Xbox 360 Game Install Sizes and Loading Times: 900+ games! (Celebrating 5+ years!)

I think I'm going to stop installing games on my Hard Drive. I'm noticing more and more major pop-in by running games off the hard drive.
 
[quote name='KingBroly']I think I'm going to stop installing games on my Hard Drive. I'm noticing more and more major pop-in by running games off the hard drive.[/QUOTE]

Are you clearing your cache before and after installs?
 
If there's any difference it should be BETTER running off the hard drive, not worse. Something's wrong (unless the drive is just insanely fragmented or something, and unfortunately neither Microsoft nor Sony give you tools to deal with that. So far I've been fine though).
 
There is that button combination to clear the cache on the 360. You would have to google it, though, as I don't recall the combo at the moment.
 
Virtua Tennis 3 - BLUE - a good 5 seconds savings if done from the HDD.

From DVD
Exhibition - 12 seconds

From HDD
Exhibition - 7 seconds
 
Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock - 3.4GB - WHITE - Barely any change from either medium.

From DVD
Quick Play: "All Right Now" Medium Guitar - 14 seconds

From HDD
Quick Play: "All Right Now" Medium Guitar - 13 seconds

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Up - 5.6GB - GREEN - Loading is vastly improved if done from the HDD.

From DVD
Initial Load - 11 seconds
New Game - 11 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 7 seconds
New Game - 5 seconds

-----------------------------------

Also, SynGamer, you forgot to include the information from my last post in your last update. The information is as follows:

Virtua Tennis 3 - BLUE - a good 5 seconds savings if done from the HDD.

From DVD
Exhibition - 12 seconds

From HDD
Exhibition - 7 seconds
 
Iron Man - GREEN - On average, the performance improvement for loading levels is over 5 seconds.

From DVD
Initial Load - 4 seconds
Level 1 - 16 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 3 seconds
Level 1 - 10 seconds
 
Sonic Unleashed (courtesy of GameInstalls.com user BR00KSIE) - BLUE

Initial Load from NXE(Dashboard) to main title screen - DVD 32secs /HDD 28secs

Loading Spagonia - DVD 13secs /HDD 10secs
Loading Spagonia Daytime stage Act 1 - DVD 19secs /HDD 14secs

Loading Chun-Nan - DVD 11secs /HDD 9secs
Loading Chun-Nan Nighttime stage Act 1 - DVD 17secs /HDD 15secs
 
Fuel - 4.2GB - WHITE - It averages between 2-3 seconds o savings if done from HDD rather than DVD.

From DVD
Initial Load - 10 seconds
To Main Menu - 29 seconds
Free Ride - 14 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 8 seconds
To Main Menu - 26 seconds
Free Ride - 12 seconds
 
[PROTOTYPE] - 6.8 GB - Green
Initial load - 5 second difference.

Additional note: The draw rate of the buildings and other distant objects is better by two fold, objects load more quickly and makes the overall game more fluid.
 
Since no one else is going to do it:

Hannah Montana: The Movie..........................[3.4GB]

Probably rate it a Blue since the load times weren't that bad to begin with and now they're about 3 seconds less.

"Do the Hoedown....Throwdown. Throw it all together, that's how we roll."
 
[quote name='Autumn Star'][PROTOTYPE] - 6.8 GB - Green
Initial load - 5 second difference.

Additional note: The draw rate of the buildings and other distant objects is better by two fold, objects load more quickly and makes the overall game more fluid.[/QUOTE]

I figured Prototype would benefit from a HDD install. Maybe not in the loading times, but in the decrease of pop-in and draw distance. Glad to hear the HDD helps.
 
Wall-E - WHITE - Almost no change but seeing a longer load coming from the HDD on Level 3 is a bit worrying.

From DVD
Initial Load - 9 seconds
Level 3 - 12 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 8 seconds
Level 3 - 13 seconds
 
Last edited by a moderator:
PopCap Arcade Volume 1 - 3.4GB - WHITE - No change whatsoever. In fact, the game accesses the disc anyway to figure out what games are there. Load times are the same as the XBLA versions downloaded on the HDD

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PopCap Arcade Volume 2 - 3.4GB - WHITE - Same story as the first volume.

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Guitar Hero: Smash Hits - 5.0GB - BLUE - A good 3 seconds faster from the HDD

From DVD
Initial Load - 13 seconds
Main Menu - 4 seconds
Quickplay on Microphone Easy: Woman - 13 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 10 seconds
Main Menu - 3 seconds
Quickplay on Microphone Easy: Woman - 10 seconds

------------------------------------

Cabela's African Safari - 5.1GB - WHITE - A little bit of a difference but not enough to be significant.

From DVD
Initial Load - 6 seconds
Dangerous Seven: Lion - 7 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 5 seconds
Dangerous Seven: Lion - 5 seconds

------------------------------------

Left 4 Dead: Game Of The Year Edition - 5.0GB - BLUE - Exactly the same as the regular edition of the game.

