3rd Party SSD Caching software

JeremyCT

Weaksauce
Joined
Mar 29, 2008
Messages
79
Does anybody currently have software worth using? I see SSDs on clearance fairly regularly for about $1/GB, and a 60GB unit would certainly suit my budget. However, my Windows folder plus Program Files (both) currently clock in at 72 GB despite recently removing a bunch of stuff, so a caching solution akin to what Intel did with Z68 would be what I would want.

Is there anything like that currently available at the consumer level that doesn't require the purchase of a Z68 MB?
 
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FancyCache is RAM Cache for discs, not an SSD caching solution. Unless you know something that I don't know about it ...

Thanks for trying.
 
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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 TRIM command for SSD
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

Why FancyCache?

Why do we need another cache scheme since Windows OS has already implemented a file-system level cache?

Some applications bypass the file-system level cache.
Windows caches all data, while FancyCache can cache on behalf of a specified volume/disk in which users are interested. Given same size of system memory, the latter has a higher hit-rate.
FancyCache can utilize the OS Invisible Memory on 32-bit Windows as a cache medium.
FancyCache can utilize SSD(Solid-state Drive) as a cache medium, as ReadyBoost does.
 
Doesn't Windows itself have something like this called ReadyBoost? What happened to that?
 
I don't think Readyboost is as advanced as SSD cacheing impementations. Readyboost can only use USB, not SATA\SAS attached storage for cacheing as far as I know.
 
Interesting about FancyCache, I missed that part about it being able to use SSDs. I tried it once using system memory but saw no improvement in system performance, hopefully that's not a bad sign.
 
Read up on FancyCache. It's a non-persistent cache, which mean it starts over again every time you boot. So it won't (can't) speed up boot times or speed up the load time of programs the first time you launch them, even if you launch the same application every time you boot the computer. It starts with a clean slate on every reboot. This isn't what I want. Their forums say they're working on making the cache persistent, but it's not there in version 0.7.

ReadyBoost is similarly non-persistent, and won't use more than 4-8GB of space anyway, so that's out.

A company called "Diskeeper" has a product called "ExpressCache" whose specs read very similarly to Intel's SRT (which is exactly what I want), but it's only available to OEMs, not end users. Bugger.

One solution I've found is a product called "HDDBoost" from Silverstone. You plug the SSD into a special bracket with circuitboard, plug that into the motherboard, and run another SATA connector from the board to a mechanical HD. Seems to work very much like SRT, but it's invisible to the OS. I'm not sure how well it works, I'm trying to find reviews now.
 
Conclusion for the archives and in case anyone was watching this for themselves:

Cost is a factor. The (few) solutions available that work like SRT from Intel cost $40-60 or more with mixed performance results. Since this was going to be paired with a $60 60GB SSD (they come on sale now and again at or near these prices), it's more financially prudent to just wait for a larger SSD more suitable for me to use as a boot/system/programs drive to go on sale close to the $1/GB mark. Total cost would be comparable and performance/reliability is better than using a caching solution.

Unless FancyCache gets a persistent cache or a direct and compelling competitor to SRT comes to town at a very reasonable price (free - $30), this conclusion becomes inescapable as you look deeper.
 
FancyCache is RAM Cache for discs, not an SSD caching solution. Unless you know something that I don't know about it ...

Thanks for trying.

fancycache has an ssd cache mode, but it can only help you with reading. I wouldn't trust it to recover data in case of a crash or something for writes.
 
Why hasn't anyone hacked the Intel SRT drivers to be used on other 1155 chipsets yet? I doubt it's a hardware reason.

Edit: A built-in, modified Windows Readyboost would be nice too
 
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OCZ is using Dataplex. Their page says any chipset, any drive, any SSD, but OCZ is the only company that I've heard that has publicly announced supporting them with their Synapse line. So far it is windows only, and not many exhaustive reviews out for it yet.
 
Any news? Did you find this software?

Dataplex isn't available (yet) for purchase separate from drives (right now that's OCZ's Synapse caching drives). Many manufacturers are going to put out SSDs with caching software shortly, but right now, you're limited to Intel's SRT or NVELO's Dataplex (bundled with a SSD).

FancyCache is pretty cool. It works similarly to other caching solutions, but it works with anything, uses much faster system ram, and also flash storage as a super ReadyBoost.

I've been experimenting with it, and it's main drawback is the cache can't be persistent. Secondly, if you're using write caching with deferred writes you run the risk of data corruption if the system crashes.

In very specific applications, FancyCache would be excellent.
 
As far as I'm aware, a solution on this front still does not exist. I bought an OCZ Synapse but was unimpressed by the performance in my usage case, so I returned it. If you don't have a MB compatible with Intel's Smart Response Tech (Z68 only, it's not on X78), my advice would be to save up and buy a larger SSD. I keep hearing that "someone" is "just about to" release a consumer level SSD caching solution that's not tied to a specific drive/manufacturer and available for sale direct to consumers, but I won't believe it until I see it.
 
Many manufacturers are going to put out SSDs with caching software shortly

Specifically, that's the Crucial Adrenaline and Corsair Accelerator drives. I believe they're both due to ship before the end of Q1. I think they're both going to use the Dataplex software, but I'm not certain on that last count.
 
As far as I'm aware, a solution on this front still does not exist. I bought an OCZ Synapse but was unimpressed by the performance in my usage case
What's wrong with it's performance?

PS on FancyCache; non-persistent SSD cache sounds useless to me (and it will wear out SSD quickly)
 
FYI just saw this on twitter:

http://www.crucial.com/store/ssc.aspx

Crucial Adrenaline Solid State Cache (Windows 7 PCs)
$117.99

What is Crucial® Adrenaline Solid State Cache Solution?

Crucial Adrenaline enables your Windows® 7-based PC to start up twice as fast and boosts performance of your hard drive by up to 8 times.

Comprising a 50GB Crucial m4 SSD, a 3.5” adapter bracket, SATA cable and Dataplex™ software, Crucial Adrenaline intelligently places, or “caches”, the most frequently needed files (active data) on the SSD and keeps the less frequently used files (inactive data) on the hard drive. Fully automated, the software runs in the background and requires no user management.
 
Two reasons.

One, he PM'd me directly in addition to bumping this thread.

Two, the information was contained in links to another forum where I wrote up a lot of my impressions on the Synapse product and the Dataplex software. I wasn't sure how well that would go over here. I don't want to annoy anyone by posting links to another forum.
 
I think most if not all of these caching software are just a bunch of snake oil. The same technology have been around since the 486 days....remember ramdisk? lol
 
If you're willing to do a more manual install, you should be able to use mklink to soft link directories on your SSD to directories in program files or whatever.
 
If you're willing to do a more manual install, you should be able to use mklink to soft link directories on your SSD to directories in program files or whatever.

Yep, I tried it. Works pretty well. (except you can't move some folders to SSD, system32 for example). And it requires manual work, of course.
 
I just had a look for....'alternative sources' ;) for the dataplex software... can't believe it's not out there yet :(

I was wanting to use my i-ram as cache for a small raid-0 array (of 2x 36GB raptors)
 
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