Short stroking a RAID0 array, ReadyBoost and RAM disks

[Raydeus]

I'm in the process of both getting way more RAM (16GB DDR3 1600 since it's so freaking cheap) and to receive my first USB 3.0 flash drive (16GB.)

This will enable me to both create a well sized RAM disk (thinking 6GB right now) and to use a very fast USB drive for ReadyBoost. But since I have no experience on either I'd like to ask people here about their experiences with both.

Also going to reinstall windows to short stroke at 20% capacity (2TB raid array, I'd like to go with 10% but 200GB just wouldn't cut it.)


Anyway, my questions are about:

- How good is a ram disk when used as a ReadyBoost device compared to an actual USB 3.0 drive? Mainly thinking about startup times because I usually turn off my computer every day both to save electricity and because I don't feel that comfortable leaving my cute computer working unattended (/paranoia +1 I'm afraid.) So the cache will be deleted on a daily basis. Even if short stroking the RAID array may speed up RAM disk reloading times a bit.

- Which RAM disk software has worked the best for you? Because even though I've read about a few programs that sound pretty good, I still would like to make a more informed purchase (if the software isn't free dist) since there's too much noise on the interwebs about it.

- If anyone has any experience with short stroking HDDs I want to know if making a partition with the remaining space is a good idea* or if I should just leave the empty space unpartitioned in case the additional partition(s) end up affecting seek times in some way.

Any help/opinions would be appreciated.


* Not going to use it for anything that would be read at the same time as the program/system files of course. For that would destroy any advantages of shortstroking in the first place.


---------- Post added at 10:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:34 PM ----------

PS > Could a mod fix the title please? I wrote RAID0 arraid instead of "array". orz

[Kailea]

re: Short stroking a RAID0 array, ReadyBoost and RAM disks

I had to read that tittle a few times to be honest...... heh ;p

[Raydeus]

re: Short stroking a RAID0 array, ReadyBoost and RAM disks

You have a dirty mind. XD

[Kailea]

Re: Short stroking a RAID0 array, ReadyBoost and RAM disks

yes....yes I do...


but what you are doing, made me look them up, I honestly never though of doing this, and it sounds interesting, but I think I might try a RAID 0 with 2 500GB drives and see what kind of boost I get from that, along with an 8GB USB2.0 readyboost

I dont have the HDDs big enough to do this "short stroke" proccess, and I need the space......lol

[Raydeus]

Re: Short stroking a RAID0 array, ReadyBoost and RAM disks

I suggest you use RAID0 only if you are placing your documents and other non-system/program files in a different drive. Otherwise there are many things that can make you lose all your information stored in the RAID array. For example:

- If you are using the motherboard's RAID controller and it dies on you there are chances the new mobo you install your disks in wont recognize the array and force you to create a new array (effectively deleting all your files unless you take them to a back up service, which is inconvenient to say the least.) Many people use RAID cards to avoid this since the raid will be recognized on virtually any computer doing that.

- If for some reason you hit your comp while the HDDs are running and one of the disks goes poof there are big chances all your info will be lost, then it's back to the recovery service to see if you can salvage some of it. Natural disk fail can also cause this but it's very, very, very unlikely.

- If you reinstall your disk in the wrong configuration info can be lost (don't have experience with this, but have read some horror stories about it)

This is why important info is often kept in separate drives while the RAID is used for system files. (Note: None of the bad stuff has happened to me and has relatively very low chances of ever happening to you, but using separate drives also helps increase your drives' life since usage is distributed along many drives instead of just one disk/array)

Now, RAID will give you an awesome boost in speed on all sequential reads/writes (2x + normal and 3x+ shortstroked) which is pretty much larger files like those found in games. For small files and random reads it wont do a thing. But this is where ReadyBoost comes into play.

Then you start dealing with strip and cluster sizes, which can also potentially increase performance dramatically depending on the type of files you use and your system settings. But you'll get more into it while playing around with RAID. It is awesome but also can give you a few headaches once you start getting too much into it.