From DVD
intro skip to title: 42 seconds
title to No Mercy campaign level 1: 24 seconds

From HDD
intro skip to title: 37 seconds
title to No Mercy campaign level 1: 20 seconds

-------------------------------------

Battlestations: Pacific - 5.0GB - WHITE - The difference isn't significant enough for a color change.

From DVD
Main Menu - 13 seconds
Skirmish Escort - 26 seconds

From HDD
Main Menu - 10 seconds
Skirmish Escort - 24 seconds

----------------------------------------

Virtua Tennis 2009 - 3.6GB - GREEN - Performance is better but the opening movie stuttered like crazy when running off the HDD.

From DVD
Exhibition: New York: Federer vs. Nadal - 13 seconds

From HDD
Exhibition: New York: Federer vs. Nadal - 8 seconds

---------------------------------------

Damnation - 6.8GB - GREEN - Significantly better load times if done from HDD.

From DVD
New Solo Campaign - 5 seconds
Mission 1 - 19 seconds

From HDD
New Solo Campaign - 4 seconds
Mission 1 - 6 seconds

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Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa - 4.9GB - WHITE - Not much of a difference at all.

From DVD
Story Mode - 9 seconds

From HDD
Story Mode - 8 seconds

------------------------------------

Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian - 3.4GB - GREEN - Significant loading improvements from the HDD.

From DVD
New Game - 17 seconds

From HDD
New Game - 10 seconds

------------------------------------

Shrek The Third - 6.0GB - Not enough of a difference for a color change.

From DVD
Initial Load - 3 seconds
Title Screen - 5 seconds
Tutorial - 8 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 1 second
Title Screen - 3 seconds
Tutorial - 6 seconds

--------------------------------------

And if my math is correct, that brings the list to 399 games reported. Wonder what #400 is going to be.
 
And game #400 for the list is...

X-Men: The Official Game - 6.3GB - BLUE - You can save an average of 4 seconds when loading from HDD.

From DVD
Initial Load - 5 seconds
Title Screen - 4 seconds
Level 1 - 11 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 3 seconds
Title Screen - 3 seconds
Level 1 - 7 seconds

I wish it was a better one for the moment but... eh.
 
Space Chimps - WHITE - Not much of a difference loading from either medium.

From DVD
New Game - 7 seconds

From HDD
New Game - 6 seconds
 
Red Faction: Guerrilla - GREEN - Over 10 seconds saved when loading from the HDD!

From DVD
Dashboard to Menu - 29 seconds
Menu to Game (Eos) - 37 seconds

From HDD
Dashboard to Menu - 18 seconds
Menu to Game (Eos) - 25 seconds

NOTE: There are two movies you can skip when the game starts. I skipped them the second I saw them while recording the times.

Also, it helped a little with the draw distance and pop-up when installed to the hard drive. But I only noticed it a tiny bit when I was doing the comparison.
 
thank you luking yours life
signature_Sign.jpg
:)
 
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel - WHITE
From Disc Game Continue main load time - 17 seconds
From HDD Game Continue main load time - 15 seconds

In game pauses to load cities and stuff seem to be very slightly quicker.
 
I have one very small correction to the list.

Lord of the Rings: Battle For Middle Earth should actually be called Lord of the Rings: Battle For Middle Earth II

The original BFME did not come out for the Xbox 360. The file size is correct at 4.4gb
 
Someone posted that installing Blue Dragon eliminates framerate issues during battle, but I'm still seeing framerate drops. I've only played it installed, though.
 
[quote name='pete5883']Someone posted that installing Blue Dragon eliminates framerate issues during battle, but I'm still seeing framerate drops. I've only played it installed, though.[/QUOTE]


The frame rate is better, as is the battle & area loads, but the frame rate still drops a little. But not as often and much as when running off the disc.

The game also feels alot smoother overall. Even the button response felt quicker.
 
Blacksite: Area 51 - BLUE - A good 5 seconds savings from HDD.

From DVD
Initial Load - 8 seconds
Continue Game: Iraq - 23 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 6 seconds
Continue Game: Iraq - 18 seconds

-------------------------------

Fight Night Round 4 - 4.4GB - BLUE - 4 seconds better if you load from the HDD.

From DVD
Fight Now: Ali Vs. Tyson - 22 seconds

From HDD
Fight Now: Ali Vs. Tyson - 18 seconds

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Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged volume 1 - WHITE - It's difficult to tell any difference between the disc and HDD versions, especially since the game automatically loads to the game section of the dashboard to load up all of the games here.

------------------------------

Tony Hawk's Project 8 - WHITE - Hardly any difference between DVD and HDD.

