Speeding up HDDs - Speeding up gameplay

[Completely Bonkers]

I'm testing this piece of software I found recently. It is a DISKCACHE. All HDDs have a hardware cache, typically 8MB-32MB. Windows also has a diskcache. This is a software solution to give you a bigger cache and to cache things that windows doesnt.

How can it help? Increasing cache size increases the probability of cache hits which therefore improves effective HDD read/writes. Seek times are near-zero when the data is in the cache. More info in the link. It works based on the same principles as a ramdisk, but rather than specifying a ramdisk, it works on a dynamic data set... the data you are referencing on your HDD. Speedups for cache hits are similar to when using a ramdisk.

You can make it cache specific drives or specific partitions. Got a games partition? Or a system partition? Make it cache just that and not your data/archive/media drives.

http://www.romexsoftware.com/en-us/fancy-cache/index.html

I'm testing it. I'm a bit sceptical; especially with this funny FancyCache name. However, it is from the same people who do a pretty decent ramdisk. I guess it all depends on the efficiency/inefficiency of Windows inbuilt cache. However, it does seem to be very useful for 32-bit OS since it uses memory mapping >4GB for the cache. On the forum there is a lot of talk about speedups on virtualised systems VRM http://www.romexsoftware.com/bbs2/en-us/viewforum.php?f=23

My initial results are attached: Atom netbook SSD, with FancyCache (default settings), with ramdisk.


If you test it, pls. give feedback. This could be interesting.

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

Sounds like a bad idea. I don't think the normal user should manage how the HD uses the cache, leave that to the OS. You could really mess something up. However, making a partition for your pagefile is a good idea, small tweaks like that easily increase performance 2-3%. Tell me how your experiments go. If you get a bluescreen, I will not be surprised.

 

[overclocking101]

im with PVT on this one. one wrong click and your screwed

 

[Arel3]

While your attached results are very impressive and this is very interesting I too am reluctant to mess with something like that. Especially my hard drives. I'd be even more concerned about doing something like that to a laptop. You're playing with fire, CB.

 

[Mussels]

all it does is uses some system memory as an extra cache. i dont think you can screw things up as you guys are fearing there. (its for reads, not writes - so data loss isnt a concern)


it basically seems like a third party version of superfetch.

 

[RejZoR]

It's similar to SuperSpeed SuperCache. These tools are ok, especially on 5400RPM drive systems like laptops. Especially since you have a battery inside so even if there is a power outtage, you won't corrupt anything. So only thing that can make it wrong is a system crash where data can corrupt anyway when it happens.

 

[95Viper]

all it does is uses some system memory as an extra cache. i dont think you can screw things up as you guys are fearing there. (its for reads, not writes - so data loss isnt a concern)


it basically seems like a third party version of superfetch.

Main Features
Supports LRU (Least Recently Used) and LFU (Least Frequently Used) cache algorithms
Supports caching strategies: Read/Write Caching, Read-Only Caching and Write-Only Caching
Supports Write-Through and Write-Deferred modes
Supports OS Invisible Memory and SSD (Solid-state Drive) as Level-II cache
Supports caching for volumes or entire disks
Supports visual performance monitor
Supports cache plug and play
Supports basic and dynamic disks
Supports NTFS junction point
Supports volume/disk with proprietary file system

Looks like, it has the option to set it up for both or either. Still relative little chance for data corruption. You, probably, would have more of a chance of a software/driver install screw up or drive failure.
Hopefully it has some form of data protection coded in it.

 

[Mussels]

well unstable machine could be very bad with write caching, but hell, its gunna fuck up whatever its writing with or without a cache should you BSOD or crash.

 

[Completely Bonkers]

You can turn on/off write caching. You can even specify how many seconds of write delay you want.

If you go to the forums it is receiving a lot of positive commentary from specialist installs such as VM machines etc.

It seems to be of little practical value for the regular user. However, I would be interested if anyone tried caching their games partition and if it helped with minimum framerates and maploads.

I think the write caching might also be useful not just as a speedup that you can personally manage (rather than the windows default methods) but also to save SSD wear/write amplification.

If you are concerned about losing write-data then you have either:
1./ an unstable machine or system, and you know it - so dont use it, or
2./ you have an unstable power supply - get yourself a UPS

FYI webservers use write caching all the time... no reason you cant set up a stable "workstation" and implement write caching too.

 

[Mussels]

You can turn on/off write caching. You can even specify how many seconds of write delay you want.

If you go to the forums it is receiving a lot of positive commentary from specialist installs such as VM machines etc.

It seems to be of little practical value for the regular user. However, I would be interested if anyone tried caching their games partition and if it helped with minimum framerates and maploads.

it might, but superfetch already seems to do that

 

[AsRock]

it might, but superfetch already seems to do that

And even when thats off windows still caches anyways. I like the idea but windows don't give you any nice options to what to cache and how much .. Shame MS are such tight asses.

 

[RejZoR]

ReadyBoost is a completelly different thing as it only caches frequntly used programs and that's it.
These programs do this as well plus organize write cache by delaying unecessary writes to some later time, improving stuff that has to be done right now.