Tom's hardware has some nice tests and graphics there if you want to find out more info on this.




PS > I just wish I had bought 4x 1Tb drives instead of 4x 500Gb ones (thinking 2 TB was way too much space at the time just for system and program files) but it's too late now and I'm not going to buy another 4 drives for a few ms of seek time gains. XD

[Armando]

Re: Short stroking a RAID0 array, ReadyBoost and RAM disks

The faster your hard disk access time gets, the less likely it is that ReadyBoost will do anything for you. ReadyBoost only works if retrieving something from the flash device would be faster than retrieving it from the hard disks. USB 3.0 would only improve the flash drive's transfer rate, which doesn't concern you because hard drives are going to be better at that anyways. It's not going to help with the flash drive's random access time. Regardless, if you really want to find out: Keep tabs on ReadyBoost with Windows 7's Performance Monitor | TechRepublic

Also wtf is a RAM disk?

[Mhurron]

Re: Short stroking a RAID0 array, ReadyBoost and RAM disks

Also wtf is a RAM disk?

A section of memory carved out of active ram and presented to the OS as a disk device.

Personally I've never seen readyboost to actually be all that useful. Its a sleight of hand that makes it look like your access times are faster. I would bet you would get more real performance by simply letting the OS have all the RAM and let it cache as it wants to.

BTW, a RAID10 would have given very good performance and data redundancy. Several smaller disks would give you more performance.

[Kailea]

Re: Short stroking a RAID0 array, ReadyBoost and RAM disks

mm thanks for the info on RB Armando, and yeah dont worry Raydeus, everything I plavce on the 500GB R0 is backed up on my USB 500GB drive or I can reisntall with disks, I have a solo 500GB drive that has all my arcade and retro roms on them, so that is safe as well.

---------- Post added at 07:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:17 AM ----------

A section of memory carved out of active ram and presented to the OS as a disk device.

Personally I've never seen readyboost to actually be all that useful. Its a sleight of hand that makes it look like your access times are faster. I would bet you would get more real performance by simply letting the OS have all the RAM and let it cache as it wants to.

BTW, a RAID10 would have given very good performance and data redundancy. Several smaller disks would give you more performance.

mmm yeah RAID 10 is nice, I might do that later, but for now I have to work with what I have ;p.....

mmm just thought of something completely unnecessary... a raid 10 with SSDs ;p

[Raydeus]

Re: Short stroking a RAID0 array, ReadyBoost and RAM disks

Finally got the extra RAM and the USB drives.

ReadyBoost 3.0 makes a huge difference. I didn't think it would be that much. I guess there were more 4k-512k files in use than I thought at first, the USB drive loads them waaaaaaaay before my HDD is even done seeking the file.

Superfetch + ReadyBoost + RAID0 = win

Just need to find a good RAM drive program and see how that performs compared to the USB 3.0 for RB. And then reinstall Windows for Shortstroking.

---------- Post added at 09:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:12 PM ----------

PS > I tested RB before upgrading the RAM just to make sure it wasn't the ram providing the boost due to superfetch. After the upgrade it ran even better. /woohoo

[Kailea]

Re: Short stroking a RAID0 array, ReadyBoost and RAM disks

yeah just finished my rework as well, even though I did not go as far as you are, all I did was

Raid 0 + USB 2.0 readyboost

I will say though I am seeing a nice jump in performance.

my current and only bottleneck is my HDD transfer rate -.-

[Armando]

Re: Short stroking a RAID0 array, ReadyBoost and RAM disks

my current and only bottleneck is my HDD transfer rate -.-

This has pretty much been the biggest bottleneck in computers for a while.

[Raydeus]

Re: Short stroking a RAID0 array, ReadyBoost and RAM disks

Don't worry, in a couple of years (or 3?) when SDDs are more affordable and bigger (and faster) that problem will be solved.


And in 5-10 years I'm sure we'll start seeing unified systems (ultralight) where the SDD doubles as the RAM for max performance and has at least a few TBs of space on the cheaper versions.