From DVD
Initial Load - 8 seconds
Continue Career - 7 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 8 seconds
Continue Career - 7 seconds

-----------------------------

Surf's Up - 4.6GB - BLUE - An average of 3 seconds saved from the HDD.

From DVD
Title Screen - 4 seconds
Shiverpool 1 - 12 seconds

From HDD
Title Screen - 4 seconds
Shiverpool 1 - 9 seconds

------------------------------

Bullet Witch - GREEN - On average of about 6 seconds savings from HDD.

From DVD
Initial Load - 7 seconds
Level 1 - 16 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 4 seconds
Level 1 - 10 seconds

------------------------------

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger - 4.3GB - WHITE - No difference whatsoever.

From DVD
Initial Load - 2 seconds
Arcade Fight Load - 3 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 2 seconds
Arcade Fight Load - 3 seconds
 
Information courtesy of VirusShell from GameInstalls.com:

Kingdom Under Fire: Circle Of Doom - GREEN

(DVD): Dashboard to menu: 28 seconds
(HDD): Dashboard to menu: 17 seconds

(DVD): Starting a new game (Character selection): 2.5 seconds
(HDD): Starting a new game (Character selection): 1.5 seconds

(DVD): Beginning a Solo Game to cutscene: 15 seconds
(HDD): Beginning a Solo Game to cutscene: 10 seconds

(DVD): After Cutscene: 26 seconds
(HDD): After Cutscene: 20 seconds

(DVD): Transition to next area: 28 seconds
(HDD): Transition to next area: 22.5 seconds

(DVD): Continue Solo Game: 28 seconds
(HDD): Continue Solo Game: 23 seconds

(DVD): Quitting to menu: 5 seconds
(HDD): Quitting to menu: 3 seconds

(DVD): Entering sleep: 18 seconds
(HDD): Entering sleep: 10 seconds

(DVD): Waking up: 28 seconds
(HDD): Waking up: 21 seconds
 
Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs - 6.1GB - WHITE - The load times are already short so the HDD install makes it almost instantaneous.

From DVD
Initial Load - 4 seconds
New Game - 2 seconds
Level 1 - 3 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 2 seconds
New Game - 1 second
Level 1 - 1 second
 
Sorry but I just starting reading about saving the games onto the HD. What is the purpose of this? Is it for better load times?

Also if I save the game onto the HD would I ever need the CD again?
 
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 - 4.9GB - BLUE - 4 seconds savings from HDD.

From DVD
Initial Load - 6 seconds
Exhibition - 17 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 4 seconds
Exhibition - 13 seconds
 
Cabela's Big Game Hunter - 3.4GB - No change whatsoever.

From DVD
Initial Load - 5 seconds
Instant Hunt - 15 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 5 seconds
Instant Hunt - 15 seconds
 
The Bigs 2

Install time- 10:11

Install size- 6.8 GB

Loading Times

Boot to menu screen- Disc 32 seconds vs HDD 23 seconds (9 seconds)

Load to game of “Play Ball”- Disc 23 seconds vs HDD 15 seconds (8 seconds)

Load out of “Play Ball” back to menu- Disc 4 seconds vs HDD 3 seconds (1 second)

Load to “Home Run Pinball”- Disc 15 seconds vs HDD 10 seconds (5 seconds)

Load to mini game- Disc 17 seconds vs HDD 12 seconds (5 seconds)
 
Supreme Commander - BLUE - a good amount of savings if you go from HDD for this game.

From DVD
Initial Load - 11 seconds
Skirmish - 20 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 8 seconds
Skirmish - 15 seconds
 
Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires - 6.3GB - BLUE - An average of 4 seconds saved from HDD loading.

From DVD
Initial Load - 7 seconds
Level Start - 17 seconds

From HDD
Initial Load - 7 seconds
Level Start - 13 seconds
 
MLB 2K8 - GREEN - Loading is much faster and the stutters and pauses from the loading screen commentary are gone if done from HDD.

From DVD
Play Ball: Dodgers vs. Royals - 43 seconds

From HDD
Play Ball: Dodgers vs. Royals - 26 seconds
 
Are you sure about DMC4? I played it off the disc and the load times were pretty awful. After installing it, it had next to no load times at all.

Also, Guitar Hero Aerosmith shows about a 2-3 second load time decrease for songs. Which is good, because I hate waiting on music games for some reason.
Other games I've tested with comments:

Viva Pinata: TIP - Quick-selecting seeds, fertilizers, etc. they load up MUCH faster. Also, loads for shops and initial loads are slightly faster, though not noticable enough. Really all it felt was smoother.

Overlord - Load times between areas were maybe 2-3 seconds cut off at most, but it really wasn't that much of a difference. Overlord has such great loads anyway it didn't hurt.

Guitar Hero 2 - I've seen improvements in the loading times on this one.

Games I can't tolerate without installing: Mass Effect, Fable 2, Resident Evil 5
 
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