really no need to be overly critical on the brand and speed for the purpose of using it on a GPS. Most SD and SDHC cards on the market from the expensive branded ones down to generic models from CDR-King are MORE THAN suitable for use on our Nuvis. That's probably the reason why Garmin never even mentioned anything about what memory brand or speed is required, will attest that it's not THAT important. Another confirmation would probably be why nobody else is answering your queries since nobody even gave much thought of it.

To put things into perspective... a 64MB SD card from almost a decade ago is still sufficient enough to store the current roadguide map. A Class 6 16GB SDHC card on the other hand is only better because it's practically future-proof (can fit ALL published Garmin maps, and maybe even some parts of the galaxy ), and you can use it as well on your digital cam or as extra storage on your card reader-equipped PC or notebook. But performance wise, little to zero benefits on Nuvis.

On the subject of reliability, I'm using a CDR-King Class 4 16GB SDHC card on my Canon digital cam for around 6 months already. I even run Canon firmware hacks off of this card. No issues, whatsoever. Unlike 5 years ago, I'd say that the SD/SDHC technology has matured enough to even apply down to the generic ones. So reliability is no longer much of an issue.

On my Nuvi, I use a 3-4 year old Kingston 512MB SD card.

[Reiji]

Another confirmation would probably be why nobody else is answering your queries since nobody even gave much thought of it.

[iceColdgin]

just wanted to know which SD cards work (or don't work) based on actual experience. i assume that SD cards are like flash drives where read/write speeds and reliability are different

well, since all SD cards work (even the generic CD-R King ones) on the nuvi, then getting the cheapest to work will not be a problem

thanks for the elucidative replies